United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Environmental
Processes and Effects Research
Washington, DC 20460
EPA/600/9-90/019
March 1990
Do not remove. This document
should be retained in the EPA
Region 5 Library Collection.
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROCESSES
& EFFECTS
RESEARCH
Information Guide
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This information guide was prepared under the direction of
Stephen Cordle, Office of Environmental Processes and
Effects Research. The text of the original version (December
1988) was prepared by Katharine Lee and Jay Bassin of
Environmental Management Support, Inc., Silver Spring,
Maryland, from materials provided by the Office of Environ-
mental Processes and Effects Research. The current version
was prepared by Jann Walters of Environmental Manage-
ment Support, Inc.
Comments or questions regarding this report should be
directed to:
Stephen Cordle
Office of Environmental Processes and Effects Research
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (RD-6'82)
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20460
(202) 382-5940
Further information about the environmental processes and
effects research program at EPA can be obtained by con-
tacting the laboratories listed in the back of this report or by
contacting the Director's Office at (202) 382-5950.
Copies of the report are available from:
Office of Research and Development
Distribution Unit
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, OH 45268
The preparation of the original version of this document, printed In December,
1988, was funded wholly or In part by the United States Environmental Protec-
tion Agency under contract number 68-02-4460 to Environmental Manage-
ment Support, Inc. The current version was prepared by Environmental Man-
agemgement Support, Inc. under Dynamac Corporation contract number
68-C8-0058, Technical Services Agreements 603, 618, and 619. It has been
subjected to the Agency's peer and administrative review, and It has been
approved for publication as an EPA document.
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EPA/600/9-90/019
March 1990
ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES AND EFFECTS
RESEARCH
INFORMATION GUIDE
MARCH 1990
Office of Environmental Processes and Effects Research
Office of Research and Development
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5, Library (PL-12J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard, 12th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
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INTRODUCTION 1
Organization 3
Program Definition 4
Environmental Processes 4
Environmental Effects 4
Assessment Methods 4
Technical Assistance and Technology Transfer 5
Funding 6
RESEARCH AREAS 7
Surface Water 7
Water Quality 7
Oceans and Estuaries 8
Great Lakes 9
Wetlands 10
Ground Water 10
Subsurface Processes 11
Models and Methods 12
Applied Research 13
Toxics and Pesticides 14
Bioassays 14
Transport and Transformation 15
Ecological Effects and Field Validations 16
Structure-Activity Relationships 17
Biotechnology 17
Risk Assessment 18
Hazardous Waste 19
Listing/Delisting 20
Predicting Environmental Concentrations 21
Land Disposal Assessment 21
Superfund 21
Air and Acid Deposition 22
Global Climate Change 22
Stratospheric Ozone 22
Acid Deposition 25
Biodiversity 26
LABORATORIES 29
Environmental Research Laboratory - Athens 30
Environmental Research Laboratory - Corvallis 31
Environmental Research Laboratory - Duluth , 32
Environmental Research Laboratory - Gulf Breeze ,,..33
Environmental Research Laboratory - Narragansett 34
Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory - Ada 35
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INTRODUCTION
This guide describes the environmental
processes and effects research program at
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). It is EPA's responsibility to identify
environmental and human health risks of
various activities or substances and take
actions to reduce or manage these risks.
Congress has laid the framework for environ-
mental protection through the enactment of
laws giving EPA the authority to regulate and
control activities or substances having
potentially deleterious effects. Because
identifying harmful substances or activities
and solving pollution problems often require
investigation and research, EPA maintains an
active research program to support these
needs. As part of this program, research on
environmental processes and effects provides
the Agency with information on the behavior
and consequences of environmental
contaminants.
Process-oriented research examines the
physical, chemical, and biological factors
controlling the entry, movement, and fate of
pollutants in the environment. Environmental
effects research investigates the concurrent
effects on nonhuman organisms and ecosys-
tems. The results provide the scientific and
technological data and methods necessary
for understanding, predicting, and managing
environmental risks.
Together, this research increases our
understanding of what happens when pollu-
tants enter the environment. The research
results not only help to solve current contami-
nation problems but also provide the informa-
tion and methods necessary for anticipating
the environmental impacts of proposed
actions. Examination of the processes and
effects that led to past environmental
degradation helps to evaluate current risks
and propose ways to overcome or prevent
future environmental impacts. Through this
research, the program supports the regulatory
and enforcement programs in air, drinking
water, water quality, hazardous waste. Super-
fund, pesticides, and toxic substances. The
EPA program offices use environmental
processes and effects data to set policies,
standards, guidelines, and regulations and to
establish priorities. EPA regional offices and
the state and local regulatory agencies rely
upon the information and methods to regu-
late the disposal and management of pollu-
tants, and recommend remedial actions for
contaminated sites.
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INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION
ORGANIZATION
EPA is organized into four major program
offices, 10 regional offices, and an office of
research and development. The program
offices (Figure 1) are responsible for particular
contamination problems and legal mandates.
They set policy and issue guidelines and regu-
lations. Enforcement and compliance
activities are performed by EPA's 10 regional
offices. The Office of Research and Develop-
ment (ORD) provides the scientific information
needed to support EPA's regulatory and
enforcement programs. Environmental
processes and effects research is carried out
by ORD's Office of Environmental Processes
and Effects Research (OEPER), one of seven
ORD offices (Figure 2). OEPER's role is to
provide the Agency with information on pollu-
tant transport, fate, and effects in aquatic,
terrestrial, and ground-water environments
and to conduct related research on biotech-
nology, ecological risk-assessment, and biore-
mediation. Research is conducted at, in
cooperation with, or under contract to
OEPER's six environmental research laborato-
ries located across the country. A staff in
Washington, D.C., is responsible for planning
and integrating the overall research program.
Office of
Research Program
Management
(ORPM)
I
Office ol
Technology
Transfer and
Regulatory
Support
(OTTRS)
Office of
Health ana"
Environmental
Assessment
(OHEA)
• Environmental Research Laboratory - Athens
• Environmental Research Laboratory - Corvallis
. Environmental Research Laboratory - Duluth
• Environmental Research Laboratory - Gulf Breeze
- Environmental Research Laboratory - Narragansett
- Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory - Ada
FIGURE 2. Organizational chart of EPA's Office of Research and Development and the Office of
Environmental Processes and Effects Research.
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INTRODUCTION
PROGRAM DEFINITION
The Office of Environmental Processes and
Effects Research, through its laboratories,
conducts research on many types of environ-
mental contamination or degradation prob-
lems. While specific research topics tend to
change according to current environmental
problems. Agency priorities, and program
office needs, the overall scope of the
program remains centered around four
primary areas: environmental processes,
environmental effects, assessment methods,
and technology transfer. In addition to
carrying out applied research on current
problems, the laboratories also maintain the
capability to perform basic and long-term
research on core areas central to OEPER's
mission.
Environmental Processes
To assess the risks of a particular pollutant
released into the environment, it is necessary
to understand what will happen to that
substance after its release. Will it stay where it
is or will it be transported by air or water to
other sites? If it moves, how fast and how far
will it move? Will it enter the food chain? Will
chemicals and compounds maintain their
integrity or react with naturally occurring
elements in the environment to form new
compounds? Will these new compounds be
more or less toxic, more or less mobile? The
answers to such questions require fundamen-
tal research into environmental systems and
the behavior of particular chemicals and
compounds. Environmental processes
research examines the interaction of chemi-
cal, physical, and biological processes at lev-
els of detail ranging from the molecular to the
ecosystem. Since natural environments are
often extremely complex and variable,
scientists must identify the critical steps and
pathways That explain or predict a particular
phenomenon. These relationships or predic-
tions must then be tested and verified under
actual field conditions.
Environmental Effects
The environmental effects of potentially
harmful substances or practices are studied to
develop the data needed to establish
standards, criteria, or guidelines for the pro-
tection or restoration of ecosystems and the
prevention of harmful exposure to pollutants.
For each potentially toxic substance or harm-
ful activity, a number of questions must be
answered. What organisms or ecosystem
functions are affected and at what concen-
trations? How does the substance act to
cause toxicity? Is this toxicity acute or
chronic? Is the toxicity increased or
decreased when the substance is mixed with
other toxic or non-toxic substances? Can
toxicity thresholds be compared between
species? What are the community or ecosys-
tem level effects? And what are the cumula-
tive impacts of certain widespread or long-
term activities? OEPER scientists are finding
answers to these questions by studying the
effects of various contaminants or activities on
surface and subsurface water quality, soils,
plants, animals, and ecosystems. This
research is essential for identifying toxic
compounds, determining the impacts of
chemicals and toxic substances, and
performing risk assessments of proposed
activities.
