Superfund Program Wades into Water Issues
By David Von Behren, MPH

Researchers with the Superfund Basic Research and Training Program at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy's Center for Toxicology have launched a $15 million study into the toxic effects of hazardous wastes in Arizona 's groundwater. Awarded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the five-year grant is a collaborative effort across five UA colleges and 12 departments.

"The Superfund Program is poised to reap the benefits from the results of our first 10 years of research _ we're ready to translate years of study into solutions," says A. Jay Gandolfi, PhD, Superfund program director and assistant dean for research and graduate affairs at the College of Pharmacy .

Superfund researchers are focusing on contamination of groundwater with arsenic and solvents such as trichloroethylene (TCE). A man-made substance used since the early 1950s for a variety of metal degreasing and cleaning operations, TCE also is used as a starting material for other man-made chemicals. TCE is a well-known groundwater contaminant, particularly in the Tucson area.

Lessons from a Landfill: The old Broadway North Landfill in Tucson contains contaminants such as trichlorethylene. Superfund scientists from across the University of Arizona are working to understand and eliminate such threats to Arizona 's groundwater. (photo by David Von Behren/College of Pharmacy)

Because the Southwest is so dependent on groundwater, any environmental pollutants such as TCE finding their way into the water can have disastrous health effects. Due to its geology, Southwestern soils also are a source of numerous minerals and metals. Because of mining, many more metals are exposed, increasing the possibility of contact with humans through air, water or food. To understand the effects of groundwater contaminants, Superfund researchers are working to understand the transformations that water and chemicals undergo as they move across and under the desert.

Arsenic also is present in groundwater from natural and man-caused sources. Unlike most regions of the United States that draw drinking water from lakes and rivers, Arizona draws its drinking water from wells. Digging wells requires penetrating arsenic layers in the subsurface, which leads to increased exposure to this dangerous element in drinking water. Superfund scientists are examining both the toxic effects of arsenic and new technologies for removing it from groundwater