By Jim Schmidt
An article in a recent (23 June 2014) issue of Chemical & Engineering News which commemorated the centennial of the Environmental Chemistry (ENVR) Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) really captured my interest.
Originally chartered as the “Division of Water, Sewage, & Sanitation Chemistry,” the original focus of the division was stewardship of the nation’s water resources. The mission and names of the division then evolved with increasing interest in wastewater; air, soil, and groundwater quality; hazardous waste; and other areas of concern and interest. Today, the division “reflects the ever-expanding complexity of the environmental field, as well as the need to integrate problem-solving across various disciplines,” across the globe.
Exactly! It’s that interdisciplinary approach that initially attracted me to – and continues to inspire me – in the study of environmental fate and metabolism of chemicals in the environment, animals, and humans. It would be interesting enough just for the intersection of experimental and analytical science, but it’s all the more interesting and dynamic when one includes regulatory, intellectual property, commercial product development, public education, and other aspects as well. No wonder I love what I do!
I’m very excited to help open a new century for ENVR: I am co-organizing a symposium on “Enantioselective Biotransformation of Chiral Pollutants in Soils and Water,” for the ACS national meeting in Denver, Colorado, 22-26 March, 2015. I’m so pleased that Izabela Kania-Korwel, PhD, a scientist with the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center at the University of Iowa will be joining me as co-organizer. Stay tuned to this blog for the Call for Papers and more information!
What interesting opportunities do you see for environmental chemistry in the 21st century?
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