Assessment Methods
The data obtained from OEPER's basic
processes and effects research cannot be
readily used by the Agency until it is put into
an environmental decision-making frame-
work. OEPER scientists incorporate these
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INTRODUCTION
data, along with other available scientific
information, into new or updated methods for
evaluating or predicting environmental
degradation. Methods include computer
models for predicting various processes and
effects, biological indicators and chemical
structure-activity relationships for assessing
toxicity, and sampling procedures for
determining the extent of contamination.
Models are also developed for use in assessing
the contamination potential of alternative
actions and thereby minimizing risks, or
evaluating restoration options. Risk assess-
ments rely heavily on specially designed
models and methods. While computer
models and methods can never fully explain
all the complexities and variations inherent in
natural environments, they can approximate
the important processes and effects and are
vita! in making predictions and providing a
basis for decision making. They are integral
to the research program because they
enable application of the scientific data and
knowledge to real-world problems and
situations.
Technical Assistance and Technology Transfer
As an essential part of OEPER's program,
technical assistance and support are
provided to EPA program offices, regional
offices, and other federal, state, and local
agencies. The results from research projects
may take the form of journal articles, reports,
computer programs, or handbooks. Research
products are often tailored for EPA's program
offices or regional staffs for use in specific
regulatory programs. OEPER scientists provide
direct assistance in the form of consultation or
short-term studies on technical issues. Training
courses, conferences, seminars, and meetings
are used to describe and explain current
research topics; cooperation with information
centers and libraries helps provide up-to-date
information to the public.
Cyprus swamp near Tampa, Florida.
Photo e 1988 Mary E. Kenfula, by perrrfsdon
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INTRODUCTION
FUNDING
Environmental processes and effects
research at EPA is funded by congressional
appropriations. The allocation of these
research funds among ORD's programs is
guided by committees. There is a research
committee for each of the following six
program areas: hazardous waste and
Superfund; air and radiation; water; pesticides
and toxics; multimedia energy; and interdisci-
plinary support. These committees, which
have members representing ORD, program
offices, and regions, review research plans
from across ORD and recommend research
priorities and allocations of resources. OEPER's
total budget for 1990 is approximately $96.5
million (Figure 3).
In addition to directly funded research,
OEPER scientists cooperate with their
counterparts in other EPA offices, federal
agencies, universities, and professional and
trade associations. OEPER has cooperative
research programs with the Departments of
Agriculture, Interior, Defense, Energy, and
Commerce. Research laboratories often work
closely with neighboring universities.
OEPER'S FY90 BUDGET
Hazardous Waste (7.1%)
Superfund (6.6%)
Drinking Water (5.8%)
Pesticides (7.0%)
Toxics
Water Quality (15.1%)
Air (2.2%)
Stratospheric Ozone and
Global Climate (16.0%)
Acid Deposition (29.8%)
FIGURE 3. The allocation of OEPER's 1990 budget among the primary program areas.
6
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RESEARCH ARE AS
J
OEPER plays an active role in helping EPA
protect the surface water of the United States.
Our rivers, lakes, streams, estuaries, and
oceans are valuable resources, providing
water for drinking, irrigation, industry,
recreation, fishing, transportation, and wildlife
habitat. However, when physically altered or
contaminated by pollutants, they may
become unsuitable for many uses and may
threaten human health. OEPER's surface
water research program investigates the
transport and transformation of pollutants,
and develops methods for predicting the
biological and environmental risks posed by
contaminants in surface water systems. The
primary research areas are water quality,
oceans and estuaries, the Great Lakes, and
wetlands. Surface water research is
conducted by the environmental research
laboratories in Duluth, Minnesota; Athens,
Georgia; Narragansett, Rhode Island; and
Corvallis, Oregon.
Water Quality
To fulfill the Clean Water Act's mandate
for ensuring surface water quality, EPA has
established a water quality-based approach
to the permitting of pollutant discharges into
aquatic environments. OEPER supports this
approach by developing water quality criteria
for individual contaminants, developing
methods for determining the toxic compo-
nents and toxicity of complex effluents, and
predicting maximum safe chronic contami-
nant levels that can be maintained without
causing environmental degradation.
When EPA began its water quality
program, the emphasis was on ensuring that
the best available methods were used to treat
municipal and industrial effluents. Over the
years, the emphasis has shifted to an
environmental approach. The first step in this
direction was the testing and development of
water quality criteria—still a large part of
OEPER's water quality program. These criteria
set the maximum levels of specific pollutants
that may safely occur in surface water
systems. Final water quality criteria are written
only after research has been conducted on
how a specific pollutant will behave in surface
waters and what its toxicity to aquatic life will
be. Because it takes considerable time to
develop these criteria, preliminary advisories
may be issued on chemicals of concern prior
to the final document. These documents are
used by States in setting water quality
standards.
The second part of OEPER's environmental
approach to water quality is research into
complex effluents. Although water quality
criteria documents address single chemical
toxicities, most effluents consist of mixtures of
many different chemicals and compounds.
OEPER scientists are identifying the toxic
elements in complex effluents and measuring
complex effluent toxicity. They are investigat-
ing the persistence of these complex effluents
in aquatic systems and their potential to
accumulate in the food chain. Because
many aquatic contaminants eventually end
up in the sediments of rivers, lakes, and
estuaries, OEPER is developing sediment
toxicity databases and sediment quality
criteria and determining how contaminated
sediments might endanger aquatic life.
As another step in the water quality-based
approach to permitting, OEPER plans to
develop methods that address the unique
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RESEARCH AREAS
characteristics of receiving waters. Decisions
will no longer be based solely on effluent
toxicity, but will now examine the ability of the
receiving water to accommodate the
effluent. Considerations may include such
parameters as existing contamination levels,
buffering capacity, temperature, flow
velocities, and other hydrologic characteris-
tics. OEPER has begun work on defining
ecoregions and developing indices of
biological integrity as a first step towards
integrating the natural conditions of aquatic
systems into the toxicity testing procedures.
Determining the behavior of the
contaminants entering surface water systems
requires research into environmental
processes including organic and abiotic
chemical transformations, photochemical
processes, metal sorption and desorption,
reduction-oxidation reactions, and hydrolysis.
Information about these processes leads to
the development of models that can be used
to predict the fate and transport of
contaminants. These predictions can, in turn,
be used in setting water quality criteria, permit
conditions, or wasteload allocations.
Oceans and Estuaries
EPA is charged with regulating waste
disposal activities in oceans and estuaries.
To support the Agency's programs, OEPER is
analyzing the impacts on the marine and
coastal environment from such sources of
contamination as industrial waste and
sewage effluent discharges, dredged
material disposal, and discharge of
oil-drilling fluids.
The oceans have historically been viewed
as too vast to incur significant degradation
from waste disposal activities, but degrada-
tion of marine environments is occurring.
Research into the processes affecting
contaminant fate and transport in marine
environments is used to develop predictive
models. Models are then combined with
toxicity methods and data to provide
methods for evaluating ocean disposal
impacts and making permitting decisions.
Estuaries and near-shore waters have
different pollution problems from those of the
«»
Biologists from ERL-Narragansett colled marine
animals from the bottom of a bay. The animals are
kept in a "wet" laboratory where their larval
offspring are used In toxicity tests. Test data are
used in establishing water quality and sediment
quality criteria.
8
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RESEARCH AREAS
open ocean because of their proximity to
land-based activities and discharges from
freshwater systems. These waters often
support large fishing industries and are used
extensively for recreation. Even today,
discharge of sewage effluents into estuaries or
near-shore waters is a common practice
among coastal communities. OEPER is
studying the effects of ocean and estuarine
outfall discharges on marine and estuarine
biota and developing methods for assessing
the impacts or risks of contamination. The use
An oceanographer from the University of
Connecticut watches the deployment of his
monitoring Instruments In Long Island Sound.
Temperature, salinity, direction and speed of water
currents, and density of suspended solid particles
are measured continuously by this equipment.
