Neonicotinoid Fate Across the Source Water-to-Drinking Water Continuum

新烟碱类杀虫剂是世界上使用最广泛的杀虫剂。因此，它们通常存在于中西部的河流和溪流中，最近在饮用水中检测到。虽然类烟碱对昆虫是强有力的毒素，但它们可能通过自然过程或在水处理过程中在环境中发生反应，产生可能危害人类健康的副产品。 这项工作将研究类尼古丁在环境中的命运，重点是可能放大它们对人类健康构成的风险的过程。这项工作将有助于确保流域一级改善水质的努力更有效地限制类尼古丁的释放和持久性，以保护国家的饮用水源。此外，该项目将对学生进行科学测量方面的培训和教育，让青年学生和公众（包括代表性不足的群体）参与水质问题，并帮助为未来的风险评估提供信息。本研究的中心目标是通过确定从水源水到饮用水的连续体沿着的主要归宿途径和持久性生物活性转化产物，确定广泛使用烟碱类杀虫剂所造成的公共卫生风险。中心假设是，关键的类烟碱药效团的改变产生新的转化产物与不同的环境命运，增加人类的危害，和相对于母体杀虫剂的暴露潜力。该项目的具体目标是：1）识别和量化具有改变的农药药效团的新型类烟碱消毒副产物的产生; 2）量化具有改变的药效团的类烟碱的差异吸附特性; 3）测量水处理过程中类烟碱药效团的微生物转化。研究成果将包括改进的风险评估，水处理技术和类尼古丁的最佳管理实践。了解这些转化机制也将有助于为未来设计更环保的目标特定农药提供信息。这些研究工作是由教育和参与的努力，将补充：1）通过参与三个高中学生从传统上代表性不足的群体通过爱荷华州中学生培训计划扩大在干参与; 2）通过在爱荷华州干节与非点源污染物的互动显示参与K-12学生; 3）通过利用爱荷华州大学的NSF NRT INFEWS资助计划，促进研究生的跨学科研究、培训和教育;与爱荷华州大学公共政策中心合作，向技术和非技术受众广泛传播研究成果，该奖项反映了NSF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。

Neonicotinoid pesticides are the most widely-used insecticides in the world. As such, they are commonly found in rivers and streams of the Midwest and have recently been detected in drinking water. Although neonicotinoids are potent toxins to insects, it is possible that they may react in the environment through natural processes or during water treatment to produce byproducts that may endanger human health. This work will examine the fate of neonicotinoids in the environment, focusing on processes that may amplify the risk they pose to human health. This work will help ensure that watershed-level efforts to improve water quality are more effective in limiting the release and persistence of neonicotinoids to protect the Nation's drinking water sources. Additionally, this project will train and educate students on scientific measurements, engage young students and the public (including underrepresented groups) on water quality, and help inform future risk assessments. The central objective of this study is to establish the public health risks posed by the widespread use of neonicotinoid insecticides through the identification of major fate pathways and persistent bioactive transformation products along the continuum from source water to drinking water. The central hypothesis is that alteration of the critical neonicotinoid pharmacophore generates novel transformation products with differing environmental fates, increased human hazards, and exposure potentials relative to the parent insecticides. Specific objectives of this project are to: 1) identify and quantify the generation of novel neonicotinoid disinfection byproducts with altered pesticide pharmacophores; 2) quantify differential sorption characteristics of neonicotinoids with altered pharmacophores; and 3) measure the microbial transformation of the neonicotinoid pharmacophore during water treatment. Research outcomes will include improved risk assessments, water treatment technologies, and best management practices for neonicotinoids. Understanding these transformation mechanisms will also help inform the future design of more environmentally responsible target-specific pesticides. These research efforts are complemented by education and engagement efforts that will: 1) broaden participation in STEM through participation of three high school students from traditionally underrepresented groups via the Iowa Secondary Student Training Program; 2) engage K-12 students through participation in the Iowa STEM festival with an interactive display on non-point source pollutants; 3) promote the interdisciplinary research, training, and education of graduate students by leveraging an NSF NRT INFEWS grant program at the University of Iowa; and 4) in partnership with the University of Iowa Public Policy Center, broadly disseminate research outcomes to technical and non-technical audiences, including policy makers.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.