Frontiers in the Environment

Many anthropogenic actions have unanticipated consequences. This is especially true of chemical pollution resulting from products we use every day. Recent examples include triclosan — a chemical used in hand sanitizers — forming dioxins in Minnesota lakes; antibiotics’ potential for harboring antibiotic-resistant genes in the environment; algal toxins that form from an overload of nutrients into natural systems. Bill Arnold, IonE resident fellow and professor in the College of Science and Engineering; Matt Simcik, associate professor in the School of Public Health; and Lowell Anderson, professor in the College of Pharmacy, will discuss methods to assess potential risks of chemicals and how chemical structure may indicate important environmental fate processes and reaction products.