Instruments such as these provide data for the
National Estuaries Program of the U.S. EPA. Environ-
mental Research Laboratory, Narragansett, Rl.
of specific organisms or environmental
conditions as indicators of contamination is
being investigated, and techniques to monitor
the biota as indicators of ecosystem health
are being developed.
An important consideration in all forms of
marine disposal is the potential for biological
assimilation and accumulation of contami-
nants from water or sediments. There have
been many cases where ocean or estuarine
contamination has resulted in the contamina-
tion of fish and shellfish used for human
consumption. Considerable effort is being
devoted to discovering exposure pathways
and modeling the uptake, metabolism, and
transformation of contaminants in marine
plants and animals.
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are unique not only
because of their size but also because of their
pollution problems. Industrialization and urban
development along the shores of the lakes
have resulted in considerable contamination
over the years. Very little was done to protect
the lakes from contamination until pollution in
several of them reached critical levels.
Researchers are studying the identity, fate,
and transport of these contaminants in water
and sediments and their toxicity to aquatic
plants, fish, and benthic invertebrates. Models
are developed for predicting the extent to
which aquatic life will be exposed to various
toxic substances. Mass-balance and
food-chain models are developed for
contaminants of concern at specific localities.
The Great Lakes research program
provides technical support and data to the
International Joint Commission, the Great
Lakes National Program Office, and the Great
Lakes States.
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RESEARCH AREAS
Wetlands
EPA Is defining the role of wetlands in
maintaining water quality and environmental
integrity. It has been argued for years that
wetlands play an important role in filtering
sediments, nutrients, and anthropogenic
substances from waters. The degree to which
this occurs In particular wetlands is difficult to
predict, since actual measurements in
different wetlands have varied greatly. OEPER
is currently developing a standard compara-
tive assessment system for evaluating the
water quality functions of different types of
wetlands. Work has also begun on
developing water quality standards for
wetlands.
OEPER is investigating the cumulative
effect of wetland loss. Realization of the
importance of wetlands in reducing flooding,
improving water quality, and providing wildlife
habitat has focused attention on the fact that
these ecosystems are disappearing at an
alarming rate. The continuing incremental loss
of wetlands throughout the country may result
in total loss of wetlands in some areas within
another decade or so. Other areas have
already lost over 90 percent of their original
wetlands. Each incremental loss may not
seem significant, but the cumulative impact
may be quite serious.
Legislation to partially offset wetland losses
due to dredge-and-fill activities is contained in
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. This law
allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to
issue dredge-and-fill permits under some
circumstances if the permitted party mitigates
the loss of wetlands by providing new
wetlands or restoring altered wetlands.
Because EPA is charged with overseeing the
Army's decisions on environmental impacts of
dredge-and-fill permits, OEPER is studying the
outcomes of past mitigation efforts in an
attempt to determine management practices
that will successfully offset losses. These
findings will be presented in a mitigation
handbook.
GROUND WATER
The primary goal of EPA's ground-water
program is the protection of underground
drinking water sources from harmful
contaminants. Discovery of ground-water
contamination in many parts of the United
States has caused considerable concern
because of the reliance on ground water as a
source of clean drinking water. The environ-
mental processes and effects research
program in ground water is studying the basic
physical, chemical, and biological processes
operating in subsurface environments and
using this information to develop methods for
predicting the transport and transformation of
contaminants entering the subsurface. Such
methods are needed to assess the contami-
nation potential of various actions or to aid in
solving current contamination problems. The
Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research
Laboratory in Ada, Oklahoma, focuses
specifically on ground-water research.
Substantial ground-water research is also
conducted at the environmental research
laboratory in Athens, Georgia.
Activities discussed here include
subsurface processes, models and methods
development, and applied research.
Ground-water research on other waste
disposal issues is described in the section on
hazardous waste research. Research that
addresses pesticide movement into ground
10
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water is described in the pesticide research
section.
Subsurface Processes
Predicting ground-water contamination
concentrations over time is a major objective
of ground-water research. Whenever a
pollutant is released into the soil or the
subsurface, there is the potential for that
pollutant to eventually enter the ground
water and move to a point used for drinking
water, OEPER scientists are investigating how
particular subsurface processes act to affect
the movement and fate of contaminants.
OEPER's research on subsurface processes
can be divided into three major areas:
hydrological, physical and chemical, and
biological.
Hydrological processes control the flow of
water and fluids through the subsurface. The
movement of ground water through relatively
homogeneous aquifers is now well under-
stood. In fact, there are more than 800
documented mathematical models describ-
ing subsurface fluid flow. These models work
well for homogeneous aquifers and water
soluble contaminants. However, aquifers are
rarely completely homogeneous and there
are a number of contaminants that are either
lighter or heavier than water and whose
movement cannot be predicted using
standard flow models for ground water.
OEPER scientists are trying to understand how
these immiscible fluids behave so that their
movement can be predicted. They are also
looking at the effects certain immiscible
contaminants might have on the physical
properties of the aquifer material. To obtain
accurate predictions from the flow models,
corrections must also be made for subsurface
physical and chemical heterogeneity.
Scientists are exploring new techniques for
obtaining unaltered samples of subsurface
materials, studying the effects of heterogene-
ity on transport and transformation processes,
and developing techniques for determining
the number and placement of samples
needed to accurately describe complex
hydrologic systems. Hydrological processes
research provides new information for
updating and evaluating existing models and
developing new ones.
Research on physical and chemical
processes helps explain contaminant
behavior in the subsurface. Contaminants
moving through the subsurface may be
transformed through chemical reactions,
sorbed by subsurface particles, or changed
from a liquid to a solid state or vice versa.
Abiotic transformation processes such as
sorption, hydrolysis, reduction, and volatiliza-
tion are of special interest. OEPER scientists
Columns are often used to understand and evalu-
ate the processes Involved In the movement and
degradation of contaminants In soils and ground
water.
11
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RESEARCH AREAS
are studying these transformation processes
for specific metal and organic contaminants
and using the information to develop
predictive models. Some contaminants have
recently been found to move faster through
the subsurface than conventional methods
would predict. OEPER researchers are
investigating several different processes that
may explain this phenomenon.
While the importance of microbial
populations in breaking down organic
contaminants in surface systems has been
known for some time, subsurface microbial
activity was not well documented until
recently. Initial investigations into biological
processes by OEPER scientists focused on
determining the numbers of active microbes
A mlcroblologlst at ERL-Athens counts populations
of microbes In a study of degradation of chemicals
In the environment.
present. Current research examines how
these microbes might act to transform or
facilitate transport of contaminants in the
subsurface. Since many subsurface
environments are anaerobic, researchers are
examining biotransformation processes under
oxygen-depleted conditions. They are also
trying to learn how human viruses are
transported and how long they survive in
subsurface environments.
Models and Methods
A major objective of OEPER's research
program for ground water is providing
computer models, sampling methods,
techniques, and technical assistance to help
solve problems relating to ground-water
contamination. Predictive models are
particularly critical to evaluations of
ground-water contamination because direct
measurement is extremely difficult and
expensive. Mathematical models allow for
the rapid analysis and prediction of complex
processes or scenarios with the measurement
of a few key variables. They are used in
making regulatory decisions, site selection
evaluations, vulnerability assessments, and
evaluations of proposed remedial actions.
Ground-water models are maintained in a
database at the International Ground-Water
Modeling Center at Holcomb Research
Institute, a part of Butler University in
Indianapolis, Indiana. The Center updates
and evaluates these models, develops new
user-friendly models, and offers training
courses in using the models. OEPER also
develops sampling methods for obtaining the
data needed to run the models.
In addition to flow models, the OEPER
ground-water research program develops
models and methods to be used in assessing
the risks of ground-water contamination from
12
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RESEARCH AREAS
various sources. Models for predicting the
potential for pesticide movement into the
ground water are being developed along
with methods for screening pesticides for their
potential to migrate in various geographic
locations. Models and methods are also
developed to assess the risks of ground-water
contamination from the disposal or storage of
hazardous wastes. Ground-water models are
combined with other media models to
provide site-specific multimedia exposure
assessments.
Applied Research
Ground-water research at EPA also
addresses specific applications requiring an
understanding of subsurface processes. This
research is undertaken to help the Agency
solve problems related to ground-water
contamination. Current projects include
Test well used for the development and testing of
methods to evaluate the mechanical Integrity of
wells for the underground Injection control pro-
gram.
aquifer restoration techniques, methods for
evaluating the safety of underground
injection wells, and wellhead protection plans.
