United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA/600/9-88/008
March 1988
Research and Development
«EPA Long-Range Research
Agenda for the Period
1989-1993
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EPA 600/9-88/008
March 1988
Long-Range Research Agenda
1989-1993
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Feglcn 5, Library (5PL-16)
230 S. Dearborn Sti'eet, Room 1670
Chica,~3, IL 60604
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Preface
The primary goal of the U.S Environmental Protection
Agency is to reduce the risks posed by pollutants to public
health and welfare and to natural ecosystems Within this
context, the Office of Research and Development (ORD)
provides the scientific information necessary to determine
the extent of these risks and to develop and evaluate
technology options to reduce, eliminate, or prevent them.
As part of this process, the research program must
anticipate and address both the fundamental needs of
regulatory decision making and program-specific issues
Fundamental needs include reliable estimates of the risk of
adverse impact to public health and the environment
associated with any policy action, reliable estimates of
cost-effective risk reduction options, and reliable
measurement methods for the indicators used to specify the
state of the environment.
These needs drive a continuing core research program
consisting of:
1 Human health risk methods development and application,
2. Ecological risk methods development and application,
3. Total exposure methods development and application,
and
4. Risk reduction research.
Health, ecological, and exposure issues are the foundation
of risk assessment research; risk reduction research
provides the regulatory decision maker with risk
management tools-for setting priorities, choosing control
actions, and developing environmental policy.
In the human health risk assessment area, long-term
research activities will focus on methods for assessing
cancer and non-cancer endpomts, improvements in
techniques for using data from epidemiological, clinical, and
animal studies for estimating health risks to humans, the
development of statistical models that characterize dose-
response relationships and associated uncertainties, and
determinations of the utility and limitations of structure-
activity relationships for estimating the potential toxicity of
untested chemicals
For the major category of ecological risk assessment,
emphasis will be placed on research that contributes to the
improved prediction of the impacts of pollutants on
ecosystem function and structure, on techniques for
assessing effects from complex mixtures of chemicals, and
on characterizations of the uncertainties engendered by risk
estimates
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In the major area of total exposure methods development,
emphasis will be directed to techniques for determining
frequency distributions of exposures to toxic chemicals in
the population. Biological indicators of exposure and effect
in human and ecological populations will be emphasized
through the use of pharmacokinetic and metabolic
information.
In the area of risk reduction/control technology, emphasis
will be placed on developing source assessments and
transport, transformation, and fate models as well as working
with industry to explore alternative treatment technologies
such as biodegradation (biosystems), advanced separation
processes, advanced thermal degradation, and waste
stabilization techniques.
These long-term research activities have evolved from a
process of mediation between research concepts and
regulatory/programmatic applications, as well as from a
growing fund of commonly held priorities based on risk
management for environmental protection. As the Agency
continues to refine planning strategies for addressing
increasingly complex environmental problems, it is the goal
of the research program to affect those strategies with
sound science, sound judgment, and vision.
Vaun A. Newill
Assistant Administrator for
Research and Development
IV
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Contents
Page
Introduction 1
Congressional Request 1
ORD Mission and Obligations 1
ORD Planning Process 2
Plan Perspectives 3
Research Committee (Legislative) Perspectives 5
Air/Radiation 5
Water 21
Pesticides/Toxics 35
Hazardous Waste/Superfund 48
Multimedia Energy 60
Interdisciplinary 69
Appendix 85
Interagency Coordination 85
Science Advisory Board Letter 87
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I. INTRODUCTION
Congressional Request
The Long-Range Research Agenda is prepared in
response to the Congressional requirement that the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submit an annual
revision of a comprehensive five-year plan for environ-
mental research, development, and demonstration not
later than two weeks after the President submits his annual
budget to the Congress (P.L. 94-475, Section 5, 10/1/76;
P.L 95-155, Section 4, 11/8/77). The annual revision is
required to convey the plans for no growth, moderate
growth, and high growth budget projections and should
include an explanation of the relationship between
research activities and existing laws which authorize envi-
ronmental research, development, and demonstration.
The budget projections contained herein assume a 3%
increase for the moderate growth scenario and a 6%
increase for the high growth scenario. The budget
projections are subject to change associated with new
Agency priorities and the availability of funds.
Office of Research and Development (ORD)
Mission and Obligations
ORD is obliged to develop and implement an integrated
program which supports the mission of the Agency. Its
mission is to administer, in a comprehensive and balanced
manner, specific federal legislation developed to control
and abate adverse impacts of pollution on the human
environment (National Environmental Policy Act, 1969;
Presidential Reorganization Plan #3, 1970).
In keeping with that mission, Agency management
requires quality information on a timely basis for decisions
relating to the assessment and management of risk from
known and anticipated environmental pollution. Agency
management must make decisions regarding the devel-
opment of policy, guidance, standards, and regulations;
monitoring programs (surveillance and compliance assess-
ment); environmental impact analyses; quality assurance
and quality control, grant applications and training.
In view of the diverse products and services required from
ORD to support Agency decision making (research, prob-
lem diagnosis, technical support documents, risk assess-
ments, expert witness consultation, quality assurance
management, etc.), the ORD staff must maintain an
awareness of environmental research being performed by
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other governmental agencies (federal, state, and local),
industry, academia, and the public interest sector. The
information needs of the decision makers are critically
evaluated m terms of the information available or
forthcoming from all the aforementioned sources. (See
Appendix for a listing of mteragency coordination.)
The research in EPA/ORD focuses on those areas
specified in the Congressional appropriation and on
subjects considered through the planning process as not
receiving sufficient emphasis to provide the information
required for Agency decision making.
ORD Planning Process
Integrated planning, quality assurance programs, and peer
review are all fundamental to assuring that ORD fulfills its
obligations. Integrated planning of the ORD program is
accomplished through the use of Agency-wide research
committees, which are structured primarily along
regulatory program office lines (air/radiation, water, pesti-
cides/toxics, hazardous waste/superfund, multime-
dia/energy, and interdisciplinary). Membership comprises
senior level representatives from the regulatory offices, the
lead regions, and the ORD laboratories. Each committee
is co-chaired by a senior manager from ORD and from
the appropriate program office, and each office director in
ORD is represented on all committees. Each committee is
responsible for ascertaining the priority research and
development issues of concern to the subject program
office and for recommending a comprehensive, media-
oriented research plan containing objectives, priorities,
outputs, schedules, and resource allocations to the
Assistant Administrator (AA)/ORD.
The ORD program must be flexible enough to respond to
changes in Agency priorities while remaining stable
enough to assure that the research undertaken results in
technical information of sufficient quality to support
Agency decision making. Flexibility is accommodated by
reprogrammmg in the operating year Priorities for
reprogrammmg are established through discussions
involving the Congress, Agency-wide management, and
ORD management.
Since the ORD office directors and their respective
laboratory directors are responsible for implementing the
program and for obtaining peer reviews of their respective
programs on a regular basis, they offer recommendations
to the AA/ORD concerning the program as viewed from an
integrated disciplinary perspective. Based upon these
recommendations and interactions with the program office
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Assistant Administrators, the AA/ORD proposes an
integrated ORD program to the Administrator. The
program establishes an appropriate balance between top
down and bottom up planning as recommended by the
National Academy of Science (Analytical Studies for the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Vol. Ill, Research
and Development in the EPA, Commission on Natural
Resources, National Research Council, 1977).
Plan Perspectives
Several alternative frameworks can be used to categorize
the total ORD program. Examples of the suggested per-
spectives for categorizing the program include legislative,
regulatory program office, research discipline, source,
pollutant, and effects. Unfortunately, no single focus is
ever fully satisfactory to the variety of groups interested in
the ORD program, especially in the case of ORD special
interest cross media, multidisciplmary studies. Since the
Congressional request requires an indication of the
relationship of plans to existing laws authorizing the
Agency's environmental research, development, and
demonstration work, the total program is presented
primarily from the research committee perspective, which
is equivalent to the regulatory office perspective. Cross
media, multidisciplinary problems receiving special
emphasis at present and for the foreseeable future and the
research committees contributing to resolution of these
problems include the following:
1. Ground water (water, hazardous waste/superfund,
pesticides/toxic substances);
2. Total exposure assessment measurement (air, water,
hazardous waste/superfund, pesticides/toxic sub-
stances);
3. Municipal waste combustion (air, hazardous
waste/superfund);
4. Accidental releases (air, water, hazardous
waste/superfund);
5. Comparative risk for complex mixtures (air, water, haz-
ardous waste/superfund, pesticides/toxic substances);
6. Acid deposition (air, water, energy); and
7. Biotechnology (air, water, pesticides/toxic substances).
A letter commenting on the review of the ORD program by
the Agency Science Advisory Board (SAB) is presented in
the Appendix.
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II. RESEARCH COMMITTEE
(LEGISLATIVE) PERSPECTIVES
Each of the media-specific research programs contains
elements which are related to the core research program.
The media-specific issues and associated research
planned to resolve these issues are described in the
following paragraphs.
Air/Radiation
Under the Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA is responsible for
setting ambient air quality standards for air pollutants
emitted from both stationary and mobile sources. National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) have been set for
six criteria pollutants, ozone (63), carbon monoxide (CO),
particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SOa), nitrogen
dioxide (NC>2), and lead (Pb). These standards must be
reviewed every five years and revised if appropriate.
Compliance with these standards is the responsibility of
each state through the development and implementation
of State Implementation Plans (SIPs), which limit
emissions from sources, set time tables for compliance,
and establish monitoring procedures. The Agency is also
responsible for setting technology-based New Source
Performance Standards (NSPS) to limit air pollutant
emissions from new sources or from existing sources that
have been modified. In areas where the air quality is
better than that required to meet primary and secondary
standards, emissions from new or modified sources are
restricted under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration
(PSD) program. EPA is also responsible for limiting
emissions of air pollutants that are hazardous to human
health but are not already regulated as criteria pollutants.
Included are volatile organic carbons (VOCs), which are
ozone precursors. In addition, Title IV of the Superfund
Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA)
authorizes research and other technical activities on indoor
air and radon.
ORD provides the scientific data bases, methods, models,
assessments, emission reduction technologies and
corresponding quality assurance support to implement
these legislative authorities. Within the scope of the air
research program, seven major issues have been
identified which cut across scientific disciplines and the
pollutant-specific structure of the research program. In
addition, EPA conducts a radiation monitoring and quality
assurance program.
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EPA has identified several topics in the air research
program that will require special attention in the coming
years. Among these are support for the ozone attainment
program, stratospheric ozone, and global climate
modification. In addition, attention is being turned to the
problems of unregulated pollutants in urban air and the
effects of ozone on forests. These issues will be
emphasized during the next five years of air pollution
research.
Major Research Issues
Criteria Pollutants
What scientific support is necessary to develop and
review primary and secondary NAAQS?
Health Effects: For each of the criteria air pollutants,
many of the sensitive population groups and the pollutant
exposure ranges of interest have generally been identified.
However, health effects testing of these pollutants must
continue in both animal and human subjects to ascertain
dose-response relationships. The health endpoints of
concern are mainly respiratory, metabolic, and immune
system effects of 03, NC>2, SOa and particulate matter,
and the cardiovascular and neurologic effects of CO. In
addition, research may be done on the health effects of
very short exposure to high levels of particles and SC>2.
This research would support reevaluation of emergency
level standards, particularly as they apply to sources that
emit occasional bursts of pollutants for extremely short
periods of time Emphasis will also be placed on
evaluating the effects of long-term, low-level versus
short-term, higher-peak exposures to oxidants,
particularly NO2, and the effects of both long-term and
short-term exposures to the coarse fraction of airborne
particles smaller than 10 microns in diameter The
information obtained from this research will be factored
into the next round of criteria documents and used in the
review of NAAQS.
To improve our ability to relate animal data to actual
human consequences and to develop more reliable risk
estimates of exposure to air pollutants, techniques will be
developed to extrapolate from animal to human effects,
from high to low doses, and from acute to chronic effects.
To do this, information in three critical areas will be
considered dosimetry--the amount of pollutant which
reaches specific target sites in the body after exposure to
a given concentration of pollutant; species sensitivity-
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the potential variations in response of different animal
species to the same dose of pollutant; and dose/response.
Human volunteers are being exposed to criteria pollutants
for brief periods of time at concentrations similar to those
encountered in daily life, in order to measure the resulting
effects on heart and lung function, immune response, and
other physiological and biological parameters. Similar
studies are being conducted with animals. Animals are
also being exposed chronically to these pollutants, and the
cumulative lifetime effect of these exposures will be
determined. These dose-response data, combined with
dosimetry and species-sensitivity information, provide
the information necessary to infer the effects that chronic
exposure to a given pollutant may have on humans.
Epidemiological research provides the most direct
evidence of human health effects from environmental
exposures to pollutants. Epidemiological studies are
being done to ascertain the health effects of total
exposures (indoor and outdoor) to the criteria air
pollutants
Welfare Effects: To assess the need for secondary air
quality standards for criteria pollutants, research is needed
on the impact of air pollution on vegetation and visibility
degradation. Recent research on the effect of 03 on crops
indicates that fluctuations of 03 levels in conjunction with
other conditions may seriously affect crop plant response.
Field work under way to quantify and reduce these
uncertainties and to provide information for use in
economic models will continue at several sites Ozone
exposure research on forages and some work on models
will continue.
Whereas crop model research will be reduced, increased
effort will be invested in a research program to determine
the damage done to forests by ozone For regulatory
purposes EPA needs to quantify 63 effects on forests to
determine what types of forests are affected and to
establish their relative sensitivity, to define dose-
response relationships that allow estimates of benefits
from reduced 03 exposure; and to translate the data into
air quality standards. The experimental approach will
closely follow that taken with crops, but perennial trees will
be utilized rather than annual plants.
Atmospheric Processes: Research will be conducted to
determine the extent of visibility impairment. Specifically,
the role of aerosols on visibility reduction will be assessed;
visibility trends for the U S will be determined using
available data bases; and measurement and monitoring
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techniques will be developed to characterize more
completely the extent of visibility changes. A regional
visibility research network will be established to provide
data for analyzing source-receptor relationships, and
models will be developed to assess visibility protection
strategies. Research is also needed to assess the
influence of particle size and composition on soiling and to
aid in the development of a risk assessment.
Monitoring: New and improved monitoring methods are
needed to identify areas where public health and welfare
are threatened and to establish air quality trends. In
addition, accurate, reliable monitoring methods are
necessary to determine compliance with standards and to
evaluate the need for enforcement actions. This will be
carried out through the testing, evaluation, improvement,
and standardization of methodologies and systems for
measuring ambient pollutants. Emphasis will be on non-
methane organic compounds and fine particles.
Quality assurance is required to provide a reliable estimate
of the precision and accuracy of the data obtained from
measurements from sources such as the State and Local
Air Monitoring Networks. This is carried out through the
use of audits of the laboratories and from the use of
standard reference materials that have been prepared,
verified, and distributed to the user laboratories
Scientific Assessment: The review and revision of
NAAQS is a continuing effort, based upon new and
evolving scientific information. ORD contributes to this
function by publishing new or revised Air Quality Criteria
Documents (AQCDs) that are then used by regulators to
revise NAAQS. In the immediate future, revision of the
criteria documents for CO and NOX will continue, and an
addendum to the PM/SOX criteria document will be
completed. Technical evaluations are being conducted for
use by the regulatory office in evaluating the NAAQS for
lead, SOX, 03, and PM and for determining whether to list
acid aerosols as a criteria pollutant.
New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and State
Implementation Plans (SIPs)
What scientific support is needed to develop NSPS and
SIPs?
Control Technology: Research will be conducted to
characterize emission sources and evaluate and improve
the cost-effectiveness of emission reduction technol-
ogies, thereby reducing the cost of complying with SIPs.
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Improved control technology is also needed for sulfur and
nitrogen oxides. For SOX, further research will be%
conducted on conventional spray drying for utility and
industrial boilers. Also, comparative assessments are
needed for various absorbents to reduce the cost of spray
drying flue gas desulfurization (FGD). The role of dry
injection techniques in FGD systems will also be
investigated. Research to control NOX will focus on
evaluating the applicability of combustion modification
techniques to industries. Needed research on reburning
and changes in precombuster burner designs will
continue.
Research to control particles focuses on improving the
performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of the
multi-stage electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) and fabric
filtration. The major purpose of this research is to improve
collection of small particles that have become increasingly
important in meeting particle standards. ESPs may assist
in acid ram mitigation when used with dry add-on SC>2
removal processes. Precipitators are also appropriate
when facilities switch to low-sulfur coals, with their more
difficult-to-collect fly ashes Another particle control
measure that shows promise is electrostatically
augmented fabric filtration (EAFF). Also, recent research
indicates that proper conditioning of the particulate matter
can reduce pressure drop significantly, resulting in fabric
filters one-third the size of conventional units. Additional
research to verify this finding is necessary and has begun.
Atmospheric Processes: Pollutants emitted into the air
often undergo chemical reactions that change them into
different compounds. Models to predict this phenomenon
are being developed at the urban and regional scale.
These models will provide information necessary to
develop, evaluate, and implement cost-effective air
pollution control strategies for SIPs and PSD determi-
nations.
Over the last few years, a variety of air quality models
have been developed; however, evaluations of these
models indicate that the accuracy and reliability of their
predictions need to be increased. In order to improve
urban scale models, smog-chamber studies will be
conducted to obtain a better understanding of the
atmospheric chemical processes associated with the
formation of oxidants and inhalable particulate matter.
Emphasis will be placed on the impact of lower
hydrocarbon/NOx ratios and the role of specific categories
of VOCs such as aromatic hydrocarbons and aldehydes in
producing atmospheric ozone and other oxidants. Source
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apportionment modeling techniques will be developed and
evaluated for both non-volatile and volatile organics
In order to make dispersion and mathematical models
available to the regulatory and research community, the
User Network for Applied Modeling of Air Pollution
(UNAMAP) will be updated to include state-of-the-art
models
On the regional scale (up to 1,000 km), laboratory and
field studies will be conducted to improve the ability of
models to predict the atmospheric transport,
transformation, and deposition processes for air pollutants
such as ozone and particulate matter. Alternative
mathematical techniques and new meteorological tracers
will also be evaluated to determine their ability to improve
modeling predictions The regional scale models will be
adopted to predict both episodic (hours, days) and longer
(months, seasons) time periods.
Monitoring: Research will be conducted to improve
standardized methods for monitoring stationary sources.
