This collaborative research project between University of Minnesota and Virginia Polytechnic Institute will investigate the formation of persistent hydrophobic products resulting from the chlorination of wastewater effluent when wastewater is discharged into aquatic environments. Specifically, the PIs propose that the presence of the antimicrobial compound, triclosan, and commonly used flame retardants, polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), in wastewater can lead to chlorinated and brominated dioxins and furans. This project will lead to better information concerning the reactivity of halogenated and hydroxylated diphenylethers during wastewater treatment and in the environment. The combination of fundamental laboratory studies of chemical reactions and field measurements involving two wastewater treatment plants is an important component of the research.