OEPER is active in EPA's effort to clean up
contaminated aquifers and is currently
evaluating the feasibility of several possible
bioremediation methods. One promising
technique involves manipulating the metabo-
lism of subsurface microbes to enhance the
biological degradation of contaminants.
Field testing of various restoration options will
provide information on cost-effectiveness.
Another application of OEPER's research
on subsurface processes involves developing
methods for evaluating the safety of under-
ground injection wells. A large percentage of
the chemical waste generated in this country
is currently disposed of through injection into
deep wells. EPA is concerned over the safety
and suitability of underground injection as a
disposal method for hazardous wastes
because of the possibility for ground-water
contamination. OEPER scientists are studying
methods for determining the integrity of
injection wells and the impact of the injected
fluids on subsurface geological materials.
They are also attempting to determine the
fate of wastes injected into deep wells and
the possibility of these substances
contaminating drinking water.
Wellhead protection is another area
where the ground-water expertise of OEPER
scientists is being used. OEPER is providing
assistance to the States in developing plans
for protecting underground drinking water
sources from contamination. Recent
amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act
encouraged the development of comprehen-
sive programs to protect public water supply
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RESEARCH AREAS
wells. OEPER is contributing to these wellhead
protection efforts by helping the States
develop wellhead delineation models and
management strategies.
TOXICS AND
It Is EPA's responsibility to assess the
environmental and human health threats
posed by the vast numbers of potentially toxic
substances released to the environment.
Pesticides, which include anything specifically
developed for controlling plant and animal
"pests," are regulated under the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
All other potentially toxic chemicals are
governed by the Toxic Substances Control
Act. The research conducted by OEPER on
toxics and pesticides supports these two
statutes. Both programs determine the effects
of toxic substances on aquatic and terrestrial
>ife, predict environmental fate and transport,
develop risk assessment methods, and
evaluate the potential impacts of current
biotechnology practices. The majority of the
toxics and pesticides research is conducted
at the environmentai research laboratories in
Gulf Breeze, Florida; Athens, Georgia; Duluth,
Minnesota; and Corvallis, Oregon.
Bioassays
One of the functions of the toxics and
pesticides program is to develop methods for
evaluating a substance's toxicity and its
mode of toxic action. Bioassays provide a
rapid means of doing this. Developing
reliable bioassay techniques greatly enhances
EPA's ability to evaluate a pesticide or
synthetic chemical for toxic effects. Bioassays
may be used to screen for acute toxicity,
various forms of subacute or chronic toxicity,
and carcinogenicity. Factors that influence
Research assistant at ERL-Gulf Breeze prepares for
toxicity tests with tributyltln, a defoullng agent.
toxicity, such as contaminant concentration,
water temperature, and salinity are also
explored. Once a bioassay has been
developed, it can be used by industry or
government regulators.
Organisms for use in bioassays are
selected on the basis of their sensitivity to
particular pollutants, ease of handling, and
similarity of response to other classes of
organisms, OEPER scientists rely heavily on fish
and other aquatic organisms for bioassays
because of their relatively short life cycles, the
ease of controlling their environment, and the
existing knowledge about them. Bioassays
are also developed for evaluating terrestrial
ecosystem toxicology and focus primarily on
plant uptake, metabolism, translocation
mechanisms, and the identification of sensi-
tive wildlife life stages.
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RESEARCH AREAS
Scientists at ERL-Gulf Breeze examine Juvenile
sheepshead minnows following exposure to known
cancer-causing substances.
Transport and Transformation
To adequately assess the risks associated
with a particular toxic substance or pesticide,
EPA needs to know how that substance will
behave in different environments. Because of
the large numbers of toxic substances and the
variability of receiving environments, much
basic research is needed. Research focuses
on contaminant fate and transport processes
in water, soil, and sediments and the interac-
tions that occur between water and
sediments. OEPER scientists are developing
mathematical descriptions of fate and
transport processes that take into account the
molecular properties of the chemicals and the
characteristics of the receiving environments.
They are also developing databases for
physical, chemical, and microbial rate and
equilibrium constants for use in risk
assessments.
Pesticides used in agricultural applications
are now being discovered in ground-wafrer
samples from many States. To determine
what happens to pesticides after they are
applied and how they might be getting into
the ground water, OEPER scientists are
investigating the fate and transport processes
governing the movement of pesticides
through the soil and into the subsurface.
Chemicals developed for control of an
individual pest may also be toxic to a whole
set of similar organisms. Because they can
affect nontarget biota and pose human
health risks if present in sufficient quantities,
OEPER is investigating the interactions
between pesticide characteristics, agricultural
usage, and environmental processes. This
information will be used to develop models on
pesticide transport, degradation, residuals,
and fate.
The transport and transformation
information obtained from OEPER's research is
used in performing exposure assessments
which evaluate the potential dangers to
humans and biota from a particular contami-
nation source. Exposure assessments deter-
mine whether a given system or organism will
Project scientists at ERL- Athens collect soil samples
from peanut fields in south Georgia In a study to
determine the movement of pesticides from field
application into the plant root zone.
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RESEARCH AREAS
be exposed to the contaminant, and at what
concentration. They are an Important part of
determining the overall risk of a substance or
action.
Ecological Effects and Field Validations
Information is often needed on the
comparative toxicology of different species.
That is, if a certain concentration of a
substance is toxic to fish in a certain way, will
that same concentration produce similar
types of toxicity in other organisms? OEPER
scientists are developing a database for
interspecies extrapolations.
Knowing the toxicity of a substance to one
or more of the organisms present in a
particular environment is a first step in
evaluating that substance's overall toxicity.
However, it gives little indication of the
possible adverse effects on aquatic or
terrestrial ecosystem processes or functions.
Single-species test methods often fail to define
the hazard to community-level support
ERL-Gulf Breeze histologlst and pathologist prepare
turtle tissue for Nstopathology study.
Measuring quail eggshell thickness as part of the
wildlife toxicology research program at ERL-
Corvall/s.
systems. It may be possible for a substance to
pose no immediate toxic threat to specific
organisms, yet destroy the habitat or food
supply of these or other organisms, or
accumulate to toxic levels through the food
chain. Aquatic communities are being
studied to determine toxic effects to
communities and bioaccumulation potentials.
Most predictions of adverse effects of
toxics and pesticides are derived from
laboratory experiments or mathematical
modeling. To validate these predictions, field
or microcosm tests must be performed.
Microcosms are small-scale representations of
field conditions that can be controlled in a
laboratory setting. These field and microcosm
tests improve the precision and predictability
of laboratory-derived methods. Chemicals
presumed to have specific toxic
characteristics based on laboratory work are
tested to determine whether these toxic
characteristics are correct and complete.
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RESEARCH AREAS
Pesticides are studied under actual use
conditions to ascertain effects such as
mortality, reproduction, and population
dynamics on nontarget organisms.
Structure-Activity Relationships
This research is designed to determine the
disposition of new toxic chemicals in all
environmental media and to determine if
selected plants and animals might be
affected. This involves developing
structure-activity relationships (SAR) with
methodologies based on molecular structure
characteristics to rapidly assess the
environmental fate and toxicity of new
chemicals. Structure-activity develops those
databases and mathematical models used
for predicting exposure, bioaccumulation,
toxicity, and fate. Activities include the
development of databases on plant uptake.
M/crocosms used at ERL-Corvallls to study the fate
and survival of recomblnant bacteria on plants. In
soil, and In the Insect digestive tract.
fate of organic chemicals, toxicity to fish, and
reactivity of photolytic, electrophilic, and
nucleophilic chemicals. Integrated into this
research are data on transport and
transformation of both organic and inorganic
substances in freshwater and multimedia
environments and application of SAR to
predict effects of new chemicals on biota.
The latter includes determination and
predictions of toxic mechanisms and
microbial transformation and metabolism.
Expert systems and other computer-based
predictive programs are used in regulatory
evaluations.
Biotechnology
The new biotechnology is a rapidly
growing science with tremendous potential.
Genetically engineered microorganisms
(GEMs) are being constructed to perform a
variety of functions—from protecting crops
against frost to degrading hazardous waste.
Although the desirable attributes of these
GEMs cannot be denied, the possibility for
inadvertent long-lasting environmental harm
cannot be ignored.
