METABOLIC FATE OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS

The funding will be used to enhance the existing objecives to develop and validate new diagnostic technologies for the detection and to determine the distribution of chemical residues in the food supply and the environment, in particular, endogenous reproductive hormones and pharmaceuticals. Objective 1. Investigate the kinetics of uptake, metabolism, distribution, and excretion of chemicals in food animals with the goal of reducing public exposure to chemical residues in food animal products (milk, meat, eggs). Objective 2. Determine the fate of endogenous reproductive hormones, pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals in wastes of food animals, including transport through soil and water. Objective 3. Develop sensitive and accurate analytical tools to rapidly detect and quantify chemicals identified in objectives 1 and 2.