In order to increase the precision and accuracy of these
monitoring systems, audits and quality assurance
assistance will be earned out for state, local, or federal
laboratories involved in measuring NOX, organic
precursors, 862, sulfate, particulates, or lead. Necessary
reference materials and guideline documents will be
provided to implement the requirements of the CAA.
Quality control standards will also be prepared, verified,
and distributed to these laboratories.
Remote monitoring systems are being developed,
evaluated, and applied for use in areas where data are
needed for SIP evaluation or revision and for Agency
evaluation of the need for new standards.
Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs)
What scientific support is needed for regulatory decisions
about potentially hazardous air pollutants?
Monitoring: Few monitoring methods are available for
measuring concentrations of and human exposure to
potentially hazardous air pollutants, especially organic
compounds; therefore, new sampling and analytical
systems and a set of validated source-sampling methods
will be developed for important sources of hazardous air
pollutants that currently cannot be monitored with
adequate precision and accuracy. Research to develop
methods of monitoring ambient hazardous air pollutant
concentrations will be accelerated, as will work on passive
monitors and new sorbents. This will extend the
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measurement capability to chemicals not collected by
current methods and to new monitoring situations such as
exposures near hazardous waste sites. The nationwide
Toxic Air Monitoring System (TAMS) will be continued, to
characterize urban atmospheres and determine the
magnitude and extent of the hazardous air pollution
problem. In addition, TAMS will support the "urban soup"
program, which is a multidisciplinary effort to characterize
and assess risks from a complex mixture of pollutants in
urban areas. The previous Total Exposure Assessment
Methodology (TEAM) studies will be evaluated and several
focused TEAM exposure studies will be undertaken to
better document and define the human exposures to HAPs
and the sources of these exposures. The TEAM
methodology will be extended to other pollutants and other
areas of the country to determine the relationship of
exposures to geographical factors.
Health Effects: In general, the strategy for investigating
the health effects of toxic air pollutants must be quite
different from that employed in the study of criteria
pollutants First, because of the potential hazards of these
pollutants, clinical studies of exposed human volunteers
cannot be conducted; however, epidemiological studies
may be feasible. Because direct animal-to-man
extrapolation is difficult, it is necessary to develop animal
models that use biological indicators of neurotoxic,
genetic, reproductive, or developmental effects in order to
predict effects in humans. Research to develop such
models will be undertaken during the next five years.
Inhalation exposure chambers are being used to study
pulmonary, developmental, neurotoxic, and other effects of
priority air pollutants on animals.
Control Technology: The highest priority for research in
this area is to assess technologies for their ability to
reduce toxic emissions from various industrial and
combustion sources. These include both gaseous and
particulate species. A near-term goal is to control
emissions from wood-burning stoves, beginning with
evaluations of the efficiency and longevity of wood stove
catalysts.
As part of the long-term strategy to control HAPs,
industries that are deemed to be high-priority sources of
HAPs will be identified. Such industries include petroleum
refineries, organic chemical manufacturers, and iron and
steel mills Research will be performed to develop
efficient and effective control strategies for such high-
priority emitters
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Because much is already known about other criteria
pollutants, priorities for research in control technology
have shifted to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), to
assist in meeting ozone level attainment goals. VOCs,
which react with NOX and sunlight to produce ozone, are a
major cause of the ozone non-attainment problem.
Although emissions from major stationary sources are
being reduced, small sources, such as dry cleaners, gas
stations and paint users, are not being widely controlled.
Although these sources individually emit small amounts of
pollutants, collectively they may constitute a significant
problem. Control technologies such as industrial flares,
carbon adsorption, catalytic oxidation, thermal incineration,
and other advanced technologies, as applicable, will be
assessed to determine their performance and cost in
reducing VOC emissions from such sources. Emphasis
will be placed on developing and evaluating methods to
control VOCs without resorting to costly add-on control
devices.
Atmospheric Processes: Consideration of the formation,
atmospheric stability, and removal of HAPs is essential in
assessing exposure and risk. Of particular concern is the
formation in the atmosphere of toxic pollutants from
chemical reactions among individually innocuous
compounds. On a schedule consistent with the Agency's
regulatory calendar, laboratory and field studies will be
performed to determine the reaction rates, products, and
natural variabilities of HAPs under review. Chemistry will
be studied in isolated laboratory systems to obtain
accurate data on kinetics and mechanics. HAPs will also
be investigated in photochemical smog chambers, which
provide a better basis for extrapolation to the atmosphere
New studies will be undertaken to determine the extent to
which HAPs are formed in the atmosphere from innocuous
compounds.
Integrated Air Cancer Program: There is a great deal of
uncertainty regarding the relationship between air pollution
and human cancer. Determining the extent to which air
pollution is responsible for or related to human cancers
could have a major impact on EPA's regulatory program.
Thus, a long-term, interdisciplinary research program has
been developed to address the major scientific questions
regarding the relationship between air pollution and the
development of human cancer
The three basic goals of this program are to identify the
principal airborne carcinogens; to determine which
emission sources are major contributors of carcinogens to
ambient air and which chemicals are carcinogen
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precursors; and to improve the estimate of exposure and
comparative human cancer risk from specific air pollutant
emission sources. Field tests of relatively isolated
single-source categories are essential for developing
methods to evaluate the more typical multiple-source
environments to which the general population is exposed.
A current study focuses on quantifying carcinogens
emitted from residential wood-fired combustion systems
and motor vehicles. The results of this study will be
immediately useful, particularly as surrogates for similar
environments, while the study design can be adapted for
use in more complex environments.
In the monitoring and modeling component of the project,
samples of ambient air in the "breathing zone" of persons
in an urban/industrial area and a suburban area are being
collected and analyzed for carcinogens and mutagens.
Comparisons between the ambient and personal samples
and between the urban and suburban concentrations will
be made, and relationships between exposure and dose
will be studied. The relative importance and contribution
of gaseous and volatile organic compounds and of
semivolatile and paniculate organic compounds to total
airborne carcinogens will be determined. In addition,
laboratory studies will be conducted to determine the
atmospheric formation and fate of bioactive compounds.
Health research focuses on methods development and
data gathering to evaluate the human cancer risk from
individual and, ultimately, complex source emissions. A
comparative methodology to predict risk will be adapted to
evaluate and utilize short-term mutagenesis and animal
carcinogenesis data on emissions. Research to identify
the major sources of hazardous air pollutants and to
characterize these emissions from various combustion
sources of primary concern will serve as the basis of the
engineering component of the project.
Scientific Assessment: A three-tiered process is
employed in assessing scientific data bases for
substances considered to be HAP listing/regulation
candidates. Tier I reports are an initial review of literature
on health effects associated with a given chemical or class
of chemical substances. If no adverse health effects are
found likely to be associated with exposures and the
Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) decides not to list the
substance as a HAP, then the Tier I report is published.
However, if significant effects appear likely, then a draft
Health Assessment Document (HAD) is prepared for
review by a scientific workshop (Tier II). The final tier (Tier
III) would include public review and comment, SAB review,
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and publication of the HAD. In the coming year, final
comprehensive HADs will be completed on four chemicals
and External Review Drafts (ERDs) will be prepared for
three to six chemicals. Tier I screening documents for
four to six chemicals will be completed and another three
to six will be initiated. Increased emphasis will be placed
on toxic mobile source pollutants and non-cancer
endpomts Technical assistance will be provided to the
regions and states on issues related to air toxics. Risk
assessment methods will be developed on specific non-
cancer health effects As part of this new effort,
techniques for using pharmacokinetic information in risk
assessments will be developed. Future emphasis will be
placed on toxic effects rather than on cancer issues, since
the majority of the cancer-causing high priority pollutants
(list of 25) have been scientifically evaluated and now are
entering their regulatory pathways
Mobile Sources
What scientific support is needed to develop mobile
source regulations?
Atmospheric Research: As the driving fleet ages and
changes occur in engine design, models to assess the
impacts of mobile source emissions on ambient air quality
need to be refined, and studies must be conducted to
evaluate the impact of new emissions. Greater emphasis
will be placed on evaluating promising alternative fuels,
particularly methanol The two primary pollutants of
importance from methanol-fueled vehicles are methanol
and formaldehyde Analytical procedures to measure
methanol and formaldehyde will be developed and
emission characterizations performed Research to
determine the photochemistry of emissions from
methanol-fueled vehicles will also be conducted.
Emissions from future gasoline-fueled vehicles and
diesel-fueled vehicles equipped with advanced control
technologies will be characterized. Also, evaporative
emissions from motor vehicles will be characterized under
a number of simulated driving conditions.
Monitoring: Improved exposure-activity pattern models
will be developed from exposure data from past field
studies. Further refinements of the Simulation of Human
Activities and Pollutant Exposures (SHAPE) model will be
conducted, and the basic modeling approach will be
adapted to additional mobile source air pollutants.
Validation of the SHAPE model and other exposure
models will continue using existing human exposure data
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bases. Such tools are required for making adequate
estimates of risks from mobile source air pollutants.
Health Effects: Studies of the cardiovascular and
neurotoxic effects of CO will continue. A new research
effort on the health effects of fuel and fuel additives will
begin. The Health Effects Institute is expected to continue
its program on CO, NO2, 03 and diesel exhaust, and
aldehyde research, and new emphasis will be placed on
studies to support risk assessment for diesel exhaust.
Global and Microenvironmental
What scientific data are needed to determine the impact
of the quality of global and micro-environments on
public health and the environment?
Stratospheric Modification: By preventing most harmful
ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation from reaching the earth's
surface, the stratospheric ozone layer serves as an
important shield protecting human health and welfare It is
being accepted that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) cause
depletion of stratospheric ozone if present in sufficient
quantities Several serious consequences are possible,
including (1) increases in melanoma and other skin
cancers, (2) suppression of the human immune system,
(3) decreased productivity of commercial crops and
aquatic organisms, and (4) accelerated degradation of
polymeric materials.
In addition, there has been much interest in the link
between CFCs and possible climate change effects
brought about by the increase in carbon dioxide and other
trace gases and the "Greenhouse" effect. Substantial
evidence exists that the composition of the global
atmosphere is changing, particularly with respect to
carbon dioxide and trace "Greenhouse" gases that affect
the energy balance of radiation to and from the earth's
surface and atmosphere. The precise timing, magnitude,
and spatial patterns of the atmospheric effects are
uncertain, but there are indications that changes may
occur leading to long-term increases in surface
temperatures and to shifts in sea-level elevations and in
global, climate, and hydrology patterns. The research
program under development provides for a coordinated
effort focusing on ecological effects research,
development of control technology, and determinations of
the factors influencing the formation, transport, and fate of
pollutants affecting global weather.
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The signing of the "Montreal Protocol on Substances that
Deplete the Ozone Layer" on September 16, 1987, set
deadlines for decisions on tightening existing controls on
ozone depletion by 1994. ORD is developing a research
plan for meeting the needs of Agency policy makers under
the Montreal Protocol. To help accomplish this, the
Stratospheric Ozone Research Program will be signifi-
cantly enhanced in Fiscal Year 1989.
Research will be conducted to determine the emissions
that destroy stratospheric ozone and the technologies that
control these emissions.
With regard to UV-B light, research is planned to
(Devaluate potential future rates of growth in CFC
emissions; (2) model changes in the ozone layer that may
result from changes in atmospheric composition;
(3) analyze predictive models in light of new atmospheric
monitoring data; (4) determine potential health effects,
particularly the contribution of increased UV-B radiation
to the development of malignant melanoma; and
(5) determine the effects of UV-B on marine ecosystems.
In conjunction with other agencies, research will be accel-
erated on the development, validation, and use of global
tropospheric/stratospheric chemistry models to predict the
impacts of changes in trace gases, temperature, and
humidity on global climate and the resulting effects on
health and welfare. Results will be incorporated into an
international strategy for dealing with trace gases that
affect climate. Effects of global warming on crops, marine
and terrestrial systems, and other biota will be estimated.
Indoor Air: In the 1970's, indoor air pollution began to
attract increasing public attention when the federal
government encouraged energy conservation measures
for buildings.
As Congressional interest in indoor air quality began to
surface, EPA and other federal agencies were directed to
begin exploring the dimensions of the potential indoor air
quality problem. As a result, in 1982 and 1983,
approximately $500 thousand were appropriated to EPA
each year for research on indoor air. For fiscal years I984,
1985 and 1986, resources totalling approximately $7
million were appropriated for research on indoor air and
radon gas mitigation technologies. EPA has coordinated
its research on indoor air quality with its federal agency
partners on the Committee on Indoor Air Quality, formed
in 1983.
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In September 1986, EPA's SAB reviewed ongoing
research projects in indoor air quality and endorsed the
Office of Research and Development's plan to conduct a
Research Needs Assessment to determine what is
currently known about indoor air problems and what
critical research needs to be done. In October 1986, Title
IV of SARA mandated that EPA conduct an indoor air
research program. Subsequently, ORD formulated a
research framework around which the research program is
structured. The program was designed to meet research
needs that have been divided into three categories:
source-specific (e.g., environmental tobacco smoke,
combustion appliances); building and ventilation; and
generic issues (e.g., monitoring, demonstration projects).
In June, ORD and the Office of Air and Radiation sub-
mitted the EPA Indoor Air Quality Implementation Plan to
the Congress. This document included ORD's Preliminary
Indoor Air Pollution Information Assessment, a description
of the FY 87 Indoor Air Research Program, and an Indoor
Air Reference Data Base. The two offices are continuing
to develop the process of coordinating the Agency's
indoor air policy. At the same time, in accordance with
SARA, ORD is coordinating the indoor air research
activities of other federal agencies through the interagency
Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CIAQ). This effort will
produce a Research Needs Statement, which, when
finalized by the CIAQ, will be incorporated in the 1988
Indoor Air Report to Congress being coordinated by OAR.
NHANES-III: EPA is participating in an interagency
consortium that will conduct the next National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III). EPA's chief
goal in this endeavor is to obtain national baseline data on
a variety of factors that affect pollutant exposures and that
influence health outcomes associated with those
exposures.
Radiation Research
What technical support is necessary to ensure that the
public is adequately protected from exposure to
radioactive materials in the environment?
Monitoring: On a continuing basis, EPA supplies compre-
hensive radiological monitoring and surveillance services
to the Department of Energy (DOE) to meet that Agency's
nuclear test monitoring requirements, especially at the
Nevada Test Site. Other locations at which such support
is regularly provided include Mississippi, Colorado, and
New Mexico Advanced monitoring systems are
employed, primaniy offsite, to measure the amount of
radiation escaping the site following test blasts. A report
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is generated yearly which details the locations monitored
and test results. This work is expected to continue at the
same level of effort during the next five years.
EPA conducts a radiochemical analytical quality assurance
program that supports federal, regional, state, and local
laboratories that measure radioactivity to assess the
impact of local nuclear facilities. The purpose of this
program is to ensure that scientifically credible data,
methodologies, and assessments are used when
determining public exposure to radioactive materials.
Each year, EPA reports on laboratory radionuclide studies
conducted during the previous year This is a continuing
effort and is expected to remain at its current level.
Radon: In support of EPA's Radon Action Plan, ORD will
continue developing and demonstrating cost-effective
methods of mitigating and preventing the entry of radon
from soils and ground water into homes and other
structures. Publications directed to states, builders,
homeowners, and businesses on protecting against
elevated indoor radon levels will be produced and
updated, based on the results obtained from additional
field demonstrations and other newly available information.
Our radon activities will be coordinated with DOE's
enhanced radon research program.
Summary of Long-Term Trends
During the past 15 years, much progress has been made
in cleaning up the nation's air. Increased use of lead-free
gasoline has sharply decreased ambient lead levels, and
the recent move to speed up the lead phase-down
program promises to cut these levels even further. Urban
areas are experiencing fewer severe pollution episodes.
Catalytic converter use has greatly diminished carbon
monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions from automobiles.
Although some areas still exceed allowable levels of
ozone, most locations across the country are generally in
compliance with NAAQS.
Given these trends, priorities are shifting in the air
research program. New questions include- What are the
hazards posed by unregulated toxic pollutants? What are
the sources of these pollutants? Do the complex mixtures
of urban air pollutants pose particular dangers7 What are
the long-term health consequences of continued
exposure to low levels of criteria pollutants? What
physical and chemical interactions in the atmosphere can
create or increase toxic pollutants? What are the actual
pollutant exposures encountered by people throughout the
day? To what extent do conditions or materials in the
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home contribute to those exposures? What effects do
man-made pollutants have on global climate? Does
ozone have a negative effect on commercial species of
trees? What can be done to minimize health threats from
accidental releases of toxic air pollutants? What tech-
nology is available to control emissions from incineration
of municipal wastes? What health effects are associated
with these pollutants?
Within the area of toxic air pollution research, EPA will
focus on several objectives. Monitoring methods will be
improved, and attempts will be made to characterize urban
atmospheres and determine national pollution trends
TEAM studies will be undertaken, with the goal of
developing a profile of HAP exposures across the nation.
Efforts will be made to identify the most toxic pollutants,
by source, and to determine their health effects. The
formation, transport, and fate of HAPs will also be
investigated The Integrated Air Cancer Program (IACP)
will be continued, drawing on the resources of several EPA
laboratories to discover the extent to which toxic pollutants
contribute to this country's rising cancer rates. The health
effects of pollutants associated with the burning of
municipal wastes and with new motor vehicle fuels will be
studied. Research on control technology for municipal
waste incineration will be performed^
With the cooperation of other federal agencies interested
in the hazards of indoor air pollution, EPA will be applying
modern methods to monitor indoor exposures to radon,
VOCs, NOj, particulate matter, and other contaminants.
Indoor emissions will be characterized and exposure
models will be constructed to predict indoor exposures to
specified pollutants. Ultimately this information will be of
use in determining the total exposure-indoor and
outdoorthat humans receive to these pollutants.
Within the criteria pollutant program, an important new
issue is the need to determine the extent to which ozone
is responsible for damage to forests, low growth rates, and
susceptibility to disease Additional remaining concerns
include ozone non-attainment and health effects of
exposures to NC>2 and particulate matter. Ozone control
research will focus on small stationary sources of VOCs,
such as dry cleaners and gas stations, to develop
applicable, low-cost methods of cutting VOC emissions
Health research on NO2 will concentrate on clinical,
epidemiological, and toxicological evaluations of exposure,
particularly in susceptible populations, such as children
and persons with impaired respiratory systems.
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The recent Montreal Protocol focused international
attention on the problem of stratospheric ozone depletion.
In order to meet the Protocol's 1994 deadline, ORD is
initiating a major research effort on the effects of ozone
depletion and the resulting increases in UV-B radiation
on human health and the environment.