Much of OEPER's research on GEMs
focuses on understanding environmental
exposure and effects, and developing risk
control methodologies. Researchers are
examining possible competition between
introduced microorganisms and indigenous
species. They are examining the conditions
under which transfer of genetic material
between GEMs and indigenous microbes
might take place and whether changes to
ecological processes occur as a result of the
introduction of GEMs. This involves complex
experimentation to provide appropriate,
validated scientific data determining and
predicting the environmental fate and effects
of GEMs.
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RESEARCH AREAS
Research designed to address these issues
involves the development of sensitive
methods to track the movement of microor-
ganisms in the environment and to determine
their ability to survive and colonize new
surroundings. The degree to which genetic
material may be exchanged between the
introduced and the indigenous organisms is
also under study as are the effects of GEMs
on environmental processes and on higher
organisms.
Containment procedures during
accidental or purposeful releases of GEMs
minimize risk. Various mitigation and risk
reduction strategies, including the
development of genetic constructs for
conditional lethal control of survival and gene
exchange, are being developed by
participating OEPER laboratories.
Biological control agents (BCAs) are
being used in agriculture as an alternative to
chemical pesticides for the control of crop
pests. BCAs include GEMs, hormones, growth
regulators, pheromones, viruses, and other
biological substances. These BCAs are usually
designed to control a specific pest. OEPER is
responsible for developing methodologies to
evaluate possible adverse environmental con-
sequences resulting from the use of these
substances. Bioassays are one means of
evaluating the effects of BCAs on nontarget
receptors or hosts. OEPER is also developing
test protocols for evaluating the effects of
BCAs on different types of susceptible
populations.
Risk Assessment
Risk assessments provide quantitative
estimates of the overall risk to human health or
the environment associated with proposed or
existing activities. They combine information
on the inherent hazards of a substance with
the potential for human or biotic exposure.
Risk assessments provide much of the
justification for EPA's decisions on specific
issues.
OEPER is actively involved in developing
the methods used in performing risk assess-
ments of toxic substances and pesticides. Risk
assessment methods require more than simple
processes and effects information. Population
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RESEARCH AREAS
ERL-Duluth scientist examines fish for physiological
effects of toxic chemical exposure.
and community effects and exposure
assessments are also needed. Knowing the
toxicity of a contaminant to one or more
organisms in a particular environment does
not indicate how the whole ecosystem will
respond. Since it is obviously impossible to test
all organisms within an ecosystem, critical
systems and susceptible populations must be
identified. OEPER research examines more
closely how different organisms become
exposed to contaminants, how contaminants
move through food chains, and how they are
cycled in the community. Methods to predict'
the resilience of various ecosystems are also
being developed. The models and methods
that are produced are tested and evaluated
in field situations. Uncertainties inherent in the
assumptions and predictions are quantified
and incorporated into the models.
I r S HiMRD0US WMf E
Wastes are an unfortunate but very real
byproduct of our society. Inadequate
hazardous waste management in the past has
caused problems in many parts of the country
and will probably continue to haunt us for
years to come. Finding ways to manage and
dispose of wastes without threatening the
environment and human health is a
challenging problem. The Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
(RCRA) was enacted in response to a growing
public concern about threats to human
health from environmental contamination and
the realization that solid waste disposal was a
The electron microscope Is used to examine tissue
samples at the cellular level.
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RESEARCH AREAS
major problem in this country. Two of EPA's
primary responsibilities under RCRA are to
identify and list hazardous wastes and to set
standards for hazardous waste generation,
transportation, storage, treatment, and
disposal. OEPER's research program in
hazardous wastes provides methods for
predicting environmental concentrations of
wastes, estimating their toxicity and
bioaccumulation potential, and evaluating
land disposal regulatory decisions. The
hazardous waste research is conducted at
the environmental research laboratories in
Ada, Oklahoma; Athens, Georgia; Duluth,
Minnesota; and Corvallis, Oregon.
Listing/Delisting
EPA maintains lists of substances that
constitute hazardous wastes. Chemicals or
Sophisticated Instrumentation, such as this gas
chromatograph/mass spectrometer, are used to
identify and measure trace level environmental
contaminants.
chemical mixtures are added or deleted from
the lists on the basis of their dangerous
physical properties, toxicity, persistence and
degradability in nature, and potential for
bioaccumulation. OEPER researchers are also
developing methods for rapidly predicting
toxicity.
Evaluating toxicity involves complex
testing to determine exposure mechanisms,
types of toxicity involved, short- and long-term
effects of exposure, critical concentrations,
and environmental interactions. Toxicological
profiles are developed for fish that help
scientists understand what makes a substance
toxic and what effects that substance will
have on the environment. The feasibility of
using fish toxicology data to predict human
health hazards is also being evaluated.
Most effluents are mixtures that may
contain more than one hazardous substance.
Knowing the toxicity of individual substances
may not adequately reflect the toxic effects
of mixtures. By studying the interactions
between chemicals or chemical classes.
OEPER scientists are able to predict whether
multichemical toxicity will be less than
additive, additive, or more than additive.
Quantitative structure-activity relationships
(QSARs) are developed by OEPER researchers
to predict which chemicals or chemical
mixtures are likely to be hazardous. These
QSARs are derived from observed correlations
between chemical structure and biological
activity. Evaluations of potential effluent
toxicity can then be made through chemical
analysis alone. This is tremendously helpful in
evaluating wastestreams containing many
chemicals and compounds. Toxicity research
provides the data to refine existing QSARs and
define new ones.
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RESEARCH AREAS
Predicting Environmental Concentrations
To adequately assess the risks associated
with hazardous wastes that escape or are
released into the environment, methods must
be developed to predict their fate and
transport and their expected environmental
concentrations. OEPER's research focuses on
hazardous wastes entering the subsurface
from land-based treatment, storage, or
disposal sites. The possibility of ground-water
contamination is an immediate concern
because of the threats to human health.
Basic subsurface information on fate,
transport, and effects is applied to specific
hazardous wastes to determine what
happens to them in different subsurface
environments. The special problems of toxic
metals and complex organics are among
those being investigated. OEPER scientists
use this information to develop contaminant
transport models for use in evaluating
hazardous waste contamination problems
and predicting potential environmental
concentrations.
Land Disposal Assessment
The most practical and least costly
method of waste disposal for most solid
wastes is landfills. However, some substances
do not belong in landfills because of their
potential for degrading the environment or
contaminating drinking water. The newly
reauthorized Hazardous and Solid Waste
Amendments require EPA to develop criteria
for determining whether land disposal of
hazardous wastes adequately protects
human health and the environment. They
also require EPA to determine whether
certain hazardous wastes should be banned
from land disposal altogether.
OEPER is evaluating all the currently listed
hazardous wastes in terms of specific
contaminant parameters and environmental
criteria to ascertain which should be banned
from land disposal. Parameters being
evaluated include hydrolysis rate constants
and partition coefficients for chemicals,
thermodynamic and sorption mechanisms for
metals, and transformation potentials for
organics.
Biotransformation processes and
environmental characterization and assess-
ment methods are also being developed for
listed wastes. As there are over 450 hazard-
ous wastes listed, this constitutes a large
effort. The purpose is to provide standardized
criteria that can be used in models for
predicting the fate and transport of
hazardous wastes in landfills.
OEPER is also combining compatible
state-of-the-art models for various media
(water, air, runoff, leaching) to produce both
screening-level and more site-specific multi-
media exposure assessment packages. These
models can be used by EPA's Office of Solid
Waste in supporting its land banning decisions,
appraising waiver requests, and evaluating
hazardous waste management options.
The Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
1980 (CERCLA) established the Superfund
program which provides for the cleanup of
hazardous waste releases or hazardous waste
disposal sites posing human health or environ-
mental threats. The Superfund Amendments
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and Reauthorization Act (SARA), passed in
1986, provides for research in support of these
activities.
OEPER's role in the Superfund program is
to conduct site and situation assessments of
Superfund sites and provide technical
assistance on problems related to hazardous
waste fate, transport, and effects, Processes
and effects information is used to evaluate
how site-specific characteristics will affect
contaminant behavior and to determine the
environmental effects of particular contami-
nants. Once the extent of the problem is
understood, OEPER scientists help to develop
techniques and procedures for planning and
implementing remedial measures.
