CAREER: Impacts of Lake Browning on the Photochemical Fate of Organic Micropollutants

湖泊是重要的自然水系统，为人类和生态系统提供重要服务，包括提供饮用水、渔业、娱乐活动和气候调节。湖泊的长期水质趋势经常作为地方、区域或全球环境变化的指标。纽约州和美国东北部地区的许多内陆湖泊正在经历褐变，由于有机物组成、水文气候强迫和土地利用模式的变化，水色增加。其中许多湖泊还从其流域接收大量有机微污染物（OMPs）。然而，对褐变对湖泊中omp光化学转化和命运的影响的基本理解仍然难以捉摸。这个CAREER项目的总体目标是描述和量化褐变对纽约州内陆湖泊omp阳光驱动转变的影响。这项研究的成功完成将通过产生新的数据和基础知识来支持适应性湖泊监测计划和水处理实践的发展，以管理和最大限度地减少纽约州湖泊褐变对水质的影响，从而造福社会。进一步的社会效益将通过学生教育和培训来实现，包括在雪城大学指导一名研究生和一名高中生暑期实习生。纽约州和美国东北部地区的许多内陆湖泊由于其有机物质组成的变化而正在经历水色（褐变）的增加，同时从其流域接受大量有机微污染物（OMPs）的输入。对于依赖湖泊提供饮用水的社区和公用事业公司来说，湖泊褐变可能导致水处理成本的增加（例如，增加化学和能源消耗），以去除环境有害物质并达到保护人类和生态系统健康所需的饮用水质量标准。然而，在对褐变对湖泊中有机污染物的反应性和命运的影响的基本理解方面，存在着关键的知识空白。这个CAREER项目将解决这些知识空白。为了实现这一目标，首席研究员（PI）建议评估褐化引起的湖泊有机质组成和反应性变化对纽约州内陆湖泊omp光化学（阳光驱动）转化的影响。研究的具体目标是：(1)与纽约公民全州湖泊评估计划合作，对内陆湖水域的光反应性进行广泛的表征，以确定驱动光反应性湖间变化的关键有机质特性；(2)研究酸侵蚀湖泊流域外来有机质对湖泊OMPs光化学转化的影响；(3)评价藻华和污水处理厂出水的原生有机物对湖泊omp光化学转化的影响。该项目的成功完成有可能产生变革性的影响，通过产生新的数据和基础知识来支持流域管理决策和水处理实践，这将是管理和减轻湖泊褐变对水质影响所需的。为了实现CAREER项目的教育和培训目标，PI将开发并将新的基于探究的模块整合到雪城大学（SU）的三门环境工程课程中。此外，PI计划在州立大学开发和实施外展项目，以1)扩大代表性不足群体学生对水质研究的参与；2)与纽约州公民全州湖泊评估项目合作，在湖泊社区成员和公众中提高环境素养。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Lakes are key natural water systems that provide critical services to people and ecosystems including the supply of drinking water, fishing, recreational activities, and climate regulation. Long-term water quality trends in lakes often serve as indicators of local, regional, or global environmental changes. Many inland lakes in the State of New York and the northeastern regions of the United States are experiencing browning, an increase in water color due to changing organic matter compositions, hydroclimatic forcings, and land use patterns. Many of these lakes also receive significant inputs of organic micropollutants (OMPs) from their watersheds. However, a fundamental understanding of the impact of browning on the photochemical transformations and fate of OMPs in lakes has remained elusive. The overarching goal of this CAREER project is to characterize and quantify the impact of browning on the sunlight-driven transformations of OMPs in inland lakes of the State of New York. The successful completion of this research will benefit society through the generation of new data and fundamental knowledge to support the development of adaptive lake monitoring programs and water treatment practices to manage and minimize the impact of lake browning on water quality in the State of New York. Further benefits to society will be achieved through student education and training including the mentoring of a graduate student and a high-school student summer intern at Syracuse University. Many inland lakes in the State of New York and the northeastern regions of the United States are experiencing an increase in water color (browning) due to changing compositions of their organic matter while receiving significant inputs of organic micropollutants (OMPs) from their watersheds. For communities and utilities that rely on lakes for the supply of drinking water, lake browning might lead to an increase of water treatment costs (e.g., increasing chemical and energy consumption) to remove OMPs and achieve the drinking water quality standards required to protect human and ecosystem health. However, there are critical knowledge gaps in the fundamental understanding of the impact of browning on the reactivity and fate of OMPs in lakes. This CAREER project will address these knowledge gaps. To advance this goal, the Principal Investigator (PI) proposes to evaluate the impacts of browning-induced changes in lake organic matter composition and reactivity on the photochemical (sunlight-driven) transformations of OMPs in the State of New York (NY) inland lakes. The specific objectives of the research are to: (1) Conduct a broad characterization of the photoreactivity of inland lake waters in collaboration with the NY Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program to identify key organic matter properties driving the inter-lake variability in photoreactivity; (2) Examine the impact of allochthonous organic matter from acid-impacted lake watersheds on the photochemical transformations of OMPs in lakes; and (3) Evaluate the impacts of autochthonous organic matter from algal blooms and the effluents of wastewater treatment plants on the photochemical transformations of OMPs in lakes. The successful completion of this project has the potential for transformative impact through the generation of new data and fundamental knowledge to support the watershed management decisions and water treatment practices that will be required to manage and mitigate the impact of lake browning on water quality. To implement the educational and training goals of this CAREER project, the PI will develop and incorporate new inquiry-based modules into three environmental engineering courses at Syracuse University (SU). In addition, the PI plans to develop and deliver outreach programs at SU to 1) broaden the participation of students from underrepresented groups in water quality research and 2) promote environmental literacy among lake community members and the public in collaboration with the NY Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.