Resource Options
1988 Revised Current Estimate: $ 68.7M
1989 President's Budget: $ 76.5M
Projections
Growth FY1990 FY 1991 FY 1992 FY 1993
None
Moderate
High
76.5
78.8
81 2
76.5
81.2
83.6
76.5
836
86.1
76.5
86.1
88.6
No Growth: The program would proceed as described in
this Agenda.
Moderate: Additional efforts would be devoted to
augmented research in risk assessment, formation and
control of ozone, long-term health effects of pollutants,
and mitigation of risk. Specifically, emphasis would be
placed on determination of risk. Reduction in the criteria
air pollution program would be restored.
High: Additional emphasis would be placed on
determining subtle but major health risks from both criteria
and non-criteria pollutants. Additional support would be
given to control technology research and efforts to
characterize dispersion patterns and atmospheric
reactions of pollutants Research outreach activities would
increase, including technical assistance, technology
transfer, and regulatory support.
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Water
EPA's water research program provides the technical and
scientific support necessary to implement the Agency's
regulatory responsibilities under the Clean Water Act
(CWA), the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Marine
Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, and a number
of Executive Orders and omnibus statutes. About half of
the research on water issues is conducted by the ORD
laboratories, and a valuable contribution is also made by
universities and private research institutions supported in
part by EPA grants and cooperative agreements. EPA's
water research is important to the development of both
drinking water and water quality regulations. The program
is heavily involved in the evaluation of innovative and
cost-effective treatment technologies and the provision of
technical assistance to municipalities, industry, and private
landowners. In addition, research is accelerating on the
environmental impacts of pollution upon aquatic biota and
their ecosystems. Especially important is the research
support of the Agency's Ground Water Protection
Strategy.
The water research program will continue to provide
support in the following areas: developing new and revised
drinking water Maximum Contaminant Levels and Health
Advisories; developing Criteria Documents and the
scientific underpinnings of ambient water quality
regulatory policies; assisting the regions and states in
meeting the growing demand for toxicity-based NPDES
permits; providing standardized monitoring methodology,
quality assurance guidance, calibration reference
materials, and performance audits to assess and maintain
an acceptable level of self-compliance monitoring data
quality; providing technical support to the municipal
wastewater construction program in pretreatment, sludge,
operation inflow, technology evaluation, and other areas,
improving analytical and prediction technology for
assessing ground-water contamination; developing
cost-effective methods for cleaning up contaminated
ground water; providing support for states in developing
wellhead protection programs; and supporting the
underground injection control regulatory program.
The six research areas described in this report-Water
Quality Based Approach; Marine, Estuarine, and Great
Lakes; Wastewater Treatment Technology; Drinking Water
Technology; Drinking Water Health, and Ground
Water-represent the principal concerns in the water
research area and correspond both to the organizational
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structure of the Water Research Committee and the
Agency's water research budget.
Major Research Issues
Water Quality Based Approach Permitting
What information and methods are needed to support a
water quality based approach to pollution control?
The CWA recognizes two types of regulatory requirements
needed to restore and maintain the quality of the nation's
waters: (1) technology-based guidelines to set uniform
national requirements for discharges by industries and
sewage treatment facilities, and (2) water quality based
standards to define the uses to be made of water, such as
drinking water supply or recreation, and subsequently
establish site-specific criteria protective of that use
Despite significant reductions in point-source pollutant
levels as a result of the implementation of technology-
based discharge limits, some water bodies still do not
meet water quality standards. Moreover, increasingly
important water quality problems are caused by toxic
substances, diffuse (non-point) sources, and reduced
flow.
Ecological Hazard Assessment for Water Quality: This
research will develop and evaluate regional approaches for
establishing water quality standards and conducting water
quality assessments The regional mtegrative assessment
approach, which includes the development and evaluation
of ecoregion maps, an index of biological integrity for
streams, and experimental designs for estimating the
status of aquatic resources based on population, will be
developed and refined. Water quality criteria will be
evaluated to determine which chemicals pose the greatest
threat to wildlife through the aquatic food chain.
Ecological criteria will be developed by integrating
terrestrial and aquatic characteristics into an assessment
protocol.
Waste Load Allocation: Environmental processes
characterizations will increase available data bases, and
waste load allocation models will be developed, improved,
simplified, and tested to implement the water quality
based approach. The Center for Water Quality Modeling
in Athens, Georgia, will catalogue, maintain and provide
models, user manuals and associated training and
technical assistance to EPA regions and states.
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Monitoring and Quality Assurance: EPA will continue to
identify, evaluate, standardize, and validate analytical
procedures for characterization/monitoring of waterborne
pollutants. Emphasis will be given to establishing
protocols that screen water quality through biochemical
and/or biological testing. In the area of chemical methods
development, generic instrumentation approaches to
monitoring (rather than a chemical-by-chemical
approach) will be evaluated. Contamination of the water
column, underlying sediment, or introduced sludge will be
individually addressed in an attempt to maximize the
economy of each class of measurement. Performance of
analysts, laboratories, and measurement methods will
continue to be assessed, and corrective action will be
taken to help maintain the quality of the Agency's data
base supporting critical decision making Additionally, the
proposed externalization of quality assurance costs
(charging user fees for quality assurance services) will
require the private sector to reimburse EPA for services
rendered.
Water Quality Criteria - Aquatic Life: Toxicity testing
methods for aquatic life will be developed, validated, and
provided to regions and states for predicting m-stream
water and biological impacts in fresh and brackish water
and marine systems. Research will continue to support
the integration of pollutant-specific controls with whole-
effluent-toxicity testing procedures and Best Available
Technology. The significance of toxicity and persistence
factors to biota will be determined and methods developed
for integration into the permitting process Field tests will
compare site-specific criteria modification techniques
with the whole-effluent-toxicity approach. Freshwater
and marine water quality criteria and advisories for
protection of aquatic life based on specific chemicals will
be developed as needed.
Water Quality Criteria Health Effects: Healtn effects
bioassays developed in previous years to determine
toxicity of municipal and industrial waste discharges will
be field tested at several different locations. The results of
these field evaluations will be combined and produced as
a methods manual to support the NPDES program.
Water Quality Criteria Scientific Assessment: The
scientific assessment program will provide guidance
documents for assessing the risk of human exposure to
mixtures of toxic chemicals and will evaluate site-specific
health hazards, as required, by states and EPA.
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Wetlands in Water Quality Protection: The wetlands
research effort will establish a scientifically valid
framework for assessing the cumulative impact of changes
so that wetland programs can more effectively protect
important environmental functions. This research will also
assess the effectiveness of wetlands mitigation and
determine the role of wetlands in water quality protection.
In other areas, guidance for assessing the risk of human
exposure to mixtures of toxic chemicals, the evaluation of
site-specific health hazards and evaluations for CWA
Section 301 (g) permit modification requests will continue
under the scientific assessment program. The cooperative
ecological research with the People's Republic of China
will address the impact of contaminants on freshwater or-
ganisms, emphasizing field verification of methodologies.
Marine, Estuarine, and Great Lakes
What information and methods are needed to support
environmentally sound ocean disposal, estuarme, and
Great Lakes programs?
Ocean Disposal: EPA is charged with regulating waste
disposal activities in the marine environment. Among
these activities are the dumping of wastes such as
dredged material, sewage sludge, and industrial wastes,
the disposal of municipal and industrial wastewater
through ocean outfalls; the incineration at sea of industrial
wastes; and the permitting of discharges through the
NPDES program. An improved understanding of the
ecological consequences of these ocean disposal actions
is needed to guide future public policy, satisfy
international marine treaties, and, where possible, protect
and enhance coastal fisheries resources. Key questions
concerning ocean disposal actions involve procedures to
be used in assessing the impacts of ocean disposal and
procedures necessary to monitor dumpsites for long-
term impacts and validate predictions made about
potential impacts. The CWA requires secondary treatment
for ocean outfall discharges from publicly owned sewage
treatment plants, although waivers are allowed in selected
cases. Therefore, EPA must have a scientific basis for
determining when secondary treatment requirements may
be modified and what effluent limitations should be
imposed.
To support the ocean dumping and outfall regulatory
programs, EPA's research will focus on the development
and validation of protocols needed for prediction of
impacts from these activities. This program will continue
the development and testing of ocean disposal impact
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assessment procedures, coastal and deep-water
monitoring methods, and procedures for characterizing the
bioaccumulation potential and effects of ocean-disposed
contaminants.
Coastal Waters: Estuaries and near coastal waters are
valuable ecological systems that are directly important to
man as fisheries and recreation resources and indirectly
important as nursery areas for estuarine and coastal'
fisheries. These areas are subject to impacts from the
production, transport, consumption, and release of toxid
chemicals In assessing the impacts from these
chemicals, basic scientific uncertainties exist which involve
the quantification of loads, their transport and fate, and
their cumulative effects on resources. EPA's estuarine
and near coastal waters research programs will
concentrate on the development and validation of hazard-
assessment protocols for improved source-control
decisions in the NPDES and Construction Grants
Programs. The estuarine research program will develop
generic procedures for conducting wasteload allocations in
estuaries. The coastal waters research program will focus
on the development of biomarkers, eutrophication, and
ecosystem resiliency/recovery
Great Lakes: Increased use of industrial chemicals and
their presence in the Great Lakes have raised public
concerns about toxic pollutants, particularly persistent
synthetic organic compounds. Because many of these
compounds are complex, it is difficult to predict their
impact on organisms in the food chain, including humans.
Analytical methods for detecting environmental
concentrations of organic compounds at trace levels are
often inadequate. Also, existing methods are limited in
their ability to relate pollutant exposure levels to sources
and to determine biological availability and environmental
effects of toxic organics. EPA will continue to study
transport, fate, and effects of toxic materials in selected
areas of the Great Lakes ecosystem, with emphasis on
contaminated sediments. This information will be used by
the Great Lakes National Program Office, EPA regions,
states, and the International Joint Commission under the
U.S./Canada Water Quality Agreement.
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Wastewater Treatment Technology
What information is needed to develop and assist the
states in implementing sludge disposal regulations and to
improve the reliability and cost-effectiveness of
wastewater treatment facilities?
Sludge Management: The processing and disposal of
sludge accounts for about half the total operating costs of
a typical sewage treatment plant. Municipalities are facing
increased economic and public problems with current land
and ocean sludge disposal practices. Approaches to
disposal are needed that will significantly reduce the
volume of sludge, destroy pathogens, ensure that toxic
metals are not a problem, reduce toxic organic
compounds, and ensure that sludge disposal does not
present a threat to ground water, the environment, and
public health To support EPA's regulations, research will
focus on sludge use criteria, procedures, and require-
ments applicable to the regulatory process. EPA will
refine methods to assess sludge disposal options,
including research into ecosystem resiliency or stress
resulting from disposal and methods to predict human
health effects from exposures to sludge.
Research on potential human health effects from sludge
disposal involves collecting data on various chemical and
bacteriological contaminants in sludges and sludge
products and developing hazard indices for effects
associated with different exposure pathways. Studies
have been initiated to evaluate health hazards from
exposures to sludge where composted sludge is sold as
fertilizer Results from these and other studies will provide
data for determining the effects of various sludge
treatment processes on mitigating disease.
Health assessment profiles will support regulatory decision
making on the effective treatment, conversion, use, and
disposal of municipal sludge. EPA will develop
information on mitigating risk through sludge treatment
and on disposal options, and will produce guidelines for
conducting health risk assessments of sludge disposal.
Research results will be used to calculate indices for
cancer and oral chronic toxicity related to hazards in the
food web and inhalation and aquatic toxicity associated
with the incineration and ocean disposal of sludge
The Agency will continue to maintain and update the
existing gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS)
tape library and will develop new analytical data bases of
toxic pollutants found in industrial wastewaters.
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Research on sludge stabilization, pathogen reduction, and
dewatering offers a major opportunity to reduce
substantially costs associated with sludge processing
while incurring minimal environmental impact. Pilot- and
large-scale combinations of activated sludge and
anaerobic digestion to determine the mass and volume-
reducing capabilities of the system will be evaluated,
along with promising methods such as mechanical
composting and conversion of sludge to fuel Engineering
research addressing sludge applications in agriculture,
forests, landfills, and land reclamation is needed to
establish safe application rates and management
techniques and to minimize surface and ground-water
impacts.
Innovative/Alternative (I/A) Technology: EPA will provide
technical and program support to states, municipalities,
consultants, and equipment manufacturers in the areas of
facility plan reviews, emerging technology assessments,
technology evaluations, small wastewater flow technology,
and technology transfer. Also, promising wastewater
treatment processes that have had limited full-scale
application will be assessed.
Upgrading and Correcting Designs: The Agency will
provide information to municipalities to upgrade existing
plant capabilities and achieve compliance with minimal
capital costs. Research in this area encompasses
evaluation of high biomass systems, enhanced oxygen
transfer, and second generation nutrient control schemes
Toxics Identification: EPA will identify and determine
distribution of unlisted chemicals in industrial wastewater
Computer programs will be developed for searching
stored GC/MS data from industrial wastewater samples for
non-priority pollutants; mass spectra will be compared
with library spectra for compounds that elude identification
by spectra matching; these will be identified by
reanalyzing samples using multispectra techniques.
Toxics Treatability and Toxicity Reduction: EPA will
evaluate the fate and effects of toxic pollutants in
municipal wastewater treatment systems as a component
of efforts to develop enhanced control of toxics in such
systems. The Agency will also develop toxicity reduction
evaluation procedures for municipal and industrial
wastewater treatment plants in support of water quality
based permit limitations.
Water Quality Planning and Regulation Support: EPA
will provide engineering data and managerial techniques
necessary for states to apply a cost-effective systems
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engineering approach to implement wasteload allocations
within their water quality control programs. This will
provide more reasonable margins of safety in determining
allowable stream loadings and reduce over-design of
advanced treatment plants.
Quality Assurance: EPA will continue the quality
assurance and repository samples program. The
performance of major NPDES dischargers' laboratories will
be evaluated, and actions on NPDES alternate test
candidate procedure applications will be recommended.
Drinking Water Technology
What new technologies are needed to continue to assure
the safety of drinking water?
EPA's drinking water technology research program
provides engineering data to support the development and
revision of drinking water regulations as well as
engineering information and technological support to
states, municipalities, EPA regions, and utilities concerned
with drinking water regulations and compliance. Major
technological problems include the relationship between
treatment strategies and deterioration of water quality
within the distribution systems, other factors causing
deterioration within distribution systems, and the need to
bring small systems into cost-effective compliance. A
related concern is the impact of distribution system
corrosion on drinking water quality and the need for low-
cost techniques to solve this problem.
Disinfection Byproducts: Research will continue on
improving the knowledge of a number of unidentified by-
products produced by chlorination as well as byproducts
of alternate disinfectants to chlorine. Evaluations of tri-
halomethane (THM) control using alternative disinfectants
and treatment modifications will continue.
Overall System Integrity: The persistence and regrowth
of organisms in distribution systems are influenced by the
physical and chemical characteristics of the water, system
age, pipe materials and the availability of suitable sites for
bacterial colonization. Investigations will also be carried
out on other key factors that influence microbial regrowth,
such as nutrients, temperature and sediment accu-
mulations. Theoretical, laboratory and field studies will
define factors associated with distribution system repair
and replacement criteria. Laboratory and field studies will
evaluate the impact of changes in treatment and
disinfection practices brought about by existing and new
regulations.
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Small-System Compliance: EPA is directing special
attention to small drinking water systems and their
compliance with regulations. Research is evaluating the
cost and engineering feasibility of specific treatment
techniques to remove or control chemical, particulate, and
microbiological contaminants. Several evaluations will be
at pilot- or full-scale. Laboratory studies are defining
variables that govern the effectiveness and efficiencies of
treatment processes prior to large-scale evaluations.
Monitoring and Qualify Assurance: The Drinking Water
Technology Research Program oversees the Agency-
wide mandatory quality assurance program for drinking
water. Ten regional laboratories are involved in the
National Interim Primary Drinking Water Regulations
laboratory certification program. Monitoring activities will
also develop methods and total measurement systems for
precise chemical, microbiological, and radiochemical
analysis. This will provide accurate and cost-effective
analytical procedures to monitor contaminants for use by
the Agency, states, municipalities, and operators of public
drinking water systems.
Drinking Water Health
What are the health effects from exposure to chemical
and microbiological contaminants found in drinking
water?
EPA is required to develop national drinking water
standards for contaminants that may cause an adverse
health effect. Research to determine the effects and risks
from exposure to drinking water contaminants is an
essential step and has been explicitly recognized by a
provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Such research
will be continued.
Health Effects Data and Risk Assessment: Toxicological
research to develop dose/response data will support
development of Maximum Contaminant Levels and goals
for disinfectants and disinfectant byproducts, synthetic
organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, radionuclides, and
microbes as required under the Safe Drinking Water Act
Amendments of 1986. Risk assessments and criteria
documents will be developed for drinking water
contaminants Epidemiological studies will determine the
associations between drinking water disinfection and
cardiovascular disease, and drinking water quality and
bladder, kidney, liver, and colon cancer
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Methods Development: Research will be conducted to
improve extrapolation of toxicological data from high to low
doses and from laboratory animals to humans. The
effects of different exposure pathways are being evaluated
to improve the accuracy of risk assessments. Micro-
biological methods are being developed to identify
infectious disease agents in water and determine the
significance of the occurrence of these agents in water
supplies. Methods to determine exposure and risks from
chemical mixtures are also being developed.
Ground Water
What is needed to improve the scientific capability to
monitor, predict, and clean up ground-water contami-
nation problems?
EPA and the states have a number of mandates for
protecting ground water, and almost every regulatory and
enforcement program in the Agency has some interest in
ground-water protection. In response to these needs,
EPA's ground-water-related research programs cover
source control, monitoring methods, analytical methods
and quality assurance, prediction and resultant
assessment of risks, drinking water treatment and health
effects, and cleanup methods for contaminated soils and
ground water This section focuses on: wellhead
protection, monitoring technology, prediction and
assessment tools, underground injection control, aquifer
cleanup, and technology transfer. These topics are also
funded and conducted in the Hazardous Waste/Superfund
and the Pesticides/Toxics areas but are not covered under
those sections in this Research Agenda
The research will be used to evaluate the ground-water
flow and fate and transport models available for wellhead
protection and delineation. Approaches will be developed
for assessing critical delineation factors such as the radius
of pumping influence around a well, the depth of
drawdown of the ground water supplying wells, and the
time and rate of travel of contaminants in various
hydrogeologic settings. In addition, the research would
provide analyses of the threats to wellhead protection
areas from sources of contamination and would evaluate
the technical and institutional effectiveness of control
methods on the prevention of ground-water contami-
nation in those areas.