The unique characteristics of contamina-
tion at some Superfund sites call for the
development of innovative cleanup and
monitoring methods. One remedial method
that has demonstrated promise is biological
treatment. OEPER laboratory participation in
the Biosystems Technology Development
Program has resulted in innovative concepts
and technologies for hazardous waste site
reclamation. Current projects include on-site
soil bioreactor treatment, liquid and mixed
media reactors, and in situ ground-water
treatment. OEPER also assists in performing risk
assessments and evaluating the effectiveness
of remedial actions. All OEPER research
laboratories provide assistance on Superfund
problems.
OEPER is investigating the environmental
effects of three air pollution problems having
serious environmental degradation potential:
global climate change, stratospheric ozone
depletion, acid deposition, and related
iroposphenc ozone effects on crops and
forests. Its research supports other work being
conducted by EPA's Office of Air and
Radiation and Office of Policy, Planning and
Evaluation; and ORD's Office of Modeling,
Monitoring Systems, and Quality Assurance;
Office of Environmental Engineering and
Technology Demonstration; and Office of
Health Research.
Global Climate Change
Increased atmospheric concentrations of
radiatively important trace gases (RITGs) such
as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide,
and chlorofluorocarbons, have raised public
and scientific concerns about potential
climate change. Much uncertainty exists
about how climate change may impact
specific geographic regions or ecological
systems around the globe.
To reduce this uncertainty, research must
be undertaken to determine the likelihood
and magnitude of climate change, the
relative contributions of human-made and
natural sources of the greenhouse gases, the
atmospheric and chemical processes in
which these gases are involved, and the
extent of ecological and environmental
effects resulting from climate change. In
addition, research must identify technologies
and practices that may prevent or lessen
undesirable changes in the atmosphere.
Other work in this area will examine future
greenhouse gas fluxes and improve
capabilities for prediction, model validation,
and scenario development.
The EPA Global Climate Change
Research Program will provide the sound
scientific information necessary for the
development of national policy. The research
program encompasses five major goals: (1)
to quantify global emission and absorption
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RESEARCH AREAS
rates for RITGs as a function of demographics,
climate, and other variables; (2) to determine
the influence of tropospheric chemistry upon
atmospheric concentrations of RITGs; (3) to
model the relative sensitivities of regional
ecosystems to climate change in forested
and arid and semi-arid lands; (4) to identify
the dominant biological factors that
accentuate or attenuate climate change
(biofeedback); and (5) to develop and apply
various mitigation measures that reduce the
accumulation of RITGs in the atmosphere.
As emissions of greenhouse gases increase,
so does the need to understand the relative
contribution of anthropogenic and natural
sources and sinks of these gases. In addition,
we need to understand the chemical transfor-
mations that occur in the troposphere and
stratosphere that influence the greenhouse
effect.
Work is underway to accurately relate the
emission of important trace gases to activity
levels in sectors of the economy. Researchers
have discovered that many of the data in the
current literature regarding emissions of
ERL-Corvallis scientists working on slash pine ozone
exposure studies for the National Park Service.
nitrous oxide are incorrect. Other research,
undertaken in close conjunction with the
Department of Energy, will lead to the devel-
opment of a global model to realistically
assess the consequences of making specific
changes in emissions rates.
The dependency of emissions on varying
technologies, equipment age and condition,
and fuel type must be quantified to reduce
current uncertainties in emissions estimates
from various countries. The emissions research
will assemble databases for sources and sinks
that contain adequate temporal, spatial, and
chemical resolution.
The tropospheric chemistry research will
investigate the kinetics of RITGs and build
models to better predict the influence of
chemistry on future concentrations of these
gases. This will include measurements of trace
gas fluxes from selected ecosystems and
biomass burning. Three-dimensional tracer
models will evaluate the contributions of
anthropogenic emissions to the atmosphere in
remote areas.
Ecological effects are important potential
consequences of climate change. Research
into these potential effects focuses on the
relation between climatic conditions and
major ecosystem boundaries, such as
between forests and grasslands. Forested
ecosystems will be emphasized (1) because of
their importance in sequestering atmospheric
carbon, (2) because they represent a
dominant source of trace gases, (3) and
because of their economic importance. Arid
and semi-arid lands will also be intensively
studied because of their demographic and
economic importance. These areas produce
a significant fraction of the world's food, and
over-utilization and desertification could have
profound effects on global climate. OEPER's
research will begin by determining appropri-
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RESEARCH AREAS
ate criteria for ecological sensitivity to climate
change.
Initial research on biofeedback will
concentrate on selecting ecosystems and
processes that play a major role in balancing
fluxes of RITGs. Site-manipulation and
laboratory experiments will then determine
the fluxes of these constituents under different
environmental conditions and identify driving
processes.
In addition to research on causes and
consequences of climatic change, research
on options for minimizing and adapting to
change is also important. Activities such as
intensive reforestation, energy conservation,
and development of modified electrical
energy production technologies should be
explored, particularly those with additional
environmental benefits. Methods to decrease
emissions will be a major focus of the research
efforts. Work will focus on the study of the
characteristics and effects of specific
technologies and the demonstration of
technologies that may mitigate increases of
trace gas releases (e.g.. natural gas
substitution for coal).
Stratospheric Ozone
There is undisputed evidence that the
atmospheric concentrations of source gases
important in controlling stratospheric ozone
levels continue to increase on a global scale
because of human activities. A reduction in
ozone concentration results in increased
transmission of solar ultraviolet radiation.
Many adverse and serious effects of such an
increase in exposure to this radiation have
been identified, and the effects will continue
well into the next century even with a vigorous
mitigation program. To establish responsible
regulation and mitigation options, we need to
know more precisely (1) what the effects of
ozone depletion are likely to be, (2) what the
effects of alternative chemicals to
fully-halogenated chrorofluorocarbons are
likely to be, and (3) the feasibility of
alternative technology.
A key challenge for EPA's Stratospheric
Ozone Research Program is to target the
limited quantity of available resources to
those areas of scientific uncertainty where
additional information will be useful to
policy-makers in addressing this issue. This will
contribute to the success of the Montreal
Protocol and to compliance with the
conditions of the Clean Air Act. EPA will act
as the lead federal agency to (1) set research
goals in response to policy issues regarding
stratospheric ozone modification in order to
comply with the conditions of the Montreal
Protocol and the Clean Air Act, (2) coordinate
research to accomplish those goals, and (3)
synthesize the results of that research. The
research effort will involve various federal
agencies, but EPA will provide guidance for
the design and analysis of research areas that
address the conditions of the Montreal
The Field Exposure Research Facility used for ozone.
SC>2. NO2. and acid-fog research at ERL-Corvallls.
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RESEARCH AREAS
Protocol. OEPER will manage EPA's
Stratospheric Ozone Research Program.
Under the terms of the Montreal Protocol
and the Clean Air Act, EPA will compile and
analyze data from in-house, national, and
international sources to produce a scientific
assessment of the effects of continued release
of gases that deplete stratospheric ozone and
will evaluate the controls that may be
needed. The "effects" research will address
three areas: health effects, ecological effects,
and welfare effects such as degradation of
natural resources, visibility impairment, and
materials damage. The data currently
available for the assessment are incomplete
and of highly variable quality. The coopera-
tion of other national and international
organizations is essential.
Risk characterization and scientific
assessment will be major components of EPA's
stratospheric ozone research program. EPA
will formulate predictions regarding the
quantities and impact of continued release of
ozone-influencing substances into the
stratosphere, and the concomitant increase in
UV-B radiation at the surface of the earth.
Trends in emissions of ozone-influencing gases
in the United States and around the world
need to be determined and monitored. EPA
will also address the nature, extent, and
severity of environmental impacts of contin-
ued release of ozone-depleting substances on
the United States and other countries.
Acid Deposition
Acid deposition has been blamed for a
decline in forest vigor and productivity in
several regions of the country and for the
biological decline or death of lakes and
streams. Acid deposition is a phenomenon
whereby atmospheric emissions of particular
compounds, especially sulphur and nitrogen
compounds, react with water vapor to form
acids. These acids can then be deposited as
rain, snow, or fog, or as dry particles or
absorbed gases. This phenomenon may
occur regionally or downwind of industrialized
centers. Thus, the occurrence of acid deposi-
tion may be some distance from the actual
pollution source. Long-range transport of
atmospheric pollutants has been well-
documented in portions of the United States
as well as in many parts of Europe. OEPER
laboratories are responsible for conducting
research on the aquatic and terrestrial effects
of acid deposition.
