Cytostatic compound fate and transport in soil and groundwater

CyTiS will examine the fate and transport of cytostatic compounds in soil and groundwater from waste infiltration sites to drinking water resources. Cytostatic compounds are emerging contaminants classified as carcinogenic and genotoxic by the EU.

They have been identified in surface, ground, and drinking water, but there is no published research on their fate and transport in soils and groundwater. Cytostatic compounds may enter soil via septic systems and waste infiltration beds and then enter groundwater.

Since about 75% of Europeans rely on groundwater for drinking water, it is important to know the capacity of soil to retard or degrade cytostatic compounds, and to understand transport characteristics of these compounds through groundwater to drinking water.CyTiS will elucidate how cytostatic compounds move from sources of environmental input to sources of environmental impact.

This project will use soil column experiments and stirred batch reactors in a state-of-the-art soil column laboratory to develop sorption, biodegradation, and transport models.

Effect-based screening and metagenomics will be used to characterize the effect of cytostatic compounds on microbial communities and to identify resistant organisms that may be useful for bioremediation.

Chemical analysis will be performed using the most advanced LC-MS method.The physiochemical data generated will inform risk assessments on how cytostatic compounds are likely to migrate if introduced into soils, will enable improved design of infiltration beds and leaching fields and may identify organisms key for bioremediation.The project results will serve as a launchpad for the researcher in the field of emerging contaminants and groundwater resources within Europe.