Predictive Methods: Predictive research provides the
basis for assessing the risk of ground-water contami-
nation upon drinking water supplies and for understanding
subsurface processes that may eventually lead to cleanup
30
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methodology. Sorption, biotransformation, transport,
mixed solvent interactions, oxidation reduction, hydrolysis,
dechlorination, dispersion, fractured flow, and immiscible
flow will be investigated for organic chemicals that could
pose significant risk. Research will continue on virus
survival and transport, and metals mobility.
Contaminant-transport models will be adapted and
modified to include the improved process descriptions.
Field evaluations will determine the degree of confidence
that can be expected from predictive models in various
hydrogeologic environments. Applications of models for
wellhead protection programs will be evaluated.
Monitoring Technology: EPA's research will improve
cost-effectiveness and accuracies of monitoring in three
areas: methods, geophysical techniques and interpretive
analysis Sampling and well construction methods will be
evaluated to determine their effects on the accuracy of
results. Fiber optics technology will be used for
inexpensive and reliable ground-water monitoring.
Current methods will be adapted for use on underground
storage tanks and non-hazardous landfills. Vadose zone
(unsaturated) techniques will be evaluated for their
applicability to various situations and soil-gas monitoring
will be developed into an inexpensive and reliable method
for plume delineation.
Geophysical methods adapted from the energy and
minerals resource industry will be evaluated for their
applicability to such ground-water contamination
problems as detecting leakage from underground injection
wells, location of abandoned wells, and contaminant plume
detection. Quality assurance methods will be developed
and standardized to improve confidence in these
techniques
Interpretive analysis will be used to obtain more
information from monitoring data and to improve reliability.
Efforts will continue to determine the completeness of
coverage for methods to locate abandoned wells.
"Variance analysis" will be applied to determine the
frequency of sampling required in monitoring wells to gam
the appropriate confidence under differing circumstances.
A strategy will be developed for monitoring in wellhead
protection areas. Finally, geographically based
information systems will be used to make ground-water
monitoring data more useful to decision makers
Underground Injection Control: This research will be
extremely important over the next few years due to the
regulatory requirements of the Hazardous and Solid Waste
-------
Amendments of 1984. EPA is required to reconsider the
safety of underground injection as a hazardous waste
disposal method and to ban such injection should there be
migration out of the injection zone. EPA has a number of
research activities under way to aid the Office of Drinking
Water in making these determinations, including
determining the fluid movement from wells, describing the
interaction of injected fluids with the geological strata, and
characterizing saline formations in the Texas Gulf Coast as
receptors of hazardous wastes. Research will focus on
methods to test the mechanical integrity of wells, to locate
abandoned wells, and to control practices associated with
shallow, non-hazardous injection wetls.
Aquifer Restoration: Aquifer cleanup research will pro-
vide cost-effective methods for cleanup of contaminated
soils and ground water. Alternatives are needed to current
approaches such as withdrawal and treatment or
containment. Promising laboratory methods for enhancing
subsurface biotransformation will be field tested, and the
safety of using genetically engineered organisms for
biodegradation will be determined.
Technology Transfer: Information transfer will continue to
be an important part of ground-water research. Specific
training materials are under development in addition to
technical assistance to the EPA regions and the states.
Direct training of regional and state personnel will
continue, and the International Ground-Water Modeling
Center, a clearinghouse for ground-water models and
training, will continue to be supported. In addition,
Technical Assistance Documents will be prepared for use
by states in the development and implementation of their
Wellhead Protection Program.
Summary of Long-Term Trends
Most of the water research issues described in this
chapter will continue into the next decade, with gradually
changing degrees of activity and emphasis. Better
analytical capabilities will continue to improve the ability to
measure trace constituents in water, resulting in better
identification of greater numbers of potentially deleterious
chemical contaminants. With more toxicological and
epidemiological information, water quality managers will
face increasingly difficult decisions involving the environ-
mental significance of complex mixtures of pollutants.
A significant near-term issue includes the development of
toxicant information for complex mixtures. The growing
inventory of chlorinated organic contaminants in
complicated combinations requires significant changes in
32
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the research strategies and technological methods used Jo
assess them. Whole-sample evaluations such as matrix
bioassays, biological indicators, and chemical surrogates
will play a larger role in the future. To remain responsive,
EPA's water research program must simultaneously
develop and validate new methods for evaluating complex
mixtures and their impact when applied in regulatory
situations.
The environmental water quality issues, including estuary
protection, ocean disposal, and the water quality based
approach, all reflect the emerging need to develop new
tools to test and monitor ecological impacts such as
effects on the community at a system level. In ensuing
years, major strides will be made in identifying safe or
"no-effect" levels of toxic organic contaminants in
sediments and water and in methods to establish
biological availability and bioaccumulation in tissues of
aquatic organisms.
Many communities and landowners rely upon ground-
water sources for drinking and irrigation. Questions
regarding the quality of ground water have been
increasing in recent years. Consequently, the dynamics of
ground water and the residence times and fates of leached
contaminants in aquifers will be a major water resource
issue for the remainder of the century. The coming years
will see the refinement of the capability to simulate and
predict the impacts of contaminants on underground
sources, and cleanup technology will become more
important.
In the wastewater treatment areas, emphasis will be on
control of toxics in wastewaters and sludges. Improved
engineering and the periodic emergence of innovative and
alternative technologies may reduce costs. A major
breakthrough in wastewater treatment may come from
biological engineering, possibly through the development
of organisms that could be more effective in treating
wastewater and sludges than other methods.
33
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Resource Options
1988 Current Estimate. $ 47.2M
1989 President's Budget: $ 47.1 M
Projections
Growth FY1990 FY 1991 FY 1992 FY 1993
None
Moderate
High
47.1
48.5
500
47.1
50.0
51.5
47.1
51.5
53.0
47.1
530
54.6
No Growth: The program would proceed as described in
this Agenda.
Moderate: Additional emphasis would be given to
research on wetlands, pollutant fate and effects in ground
water, sludge, estuaries, and near coastal areas In
addition, efforts would be directed towards developing
techniques to quantify health risks from exposure to
complex mixtures and to augment the drinking water
repository samples and quality assurance programs.
High: The research cited under the moderate growth
option would be augmented and accelerated, and
additional research on water quality criteria would be
conducted.
34
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Pesticides/Toxics
Pesticides and toxic substances research provides support
to meet the current and future needs of the Toxic
Substances Control Act (TSCA); the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); the Asbestos
Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA); to some
extent, the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act
(FFDCA); and the Superfund Amendments and
Reauthorization Act (SARA). Research efforts are geared
toward providing scientifically valid yet cost-effective
methods for evaluating the risks associated with pesticide
uses and the manufacture, use, and release to the
environment of new and existing chemicals.
The research program in support of the above acts will
continue to develop, evaluate, and validate health,
exposure, and environmental test methodologies and
procedures to improve the predictability of human and
environmental risk estimates and to develop exposure
monitoring systems, environmental fate and effects
methods, and guidelines to perform ecological risk
assessments. Additional research will develop and
evaluate release and control methods for new and existing
chemicals, structure activity relationships as predictors of
chemical fate and biological effects, and procedures for
ensuring the human and environmental safety of the
products of biotechnology. Field validation studies and
contamination of ground water from pesticides are other
areas of interest in the ongoing research program.
Major Research Issues
Test Method Development
What new procedures or tests are needed to ensure that
industry's data on environmental or health effects are
accurate, reproducible and consistent?
Under TSCA and FIFRA, manufacturers must test
chemicals and pesticides for potential hazards to public
health and the environment. Consequently, research is
conducted to develop standard methods, to develop or
evaluate improved, more cost-effective methods, and to
provide quality assurance materials for performing such
tests. Regulatory decisions on a chemical depend on
qualitative and quantitative scientific data from industry
regarding potential adverse environmental and human
health effects of exposure to the chemical
Scientific assessment efforts in the test method
development area will focus on research activities to
35
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improve the Agency's ability to assess exposure to and
potential health effects associated with the use of
pesticides or the manufacture, production, distribution,
use, or disposal of chemical substances or mixtures. This
research is largely focused on data inadequacies identified
in the course of scientific assessment of chemicals during
regulatory analyses performed by the program office and
coordinated with ORD. These research activities involve
issues critical to the assessment of exposure and various
adverse effects (carcmogenicity, developmental toxicity,
reproductive effects, other chronic effects, and the
estimation of heritable risk at low doses). Information from
these assessments will be included in the Integrated Risk
Information System (IRIS).
The monitoring program will focus on the development of
quality assurance materials research on exposure to
assess chemical residues in humans, in human tissue and
fluid, in the environment, and in biota. In this area,
research will be conducted to develop total human
exposure methods for identifying chemical compounds.
Bioassays using monoclonal antibodies and biomarkers
such as enzyme induction and protein/DNA adducts will
continue to be evaluated as potential screening tools for
human exposure. Finally, human exposure methods
research will focus on advances in supercritical fluid
chromatography, GC and LC/MS analyses, ICAP-MS
analyses, and the development of biochemical and
immunochemical markers to detect exposure to particular
pollutants. Methods and procedures including laser-
based, real-time continuous monitors to identify asbestos
in indoor air during and after abatement actions will be
investigated in support of AHERA. There is a continuing
need for research into new and more sensitive analysis
methods for various classes of compounds evaluated
under FIFRA, TSCA, and SARA programs in both
environmental and biological media. Statistical methods to
analyze data from complex mixtures will also be
developed.
Environmental effects research will evaluate existing
methods and perform studies to determine the sensitivity
of available tests and identify species for potential future
test methods development. Methods are also being
developed, validated, and evaluated for environmental
toxicity testing. In this area, major advances will be
required to relate single-species and microcosm data to
actual ecosystem effects and to adequately relate
observed effects on one species to probable effects on
36
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other species. Testing applications are designed for
assessments and monitoring.
Health effects research efforts are directed toward
developing and validating predictive, reliable, and cost-
effective in vitro and in vivo test systems. Test methods
development will focus on the prediction of toxic hazards
in the following areas: reproduction/teratology, neuro-
toxicity, immunotoxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity
for inclusion in test guidelines to be used by pesticide
registrants and in Section 4, TSCA testing requirements.
Structure Activity Relationships (SARs)
What information needs to be developed on substances
and their similarity of chemical structure to determine the
additional testing needed to assure the safety of humans
and the environment?
To enhance the efficiency of the regulatory process for
toxic substances, it is convenient to group various
chemicals that share common or similar chemical
characteristics rather than to deal with each individual
chemical. If it can be demonstrated that chemical
relationships, such as similar molecular structures and
similar modes of toxic activity, form a firm scientific basis
for estimating probable environmental risks, then better
guidelines and techniques can be applied and regulatory
actions can be completed more quickly using fewer
resources. This approach will provide both the regulator
and the regulated a standard basis for determining if a
substance might be toxic and detrimental to living
organisms or their environment.
SARs are important for reviewing and screening PMN
chemicals under Section 5 of TSCA. The findings and
techniques established in this research will be used to
select appropriate toxicity tests, to document test results,
to develop fate and effects data bases where necessary,
and to provide the modeling means to predict toxicity.
Environmental effects research will include data base
compilation and improvement in the precision and
validation of SARs for predicting toxicity. Studies will
include assimilation of fate parameters such as photolysis,
biodegradation, and likely metabolites in multimedia
matrices. QSAR models are being developed to estimate
acute toxicity for fish, chronic ecotoxicity for fish and
invertebrates, bioconcentration factors, and log P.
Health research will focus on the development of methods
using a combination of descriptors based on molecular
structure to predict genetic, carcinogenic, and other toxic
37
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activities through pattern recognition, statistical, and
thermodynamic techniques. Data bases containing
bioassay data for use in predicting the mutagenic and
carcinogenic potential of new chemicals in the
environment will also be developed. Quantitative dose-
effect data are also developed on specific compounds and
classes of chemicals to aid in predicting the toxicity of
structurally similar chemicals.
Special Human Data Needs
What effects do specific chemicals have on actual
populations occupationally or environmentally exposed to
the chemicals?
To improve the Agency's ability to estimate human health
risk, these activities will examine population groups
exposed to environmental contaminants that are suspect
toxicants Research is continuing to determine whether
biological indicators of dose and/or effects are related to
environmental levels of exposure and if they are correlated
with adverse effects measured by traditional methods
This includes DMA adducts, nervous system specific
proteins, and metabolites in blood and urine
Ecology: Transport/Fate/Field Validation
What methodologies (including mathematical models) are
needed to assess the fate and effects of toxic chemicals
and pesticides in the environment?
To adequately evaluate the likelihood of perturbations a
pesticide or toxic chemical may cause in the environment,
it is necessary to understand probable exposure concen-
trations/durations, movements through ecosystems,
degradation rates, reservoirs, effects and residues The
Agency must have available techniques that may be
applied to attain this information, and it must be able to
interpret findings and prevent problems. Activities in this
area are designed to meet these needs, to improve the
criteria and standards with which industry, the users, or
the Agency must comply The intent is to provide new or
improved state-of-the-art techniques to fill data gaps in
order to have scientifically credible and legally defensible
regulatory actions.
Research will be conducted to evaluate microcosms at
freshwater, estuarme/marine, and terrestrial semi-natural
and natural field sites. Multispecies laboratory bioassays
will also be validated to allow data bases to be
documented and published that may be used to predict
the effects of toxic chemicals on aquatic and terrestrial
38
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vertebrates and invertebrates. System level investigations
will validate multispecies and community level toxicology
methods Field tests will be conducted to assess the
influence of colloidal organic matter on the uptake of
chlorinated toxic chemicals by benthic organisms Finally,
field evaluations will be carried out to verify the responses
of select organisms to sediment-bound toxics found in
freshwater ecosystems.
Efforts in this area will also determine the specific species
and testing methods to assess the effects of toxic
chemicals on terrestrial, freshwater, and estuarme/marme
species to provide data that can be used as surrogate
information for other organisms. Evaluations will focus on
comparative toxicology correlations and on validating
promising correlations Wildlife species testing will be
emphasized to compare with previously conducted
laboratory tests. Terrestrial toxicology research will be
conducted to validate tests that determine the toxicity of
chemicals to different strains and sources of birds.
Pesticide-oriented investigations will focus on
representative estuarine, freshwater, and terrestrial field
sites and will consider pesticide dose, exposure, effects,
and functional alterations at the species/population level.
Non-target organism (eg., fish, invertebrate, crustacean,
bird) effects will be quantified in terms of mortality,
reproduction rates, and resiliency This includes residue
analysis and population census (pre- and post-
treatment) information. Through extensive field sampling,
data collection and analysis and simulated exposures, field
findings will be compared to lab findings Final
evaluations will be published indicating where lab results
are comparable to field results and indicating if hazard
assessment criteria are adequate. Additionally, laboratory
and field studies will determine the relationships among
the use of pesticides and other agricultural practices,
pesticide characteristics and field conditions and resultant
pesticide concentrations in ground water to mitigate
ground-water contamination problems.
Transport and fate processes and exposure information
are highly critical to the Office of Pesticides and Toxic
Substances (OPTS) operations. Various laboratory tasks
will contribute exposure information based on such
parameters as sorption kinetics in sediments, pesticide
transformation, biodegradation, and movement in the
environment. Rate constants will be derived and the
extent of chemical reactions determined in order to
describe mathematical expressions that will lead to
estimates of exposure concentrations. Mechanisms and
39
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rates of degradation by natural microbial communities will
be studied. Controlling environmental conditions and
processes affecting degradation will be determined, and
quantitative relationships between the pesticide chemical
characteristics and the environmental parameters will be
factored in.
Field evaluations of methods and exposure models (with
emphasis on leaching models) will be conducted through
laboratory and field studies, including analyses of residues
in soils. This includes information generation on the
variability of soil water releases and ground-water
contamination and on model calibration and improvements
to predict exposure concentrations and toxicant
movement. Appropriate workshops and symposia may be
convened to transfer results to users. When developed
and evaluated, these models will predict the environmental
impact of pesticides and toxic substances.
Health: Markers, Dosimetry, and Extrapolation
How do we relate external dose to internal dose and to
early indicators of disease states and how can we better
extrapolate (from high dose to low, from differing routes
of exposure, and from laboratory animal to man) to
support risk assessments?
For both the pesticides and toxic substances programs,
health effects research will be focused on developing
methodologies for extrapolation of animal data from high
to low doses, between mammalian species, and between
different routes of exposure to reduce the uncertainties in
human health risk assessment. Additional studies in the
toxic substances research program involve defining the
relationship between environmental exposure, internal
dose, and biological response in clinical and laboratory
studies. Pharmacokinetic studies will be carried out using
dermal and inhalation routes of exposure. Additional
pesticides research includes evaluating the relationship(s)
of age and dermal absorption using in vivo animal models
as well as research on compound-induced reproductive
alterations following exposure during developmental
periods.
In addition, for both pesticides and toxic substances
programs, biological markers will be reviewed for their
capacity to indicate episodes of exposure. Factors such
as the specificity of the biological response to individual
chemical exposure and the susceptibility of individuals to
biological responses will be investigated.
40
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Exposure Monitoring
What improvements are needed for the monitoring
methods, systems, and analysis used to provide the data
bases for estimating human exposure?
TSCA-related monitoring efforts will be directed toward
improvements in monitoring instruments and systems to
estimate human exposure. Research will be continued to
develop approaches for multimedia/multipathway moni-
toring systems using geographic information system (GIS)
technology. Studies relating concentrations of volatile
organic chemicals in blood to those in breath will be
compared. Human exposure monitoring studies will be
conducted in a WHO/UNEP Human Exposure Assessment
Location (HEAL) Project. Biomarkers will be evaluated as
indicators of exposure to toxic compounds. In pesticides,
the Non-Occupational Pesticide Exposure Study
(NOPES) will continue to be conducted.
Biotechnology/Microbial and Biochemical Pest Control
Agents
What methods and technologies are being developed to
provide risk assessment data to evaluate microbial agents
and other products of biotechnology?
Many of the techniques required to adequately control or
regulate microbial organisms or biochemical products
(e g., pheromones) apply to both TSCA and FIFRA
mandates. Products of biotechnology used as pesticides
are subject to FIFRA; most other biotechnology products
(e.g., industrial chemicals, biodegradation products,
fertilizers) are subject to TSCA. FIFRA products are
evaluated for their environmental effects, as they are
designed to be deliberately released. TSCA products are
evaluated for their potential health and environmental
effects, on the basis of workplace exposure and accidental
or deliberate release.
