Short Course: Environmental Fate and Effects of Emerging Contaminants

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) are co-sponsoring the short course Environmental Fate and Effects of Emerging Contaminants at the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America 29th Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida, on November 16-20, 2008. The objectives of the short course are to present an overview the current knowledge on the environmental fate and effects of emerging contaminants and to discuss the challenges of linking environmental contamination to effects. Some of the USGS research featured during the short course will be a multidisciplinary study of the fate and effects of emerging contaminants in Boulder Creek, Colorado.

Description

The presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) in the environment is an area of growing concern for the scientific community and the general public. ECs include a broad ranges of chemicals including personal care products, pharmaceuticals, industrial compounds, pesticides, and hormones. A large body of evidence indicates that ECs are widespread in aquatic and terrestrial systems and have the potential to affect the health of organisms. ECs can affect development, metabolism, growth, osmoregulation, reproduction, responses to stress, and immune functions. Despite their potential ecosystem impact, their environmental fate and effects are still poorly understood in many regards. To better study and understand these potential impacts chemistry and toxicology sciences need to be linked. This short-course will emphasize what is currently known about the environmental fate and effects of ECs and the potential implications for populations and ecosystems. Select chemical and biological tools developed and improved for this research will be discussed as well as highlighting the challenges linking environmental exposure to ECs to effects.

Instructors

• Doris Vidal-Dorsch, SCCWRP , Lead Instructor
• Susan Glassmeyer, USEPA
• James Gray, USGS,
• Dana Kolpin, USGS,
• Jim Lazorchak, EPA,

General Meeting Information

• Meeting Home Page
• Full Meeting Program
• Information on Short Courses

More Information

• Emerging Contaminants in the Environment, USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program Research on Contaminants such as Pharmaceuticals, Disinfectants, Pesticides, Wastewater Compounds, and Personal Care Products
• Chemical Transformations in Water Reclamation and Reuse, USGS National Research Program
• Water Quality of the Boulder Creek Watershed, Colorado, USGS National Research Program
• Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs), USEPA
• Bullet

Related Headlines

• Biosolids, Animal Manure, and Earthworms: Is There a Connection?
• Wastewater Indicators Shown to Degrade in Streams
• Endocrine Disruption Found in Fish Exposed to Municipal Wastewater
• Household Chemicals and Drugs Found in Biosolids from Wastewater Treatment Plants
• Pharmaceuticals Found in Soil Irrigated with Reclaimed Water
• Are Pharmaceuticals in Your Watershed? Understanding the Fate of Pharmaceuticals and Other Contaminants in Watersheds
• Book Chapter on Exposure Modeling and Monitoring of Human Pharmaceuticals in the Environment
• Glyphosate Found in Wastewater Discharged to Streams
• Tracing Wastewater - Using Unique Compounds to Identify Sources of Contamination
• USGS Scientists Contribute to New Book on Pharmaceuticals in the Environment
• USGS Scientists Develop New Method to Measure Pharmaceuticals in Water
• Developing Methods to Measure New Contaminants in Aquatic Environments
• Glyphosate Herbicide Found in Many Midwestern Streams, Antibiotics Not Common
• National Reconnaissance of Pharmaceuticals, Hormones and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams is Making an Impact
• "National Reconnaissance of Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in Streams" Named as One of the Top 100 Science Stories of the Year
• What's in Our Wastewaters and Where Does it Go?

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