Detection, Occurrence, and Fate of Emerging Contaminants in Agricultural Environments

Evaluating the environmental fate and effects of emerging contaminants includes research on compounds such as surfactants, antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals, steroid hormones and other endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), fire retardants, sunscreens, disinfection byproducts, new pesticides and pesticide metabolites, and naturally-occurring algal toxins. (2008) describe a method using mixed mode polymeric solid phase extraction, ultraperformance liquid chromatography, and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry to analyze 48 active prescription ingredients and 6 selected metabolites. Polymeric styrene divinylbenzene extraction cartridges were used to extract filtered seepage water samples, while liquid manure was diluted with water or a mixture of water and methanol prior to extraction.\n Strong evidence suggests that the sole infectious agent of prion diseases is comprised of PrPSc (i.e. the prion protein), an abnormally-folded isoform of a normal cellular protein (PrPc).