Producers of biotechnology products must follow recom-
mended Agency guidelines in a testing regime designed
to estimate potential adverse environmental/health
impacts. ORD helps establish these techniques (used to
determine if environmental effects on non-target
organisms may be anticipated) and conducts field-
oriented validation studies to ensure that testing criteria
and guidelines are appropriate and functional. Research is
also conducted to develop or improve methods to monitor,
contain, or destroy genetically engineered organisms in
industrial settings. This research will provide the bases for
41
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monitoring guidelines for TSCA PMN submissions for
genetically engineered microorganisms.
Under FIFRA, research will develop or improve bioassay
methodologies for determining environmental effects on
non-target receptors or hosts. This includes providing
testing protocols and effects information for unaltered and
genetically engineered microbes. Investigations focus on
routes of exposure, methods to detect and identify agents,
toxicity, mfectivity, persistence, gene transfer, and
ecosystem effects. This information will be included in
Subpart M guidelines and will be used for regulatory
decisions.
Pesticides health research in biotechnology involves
development of data on the effects of microbial pest
control agents on mammalian cells. Immunological
methods are being developed using monoclonal
antibodies and DNA probes to enable the identification of
genetic material from biological pesticides in non-target
sites such as mammalian cells. Studies will be conducted
to determine the genetic stability and function of a
baculovirus expression vector in vertebrate cells. The
results of this research will provide the basis for validation
of Subpart M guidelines for testing microbial pesticides.
Pesticides monitoring research in biotechnology will focus
on evaluation of measurement techniques to produce
guidelines governing field release of genetically
engineered microorganisms.
Under TSCA, effo.cs will continue to evaluate, develop,
and standardize scientific rationales, procedures, and
instruments to monitor the environmental survival,
reproduction, distribution, effects, and risks associated
with the release of genetically engineered organisms The
impact of genetically engineered organisms on the rate of
gene transfer in the normal mammalian gut flora will be
studied to determine the potential for adverse health
effects. The results will be used to prepare protocols and
quality assurance guidelines for use in evaluating the
impact of released microbes. This research will support
the development of field test requirements for release of
genetically engineered microbes into the environment.
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Engineering Release and Controls
What engineering and technological information is needed
to predict the release of and exposure to toxic
substances and to determine alternatives for control of
these substances?
Under the premanufacture notification (PMN) process,
manufacturers are required to submit information to EPA
on the release and control of new chemicals and
significant new uses of existing chemicals. EPA uses
existing data and methodologies to predict the risks
associated with the release of new substances, and, under
the existing chemicals control program, evaluates
technological alternatives to reduce the release of and
exposure to chemicals that are already in use.
Models will be developed which predict the release of and
exposure to classes of new chemicals in order to assess
chemical-unit operations and processes, and the physical
and chemical properties of chemical substances
Additionally, models to predict potential exposure and
release levels, and the best measures to control release of
and exposure to new chemicals will be developed.
Treatability testing of potentially toxic chemicals will also
be conducted.
Alternatives to mitigate the release of and exposure to
specific existing and new toxic substances will be defined
through the evaluation and adaptation of existing control
measures. Technologies, management practices, and
personal protective equipment to limit release and
exposure will be evaluated and methodologies developed
to test their effectiveness. For asbestos, in addition to
evaluating control technologies, research will include
characterizing durable replacement fibers and evaluating
the long-term effectiveness of removal technologies and
decontamination procedures.
Under FIFRA, EPA is responsible for pesticide exposure
studies, for reviewing and approving pesticide labels, for
administration of the pesticide Farm Safety Program, and
for supporting training and education programs for
pesticide users through state extension services. The
Agency is concerned that protective clothing currently
recommended for pesticide users is not providing
acceptable protection. This situation is aggravated by a
lack of appropriate data. EPA is therefore requiring
greatly improved documentation about the effectiveness of
protective clothing. This program will focus on generating
breakthrough time and steady-state permeation rate data
for concentrated formulations of high-toxicity pesticides
43
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through a range of commonly available polymer gloves
that may be suitable for use by mixers and loaders of
pesticides. Evaluations of the job compatibility and
degree of protection provided by clothing items other than
gloves will also be conducted via laboratory and field
testing.
Ecology: Ecotoxicity and Risk Assessment
What methods are needed to evaluate ecosystem risk as
a result of exposure to existing and new chemicals?
In the past, ORD's scientific assessment program has
emphasized the assessment of risk to human populations.
However, the risk to non-human populations and the
environment also needs to be assessed. The develop-
ment of ecological risk assessment protocols and
guidance for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is
necessary to quantify the probability that adverse effects
may occur as a result of exposure to a toxic substance
and to estimate the significance of such effects in the
environment. Since release, use, and disposal patterns of
environmental data developed by industry may vary
greatly from chemical to chemical, procedures need to be
developed which offer guidance and consistency for the
various environmental exposure activities. This work will
provide risk assessment protocols and guidelines for the
assessment of effects to terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems.
Ecosystem risk research will provide a scientifically based
system to assess ecological risks from exposure to
environmental toxicants. This system will have the
capability to assess risks associated with different uses of
chemicals that result from considering various options for
regulating pesticides and toxic chemicals to protect
organisms in their natural environment. This research will
provide for prognostic assessment, extrapolations to any
patterns and levels of environmental release, inferences of
types of responses to be expected in natural systems, and
estimates of uncertainties in the assessments. Finally, it
will integrate chemical fate, exposure, and effects to
f enable the user to conduct risk assessments for terrestrial
and aquatic systems
This information will be integrated through a computerized
framework linking all components to facilitate appropriate
analyses and produce results in any desired form. The
studies will include data bases of scenarios such as river
reaches, endangered species habitats, chemical
properties, and characteristics of organisms including
geographical range and habitat preferences. Activities will
44
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Support
utilize and develop traditional analysis techniques and
models that calculate bioconcentration and effects for
populations, communities, and ecosystems and provide
quantitative and qualitative probability statements of
uncertainties involved in the assessments.
What support is required for preparation and review of
scientific assessments and for quality assurance?
For certain assessments, the technical expertise of the
ORD staff is used to interpret data or provide technical
and scientific opinions and judgments In cases where
program office evaluations are complicated and/or
controversial, independent peer review of assessments is
used to ensure consistency There is a continuing need
for ORD participation in and review of major exposure and
hazard assessments conducted by OPTS, for supplying
Agency policy makers with technical assistance from
qualified scientists, and for improving the scientific basis
of Agency decisions in regulatory matters.
When requested, ORD will provide critical review of test
rule documents for existing chemicals Such activities will
support validation of toxicity tests and will assist with
exposure and risk assessments and with preparation and
update of TSCA testing guidelines. This support will also
encompass evaluation of complex problems associated
with environmental fate, hazards, and risks of toxic
chemicals and bioengmeered organisms as necessary for
implementing TSCA.
ORD also advises OPTS on the development and
implementation of laboratory qualification programs to
identify asbestos in the environment, provides chemical
reagents and quality control samples for use in TSCA and
FIFRA monitoring schedules, and provides guidelines for
applying models in exposure monitoring under TSCA
Finally, in both the pesticides and toxics areas, support
will continue for quality assurance and maintenance and
dissemination of standard reference materials
Analytical methods will be evaluated and standardized for
chemicals reviewed under SARA. Guidelines for sample
collection, laboratory preparation, and analysis will be
prepared, and methods will be developed, where
necessary, for chemical analyses in specific media.
45
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Summary of Long-Term Trends
Pesticides and toxic substances research efforts focus on
both intentional and unintentional releases of chemical
substances into the environment. Each of the issues
covered in this chapter will continue into the next decade.
Various degrees of emphasis are addressed below:
Test method development efforts will continue in support
of both TSCA and FIFRA guidelines. As current
methodologies are standardized, new techniques will be
developed to fill gaps in existing methods. These new
methods will focus mainly on endpoints other than
carcmogenicity and will provide more effective means to
conduct quantitative risk assessments. To this end, efforts
will increase for developing extrapolation techniques (from
high to low doses and from animals to humans) that
reduce the uncertainty of laboratory data used in
predicting human risk. The development of biological
markers will also assist in this area by providing more
accurate measures of human exposure levels as well as
serving as tools for epidemiological studies Concurrently,
the development of exposure monitoring systems will
increase to provide new monitoring methods, systems,
and analyses to more accurately characterize human
activity patterns and total human exposure
Ecological risk assessment research will continue to
develop methods and models for determining the fate and
effects of chemicals These exposure methods and
models will provide the means to evaluate risks. The
integration of such methods and data will enable the
development of protocols for environmental risk assess-
ments. Ecological research will continue to validate fate,
transport, and effects techniques and applicable testing
guidelines required by the Agency for scientific credibility
and defensible regulations.
Research to provide information on the release and control
of new and existing chemicals from manufacturing
processes will allow the rapid and accurate prediction of
how much and where chemicals will be released into the
environment, and with increasing accuracy, an estimate of
associated exposure. Treatability of chemical wastes and
degradation products will be better defined to improve
characterizations of risk. Such information is vital to the
PMN review process, and it is anticipated that the need for
such data will continue to increase as the manufacture of
new chemicals continues to grow.
46
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EPA will provide methods to protect public health and the
environment from the potential adverse impacts of
microbial agents and the products of biotechnology. This
research will help to determine containment facilities for
bioengineered organisms, means of monitoring the
survival and distribution of those intended for release, and
controls for inadvertent releases.
The structure-activity research program will continue as
methods for predicting fate and effects of primary and
degradation compounds become available, and the need
for field validation efforts will increase to ensure the
reliability of methods used to test chemicals.
Resource Options
1988 Current Estimate: S 39.7M
1989 President's Budget: $ 41.0M
Projections
Growth FY1990 FY 1991 FY 1992 FY 1993
None
Moderate
High
41 0
42.2
43.5
41.0
43.5
44.8
41 0
448
46 1
41.0
46.1
47.5
No Growth: Established priorities would continue to guide
the research.
Moderate: Moderate growth would allow the current base
program to continue and enable the Agency to enhance
and expand studies in priority areas
High: With high growth, ORD would expand into additional
areas not currently funded (i.e., SARA Title III).
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Hazardous Waste/Superfund
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
authorizes a regulatory program to identify wastes that
pose a substantial hazard to human health or the environ-
ment and develop waste management standards that
protect human health and the environment. Research
support for this program provides the scientific and
engineering basis for characterizing wastes, determining
the hazards they pose, and formulating controls. In addi-
tion, Section 311 of the Clean Water Act authorizes
research to support prevention and control of hazardous
materials releases.
The Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (OERR)
requires scientific research and technical support from the
Office of Research and Development (ORD) to investigate
and mitigate health and environmental problems at the
priority sites listed under authority of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
(CERCLA), as amended by the Superfund Amendments
and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA). ORD's research
program provides a core of scientific and technical
information to support the implementation requirements of
CERCLA and the enforcement actions undertaken to
obtain cleanup and recovery of costs. It concentrates on
assessing health and environmental risks posed by
Superfund sites and on evaluating equipment and tech-
niques for discovering, assessing, preventing, controlling,
removing, and ultimately disposing of hazardous sub-
stances released into the environment. Research and
support activities consist of programs to develop and
evaluate the validity of methods for detecting and
evaluating adverse human and environmental effects, to
evaluate alternative control and removal technologies, and
to develop effective monitoring systems.
The ORD program for Superfund is intended, among other
things, to respond to new authorities that enhance the
Agency's internal research capabilities related to Super-
fund activities and is also focused on responding to more
comprehensive site-specific evaluation needs for Super-
fund sites Plans provide for increased site-specific
assessments, quality assurance, and technical support for
the monitoring program; increased technology transfer
activity; increased innovative/alternative treatment and
detection technology research; development and demon-
stration programs for both monitoring and engineering;
expanded research on health effects, health risk assess-
ment, and increases in the support to Regional Offices for
risk assessment activities; increases in support to the
48
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Regional Offices in the areas of ground-water sampling,
analysis, and data interpretation by the multidisciplinary
ground-water support team.
Major Research Issues
Alternative Technologies
What information and data are needed to support and
permit the use of alternatives to land disposal?
The Agency is implementing the program that will ban
land disposal of certain classes of untreated hazardous
wastes. Banning these wastes could require the
availability of proven alternatives for treating or recycling
waste materials. Although many of these technologies
currently exist, many questions are asked about their
effectiveness on specific wastes and their capacity to
address the anticipated volumes that will require
treatment. This research will provide support for the
Office of Solid Waste (OSW) in implementing the portions
of the RCRA amendments which require banning certain
hazardous wastes from land disposal.
Research on alternative technologies assesses the
performance of the major alternatives now under
development, and in selected instances supports the
evaluation of processes found by the Agency to offer
substantial improvements over conventional hazardous
waste disposal methods. Such evaluations will be
conducted and used with existing data to form the basis
for treatment standards.
Assessments of alternative technologies are conducted at
bench, pilot and field scales with emphasis on waste
streams assigned high priority by OSW. Included will be
aqueous waste streams from the chemical industry that
are likely to be banned from landfills and wastes with a
high potential for volatile air emissions.
What technologies are appropriate to clean up priority
sites?
The ORD program for Superfund will be expanded from its
start-up level to implement an innovative/alternative
treatment technology demonstration program at the level
authorized by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthor-
ization Act. The Agency will conduct 10 demonstrations
per year to accelerate the commercialization of innovative/
alternative treatment technologies that will clean up priority
sites.
Engineering evaluations of emerging technologies to
accelerate private development will be increased.
49
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Technologies to be developed will continue to be selected
from applications submitted to the Agency in response to
solicitation in the Commerce Business Daily. The focus
will continue to be in the areas of recycling, separation,
detoxification, destruction and stabilization that promise
significant new methods for cleaning up Superfund wastes.
This activity will also provide increased testing and
evaluation of newly developed but unproven innovative
monitoring techniques for applicability to Superfund
monitoring situations. In addition, promising
advanced/innovative monitoring techniques and systems
which are not yet ready for demonstration will continue to
be further developed so that their utility for Superfund
pollutant characterization can be demonstrated
The technical improvement of commercially available or
prototypical protective clothing, equipment, and
procedures for use in responses at Superfund sites will
continue to be identified, evaluated, and promoted.
Reports on personnel hazard detectors, personnel cooling
devices, vital signs monitors, mtra-EPA and interagency
workshops will be provided.
Technology-specific evaluations for Superfund will
continue to be provided in the major technical areas of
in-situ and on-site treatment. The emphasis will be on
providing engineering information for the remediation
process In addition to activities on extraction,
detoxification, and immobilization processes, new efforts
will include identification, at laboratory and pilot scale, of
processes most suitable for soil fractionation in the field,
as a function of the type and particle size distribution of
soils. Such techniques would help in minimizing on-site
treatment and disposal costs
In microbial clean up (biosystems), technologies will
continue to be applied and evaluated for use in program
office responses to Superfund sites The emphasis will be
on the use of techniques to enhance the metabolism of
hazardous substances by indigenous microorganisms and
the use of specially engineered microorganisms at actual
field sites. Such techniques are potentially more effective
and less costly than currently applied clean up methods.
50
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Site Assessment and Support
What information and technical support is available for
site-specific risk analysis and risk reduction?
For SARA, this program will also continue to provide site-,
situation- and chemical-specific exposure and risk
assessments to assist the program office and regions in
evaluating the degree of hazard at uncontrolled waste
sites Specific activities will include preparation of
site/situation-specific risk assessments, rapid response
health assessments, Health and Environmental Effects
Documents, and lexicological Profiles for use in Remedial
Investigation/Feasibility Studies (RI/FSs) and other
remedial planning efforts.
For SARA, this activity will continue to generate
chemical-specific carcmogenicity and chronic effects
documentation to support the program office's regulatory
process, which lists substances as CERCLA "Hazardous
Substances" and calculates or adjusts their Reportable
Quantities (RQs) This support will allow the Agency to
continue the normal RQ adjustment activity, to complete
adjustments pursuant to the additional requirements
placed upon the Agency by the Superfund Amendments
and Reauthorization Act of 1986, and to consider other
chemicals for listing as CERCLA Hazardous Substances
and for calculation of RQs. Finally, review of previously
calculated RQs will be performed on request from the
program office or when significant new data become
available.
With the acceleration of clean up activity, in general, a
significant increase in enforcement activity is expected.
This will increase the need for endangerment assess-
ments. Site- and chemical-specific health assessments
will be prepared to respond to those needs to assess
endangerment at Superfund sites where Enforcement has
the lead for implementing remedial responses. Assess-
ments to be provided will range from brief hazard
summaries to many detailed, peer-reviewed endanger-
ment assessments for use in negotiations or litigation with
potentially responsible parties. The new effort on review
of regional risk assessments will continue. This will
include providing a central point for coordinating review of
regional risk assessments and establishing a focal point
for regional offices to request risk assessment assistance
Increased resources will allow enhanced efforts to
evaluate, validate, standardize, and field test monitoring
techniques to support program office monitoring at sites.
5J
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Analytical methods for hazardous substances at sites will
continue to be validated for Superfund waste matrices.
Site-specific monitoring support will provide aerial
imagery and photographic interpretation and other
technical support to OWPE, OERR, and the regions for
use in pre- and post-remedial site assessment.
Geographical information systems will generate data for
analysis of present and historical site operations and
conditions at waste sites. Air monitoring techniques will
be evaluated to provide source monitoring methods at
sites.
Engineering expertise will continue to be provided to
assist the program office in RI/FS of specific Superfund
sites during efforts to plan responses. Updated RI/FS
treatabihty and cost estimation information will continue to
be provided.
The engineering program will continue to advise and
consult with the program office on technical issues that
arise during emergency and remedial responses at
Superfund sites and will offer support to Enforcement for
cases under way.
Technical support will continue to be provided in response
to specific requests from OWPE, OERR, and regions on
ground-water sampling, analyses, data interpretation, and
site assessment and remedial action issues. Increased
emphasis will be given to the application of bioassessment
techniques for determining acute toxicity and bio-
availability of Superfund wastes, extent of contamination,
and remedial action progress, and in transferring this
technique to others in the public and private sectors.
Other activities will include: the application of assessment
methods to determine the appropriate control technology
for minimizing the risks from contaminated marine
sediments, which is important for limiting the uptake of
hazardous materials by marine organisms and their impact
on humans through the food chain; the application of
emerging biotechnology techniques to Superfund sites for
improving m-situ cleanup through biodegradation
processes (biosystems); and the application of multimedia
exposure/risk assessment methods to Superfund sites.
An increased level of technology transfer assistance in
issues relevant to Superfund cleanups will be provided to
the program office, regions, and states.
