Methods to be standardized for 3 additional bioanalytical screening tools

SCCWRP and its partners have launched a two-year effort to develop standardized methods for screening water bodies for bioactive chemical contaminants using three bioanalytical screening tools – an effort to more than double the number of bioanalytical tools standardized for routine management use.

The project, launched in January, will focus on optimizing procedures for sample extraction and analysis for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) assay, androgen receptor (AR) assay and peroxisome proliferator-accelerated receptor (PPAR) assay. The first two assays screen for certain classes of endocrine disruptors, while the third assay screens for classes of metabolism-disrupting chemicals.

Researchers already have developed standardized methods for the estrogen receptor assay and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor assay. Last year, California responded by becoming the first U.S. state to require recycled water for potable reuse to be screened using these two assays.

The development of standardized methods for the three additional assays will be done through an expanded partnership with the Water Research Foundation, a strategic SCCWRP partner in transitioning these tools into routine use by the water-quality management community.