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An externally validated model was developed to predict influent concentrations of natural estrogens at municipal wastewater plants. The model kinetic constant for the first-order biotransformation of estradiol into estrone, k E2 , was calculated as 0.030 hour 21 (ranging from 20.080 to 0.49 hour 21 , with a standard deviation of 0.23) and the model value for the biodegradation k of estrone, k E1 , was 20.18 hour 21 (ranging from 20.44 to 0.38 hour 21 , with a standard deviation of 0.3). The k values were not found to be temperature-sensitive within the range 12 to 24.58C and displayed a weak trend of increasing with total suspended solids within the range 0.103 to 0.450 g/L. The new model improved on the predictions of a previous model for influent estrone concentrations, but gave comparable results for estradiol. Water Environ. Res., 81, 131 (2009).

Public meetings that are attended by a broadly representative cross-section of the potentially affected public are more likely than those that aren't to provide decision makers with an understanding of the range of citizen concerns regarding a potential decision. Previous research suggests that working and lower middle class women are particularly unlikely to attend environmentally related public meetings. This decreases the likelihood that decision makers will fully understand citizen concerns as a result of these meetings. This article reports on the results of a small qualitative study aimed at understanding why these women are less likely to attend. The interviewed women were socially oriented in their skills, activities, and sense of self-confidence. This, along with the way that these women conceptualized "environment," suggests that they are unlikely to see themselves as valuable participants in a public meeting on an environmental issue. Other obstacles to their participation, including a lack of time and selfconfidence, pertained more to women in one life stage than another. Environmental managers may attract more working and lower middle class women by making our suggested choices regarding meeting technique, attributes, and advertising. Environmental Practice 4:36-44 (2002)

Michelle Jarvie received her PhD in Engineering-Environmental from Michigan Technological University in August of 2007. Since that time, she has been working as an environmental engineer for Cliffs Natural Resources in Michigan. Ms. Jarvie has worked on a variety of issues including mine land reclamation, biofuels development, sustainable forest certification, environmental policy analysis, carbon reporting, carbon offsets and trading, as well as corporate sustainability reporting.