Emerging environmental issues: it’s scary out there
August 21, 2014
Whether you look at membrane technologies to
transform wastewater to drinking water, seek to
identify by-products resulting from chemical
removal agent applications, or address the
daunting list of emerging contaminants, it's scary
out there.
"According to Chemical Abstract Services, more than 88 million organic and
inorganic chemicals have been registered, more than 65 million chemical
products are available commercially, and approximately 15,000 new
chemicals are added PER DAY (www.cas.org)", according to a new article
published in Journal AWWA (August 2014) by Shane A. Snyder, PhD,,
University of Arizona, and visiting professor at the National University of
Singapore, Environmental Research Institute.
Many of these chemicals are ultimately released into our air, water and soil,
as well as found in our foods and consumer products too. the National
Library of Medicine reports, "You may be exposed through contaminated
food, contaminated groundwater or drinking water, combustion sources, and
contaminants in consumer products".
It's scary out there!
Endocrine disruptors (PCB, DDT, BPA, some pesticides and plasticizers such
as phthalates and heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury)
are chemicals that may interfere with human hormones in the human
endocrine system. These chemicals may occur naturally or be manufactured
as plastic bottles, metal food cans, detergents, flame retardants, food,
children's toys, cosmetics and pesticides too. Effects can range from minor to
serious depending on the specific endocrine receptor and the amount of
exposure and length of time.
Some endocrine disruptors are listed as human carcinogens, or likely to be,
according to the World Health Organization (WHO), amongst others. The U.S.
National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) lists over a
thousand chemicals that appear to be endocrine disruptors!
Research shows that endocrine disruptors may pose the greatest risk during
prenatal and early postnatal development when organ and neural systems are
forming. According to the US Geological Society (USGS), "it is generally
accepted that low-level exposure to some contaminants can disrupt animal
reproduction and development by modulating, mimicking, or interfering with
normal hormonal function."
Analytical Techniques like Mass Spec
And according to Dr. Snyder, "as analytical
techniques continue to advance and more chemicals
enter commerce, we can be reasonably certain that
new chemicals will be discovered in water at even
lower concentrations."
As this occurs, there will be more emphasis on "exposure assessment"
outpacing "health assessment". In other words, characterization of chemicals
before entering commerce will be one of the paths followed, as will be use of
high resolution mass spectrometry to separate out the various chemical and
mixtures.
Step in the Scientists
Scientists are developing and validating
sensitive methods for direct analysis of
EC in water.
Enter the LDTD.
The LDTD-based technique is simple and
fast, and its analytical characteristics make it suitable for the analysis of trace
levels of residues in water without any further pretreatement. Visit New
Environmental Posters from ASMS 2014 to see for yourself. A posters couple
follow:
▪ Ultra-fast LDTD-APCI-MS/MS analysis of estrogens in chlorinated drinking
water and the impact of bromide on the oxidation kinetics._
▪ Rapid and Selective MS/MS Method for Quantification of light sensitive
Chlortetracycline drug in Wastewater and Sludge using LDTD ion source. **
To learn more, contact rhalpern@overbrookscientific.com or call 617-3647683 today.