HEALTH HAZARDS FROM GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION

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This application requests funds for support of biomedical and ecoengineering research directed toward a better understanding of the potential human health hazards arising from contamination of groundwater with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and for remediation of this situation. A group of twenty-one scientists from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan propose to conduct collaborative research on ten different projects connected with VOC contamination of groundwater caused by leaking waste storage sites. Research connected with remediation of contamination will include studies of the ability of microorganisms to degrade VOCs and the engineering- based application of biodegradation process used alone or in connection with adsorptive processes. Other studies will involve measurement of the retention properties of clays and modified clays, and the abilities of these materials to catalyze chemical degradation of VOCs. The transport of volatile contaminants in soils and groundwater will be studied experimentally and refined mathematical models describing this movement will be developed for use in predicting time courses of contamination and clean-up. Biomedical scientists will study the effects of VOCs on membrane- connected functions associated with important biological processes. Included will be studies of VOC effects on biomembrane structure, activated neutrophil involvement in toxicity, gamete function and embryonic growth, cell-cell communication, in addition to VOC-induced changes in oncogene expression and possible roles in cancer promotion. The results of this research will be used to help clarify the health hazards of various VOCs and to direct the remediation research to encompass VOCs that may cause the greatest health-related concerns. This research effort will be accompanied by a training component designed to give physical/chemical oriented graduate students sufficient toxicological knowledge to facilitate their careers in research directed toward remediation of environmental contamination by hazardous chemicals.