52
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Hazardous Substances Research
What research information is needed to assess health
risks from hazardous substances?
Research to support health risk assessment data
generation and methods development will be provided in
this program. Efforts will be expanded in research to
understand risks posed to reproductive health resulting
from exposure to chemicals, on development of risk
assessment methods, on development of exposure
information obtained and applicable in the field, on the
development of pharmacokmetic methods, on develop-
ment of micro-computer-assisted risk assessment tools,
and on methods to better characterize the risks from
chemical mixtures. Work will begin on evaluating the role
of promoters found at waste sites m carcmogenesis on
developing biologically based dose-response models,
and on improving techniques for route-to-route
extrapolation.
In the new health effects research program, emphasis will
be on neurotoxicity and reproductive effects. New
research will be initiated on the health effects of toxicant
combinations and complex mixtures in ground water, on
development of statistical methods for dealing with
complex toxicological interactions, on the importance of
using human metabolism data in animal-to-human
extrapolation of toxicological data, and on identification
and use of genetic and dosimetnc markers for human
exposure to hazardous substances.
Development and validation of promising field screening
techniques having potential to provide improved
Superfund pollutant characterization will be pursued
Monitoring technologies such as x-ray fluorescence, fiber
optic sensors, portable gas chromatography, and
immunoassays offer the possibility of field utility, thereby
significantly decreasing the time required to characterize
pollutants. In addition, increased efforts will be expended
in development of monitoring systems that are useful in
integrated multimedia health assessments
Waste Characterization
What health and risk assessment information and
procedures are needed to characterize wastes and
assess the hazards they represent?
Assessing the risks associated with various methods of
waste disposal is a critical aspect of the Agency's RCRA
program but is an area of major scientific uncertainty.
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Developing the scientific and technical information needed
to establish the quantity and types of wastes that escape
into the environment through different disposal methods,
the effects they produce for both human health and the
environment, and the methods for assessing their risks will
remain a significant area for research activity for some
time. Moreover, given that most,existing information is
based on the properties of individual chemicals, rather
than the complex mixtures of chemicals typically found in
wastes streams, the state-of-knowledge in this area will
require several years to develop.
Increased research to support health risk assessment data
generation and methods development will be provided in
this program. Efforts will be expanded m research to
understand risks posed to reproductive and developmental
health resulting from exposure to chemicals, on develop-
ment of risk assessment methods, on development of
exposure information obtained and useable in the field, on
the development of pharmacokmetic methods, on
development of micro-computer-assisted risk assess-
ment tools, on integrated exposure assessment, and on
methods to better characterize the risks from chemical
mixtures Work will begin on evaluating the role of
promoters found at waste sites in carcinogenesis on
developing biologically based dose-response models,
and on improving techniques for route-to-route
extrapolation.
The information developed to support this research area
will be used by OSW in listmg/delisting, permitting and
enforcement decision making, regulatory policy making,
and implementing the land-banning program. Products
will provide more applicable, less expensive, and more
accurate information and risk assessment methodologies.
A program to develop more accurate methods for
predicting the quantity, composition, and volatility of
leachates from land disposal of wastes is under way.
These and other methods for determining the escape of
hazardous wastes into the environment, as well as
predictive models in air, surface water, and ground water,
will have to be combined into multimedia tools for
exposure assessment Products of this research will be
critical for the Agency's land-banning and ground-water
programs.
Chemical-specific Health and Environmental Effects
Documents (HEEDs) will be prepared to support RCRA
3001 listing decisions Support will also be provided to
54
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Dioxin
the Agency's effort to ban land disposal of certain wastes
and will include evaluation of Reference Doses (RfDs).
Environmental processes research will include develop-
ment of multimedia assessment models for land disposal
sites and ground-water models for predicting waste
concentrations. Research addressing complex mixtures
will be expanded to allow better characterization of their
environmental toxicity for use in decisions on delistmg,
banning, and permitting.
What assessment information is needed to identify and
address the problems associated with dioxins?
Research supporting this objective is intended to help the
Agency assess and monitor the dioxm contamination
problem and begin developing procedures for addressing
it. Although much of the research is completed or nearing
completion, risk assessment activities will be continued, as
will research on the uptake of dioxms by plants. This
research will address uncertainties and fill in data gaps
identified in recent revisions to earlier risk assessments.
Waste Identification
What analytic methods are needed for identifying the
chemical constituents of wastes and thereby determining
which wastes are hazardous?
Additional analytical methods for implementing Section
3001 of RCRA must be standardized and tested to
determine their validity and reliability. New methods and
procedures for detecting the presence of hazardous
wastes under field conditions are also required to help
implement Section 3013 of RCRA, which authorizes EPA
to establish facility monitoring requirements.
New hardware and software developments offer
considerable promise for reducing the costs and time,
while improving the sensitivity, of laboratory analyses.
Examples of the emerging technologies are supercritical
fluids, quadrupole-mass-spectrometry, and thermospray
injection. Considerable effort will be directed to evaluating
and applying such technologies for hazardous waste
analyses. One particular thrust will be in the development
of technologies for rapid screening of large numbers of
samples, particularly ground-water samples. A second
effort will be toward obtaining more comprehensive
chemical profiles of volatile and semi-volatile organic
chemicals in solids and other complex matrices.
Concurrent with these activities will be a continuing effort
55
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to upgrade the computer programs supporting the
analytical equipment, with special attention to computer
interpretations of measurements.
This program will support activities in the following areas:
development of bioassays into a screening protocol for
detecting hazardous waste; development of subsurface
monitoring and network design protocols for detecting
potential ground-water contaminants; validation of
published SW-846 analytical methods; and development
of new, more cost-effective analytical methods. These
will include inductively coupled plasma and high
performance liquid chromatography. Additional emphasis
will be placed on addressing RCRA subtitle D facilities,
and, as part of this, monitoring and quality assurance
practices at these facilities will be assessed.
Land Disposal
Incineration
What technical information is needed to support
permitting of land disposal and land treatment facilities,
as well as improvements in design requirements?
Research in this area will provide guidance on design,
permitting, operation, maintenance, closure and regulation
of land treatment, storage and disposal facilities. It will
also address controlling air emissions from facilities and
include sampling and measurement procedures,
evaluation of emission models, and evaluation of control
technologies.
What technical information and data are needed to
support permitting of incinerators and improvements in
design requirements?
Results of this research will be used by EPA and other
permitting officials to evaluate the acceptability of
incinerating particular wastes and in monitoring operating
units for compliance with performance requirements.
As the Agency begins banning certain wastes from land
disposal, various disposal alternatives will become
increasingly popular, including incineration. However, in
order to issue permits for incinerators, Regional Offices
and the states will require technical information and
assistance regarding their performance capabilities.
Ensuring the safety of their operation will require that
methods be developed to predict their performance, and
that their reliability be increased through control of
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Releases
operational parameters which avoid formation of
hazardous byproducts.
Research will continue to produce performance tests on
incineration of wastes burned at the Combustion Research
Facility. Real-time methods of determining incinerator
compliance with permits will be investigated, as will
improved sampling techniques for monitoring thermal
destruction operations. Guidance manuals for states,
regions, and industry will be produced addressing the best
practices for burning wastes in industrial boilers, assessing
health risks from incinerator operation and from residual
wastes, and assessing the impacts on emissions of
incineration failures. Bioassays will be applied to generate
data for assessing the risk from various burner
methodologies. Bioassays for cancer and for non-cancer
effects will also be applied Health effects data and a
comprehensive risk assessment methodology for munic-
ipal waste incineration will be provided, and full-scale
comparative testing of selected air pollution control
devices for municipal waste combustion will be conducted
What procedures and information are needed to prevent,
contain, and clean up accidental discharges of hazardous
materials? This research will support both the CWA's
releases section and RCRA's underground storage tank
(UST) provisions.
Accidental releases of oil and hazardous material to the
land and water occur frequently and constitute a
significant environmental hazard. Federal, state, and local
emergency response personnel require improved
technologies for the prevention and control of hazardous
material releases to make cost-effective, environmentally
sound cleanup decisions.
Geophysical/geochemical sensors and volatile organic
emission sensors and sensor placement networks for
detecting leaks of hazardous materials from USTs will be
developed and evaluated. Test protocols for determining
appropriate performance criteria will be developed as well.
External monitoring techniques and systems, those
noncontiguous to the tank or line, will be evaluated.
Approaches will include computer models, physical
models, and field monitoring
Evaluations of leak detection and monitoring methods for
USTs will be produced, as will guidance manuals on
nondestructive techniques for locating buried tanks and on
UST release prevention techniques. A continuing effort
57
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throughout this period will be the evaluation of new
technologies for the prevention and cleanup of releases.
Innovative new systems will be sought, and if shown to be
feasible, field-evaluated.
Quality Assurance
What measures are needed to assure the reliability and
consistency of monitoring and analytical techniques and
data used in support of the RCRA program?
The purpose of this program is to ensure that data of
known quality are used throughout the Hazardous Waste
program. Analytical standards and reference materials will
be developed for and distributed to all participating
laboratories. Quality control and performance evaluation
samples are also being developed and distributed to
appropriate laboratories. Technical support will be
provided to all participating laboratories in the form of
instrument calibration assistance and provision of
reference materials.
For Superfund, this program will provide quality assurance
support to the Agency's Contract Laboratory Program,
additional precontract assessment, calibration materials,
laboratory performance assessment, and evalua-
tion/improvement of analytical methods.
Summary of Long-Term Trends
Research to characterize the potential exposure and
effects posed by hazardous wastes is likely to be an area
of significant importance. In order to effectively manage
risk, answer the questions and concerns of the public and
make the policy choices that will have to be made, more
will have to be learned regarding the identity, behavior,
and health and ecological effects of hazardous materials
released into the environment.
Development and evaluation of alternatives to land
disposal of wastes will remain an Agency priority.
Research remains in its early stages, and considerably
more work is needed before alternatives will be able to
satisfy the disposal requirements of large-scale gener-
ators. Extensive testing and performance evaluations are
needed to make these technologies available, and years of
effort will be required Research will also be accelerated
to provide support for the land-banning program and to
support RCRA UST provisions.
Emphasis will also continue on research supporting the
Agency's ground-water program and on identifying the
problems associated with municipal waste combustors.
58
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Ground-water research will focus on determining
ground-water pollutant transport and fate and developing
the monitoring technology needed to identify problems
and measure the effectiveness of mitigation techniques.
Applications of biological techniques for site cleanup will
be determined. Research addressing municipal waste
combustors will identify the pollutants they produce,
assess the hazards they may pose, and determine the
monitoring and control technologies needed to address
the problems. Development of field methods for in-situ
analysis at waste sites is planned to continue.
Resource Options
1988 Current Estimate: S103.2M
(Hazardous Waste: $ 44 7M; Superfund: $ 58.5M)
1989 President's Budget: $108.1 M
(Hazardous Waste. $41.3M; Superfund: $ 66.8M)
Projections
Growth FY1990 FY 1991 FY 1992 FY 1993
None
Moderate
High
108.1
111.3
114.6
108.1
114.6
118.0
108.1
118.0
121 5
108.1
121.5
125.2
No Growth: The program would proceed as described in
this agenda.
Moderate: Additional resources would further support
waste characterization activities in support of waste
management decisions, ground-water research, treat-
ment technology research, ecological risk assessment,
and municipal waste combustion research.
High: Research described under moderate growth would
be accelerated and augmented
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Multimedia Energy
The multimedia energy research and development
program is designed to provide the scientific and technical
information necessary to support the Agency's permit-
issuing and standard-setting processes, and to allow for
the development and utilization of energy sources in an
environmentally acceptable manner. Research will be
conducted to expand our knowledge of the phenomenon
of acid deposition; provide information upon which
mitigation decisions may be made; and provide data on
the performance, reliability, and cost of the Limestone-
Injection Multi-Stage Burner (LIMB) control technology
Acid deposition research is coordinated through the
NAPAP, which is administered by the Interagency Task
Force on Acid Precipitation. EPA is one of three joint
chairs of the Interagency Task Force. The term "acid
rain" is used to refer to the atmospheric deposition of
acidic or acid-forming compounds in either their dry or
wet form. These compounds exist in the atmosphere as
gases or aerosol particles containing sulfur oxides (SOX),
nitrogen oxides (NOX), hydrogen chloride, sulfunc acid,
nitric acid, and certain sulfate and nitrate compounds. The
objectives of acid deposition research are to develop the
necessary data to fully understand the sources and
characteristics of acid deposition and to determine the
extent of current damage or potential damage. This
information is essential to the development of effective
corrective strategies if such strategies are deemed
necessary.
The other major research area is the development and
demonstration of LIMB emission reduction technology.
LIMB technology combines low NOX burners with upper
furnace sorbent injection for control of SO2 emissions.
The EPA-industry cofunded wall-fired boiler demon-
stration testing began in 1987. A tangentially fired boiler
demonstration with cofunding from EPA, DOE, and
industry was initiated in 1987, and testing will commence
in 1989. Successful demonstration of this technology may
substantially lower the capital operating cost of retrofit
SC>2 and NOX control.
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Major Research Issues
Emissions Inventories of Acid Precursors
How can emissions inventories be made more responsive
to acid rain modeling and assessment needs?
Estimates of current emission rates (aggregated at the
national level) are reasonably accurate for major
categories of man-made acid deposition precursors.
However, atmospheric transport models under develop-
ment will require improvements in spatial and temporal
resolution of emissions estimates.
Greater uncertainties exist in projecting future emissions,
the effect of possible emissions-control requirements,
and their probable costs. The mix of emission sources in
any specific region may also change with time. Efforts to
project future emissions rates and to estimate the cost of
alternative emissions-control strategies are dependent
upon the development or improvement of models that
replicate the behavior of each important "emitting sector"
of the economy. These cost estimates must be consistent
with methods that have been fully reviewed by the
engineering and economic communities. Future estimates
of emissions will rely more on actual data and detailed
emissions models.
Atmospheric Processes Affecting Acid Deposition
How can the transport, chemical transformation,
deposition processes, and the exposure of ecologically
sensitive areas and man-made materials be determined?
The transport, chemical transformation, and deposition
processes associated with acid deposition will be
investigated on both the regional and meso scales.
Our understanding of the atmospheric transport, physical
and chemical transformation, and deposition processes of
pollutants emitted into the atmosphere continues to
improve. The program continues to emphasize model
development, the collection of field data, and model
evaluation to better differentiate the contribution of local
versus distant sources of acid deposition. Results from
this research will enable policy makers to predict changes
in deposition levels resulting from reductions in nearby or
distant emissions.
The Regional Acid Deposition Model (RADM) is an
assembly of model components (modules or submodels)
designed to simulate transport, dispersion, chemical
transformation, precipitation scavenging, and dry
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deposition. These modules will be updated and revised as
the uncertainties in the processes become better
understood and characterized. Field study data will be
generated to improve our scientific confidence in RADM.
RADM will be used in a number of important areas (e.g., to
calibrate Lagrangian models, to assess engineering
applicability and cost control, to perform source-receptor
analysis, and to assess materials damage).
Dry-Acid Deposition Monitoring
What is the best method to obtain dry deposition
monitoring data comparable to that from the existing
National Trends Network (NTN) which concentrates on
wet deposition?
The acid ram research program has been compiling
several years of nationwide deposition data from wet
precipitation. It is well known, however, that humidity and
dry sources of acid deposition in the form of dust
constitute a potentially significant component of total
deposition. Very little data exist on this dry deposition due
to the difficulty in developing and deploying accurate
monitoring instruments. Also, dry deposition rates vary
with surface cover and topography, as well as with
environmental variables such as wind speed and humidity.
As a result, the actual contribution of dry deposition in
most areas is only estimated within an order of magnitude.
Prototype monitors do not measure dry deposition fluxes
directly Instead, they measure ambient air concentrations
and use empirical factors to estimate the dry deposition
rate. These monitors are being deployed in a network, in
many cases co-located with wet deposition collectors.
Samples are to be collected and analyzed in a central
laboratory. The first several years will be dedicated to
installing the network and making it fully operational.
Once this is accomplished, the research emphasis will
shift to developing direct methods of measuring the dry
deposition rate.
Aquatic Effects of Acid Deposition
What Mure changes in surface water chemistry will occur
assuming various levels of acid deposition, and what is
the extent and rate of change to aquatic resources
stemming from acid deposition?
The Aquatic Effects Research Program was developed to
determine the effects of acidic deposition on surface
waters of the United States. The program focuses on four
policy questions: (1) What is the extent and magnitude of
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past change attributable to acidic deposition? (2) What
change is expected in the future under various deposition
scenarios? (3) What is the target loading below which
change would not be expected? (4) What is the rate of
recovery if deposition decreases? The goal of the program
is to characterize and quantify with known certainty the
subpopulation of surface waters which will respond
chemically to current and changing acidic deposition and
to determine the biological significance of observed or
predicted changes. The Aquatic Effects Research
Program has five major component programs designed to
increase understanding of long-term acidification: the
National Surface Water Survey, the Direct/Delayed Re-
sponse Project, Watershed Processes and Manipulations,
Long-Term Monitoring, and Indirect Human Health
Effects. Short-term acidification is being addressed
through the Episodic Response Project. Biologically
Relevant Chemistry addresses issues of both chronic and
acute acidification.
National Surface Water Survey: The emphasis of the
National Surface Water Survey, now in the final stages of
the synoptic survey approach, will shift from collecting
high-quality baseline data to refining estimates of the
current status and extent of acidic and potentially sensitive
aquatic systems Of primary importance will be an effort
to maximize the usefulness of information available from
the synoptic survey data base to classify systems. The
approach will be to focus on refining the estimates by
considering small lakes and streams, aquatic systems
outside the National Surface Water Survey study regions,
seepage lakes, and alpine lakes. Smaller scale studies
addressing a specific question (e.g , mercury in fish,
drinking water studies, and shallow aquifer acidification)
will continue to focus on policy-relevant issues.
Direct/Delayed Response Project: The Direct/Delayed
Response Project will continue to analyze watershed
response to acidic deposition in the Northeast and
Southern Blue Ridge Province. These analyses are being
extended to include the Mid-Appalachians. Future
activities will emphasize integrating watershed and surface
water data and developing procedures to classify
watershed responses as a function of acidic deposition
The classification approach will employ multivanate
statistical procedures, empirical models, and dynamic
watershed models to correlate future watershed response
estimates with the current resource status. These
classification procedures and protocols will contribute to
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the development of dose-response relationships through
predictions of acidification or recovery of surface waters.