OEPER's aquatic effects research program
has three primary goals: to determine the
status and extent of surface water
acidification, to predict future change in
surface water quality, and to verify and
validate these predictions through experi-
ments and monitoring.
The National Surface Water Survey
provided baseline information on over 2500
lakes and 550 streams from regions of the
country believed to be most susceptible to
change from acid deposition. The survey
identified and characterized the number and
distribution of acidic and low-alkaline surface
waters and will provide information on normal
and seasonal variations in surface water
chemistry. The results form a statistical baseline
for detecting and measuring changes and
rates of change. OEPER scientists are using the
data to look at other important aspects of
acidification, such as the relationship
between existing biological populations and
chemical characteristics, and the importance
of hydrologic episodes in affecting acidity.
Long-term monitoring of surface waters at
selected sites across the country will allow
detection of minor changes in acidity. OEPER
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RESEARCH AREAS
researchers are also working on identifying the
processes that influence surface water
acidity, as well as the role of watersheds and
storm events.
Simulation and mass-balance models are
used to predict the number of streams and
lakes in different regions that will become
acidic if present deposition rates continue.
Increase, or decrease. Such quantitative
estimates are necessary for the Administrator
to use in advising Congress on target deposi-
tion loadings that would result in various rates
of change. The accuracy of the model
predictions is being assessed in the Watershed
Manipulation Project, in which several test
watersheds are intentionally acidified and
then closely monitored and compared to
model predictions.
EPA's forest effects research is a major
part of the multi-agency Terrestrial Effects Task
Group of the National Acid Precipitation
Assessment Program (NAPAP). Research is
closely coordinated with that of the U.S. Forest
Service. Research Cooperatives have been
formed for each of four major forest types:
spruce/fir, southern commercial pine, eastern
hardwoods, and western conifers. In addition
to the four forest Research Cooperatives,
there is a National Vegetation Survey and an
Atmospheric Exposure Cooperative. OEPER's
environmental research laboratory in Corvallis,
Oregon, is responsible for coordinating results
from all these cooperatives and for assuring
the quality of all collected data.
Two major approaches are being taken to
assess the impact of acid deposition on
forests. The first is an epidemiological
approach in which researchers search large
geographic areas for patterns of forest
conditions that may be related to atmo-
spheric deposition or other environmental
patterns. The second approach is physio-
logical and ecological and focuses on the
effects of particular environmental variables
on tree health and stand vigor.
Forest decline due to acid deposition is a
difficult process to assess. Visible symptoms
often can be confusing because the same
symptom may be caused by a variety of
conditions. Subtle loss of vigor can leave trees
more susceptible to death or decline from
disease, insect infestations, and other
environmental stresses. There are currently a
number of hypotheses regarding the effects
of airborne contaminants on forest decline.
Several have been reasonably well demon-
strated for a particular locale. It is altogether
possible that there may be a number of
different mechanisms operating to varying
degrees on different species and in different
parts of the country. OEPER scientists are
trying to discover the processes by which
airborne contaminants can lead to forest
decline. They are involved in testing damage
hypotheses, defining the extent of the prob-
lem, and conducting exploratory research.
The results of OEPER's aquatic effects and
terrestrial effects research will be synthesized
and interpreted for inclusion in the NAPAP
Final Assessment, due in 1990.
Tropospheric ozone effects on crops and
forests are also being studied to provide the
scientific basis for development of secondary
air standards.
Biodiversity
In simplest terms, biodiversity is the variety
of life and its processes. It includes variety in
the genetic diversity of populations, the
richness of different species, and the distribu-
tion and abundance of plant and animal
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RESEARCH AREAS
communities and ecosystems. Biodiversity is
an important environmental issue because it
supports the ecosystems upon which we
depend; it is the source of many pharmaceu-
tical products; it allows the development of
future food supplies; and it represents the
natural world we cherish.
It is generally recognized that the
biodiversity of the planet is threatened by
human activities. Conservation of diversity
has become an environmental issue because
of the actual and threatened extinction of
many species as well as their habitats.
Extinction, however, is only the most extreme
manifestation of the loss of biodiversity.
Reductions in the distribution and abundance
of species, habitats, and natural communities
are widespread.
Over the years, OEPER has undertaken
much work related to biodiversity, but only
now is biodiversity beginning to emerge as an
organizing concept for research activities.
Pilot work, in close collaboration with other
governmental agencies, is underway to
develop a geographic information system
that deals with biota, habitats, species unique-
ness and richness, and threats to biodiversity.
The relationship of climate change to biodi-
versity is also being investigated.
In order to support the development of
national policies regarding biodiversity,
OEPER's future research may include evalua-
tion of the importance of biodiversity, relation-
ships between diversity and stability of natural
systems, relationships between human activi-
ties and biodiversity, and ways to restore
biodiversity where it has been diminished.
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RESEARCH AREAS
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RESEARCH LABORATORIES
OEPER's six environmental research laboratories are located in key locations
across the country. Each is responsible for a particular segment of the overall
research program. Research is conducted either in-house by teams of profes-
sional scientists and technicians as well as in cooperation with or through con-
tracts to universities, consulting firms, and other agencies.
RSKERL-Ada
ERL-Gulf Breeze
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LABORATORIES
Environmental Research Laboratory - Athens
College Station Road, Athens, Georgia 30613
FTS 8-250-3134
(404)546-3134
The Athens Environmental Research Laboratory conducts the basic and applied
research required to predict and assess the human and environmental exposures and
risks associated with conventional and toxic pollutants in water and soil ecosystems. The
major elements of this research are:
a Identifying and characterizing the physical, chemical, and biological pro-
cesses necessary to predict the fate and transport of pollutants in and across
environmental media and within organisms;
Q Conducting theoretical and experimental laboratory and field investigations
to identify, characterize, measure, and predict pollutant and ecosystem prop-
erties and environmental factors that govern the extent of pollutant exposure,
impact, and risk;
a Developing techniques to predict probable environmental concentrations
and resulting human and environmental exposure and risk from chemical and
biological pollutants, using process-level scientific information, requisite data
bases, and decision software;
Q Developing, testing, and documenting single-medium and multimedia man-
agement and control strategy methodologies, incorporating the requisite
exposure and risk assessment techniques formatted for practical application
to regulatory problems faced by the Agency; and
a Applying, demonstrating, and transferring scientific information, protocols,
databases, exposure and risk assessment techniques, and environmental
management methods to other ORD laboratories, program offices, regional
offices, and Federal. State, and local agencies.
The laboratory's Center for Exposure Assessment Modeling distributes and supports
computer programs for selected models and provides training and assistance to users in
government, industry, and academia. It also provides expert witness, consultative, and
actual exposure assessment support to Regions, States, and their consultants involved in
RCRA, Superfund, or other programs requiring such procedures.
FATE & TRANSPORT PROCESSES • RISK ASSESSMENTS • ENVIRONMENTAL CONCENTRATIONS«EXPOSURE ASSESSMENTS
ERL-ATHENS
MANAGEMENT & CONTROL STRATEGESIMETHODOLOGES • SOILS • SINGLE MEDIA i MULTIMEDIA MODELING • PESTICIDES
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LABORATORIES
Environmental Research Laboratory - Corvallis
200 S.W. 35th Street, Corvallis, Oregon 97333
FTS 8-420-4601
(503) 757-4601
Research at the Corvallis Environmental Research Laboratory is conducted on terres-
trial and watershed ecology and on multimedia ecological effects assessment for pollu-
tants and other environmental stresses. The research includes:
a Determining the effects of atmospheric pollutants, including acid deposition,
on forests, crops, watersheds, and surface waters;
a Determining the ecological effects of pollutant-induced environmental
changes, such as changes in climate and increased solar ultraviolet-B
radiation;
a Developing and testing methods to assess the toxic effects, food-chain con-
tamination potential, and overall environmental risk of toxic chemicals in wild-
life, vegetation, and soil components of terrestrial environments;
a Developing and testing methods for assessing the ecological impact of
human modification of wetlands and lakes and developing criteria and tech-
niques for functional restoration of these systems;
Q Developing and testing methods to assess the ecological risk of introducing
novel biological organisms, such as those produced by genetic engineering,
into the terrestrial environment;
Q Developing and testing methods to assess ecological hazards from contami-
nated areas, such as hazardous waste sites; and
Q Defining and characterizing ecological systems and developing measures for
determining their ecological "health," especially as affected by multiple envi-
ronmental stresses.
