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

湖泊是为人类和生态系统提供关键服务的关键天然水系统，包括饮用水供应、渔业、娱乐活动和气候调节。湖泊的长期水质趋势通常是局部、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、水文气候压力和土地利用模式的变化，水色增加。这些湖泊中的许多也从其流域获得大量有机微污染物(OMP)的输入。然而，对褐变对湖泊中OMP的光化学转化和命运的影响的基本了解仍然是未知的。这个职业项目的首要目标是描述和量化褐变对纽约州内陆湖泊中由阳光驱动的OMP转变的影响。这项研究的成功完成将使社会受益，因为它将产生新的数据和基础知识，以支持制定适应性湖泊监测计划和水处理实践，以管理和最大限度地减少湖泊褐化对纽约州水质的影响。将通过学生教育和培训进一步惠及社会，包括在锡拉丘兹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正在经历水色(褐变)的增加，这是因为它们的有机物质成分发生了变化，同时从其流域获得了大量的有机微污染物(OMP)。对于依赖湖泊供应饮用水的社区和公用事业来说，湖泊褐化可能会导致水处理成本的增加(例如，增加化学和能源消耗)，以消除OMP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OMP的反应性和命运的影响的基本了解方面，存在着关键的知识空白。这个职业项目将解决这些知识差距。为了推进这一目标，首席调查员(PI)建议评估褐变引起的湖泊有机质组成和反应性变化对纽约州(NY)内陆湖泊有机质的光化学(阳光驱动)转化的影响。这项研究的具体目标是：(1)与纽约州公民全州湖泊评估计划合作，对内陆湖泊水域的光反应性进行广泛的表征，以确定推动光反应性湖间变异性的关键有机质性质；(2)研究来自酸影响的湖泊流域的异地有机质对湖泊有机质的光化学转化的影响；以及(3)评估藻华产生的原生有机物和废水处理厂的出水对湖泊有机质的光化学转化的影响。该项目的成功完成有可能产生变革性的影响，产生新的数据和基础知识，以支持管理和减轻湖泊褐变对水质的影响所需的流域管理决策和水处理做法。为了实现这一职业项目的教育和培训目标，PI将开发新的探究式模块，并将其纳入锡拉丘兹大学(SU)的三门环境工程课程。此外，PI计划在苏州开发和提供外联计划，以1)扩大来自代表性不足群体的学生对水质研究的参与，以及2)与纽约州公民全州湖泊评估计划合作，在湖泊社区成员和公众中促进环境素养。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.