Prestigious grant funds UW-Whitewater pollution study

By STAN STRICKER ( Contact ) Wednesday, March 18, 2009

A group of UW-Whitewater students will spend their summer studying how personal care products and over-the-counter drugs are getting into our local water supply.

The environmental impact of soaps, sanitizers, and prescription drugs has become a growing concern for scientists. A U-S Geological Survey back in 2002 found measurable amounts of substances commonly used in personal care products in streams across the country. Traces of Prozac have even been found in the brain tissue of fish. So this summer, three UW-Whitewater professors and a number of graduate students will collect water samples upstream and down from four area wastewater treatment plants. The group will also examine how certain plants and small organisms are being affected.

The effort is being made possible by a $60,000 grant from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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