Watershed Manipulation and Process Studies: The
Watershed Manipulation Project will continue manipulation
and process studies at the Maine watershed site. These
studies, which will continue beyond 1990, will provide
long-term verification of Direct/Delayed Response Project
forecasts and identification of processes and watershed
interactions controlling surface water acidification, through
a number of highly integrated soil process studies, e g.,
sulfate mobility, aluminum mobilization, and base cation
supply and mineral weathering Some of the Watershed
Manipulation Project studies will be integrated with the
Episodic Response Project. Other studies will be
implemented to determine if the Direct/Delayed Response
Project dynamic models and other more simplistic,
steady-state models can be used to predict recovery in
response to lower levels of acidic deposition relative to
current levels. The Little Rock Lake acidification study will
continue to examine chemical and biological response to
direct additions of acids, providing data for examination of
a number of acidification-related hypotheses. Studies
are being initiated to evaluate the applicability of the
findings to other regions and to examine how similar the
response of Little Rock Lake is to other sites in the area
which have longer-term data records.
Episodic Response Project: The Episodic Response
Project will help to refine estimates of the size of the
aquatic resource that has changed or is at risk of changing
due to acidic deposition. The Episodic Response Project
focuses on acquiring biologically relevant chemical data in
order to gain a better understanding of biological effects
due to acute acidification, principally, effects on fish. The
specific objectives are to understand the frequency,
duration, and magnitude of episodes, the key factors that
influence their occurrence, the impacts episodes have on
fish populations, and their regional extent. A fifth objective
is to contribute to the identification of region-specific,
dose-response estimates.
Data from intensive experimental studies on hydro-
chemical and biological processes, along with limited
surveys of chemistry and fish (including bioassay data),
will form the basis for developing regionally applicable
modes of chemical and biological response. After
calibration and verification, the models will be applied to
the statistical frame of the National Surface Water Survey
to provide estimates of biologically relevant chemical data
as well as effects on fish on a regional basis.
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The Fernow Watershed in West Virginia has been selected
for implementing the first intensive experimental studies.
This site has been the focus of an ongoing study funded
by the USDA-Forest Service and thus provides empirical
data needed to begin model development and verification.
Field studies are expected to begin late this year at this
intensive site. Fish studies and episodes monitoring will
begin early next year.
Long-Term Monitoring: By 1990, sites for the
Temporally Integrated Monitoring of Ecosystems study will
be established throughout the United States The
objective of studying these sites is the timely identification
of changes in surface water chemistry related to increased
or decreased levels of acidic deposition. The monitored
systems will be selected so that evidence of recovery or
acidification can be used to infer regional changes through
the regionalized frame developed for the Aquatic Effects
Research Program. If significant changes or trends are
detected, an additional survey of the potentially affected
surface waters can be conducted The data from this
survey, when compared to the results of the National
Surface Water Survey data, will serve as a warning or a
recovery index. Complementing this project are two
supporting projects designed to improve presently used
analytical methods and to quantify data quality through
rigorous quality assurance evaluations. These projects will
enhance the capability of detecting trends and will
improve the certainty with which long-term, regional-
scale conclusions can be made.
Synthesis and Integration: A major emphasis for the
program from 1987 and beyond will involve developing the
classification scheme described above. These analyses
are the foundation for the report on program results that
will contribute to the 1990 NAPAP assessment. Because
not all components of the program are expected to be
completed in time to contribute to the assessment,
synthesis and integration will continue beyond 1990. Key
issues to be examined beyond 1990 include the influence
of episodes on surface water response, providing data on
potential nitrate acidification to refine dose-response
relationships, and corroborating or modifying acidification
and recovery predictions through long-term monitoring.
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Terrestrial Effects of Acid Deposition
What is the effect of acidic deposition, alone or in
combination with other pollutants, on forests?
Forest effects studies in acidic deposition have been
focused in the Forest Response Program, jointly funded
and managed by the EPA and Forest Service. This
program was initiated in 1983 in response to public
concern over the role of acidic deposition and air
pollutants in forest decline.
The mission of the program is threefold: (1) to determine if
acidic deposition, alone or in combination with other
pollutants, is causing or contributing to forest decline in
the U.S , (2) if so, to determine the mechanism of effect,
and (3) if so, to determine the dose-response relationship
of forest response to loadings of acidic deposition, alone
or in combination with other pollutants.
To meet the goals of the Forest Response Research
Program, research has been organized to include histor-
ical data analysis, controlled lab and field experiments,
site investigations, and monitoring. Research will be
undertaken by Research Cooperatives organized by forest
type. In areas where phenomena have been reported,
field investigations and historical review activities will
concentrate on examining forest condition in relation to
atmospheric deposition and natural factors. These
Cooperatives will also sponsor controlled lab and field
studies to test hypotheses of damage relevant to forest
type and deposition scenario. The Eastern Hardwoods
Cooperative and the Western Forest Cooperative will
initially undertake exploratory research to identify if further
research is needed in these forest types.
The Mountain Cloud Chemistry Program is investigating
the mechanisms of tree dieback and reduced growth rates
at higher elevations in the East. These appear to increase
in severity with increasing elevation. To address this
research need, monitoring stations are to be established
on the slopes and summits of selected mountains and will
be co-located with forestry research stations Samples
from the network of forest research and monitoring
stations will be analyzed and archived by a central
laboratory. Development and standardization of
monitoring instruments to perform reliably under the
physically demanding conditions at these elevations will
be required. A quality assurance and control program will
be implemented to ensure long-term usefulness of these
data and their intercomparability among sites.
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Materials Damage from Acid Deposition
What is the quantitative relationship between acid
deposition and damage to structures, buildings, and other
materials?
Qualitative relationships between acid deposition and
resulting damage have been identified for a few materials
under various conditions of exposure. The issue now is to
quantify the rate of damage as a function of acid
deposition and to extend the development of damage
functions to other materials. The assessment of the
overall impact of acid deposition on materials also requires
knowledge of the distribution of exposed building
components and the economic behavior of consumers so
that an economic loss may be associated with acid
deposition materials
Damage functions will be derived from physical chemistry
theory, chamber studies, and field exposure studies. As
we improve our understanding of the basic mechanisms of
these damage functions, efforts will shift to predictive
models of materials damage that will allow accelerated
studies in controlled climate chambers Studies are under
way for galvanized steel and painted surfaces and will be
extended to brick, mortar, and concrete.
In addition to the development of physical damage
functions, it will be necessary to enhance the materials
inventory and make estimates of consumer responses to
acid deposition This includes the way in which the end-
of-the-service life of the material is determined, as well
as the incremental costs of switching to more durable
materials.
Summary of Long-Term Trends
The long-term goals of the acid deposition program are
to develop a number of products for policy makers
including:
Inventories and maps showing the magnitude and
extent of receptors that have been affected or could be
affected by acid deposition;
Estimates of the rate of change in the extent of effects,
"Target loadings" of acid deposition for different
receptors in different regions of the country;
Quantification of the contribution of local versus long-
range sources to acid deposition; and
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Source-receptor models that can indicate which
long-range sources or source regions contribute to
acid deposition.
One of the major obstacles that has delayed the scientific
understanding of the acid deposition phenomenon and the
formulation of control or mitigation options for acid
deposition is the lack of high quality data from long-term
monitoring programs and from continuously monitored
intensive research sites. Several years ago, the acid rain
program established a monitoring network for wet
deposition (the National Trends Network). This network is
just beginning to provide the multi-year data necessary
for trends analysis. Efforts are also underway to increase
the number of species monitored through the dry
deposition network, monitoring of lakes and streams,
mountamtop cloud and forest exposure monitoring, and
watershed monitoring
Resource Options
1988 Current Estimate. $ 55.6M
1989 President's Budget. $ 55.5M
Projections
Growth FY 1990 FY 1991 FY 1992 FY 1993
None
Moderate
High
55.5
57.2
58.9
55.5
58.9
60.7
55.5
60.7
62.5
55.5
62.5
64.4
No Growth: The program would proceed as described in
this Agenda.
Moderate: Additional efforts would be made to evaluate
the Regional Acid Deposition Model through field study
data.
High: Additional efforts would be made to understand the
linkages between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems as
they relate to acid deposition impacts. The program
would accelerate acid deposition research to identify
cause/effects mechanisms of forest changes and expand
the number of representative watersheds under study.
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Interdisciplinary
The interdisciplinary research program develops risk
assessment guidelines and ensures consistent application
of these guidelines throughout the Agency. Activities in
this area also support the dissemination of scientific and
technical data from ORD. Finally, the interdisciplinary
research program provides resources to conduct long-
range exploratory research through the grants, centers,
and visiting scientists programs and provide central
management, audits and compliance monitoring for the
Agency-wide Quality Assurance program.
Major Research Issues
Assuring Integrated Risk Assessments
What activities and methods are needed to ensure
scientific consistency and technical quality in Agency risk
assessments?
This function has four major components: development of
risk assessment guidelines, activities of the Risk
Assessment Forum, research to reduce uncertainties in
risk assessment, and managing the Integrated Risk
Information System (IRIS).
The first risk assessment guidelines were issued in 1986.
These included guidelines for carcinogenicity risk
assessment, mutagenicity risk assessment, health risk
assessment of suspect developmental toxicants, health
risk assessment of chemical mixtures and estimating
exposures. In 1988, the Agency expects to propose
guidelines for assessing risk to the male and female
reproductive systems and guidelines for systemic
toxicants; final guidelines should be issued about a year
later. The Agency is also developing guidelines for
making and using exposure measurements and for the
assessment of ecological risk. The Agency recognizes
that guidelines are living documents and are therefore
subject to revisions and expansions, which will take place
as they are appropriate.
The Risk Assessment Forum was established in 1984. As
stated in its charter, it promotes consensus on risk
assessment issues and ensures that this consensus is
incorporated into appropriate risk assessment guidance.
To fulfill this purpose, the Forum formally assembles
Agency risk assessment experts to study and report on
these issues from an Agency-wide scientific perspective.
Forum activities may include: developing scientific
analyses, risk assessment guidance, and risk assessment
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methodology for use in ongoing and prospective Agency
actions; using scientific and technical analysis to propose
risk assessment positions; and fostering consensus on
these issues. Generally, the Forum focuses on generic
issues fundamental to the risk assessment process, on the
analysis of data used in risk assessment, and on
developing consensus on approaches to risk assessment.
The program of research to reduce uncertainties in risk
assessment is a carefully planned effort to develop and/or
improve the approaches, methods and knowledge of the
basic biological principles underlying risk assessment.
Examples of relevant research areas include: development
of biologically-based models to extrapolate laboratory-
derived data to human risk applications, assessment of
risk as a function of differing exposure scenarios and the
quantification of exposure that incorporates pharmaco-
kmetic/pharmacodynamic factors, and the development of
methods that can be directly applied to human populations
to assess the occurrence and degree of exposure and
estimate the probable health risk.
IRIS is a computer-based file of EPA risk assessment
and risk management information for chemical
substances It is designed especially for federal, state,
and local environmental health agencies as a source of the
latest information about EPA health assessments and
regulatory status for specific chemicals. It is intended for
users without extensive training in toxicology but with
some knowledge of health sciences. IRIS will be made
available nationally in FY 1988 and will be continually
updated.
Technical Information and Liaison
What activities facilitate technology transfer to regions,
states, and affected local governments?
ORD, as the primary research arm of EPA, provides
scientific information needed by the regulatory offices of
EPA to develop and enforce regulations. Appropriate and
timely dissemination of research results supports the
scientific basis for EPA regulations and increases
confidence in the decision-making process.
The Center for Environmental Research Information (CERI)
provides centralized support for the production of
information products in a cost-effective manner; ensures
consistent, uniform dissemination of research results; and
provides a technology transfer program to synthesize
information and develop presentations to more effectively
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support specific high-priority program objectives at the
lowest cost to the government.
CERI will continue to provide support to ORD laboratories
by writing summaries of research projects conducted by
or for ORD, editing documents and summaries, assuring
the quality of material submitted for printing, typesetting
and producing documents, assuring the quality of and
preparing documents for submission to the National
Technical Information Service, controlling the distribution
of documents, and responding to requests for publications
and documents.
The technology transfer program will assess the status of
research and regulations, discuss with the Research
Committees their priorities for the dissemination of ma-
terial, develop innovative information transfer mechanisms,
and ensure that information on improved technology and
management practices is distributed to appropriate
audiences to comply with EPA regulations. All information
on products is developed using a team of participants
from ORD, EPA program offices, and private industry.
Planned activities include:
Development of methods manuals for comparing
different solid and hazardous waste treatment tech-
niques and implementing those that are appropriate;
Dissemination of the results of research on the control
of hazardous air pollutants;
Description of technologies, costs, and operating
effectiveness of the methods available to meet drinking
water regulations for small drinking water systems; and
Dissemination of information on the effectiveness, cost,
and design of new municipal waste treatment tech-
nology.
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Exploratory Research Program
How will the Agency conduct longer-range mission-
oriented research that is not tied to specific regulatory
timetables or program office requirements?
Such research will be conducted through the Office of
Exploratory Research. The goals of the Exploratory
Research program are
1. To make the environmental research community aware
of and active in working on problems of interest to the
EPA;
2. To promote close interaction and mutual awareness
between EPA researchers and the environmental
research community; and
3. To provide general support to the research community
for work on fundamental environmental research,
thereby promoting a solid foundation of knowledge and
a cadre of scientific and technical personnel in the
environmental sciences.
These goals are achieved through three major programs:
(1) a Research Grants Program that provides grant support
to investigator-initiated research m the environmental
sciences and engineering, (2) an Environmental Research
Centers Program that provides funding via cooperative
agreements to universities to conduct interdisciplinary
research under specific research themes established by
the EPA, and (3) a Visiting Scientists Program that attracts
outside scientists and engineers to EPA laboratories to
conduct research in collaboration with EPA researchers.
To date, the Research Grants Program has supported
approximately 600 research projects in priority areas as
identified by the Agency's planning mechanisms. The
Environmental Research Centers Program currently
supports research conducted at eight university-based
research centers on various topics of priority interest to
the Agency. The Visiting Scientists Program has attracted
20 scientists/engineers to EPA facilities for up to 3-year
terms to collaborate on research projects.
Research Grants Program: A primary function of the
Research Grants Program is to stimulate extramural
scientists to work on EPA's technical problems and to
provide a stronger creative base of mission-oriented
research needed for the Agency's regulatory and
enforcement efforts.
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The Research Grants Program solicits investigator-
initiated proposals by issuing annually a solicitation
document that describes EPA's high-priority, long-term
research needs. The solicitation is broadly distributed and
is intended to stimulate scientists in the academic,
research, and industrial communities to respond with fully
developed proposals for innovative research in areas of
interest to EPA. Although all valid proposals are
considered, the solicitation has typically emphasized
research needs in five interdisciplinary program areas:
environmental health, environmental biology, environ-
mental engineering, chemistry and physics in air, and
chemistry and physics in soils and water. In the future,
the emphasis may change to include ORD's major
research initiatives.
When the Agency wishes to expand an existing research
area or explore a new one in which current Agency efforts
are either minimal or nonexistent, targeted grants are
awarded in a narrowly defined research topic. The
purpose of these exploratory grants is to augment existing
research within EPA with more fundamental studies or to
determine whether a more substantial research effort
should be established by the Agency in the area targeted
for study. The Office of Exploratory Research addresses
this specific research need by issuing a special solicitation
called a request for applications (RFA). The RFA is a
mechanism by which a formal announcement is released
describing a high-priority initiative in a well-defined
scientific area.
The grants selection process uses a dual review system of
evaluating research proposals. Ad hoc panels, chaired by
scientists or engineers from outside EPA, meet at least
twice annually to discuss reviews of each proposal
conducted by at least three experts in the relevant field.
Applications that pass the scientific panel review are then
reviewed by Agency personnel for their relevancy to the
Agency's mission. The combined recommendations are
rank-ordered and the grants are awarded based upon the
availability of funds.
Grant support is typically awarded for two to three years,
and an EPA staff member is assigned as a project officer.
Project monitoring is accomplished by the submission of
technical progress reports and/or the publication of
scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. Staff and
formal site visits are conducted when appropriate.
The five interdisciplinary areas of the Research Grants
Program are described below.
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Environmental Health Research: The major objective of
the Environmental Health Research Program is to obtain
and provide a scientific basis upon which the Agency can
make regulatory decisions concerning the protection of
human health from environmental pollutants. The principal
concern is to determine whether, and to what extent,
exposure to various pollutants contributes to environ-
mentally related health problems. Particular attention in
the annual solicitation is given to epidemiological studies,
animal toxicology, bioassay development, and mech-
anisms of action. Major areas of new emphasis will deal
with understanding the mechanisms of inducement of
disease and pathology, improving the validity of assays as
predictors of potential human risks, and developing better
model systems to determine the long-term effects of
multimedia pollutant exposure.
Environmental Biology Research: The Environmental
Biology Research Program supports a broad range of
projects in the areas of ecosystem effects, aquatic
ecosystem modeling, biotechnology monitoring, environ-
mental assessment, marine studies, and biodegradation in
water and soil environments. The aim of the program is to
provide a base of scientific knowledge which can be used
to identify new and emerging problems and to develop
appropriate remedies for their solution. One objective of
this program is to provide information that, in combination
with exposure data, allows the prediction of the
environmental risk of pollution for individual organisms and
ecosystems. The risks include the reduction of produc-
tivity in agricultural areas, wetlands, and freshwater and
coastal marine ecosystems as well as human exposure to
toxic substances through accumulation in the food chain.
During the next five years, emphasis will focus on wetland
problems and the development of modeling methods for
predicting the ecosystem effects on wetlands. Another
area of focus will be the development of methods for
monitoring genetically modified organisms in the natural
environment.
Environmental Chemistry and Physics/Water: The
Environmental Chemistry and Physics of Water Program
supports research leading to basic scientific tools for
establishing the levels at which pollutants occur or might
occur in the environment under different conditions
The program includes projects in analytical chemistry and
studies on chemical reactions and their rates and on the
physics of the movement of pollutants in the water and
soil. The resulting tools and information allow the
estimation of exposure levels needed for risk assessment.
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The research also provides possible approaches to the
treatment of waste sources. It includes small-scale
laboratory studies and large-scale field projects relating
to the transport and transformation of pollutants
This program will emphasize problems related to ground
water, sediments, and measurement methods. For ground
water the emphasis will be on developing the techniques
for estimating the parameters used in transport models
and in validating the models. In the case of sediments,
the focus will be on the physics of movement and the
capability of sediments to transport pollutants, particularly
heavy metals. Research on measurement methods will
continue with some emphasis on methods applicable to
sediments and associated substances such as humic
materials.
