Professor Urs Jans, of the Department of Chemistry at CUNY City College, is supported by the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program for his studies to generate data to help in evaluating the persistence and fate of two major classes of contaminants in sensitive ecosystems. Phosphorothionate esters and carbamates are among the most widely used insecticides in the U.S. Such contaminants are of toxicological concern in sensitive coastal ecosystems such as estuaries and salt marshes. It is likely that reactions with reduced sulfur species (particularly polysulfides) present in anoxic subregions of coastal water bodies could have a significant impact on rates of removal of such contaminants. Providing the necessary data is the principal objective of this research. Some of the products of these reactions may be of environmental significance; hence, an additional goal of these studies is to provide data related to the ultimate fate of such compounds by examining their ability to bind covalently to natural organic matter. Rates of reaction of reduced sulfur species with a group of phosphorothionate esters and carbamate insecticides will be determined in well-defined systems, additional experiments will be conducted using more complex matrices of natural sulfuric waters.
Therefore, with this CAREER award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Programs supports Professor Urs Jans, of the Department of Chemistry CUNY City College who will generate data in his research that will help in evaluating the persistence and fate of two major classes of contaminants in sensitive ecosystems. The results will be useful to EPA for establishing scientifically based limits on insecticide usage in coastal areas. Dissemination of the results from the proposed curriculum development will benefit other universities to modify the ways in which students learn. Being located at a minority serving institution this proposed project will promote the training of students from underrepresented groups.
