Mineral-Promoted Degradation of Pharmaceuticals: Aspirin as a Model Compound

Location

CSU 253

Start Date

13-4-2004 10:30 AM

End Date

13-4-2004 12:00 PM

Student's Major

Chemistry and Geology

Student's College

Science, Engineering and Technology

Mentor's Name

Trenton Vorlicek

Mentor's Department

Chemistry and Geology

Mentor's College

Science, Engineering and Technology

Description

The persistence of pharmaceuticals in the environment and their effects on the environment and biological life is an emerging issue currently being debated in the scientific community. Al though an effort has been made to quantify the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment, the area concerning the degradation pathways of pharmaceuticals has not been thoroughly investigated. One aspect that has not been researched is the effect minerals may have in the degradation of pharmaceuticals. Soils and sediments contain minerals which come in contact with aqueous systems that contain pharmaceutical residues. By ignoring the interactions of minerals and their role in the degradation of pharmaceuticals, the estimated persistence of pharmaceuticals in the environment may be over predicted. The interaction between the mineral compound, alumina (Al2O3), and the pharmaceutical, aspirin, will be studied as a model to predict catalysis of similar pharmaceuticals by minerals abundant in soils and sediments. This project focuses on exploring the kinetic relationship between the hydrolysis of aspirin and the concentration of alumina. A positive correlation between the concentration of alumina and an increase in the rate of aspirin hydrolysis supports the hypothesis that minerals catalyze the degradation of pharmaceuticals in the environment; therefore, mineral catalyzed degradation warrants further studies.

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Apr 13th, 10:30 AM Apr 13th, 12:00 PM

Mineral-Promoted Degradation of Pharmaceuticals: Aspirin as a Model Compound

CSU 253

The persistence of pharmaceuticals in the environment and their effects on the environment and biological life is an emerging issue currently being debated in the scientific community. Al though an effort has been made to quantify the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment, the area concerning the degradation pathways of pharmaceuticals has not been thoroughly investigated. One aspect that has not been researched is the effect minerals may have in the degradation of pharmaceuticals. Soils and sediments contain minerals which come in contact with aqueous systems that contain pharmaceutical residues. By ignoring the interactions of minerals and their role in the degradation of pharmaceuticals, the estimated persistence of pharmaceuticals in the environment may be over predicted. The interaction between the mineral compound, alumina (Al2O3), and the pharmaceutical, aspirin, will be studied as a model to predict catalysis of similar pharmaceuticals by minerals abundant in soils and sediments. This project focuses on exploring the kinetic relationship between the hydrolysis of aspirin and the concentration of alumina. A positive correlation between the concentration of alumina and an increase in the rate of aspirin hydrolysis supports the hypothesis that minerals catalyze the degradation of pharmaceuticals in the environment; therefore, mineral catalyzed degradation warrants further studies.