Environmental Chemistry and Physics/Air: The
Environmental Chemistry and Physics of Air Program is
concerned with the study of the sources, transport,
transformation, and fate of air pollutants. The program
reviews applications dealing with studies on time-space
patterns of pollutant concentrations, detailed chemical and
physical descriptions of pollutants, mathematical models
connecting air pollutants with probable sources, and
procedures for investigating the impact of pollutants on
human health. The program draws upon the concepts and
procedures of physics, chemistry, and meteorology using
models and measurement methods to develop quantitative
descriptions of these phenomena
This program will emphasize models or other means of
connecting air pollutants at a location with the contributing
sources, the atmospheric chemistry of polyaromatic
hydrocarbons (important toxic compounds), and reliable
measurement techniques for detecting the particulates of
significance to health.
Environmental Engineering Research: The Environ-
mental Engineering Research Program supports more
basic fundamental research needed to provide solutions to
multimedia pollution control problems outside the scope of
the Agency's response-directed research program.
Therefore new, innovative pollution control and waste
management techniques are sought to provide cost-
effective solutions to complex problems involving air,
water, and soils. Areas emphasized include water disin-
fection, wastewater treatment, water-related process
biomonitoring methods, residuals control, and air pollution
concerning VOCs, fine particles, SOX, and NOX. Hazard-
ous wastes continue to receive particular attention,
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especially incineration processes and improved cleanup
techniques.
Environmental Research Centers Program: As part of
EPA's strategy for approaching long-term research
needs, ORD has created the Environmental Research
Centers Program to support environmental research m
science and engineering. The objective of the program is
to support high-quality exploratory research in areas of
importance to EPA. It is achieved by providing stable
funding to institutions with a demonstrated capability and
interest in a major area of research of concern to EPA.
The program, which was established in 1980, consists of
eight university-based environmental research centers
working in four general areas: (1) industrial and municipal
waste abatement and control, (2) pollutant transport and
transformation, (3) ecological and biological effects of
pollutants, and (4) environmental epidemiology. Each
broad area of research is discussed below
Industrial and Municipal Waste Abatement and
Control: Three centers conduct research in this area. The
Industrial Waste Elimination Research Center (IWERC)
focuses its attention on reducing or eliminating the
creation of pollutants Two centers, the Advanced
Environmental Control Technology Research Center
(AECTRC) and the Hazardous Waste Research Center
(HWRC), study the removal of wastes once they are
formed. The AECTRC works primarily on the removal of
contaminants from dilute waste streams, such as sewage
discharges and stack effluents, while the HWRC studies
methods to stabilize, detoxify or destroy waste products
containing high concentrations of hazardous pollutants.
The principal areas of research at IWERC, listed in order
of current priority, are: (1) metals speciation and
separation, (2) sorption/desorption phenomena, (3) particle
size and shape control, and (4) process catalysis and
control. This priority list is not expected to change
significantly, though more emphasis will be placed in the
future on process and catalysis control, and on particle
size and shape control.
AECTRC has investigated the degradation of low
concentrations of organic contaminants in drinking water
sources using biofilm systems. This work is expected to
expand in the future, as is work on the supercritical
extraction of pollutants. Current work on wet air
regeneration of powdered activated carbon will be
deemphasized. In the area of air pollution, AECTRC will
increase efforts on studying the simultaneous collection of
submicron aerosol particles, sulfur dioxide, and oxides of
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nitrogen. With respect to the indoor radon activities, a
systematic study will be made of the adsorption of radon
on charcoal as a function of charcoal type, design
parameters of the collection system, and interference from
other gaseous species.
The HWRC will continue to emphasize the destruction,
separation, and stabilization of hazardous waste
constituents, particularly the development of optimal
design parameters for complete or nearly complete
incineration of combustible organic hazardous wastes
Future research will focus on: (1) the operation and
modeling of a full-scale industrial incinerator, (2) m-situ
biodegradation of targeted environmental toxins in soil,
(3) investigations of the feasibility of rotary kilns as low
energy thermal desorbers for soil and solid waste
contaminated with organics, and (4) the transport
mechanisms involving pure organic phases in the
unsaturated and saturated zones below spill and dump
sites
Pollutant Transport: Two centers study the movement
and alteration of pollutants in the environment.
The National Center for Ground Water Research
(NCGWR) devotes itself to understanding the movement
and alteration of pollutants through the subsurface
environment. Directly or indirectly, ground water is the
major source of the nation's drinking water, but it may be
contaminated with pollutants from a wide variety of
sources Efforts to mitigate this contamination are
complicated by the extremely slow movement of
pollutants underground
In the next five years, the NCGWR will emphasize studies
on subsurface biodegradation and on facilitated transport
of trace organic compounds in saturated aquifers Future
studies will deal with microbial metabolism as a process
involved in the fate of contaminants The comparative
ecology of aerobic microbes as influenced by subsurface
parameters such as soil type and electron acceptors will
be studied in order to predict and control microbial
involvement in the fate of contaminants at hazardous
waste disposal sites. Current work on subsurface
anaerobic environments will be expanded to include
isolation of chemical intermediates and end products
Another new project will be initiated, using state-of-
the-art optical techniques, to determine whether sorption
of contaminants is dominated by organic carbon or
mineral surfaces.
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The other center, the National Center for Intermedia
Transport Research (NCITR), studies the important
physical and chemical processes associated with the
transport of particulate or gaseous environmental
pollutants from one medium to another. Current and
future studies at NCITR will emphasize the movement of
hazardous wastes through air, land, or water.
Specific projects at the NCITR will concentrate on five
topics: wet and dry deposition, soil and water processes,
multimedia transport, ecosystem modeling and structural
characterization, and source allocation. Plans for research
include development of an improved correlation between
dry deposition velocity and the roughness layer; deter-
mination of the ambient compositions and concentrations
of organic pollutants in rain, fog and dew; studies on the
chemisorption of halocarbons by clay; and the mitigation
of organic pollutants in the unsaturated soil zone. In
addition, NCITR will maintain current levels of research on
studies to determine the significance of nitrogen-bearing
trace compounds in air to nitrogen levels in desert
ecosystems, the transfer rate of submicron aerosols to
vegetation, and the effects of vegetation on the transfer of
atmospheric pollutants.
Ecological and Biological Effects: Research on
ecological and biological effects is conducted at two
centers; the Ecosystems Research Center (ERG) and the
Marine Sciences Research Center (MSRC). The mission
of the ERC is to evaluate the state of knowledge on whole
biological communities and ecosystems and to investigate
its applicability to environmental regulation and
management. Research conducted at ERC is in the areas
of ecotoxicity, biotechnology, air pollution effects on
forests, plant-pest interactions, and impact assessment
for the Hudson River system. ERC has also developed
projects in two additional areas. The first of these,
functional classification of ecosystems, has as its eventual
goal the classification of ecosystems into functional types,
both in terms of the natural rates at which processes occur
and in terms of their responses to anthropogenic
disturbances. The other area of research is freshwater
wetland ecosystems. The purpose of this project is to
develop concepts and methods for simplifying assessment
of the effects of human-induced changes in hydrology on
northern freshwater wetlands
The objective of research at the MSRC is to increase
understanding of processes in coastal marine ecosystems
that are of importance in evaluating the effects of pollutant
discharges. The primary approach to research at MSRC
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is experimental, specifically, the use of mesocosms as
models for predicting the responses of biological
communities in coastal systems to pollutant loadings, and
to determine the fates of pollutants. Such mesocosms fill
a gap between laboratory experiments and field
observations.
A major shift in research emphasis at MSRC is occurring.
Previous studies emphasized the determination of the
fates and biological effects of sewage sludge, fuel oil, and
specific hydrocarbons. These studies were "passive" in
the sense that they described impacts of pollutants on
coastal systems. In the future, more emphasis will be
placed on studies whose objective is to recommend
methods for control of unsightly, odorous coastal waters,
rather than simply predict the occurrences of such events.
MSRC has developed a program to determine the efficacy
of silica enhancement of ocean outfalls to control the
explosive growths of phytoplankton (e.g., red tide) often
associated with mephitic waters. Another major effort is a
field program to evaluate the state of Narragansett Bay
with respect to a number of environmental features related
to pollution or other anthropogenic effects This effort is
being carried out in cooperation with other studies of
pollutant inputs, shellfish health, bacterial contamination,
hydrodynamic modeling, etc., in association with the
Narragansett Bay Project, also supported by EPA
Environmenta/ Epidemiology: The area of environmental
epidemiology is addressed by one center, the Center for
Environmental Epidemiology. Its primary objective is to
improve the theoretical understanding of the human health
risks associated with environmental pollution. The center
has established four research priorities- (1) problem
definition and feasibility assessments for epidemiology
studies; (2) research to develop and improve epide-
miological methods related to environmental health, for
example, research on statistical and analytical methods,
(3) research on exposure assessment relevant to epide-
miological investigations; and (4) research support to EPA
including review of data and reports, and identification of
problems where epidemiology can support EPA's mission.
Emphasis is given to indoor air contamination, where
research will focus on inhalation exposures to volatile
constituents from water used for purposes other than
drinking. A project relating to volatile constituents from
shower water will be completed and a new study initiated
to determine the source, strengths, and dissemination of
indoor volatile and gaseous constituents from water and
other materials. Plans will be made to extend this project
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to measurements of organics in exhaled air of humans in
homes where environmental exposures have been well
characterized. This research will be a joint project
between the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie-
Mellon University.
Efforts will be directed toward better characterization of
environmental contamination. Work will be carried out on
the development of a passive sampler which has optimal
properties for the routine monitoring of airborne vapors at
very low concentrations such as are found in the general
environment.
Some preliminary investigations will also be made in an
area new to the center. This area is characterized by
heterotrophic bacteria in air and water and the iden-
tification of pathogens. Work here will be exploratory and
will be closely coordinated with work being conducted
elsewhere in EPA. There is some evidence that these
bacteria are important in human respiratory disease.
Visiting Scientists Program: The Office of Exploratory
Research (OER) has administered a Visiting Scientists
Program since 1984 The general purpose of the program
is to provide a cross-fertilization between the EPA and
the scientific community by attracting outside environ-
mental scientists and engineers to the Agency on a
temporary basis to collaborate in environmental research.
The program has two components: a Visiting Scientists
and Engineers Program and an Environmental Science
and Engineering Fellows Program.
Visiting Scientists and Engineers Program: The Visiting
Scientists and Engineers Program attracts eminent scien-
tists and engineers to the Agency's research laboratories
for up to three years to collaborate in environmental
research efforts beneficial to both the Agency and the
visitor. Selections are made annually through a competi-
tive process. Since its inception in 1984, the program has
attracted 20 such visitors to the Agency to explore a range
of environmental issues and problems. At present, 15
visitors are involved in research at the following 7 ORD
laboratories: Environmental Research Laboratory, Gulf
Breeze, Florida; Environmental Research Laboratory,
Corvallis, Oregon; Health Effects Research Laboratory,
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Hazardous Waste
Engineering Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, Ohio;
Environmental Research Laboratory, Athens, Georgia;
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Las Vegas,
Nevada; and Water Engineering Research Laboratory,
Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Environmental Science and Engineering Fellows
Program: In cooperation with the American Association for
the Advancement of Science, OER supports 10-week
summer appointments of postdoctoral and midcareer
environmental scientists and engineers to EPA facilities to
conduct interdisciplinary mini-assessments of environ-
mental problems and options. This program was initiated
in 1980 as part of ORD's outreach activities directed
toward identifying and evaluating long-term environ-
mental issues. To date, 54 fellows have participated in the
program.
Quality Assurance
How does the Agency assure that its environmental data
collection is of high quality?
A significant portion of EPA's budget is spent on collecting
environmental data. Quality assurance activities play an
integral role in the planning and implementation of
environmental data collection efforts and in the evaluation
of the resulting data. Quality assurance (QA) is the
process of assessing whether the data provided by data
collectors to line managers is of the quality needed and
claimed. Quality assurance should not be confused with
quality control (QC); QC includes those activities required
during data collection to produce the data quality desired
and to document the quality of the collected data (e.g.,
sample spikes and blanks).
The Quality Assurance Management Staff (QAMS) is
charged with overseeing the quality assurance activities of
the Agency. QAMS came into being in May 1979, when
the Agency recognized the need for formalizing an
Agency-wide quality assurance program for all
environmental data collection activities. More recently,
with the issuance of EPA Order 5360.1 in April 1984, the
Agency's quality assurance program has been
significantly strengthened and broadened. The Order
mandates that QA be an integral part of all environmental
data collection activities, from planning through
implementation and review.
In recent years, the Agency's QA activities have focused
on identifying the basic elements that are essential to
effective quality assurance for environmental data. QAMS
has put considerable effort into issuing guidance defining
and analyzing these key elements. The long-range
outlook for the QA program is a transition from the
guidance phase to implementation. During the next
several years, QAMS will support all EPA environmental
data collection programs in pursuit of the following
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priorities: (1) quality assurance program plans; (2) data
quality objectives; (3) management systems reviews and
audits of data quality; and (4) documentation of routinely
used measurement methods.
Summary of Long-Term Trends
The basic goal of the scientific assessment activity will
continue to be ensuring Agency-wide consistency and
high technical quality in risk assessments. This will be
especially critical as the Agency moves increasingly
toward risk-based decision making and toward
decentralization of risk assessment. Development or
revision of risk assessment guidelines will continue The
Risk Assessment Forum will continue to consider health
risk issues but will emphasize exposure assessment
issues to the extent that resources are available. The
current OHEA research program to reduce uncertainties in
risk assessment will continue and will be carefully
integrated with other risk assessment research programs.
New chemicals will be added to IRIS, existing information
will be updated, and new files will be created as needed.
Technology transfer is a continuing responsibility. In
response to requests from the EPA program offices and
the needs expressed by the regions and the states, ORD
disseminates the available technology and technical data
to states and localities to enable them to meet their
regulatory responsibilities. Technology transfer activities
will include the design, production, quality control, and
distribution of materials such as design manuals, user's
guides, handbooks, and workshops.
The goals of the research grants and centers program are
to stimulate investigation of emerging environmental
problems and identify steps that can predict their
occurrence, address exploratory research needs of
importance to EPA's mission that require multimedia and
multidisciplmary approaches, extend the capabilities of
EPA's laboratories, and establish links between EPA and
the scientific and technical communities.
Among the areas that will be emphasized in the grants
program during the next five years are modeling of
wetlands ecosystem effects, the capability of sediments to
transport heavy metals, and incineration processes for
hazardous wastes. In the centers program, the trend will
be to increase research on hazardous waste removal and
control, modeling of marine ecosystems, and control of
indoor radon
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During the next several years, QAMS will support all EPA
environmental data collection programs in pursuit of the
following priorities: (1) QA program plans; (2) data quality
objectives; (3) management systems audits and audits of
data quality; (4) documentation of routinely used
measurement methods; and (5) QA outreach and training.
Resource Options
1988 Current Estimate: $ 26 9M
1989 President's Budget: $ 34.1 M
Projections
Growth FY1990 FY 1991 FY 1992 FY 1993
None
Moderate
High
34.1
35.1
36.2
34.1
362
373
34.1
37.3
38.4
34.1
38.4
39.6
No Growth: The program would proceed as described in
this Research Agenda
Moderate: Additional monies will be prorated across the
activities of the Interdisciplinary Research Committee with
the following activities receiving support:
1. Expansion of Risk Assessment Forum activities, with
emphasis on exposure issues as well as health issues;
2 Solid hazardous waste technology transfer expansion;
3. Acceleration of development of the processes for
implementing audits of data quality; and
4. Increase in the number of new grants funded.
High: Additional monies will be prorated for:
1 Initiating a major, ORD-wide research program to
reduce uncertainties in risk assessment;
2. Developing ecological risk assessment guidelines, in
addition to ongoing work on health risk assessment
guidelines,
3 Providing to state and regional personnel seminars and
manuals on protection of drinking water supplies from
surface leaching and ground-water contamination;
4. Further strengthening of QA oversight; and
5. Increasing support for the Research Centers towards
SAB recommendation.
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III. APPENDIX
Interagency Coordination
Reorganization Plan 3, which established the EPA, did not
intend that all relevant environmental research be included
within the EPA in-house research establishment. The
Agency was expected to rely in part on relevant research
and development performed by other federal agencies as
well as non-federal organizations.1 Acquiring and
integrating such information was considered to be an
important function of the EPA R&D operation.
A review of the recent Directory of Federal Laboratory and
Technology Resources1 indicates the breadth of envi-
ronmentally related research and development being done
in the non-EPA federal laboratories. In order to prevent
unnecessary duplication of research efforts, awareness of
such activities and available information is considered in
the development of the EPA research program.
In addition, mteragency cooperation and coordination is
utilized to bring the appropriate expertise to bear on
environmental problems. Interagency committees and
interagency agreements are techniques utilized to effect
the communication and coordination.
The Office of Research and Development presently has
active interagency agreements with the following
agencies.*
Department of Agriculture (measurements, ecology,
transport and fate, health, engineering)
Department of Defense (measurements, engineering)
- Army (measurements, ecology, health, engineering)
- Army Corps of Engineers (engineering, measure-
ments, ecology)
- Navy (engineering, measurements, transport and
fate)
- Air Force (engineering, measurements, ecology,
transport and fate, health)
' Directory of Federal Laboratory and Technology Resources,
1986-1987, PB86 100013, Center for Utilization of Federal
Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce, NTIS, 1986.
* Disciplines and/or areas of cooperative agreement are inserted
parenthetically.
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Department of Commerce (measurements, ecology,
health, engineering)
- National Bureau of Standards (measurements)
- NOAA (transport and fate, ecology)
Department of Energy (engineering, assessment,
measurements, ecology)
Executive Office of the President (measurements,
exploratory research)
Department of Health and Human Services (ecology,
health, engineering)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (health,
ecology)
Department of the Interior (measurement, ecology)
Geological Survey (training, technical assistance,
transport and fate, monitoring)
Fish and Wildlife Service (ecology)
National Science Foundation (exploratory)
Tennessee Valley Authority (ecology, measurement)
Department of Transportation (engineering)
Examples of the mteragency committees on which
EPA/ORD is represented include the following
Interagency Committee for Stratospheric Ozone
Protection
Task Force on Environmental Cancer and Health and
Lung Disease
Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality
Committee on Ocean Pollution Research, Develop-
ment, and Monitoring
National Acid Deposition Assessment Program
Biotechnology Science Coordinating Committee
Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data
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