BUILDING CAPACITY FOR STUDYING CONTAMINANTS OF EMERGING CONCERN IN WATER RESOURCES

The major goals of this project are to make aquisition of LC-MS/MS and build our analytical capability of measuring emerging contaminants in water resources, and determine the potential sources and magnitude of contamination from emerging contaminants in surface and groundwater in the City of Tallahassee, FLThe specific objectives of this project are:Equipment Acquisition and Method Development: Acquisition of Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer in Tandem (LC-MS/MS) and set up methods for the determination of representative contaminants of emerging concern such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs).Identification and Quantification of CECs in Waters: Identify and quantify pharmaceuticals and personal care products, and endrocrine disruptor chemicals in surface water and shallow groundwater (i.e. monitoring wells at the Southeast Sprayfield irrigated with reclaimed water) in the City of Tallahassee, FL.Effect of Seasonal Variation, Source of Contamination, and Land Use: Evaluate how seasonal variation (summer, fall, winter, and spring) and tropical cyclone seasons versus non-tropical cyclone seasons, source of contamination (i.e., reclaimed water point source versus non-point sources) and land use (i.e., residential area, business area, and animal farming) affect the CECs contamination in the water resources of the City of Tallahassee, FL.Student Training: Provide experiential learning opportunities to undergraduate students in water sampling, operation of LC-MS/MS, and in monitoring water quality especially for contaminants of emerging concern. This will empower and motivate them to pursue M.S. degree and build tomorrow's scientific and professional workforce.