9734130 Sedlak The objective of this research is to study the fate of natural and synthetic hormones in three aquatic environments- laboratory, wastewater treatment and natural river. Since hormones interact with the endocrine systems of humans and wildlife, the effect of endocrine disruptors must be understood and reflected in environmental policies about chemical use and the management of water resources and water reuse. To date, most research on endocrine disruption has focused on industrial chemicals, such as pesticides, plasticizers and surfactants. However, trace amounts of natural and synthetic hormones can cause endocrine disruption and previous measurements of estrogen and related compounds in urine suggest that these hormones could be more important to endocrine disruption than other compounds found in wastewater effluent. To access the importance of wastewater effluent as a source of endocrine disrupters, research will be conducted to determine the environmental fate of estrogens. In the first phase of this project, new analytical methods will be developed for measuring estrogens at environmentally relevant concentrations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and gas chromatography. These methods will then be used to assess the removal of estrogens during wastewater treatment and their fate in a river that receives significant discharges of treated wastewater. A series of interactive demonstrations will be developed and displayed at public forums to educate the public about emerging water resource issues. To provide environmental engineering students with the skills needed to address problems associated with resource conservation and reuse, a series of graduate-level courses will be developed. These courses will consist of a lecture course, a laboratory course and a graduate seminar that highlight the role that environmental engineers can play in solving problems related to the conservation and reuse of resources.
