WMRC - Research Funding - Current Projects

Environmental Contamination and Risk

Subareas of Interest:

Brominated Flame Retardants
Perchlorates in the Illinois Environment
Sources of Benthic Toxicity in Illinois River Sediments
Correlations of Agricultural Chemical Exposures to Birth Defects in Illinois
Bioavailability and Transport of Contaminants at Calumet Wetlands Sites
Investigating Endocrine Disruption of Fishes in IL Rivers

Manoj Mohanty, Southern Illinois University
Project Dates: 2/1/07 – 1/31/08

Correlations of Agrochemical Residues in Drinking Water and Birth Defects in Illinois

This project will investigate the relationship between conception rates, birth defects, and other adverse pregnancy outcomes and the concentration of agrochemicals, specifically atrazine, glyphosate, and nitrate, in drinking water supplies in Illinois. By its nature, this project will be a collaborative effort with several other agencies, including the Illinois Department of Health and the U.S. Geological Survey. The causes of nearly 60% of the birth defects are still unknown. It is expected that the results obtained in this study in Illinois will bring us a step closer to finding answers to some fundamental questions.

Michael Lydy, Southern Illinois University
Project Dates: 2/1/07 – 11/30/08

Identification of the sources and temporal patterns of sediment-associated toxicity in the Illinois River

Dr. Lydy and his colleagues will build upon previous work on the toxicity of pore-waters to Illinois River aquatic organisms by examining toxicity due to sediment-associated ammonia, while also examining other potential sources of benthic toxicity such as metals, organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These organic compounds and metals have been previously measured in Illinois River sediments, but their current contribution to toxicity is not known. Sites will be sampled during multiple seasons to identify potential temporal patterns in sediment toxicity. Expected results will include quantification and source identification of Illinois River sediment toxicity and estimates of the temporal variation of this toxicity. This project will generate data that will be used in combination with previous work on pore-water toxicity (conducted over 15 years ago) to better understand potential causes of benthic population declines within the Illinois River. Information gathered in this study will be used to better inform the sediment dredging and beneficial use activities in the river.

Rita Dolan, Greenwood Environmental Consulting, Inc.
Project Dates: 2/5/07 – 11/30/08

Perchlorates in the Illinois Environment

The goal of this 22-month project is to examine the level of perchlorates at various sites in Illinois to determine if there is a contamination issue in Illinois drinking water supplies. Perchlorate is an inorganic ion that can affect human health by disrupting thyroid function. There is wide disagreement regarding acceptable exposure levels. The U.S. EPA has adopted a concentration of 24.5 ppb as a Drinking Water Equivalent Level and will likely regulate perchlorate. Currently, there is insufficient data to demonstrate whether there is a perchlorate risk in Illinois water supplies. Perchlorate has been detected in groundwater found near some federal facilities and manufacturing sites. This study will gather samples and/or data from eight sites in Illinois and analyze the samples to detect at-risk water supplies, or to demonstrate that perchlorate contamination is not an issue.

Yanqing Lian and George Roadcap, Illinois State Water Survey, and Ximing Cai, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Project Dates: 6/1/06 – 5/31/08

Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modeling for the Restoration of the Calumet Marshes: Assessment of Runoff Scenarios

The researchers are constructing hydrologic and hydraulic models for the Calumet region in South Chicago. These models will be used as a basis for determining the best water management strategies for the Lake Calumet Cluster Site and the adjacent marshes and ponds that it potentially impacts. In collaboration with other projects in the area, the researchers expect to evaluate a combination of various measures to help in achieving water flow regime and water quality targets for the site restoration in the Lake Calumet region, which has been used for a waste management site in the past.

Jeff Levengood, Illinois Natural History Survey, and Teresa Chow, Illinois Waste Management and Research Center
Project Dates: 6/1/06 – 9/15/07

Isoflavones in the Environment: A Pilot Study

The primary objectives of this seed-level pilot study are (1) to develop a robust analytical method for the separation of 16 isoflavones and metabolites in water and sediments/detritus, optimizing sensitivity and the separation of the compounds; (2) to explore the use of fluorescence and mass spectrometric detection to increase the sensitivity of detecting some analytes; and (3) to determine if isoflavones or their metabolites are present in measurable concentrations in water and detritus of amphibian breeding habitat in highly agricultural areas in Central Illinois, at a time when tadpoles of a variety of frog species are developing and actively feeding.

Richard Halbrook, Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Southern Illinois University
Project Dates: 6/15/06 – 10/15/07

Mercury Concentrations in Wetlands associated with Coal-fired Power Plants in Illinois

In this seed project researchers will develop preliminary data and protocols for evaluating the current mercury status in wetlands surrounding coal-fired electrical generating plants in Southern Illinois. They will also provide a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the efficacy of efforts to reduce mercury emissions in such environments.

Karl Rockne, University of Illinois - Chicago
Project Dates: 10/18/06 – 6/30/08

Fate Analysis of Polybrominated Ethers in Anaerobic Digester Sludge

Knowledge of the fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the digester sludge of wastewater treatment plants is very limited. In this project the researchers will investigate whether BDE-209, the deca-brominated form, can be debrominated to more toxic and bioavailable congeners in wastewater treatment plants. Continued use of BDE-209 hinges on its non-toxicity so it is important to understand its reductive debromination potential. The field phase of the research will be comprised of a detailed analysis of PBDEs throughout the sludge treatment train in the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant and a reference plant in Chicago. The laboratory phase will focus on determining the potential and rate of reductive debromination in controlled studies. Data will be used to predict BDE dynamics under various digester conditions using a model developed as part of this project, providing the information necessary to conduct risk analyses for the continued use of BDE-209.