&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Research Facilities
Available for Your Use
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Meteorological
Wind Tunnel
est & Eval
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Test and
Evaluation
Facility
Cincinnati, Ohio
I he Test and Evaluation (T&E) Facility
is a multi-purpose, high-bay research facility.
Research here involves a wide range of testing and
evaluation of pilot and bench-scale water,
wastewater, and hazardous waste treatment
technologies. The facility includes on-site
chemistry laboratories and a machine shop.
Additionally, the T&E facility is a RCRA
permitted treatment, storage, and disposal facility
that holds an Ohio EPA treatability exclusion
which permits treatability studies using quantities
of all categories of hazardous waste.
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located on the
(campus of (fee University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, offers scientists the ability to study the
health effects of airborne pollutants using state-of-the-
art exposure chambers. The chambers can deliver
most gaseous pollutants at precise concentrations and
atmospheric conditions, and their instrumentation
permits the measurement of pollutant-induced changes
in lung function and heart-rate variability. The facility
contains five Rochester-style chambers, four
audiometric isolation rooms, and four in vitro exposure
systems. Existing pollutant-delivery capabilities
include ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and
volatile organic compounds.
Multipollutant Control
Research Facility
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
he recently constructed multipollutant
control research facility (MPCRF)
supports development of new flue gas cleaning
technologies for stationary sources of air
pollution closely simulating full-scale emission
sources. The combustor is able to fire
pulverized coal, distillate oil, and/or natural gas
at 4 million Btu/hr, yielding flue gas flow at
300°F (150°C), entering into the MPCRF's wet
and dry flue gas cleaning systems. This research
aims to develop technologies that can
simultaneously control NOx, SOX, participate
matter, and/or mercury. This is important
research formultipollutant-control programs.
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Introduction
In recognition of the breadth and complexity of the research challenges posed by environmental issues,
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is exercising its position of leadership by advancing
a new, more collaborative business model for conducting environmental research. With its valuable and
highly specialized research facilities located in laboratories and research centers across the country, EPA
aims to foster research partnerships with other federal agencies, states, private sector companies, utilities,
nonprofit organizations, and academic institutions interested in addressing environmental issues. By
sharing its skills, knowledge, and research facilities and equipment, EPA will serve as a catalyst for
progress in efforts to identify, understand, and solve current and future environmental problems. This
brochure highlights a few of EPA's unique facilities where opportunities for productive research alliances
exist. Information about additional avenues for collaboration can be found at
www.epa.gov/facilities_network/.
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Mobile
Source
Research
Facility
Research
Triangle Park,
North Carolina
number of unique, state-of-the-art resources for the characterization and
[source profiling of motor-vehicle emissions and off-road-engine exhaust
are available. Motor-vehicle-emissions research can be conducted by a
chamber capable of maintaining temperatures in the range of -20°F to 100°F.
Also available is a suite of small-engine dynamometers to conduct emissions
research on small hand-held engines (string trimmers, leaf blowers,
chainsaws), lawn mowers, and outboard motors. There are 10 new above-
ground gasoline storage tanks which provide the capability to test vehicles
using a wide assortment of fuels (e.g., summer- and winter-grade gasolines,
oxyfuels, reformulated gasolines, and custom fuel blends) and fuel additives.
The facility also operates a portable chassis dynamometer and portable
analytical lab capable of conducting emissions research at remote sites under
ambient conditions. Mobile ambient monitoring platforms are maintained at
the facility to measure air quality and population exposures
to motor vehicle emissions. Analytical equipment
is available for measuring a wide range of
emissions and compounds.
Environmental Chambers
Athens, Georgia
wo walk-in controlled environmental chambers are available
I at EPA's research laboratory in Athens. Researchers can use
these controlled systems to examine the effects of climatic and human
perturbations on soil and aquatic processes. Each chamber has
a computer control system that regulates temperature, humidity, CO2
content, photoperiod, and spectral irradiance. The chambers have
doors that provide easy access to the 3.5 m2 internal study area and
are equipped with microprocessor controllers, sensing devices, and
lamp canopies.
