A research team comprised of scientists from Missouri University of Science and Technology, Applied Biosystems (NYSE: ABI) and its joint venture partner, MDS Analytical Technologies, recently formed to develop and validate new methods to detect harmful chemicals.

The group said it formed in response to the increasing prevalence of contaminants such as pharmaceutical residue and personal care products appearing in drinking water.

According to a recent five-month investigation conducted by the Associated Press, at least 41 million Americans had drinking water contaminated with pharmaceutical residues.

Other studies, said the research group, have shown pharmaceutical and personal care products being detected in reservoirs, lakes and rivers throughout Europe, Asia and other parts of the world—and these findings raise serious concerns within the scientific community about the potential long-term health risks.

“Authorities responsible for the water we drink generally recognize the need to better identify contaminants, but they are running up against limitations, such as which compounds to test for, and what technology and methods to use,” said Andre Schreiber, Ph.D., the Applied Biosystems project leader.

While municipalities and water treatment centers are already monitoring contaminants, the research group said there is a lack of analysis and validated methods to identify hard-to-detect contaminants, such as disinfectant byproducts, cyanobacterial toxins and degraded pesticides, is further hampering testing.

The scientists conducting the project said they will analyze reservoir water with mass spectrometry, which is an advanced scientific technique used to analyze compounds based on their molecular composition.

The group also plans on utilizing Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies’ mass spectrometry systems to develop new software-based methods that are expected to expand the range of contaminants that can be screened in repeatable, systematic ways.

The university scientists also plan on validating methods developed to save time and expense for other water testing laboratories.

The group did not indicate how much time or money is to be spent on this project.

The analysis and method development will take place on the campus of Missouri S&T.