In addition to these walk-in chambers, the laboratory operates a 45-ft
mobile laboratory designed to conduct on-site sampling and field
analyses. The mobile laboratory has gas-cylinder storage and gas-line
hookups, as well as a fully functional 5-ft fume hood capable of
handling most instrumentation and most experiments that can be done
in conventional laboratory settings. The mobile laboratory has a full-
size explosion-proof refrigerator and freezer for sample preservation and
storage, a deionized water system, a fresh water system, and hot water.
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Drinking Water
Research Facilities
Cincinnati, Ohio
I wo unique drinking-water pilot plants are on site at EPA's
Cincinnati research facilities. These large-scale (6.4 L/min)
pilot plants can be used to study contaminants in drinking water.
Water is trucked from nearby rivers, reservoirs, and ground water
sources and stored in the plant's 5,000 gal. raw water storage tank.
Contaminants, chemicals, or microbes may be added to the raw
water, as needed. Because the tanks are made primarily of stainless
steel and glass, they can be used to study contaminants at very low
concentrations. The tanks have been configured to employ
coagulation, clarification, filtration, direct filtration, biological
filtration, and softening. They can operate in series (softening
following coagulation) or in parallel (comparative coagulants,
comparative filter media, comparative disinfectants); and such
disinfectant oxidants as chlorine, ozone, chloramine, and chlorine
dioxide can be introduced at several locations. Clear wells can
be dedicated to filters or pooled to provide large volumes (up to
600 gal.) for sampling and concentration. These facilities have
been used for the study of disinfection by-products, both organic
(including trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids) and inorganic
(bromate) and for studies for the control of pesticides, bacteria,
viruses, Giardia cysts, and Cryptosporidium oocysts.
R. V. Lake Explorer Duluth, Minnesota
I he Research Vessel Lake Explorer
provides state-of-the-art research capabilities
to monitor and assess the health of the Great Lakes
and determine the effects of pollution and natural
and human-caused disturbances. The vessel is an
integral part of EPA's research operations in Duluth
and is operated by a three-person crew and can
accommodate a scientific staff of seven.
This 82-ft-long, 18-ft-wide vessel is powered by
twin 900-hp diesel engines, two five-blade
propellers, and twin 50-kW generators.
With a maximum cruising speed
of 18 knots and an range
of 925 nautical miles, the ship has an economic
cruising speed of 12.5 knots.
The Lake Explorer's research capabilities include:
Global Positioning System navigation; deck crane and
stern A-frame with hydrographic tow winch to collect
samples; suite of electronic sensors for water quality
and biological profiling; sonar equipment to
characterize lake bottoms; other sampling and
collection gear; and an on-deck laboratory. An Optical
Plankton Counter is used to measure the real-time
distribution and nature of small animal and plant
communities as it is towed behind the vessel and
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he Coral Research Facility offers scientists
ithe unique capability of assessing multiple
stressor effects on coral and their algal
symbionts in a controlled laboratory
environment. Scientists here have cultured over
10 species of reef building corals and 28
Symbiodiniwn cultures representing the major
clades in the world's corals. Coral culturing
allows for the maintenance of genetically
identical coral clones and symbiont species for
repeated experiments over time. The coral
facility includes two environmental testing
systems that provide controlled exposures of
coral to the combined effects of temperature and
ultraviolet radiation (UV). Research
instrumentation includes spectroradiometers to
precisely measure UV test doses and pulse
amplitude modulation fluorometry to quantify
inhibition of photosynthetic efficiency.
Researchers can adapt laboratory test systems to
evaluate dose-response relationships for other
stressors including contaminants and nutrients.
The Environmental Reston, Virginia and Las Vegas, Nevada
Photographic Interpretation Center
repository of unique and irreplaceable remote sensing data has been developed over the past 30 years.
This archive, located in^Las, Vegas an4 used by; EPIC staff in Las Vegas andReston, contains more tfean
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
PRESORTED STANDARD
POSTAGE £ FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No. G 35
For additional information about these
for forming collaborative networks with
EPA researchers, contact"
Debbie Janes
(919) 541-4577
janes.debbie@epa.gov
Recycled Recyclable
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