TERRESTRIAL AND WATERSHED ECOLOGY»ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTANTS« ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS • BIOTECHNOLOGY
ERL-CORVALLIS
ACIDIC DEPOSITION • OZONE • FOOD CHAIN CONTAMINATION • WETLANDS • ECOLOGICAL 'HEALTH1 • CLIMATE
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LABORATORIES
Environmental Research Laboratory - Duluth
6201 Congdon Boulevard, Duluth, Minnesota 55804
RS 8-780-5500
(218) 720-5500
The Environmental Research Laboratory-Duluth (ERL-D) is EPA's nationwide resource
center of expertise on freshwater aquatic toxicology. The mission of ERL-D is to develop a
scientific basis for EPA to create environmental policies concerning the use of freshwater
resources. To accomplish this, ERL-D conducts the following programs of research, devel-
opment, and technical assistance:
Determining which pesticide, toxic substance, and hazardous waste concen-
trations are not harmful to freshwater aquatic life;
Developing standard biological and chemical methods for use by other agen-
cies and research institutions;
Developing models to predict or assess the impact of chemical and physical
pollutants on aquatic organisms;
EvalGbting the ability of laboratory methods and models to predict the effects
of contaminants in the environment by conducting ecological field studies;
Developing water quality criteria for single and complex mixtures of contami-
nants in freshwater ecosystems for the protection of aquatic organisms and
people who consume these organisms; and
Conducting surveillance for new chemical contaminants in aquatic ecosys-
tems. Analytical methodology using state-of-the-art equipment is developed
to identify and determine the amount of trace contaminants in water, fish,
and sediments.
The Duluth laboratory is responsible for the Great Lakes research program, which
measures, describes, and predicts the distribution, movement, fate, and effects of toxic
substances in near-snore "areas of concern" identified by the U.S./Canada Water Quality
Agreement. Emphasis is on in-place pollutants. The program also provides technical sup-
port and data to the International Joint Commission, the Great Lakes National Program
Office, and the Great Lakes States. ERL-D also maintains two research facilities in the
Great Lakes region. The Large Lakes Research Station at Grosse lie, Michigan, is a center
for pesticide and toxic substance research. The Monticello, Minnesota, Research Station
focuses on hazardous waste and water quality research.
FRESHWATER AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY • WATER QUALITY CRITERIA • CONTAMINANT EFFECTS • BIOASSAYS
ERL-DULUTH
METHODS DEVELOPMENT«SEDIMENT CONTAMINATION • CONCENTRATION THRESHOLDS»GREAT LAKES
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LABORATORIES
Environmental Research Laboratory - Gulf Breeze
Sabine Island, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561
RS 8-686-9011
(904)932-5311
Research at the Gulf Breeze laboratory Is directed toward providing the scientific
information needed to formulate guidelines, standards, and strategies for managing haz-
ardous materials in coastal, estuarine, and marine environments. Elements of the
research program include:
a Developing principles and applications of environmental toxicology, includ-
ing toxic chemical exposure and effects on marine organisms and ecosystem
processes;
a Developing and evaluating factors and mechanisms that affect biodegrada-
tion rates and bioaccumulation potential in food webs;
a Developing and verifying methods and data that allow extrapolation from
laboratory observations to field situations, and from chemical structure to
potential toxicity and biodegradation rate;
a Determining effects of carcinogens, mutagens, and teratogens on individuals
and populations of aquatic species;
a Developing aquatic species and test systems as indicators of environmental
and human risk from exposure to chemicals; and
Q Developing methods to evaluate environmental risk from genetically altered
microorganisms, other products of biotechnology, and biological control
agents.
Technical assistance and emergency investigations are provided to EPA offices eval-
uating environmental threats posed by toxicants in the Gulf of Mexico and southern
Atlantic coast, as well as other locations.
ENVRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY OF MARINE ORGANSMS* BIOTECHNOLOGY* BIODEGRADATION * BIOACCUMULATON
ERL-GULF BREEZE
_gJgEg8aST_»''_-^«r_»L •" ' BiH^ " JE-3ig
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS * BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS • POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON MARINE ORGANISMS I ECOSYSTEMS
33
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LABORATORIES
Environmental Research Laboratory - Narragansett
South Ferry Road, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882
FTS 8-838-6000
(401)782-3000
The Narragansett Environmental Research Laboratory is the Agency's center for estu-
arine, coastal, and marine water quality research. The primary emphasis is on providing
the scientific basis for risk assessment and risk management involving marine ecosystems.
A developing research program addresses global climate change emphasizing potential
impacts on estuarine, coastal, and marine ecological systems due to changes in the
atmospheric composition of carbon dioxide, other radiatively important trace gases, and
ozone-depleting compounds. A major portion of the research involves the development,
evaluation, and application of techniques and test systems for measuring and predicting
the transport, fate, and biological and ecosystem effects of individual pollutants and
complex wastes on estuarine, coastal, and marine systems. Program-specific research
areas Include:
a Developing toxicity testing methodologies for deriving site-specific and
national water quality criteria and marine hazard assessment;
Q Using biomonitoring for on-site and in situ field assessments of biological
effects of single or combined point-source discharges;
a Quantifying the transport, transformation, and fate of pollutants in marine and
estuarine environments, conducting pollutant trend assessments, and quanti-
fying chemical contaminants in marine water, sediments, and biota;
>ing and evaluating methods and systems that predict the fate and
:al effects of pollutants, including toxic chemicals, radiatively impor-
tant trace gases, and ozone-depleting compounds on natural marine
ecosystems;
Q Developing and evaluating techniques for relating marine discharges to pollu-
tant transport and transformation;
Q Developing and evaluating techniques for characterizing the processes and
mechanisms for accumulation and transformation of pollutants in tissues of
organisms; and
a Developing and evaluating techniques for determining the effects of pollu-
tants on benthic organisms.
The Narragansett laboratory maintains a field station in Newport, Oregon, which is the
west coast focal point for research and technical assistance on the mechanisms control-
ling the fate of waste materials discharged from municipal and industrial sources into
coastal waters and the impact of these discharges on the marine environment.
MARINE, COASTAL, & ESTUARINE CONTAMINATION • FATE & TRANSPORT PROCESSES • WATER QUALITY CRITERIA
__ 'NARRAGANSETT
MARINE DISPOSAL t DISCHARGE«COMPLEX WASTES • MARINE ASSESSMENT METHODS • BIOMONTTORING
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LABORATORIES
Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory
P.O. Box 1198, Ada, Oklahoma 74820
FTS 8-743-2011
(405) 332-8800
The Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory (RSKERL) is EPA's center for
ground-water research and problems related to subsurface contamination. Current
research focuses on providing the necessary fate and transport databases and support
to help the Agency. Research includes:
a Establishing criteria for waste disposal activities to prevent contamination
of ground water or movement of contaminants through the subsurface to
points of withdrawal or discharge;
a Assessing the impacts of existing pollution on ground water at points of
withdrawal or discharge;
a Developing remedial actions for protecting and restoring ground-water
quality that are neither unnecessarily complex and costly nor restrictive of
other land uses; and
a Regulating the production, use, and disposal of specific chemicals pos-
sessing an unacceptably high potential for contaminating ground water
when released to the subsurface.
Much of the laboratory's research is process-oriented, focusing on the hydrologic,
abiotic, and biotic processes governing the fate and transport of contaminants in the
subsurface. Simulation models are developed based on soil and subsurface process
descriptions for describing and predicting the migration, dissipation, and transformation
of pollutants likely to be encountered in soil and subsurface environments under varying
conditions of environmental release. The use of natural soil and subsurface systems for
the attenuation and degradation of wastes is studied as a treatment option for both
point and nonpoint sources of pollution as well as for remedial action in connection with
land-based spills or accidents and existing waste disposal sites.
RSKERL is also developing methodologies for aquifer restoration. A major research
objective is to demonstrate reliable and effective management of subsurface treatment
systems that are applicable to various climatic conditions, soil types, waste characteris-
tics, degrees of pretreatment, and other system variables. Applied research on specific
problems related to underground injection control, underground storage tanks, and land
treatment of hazardous wastes is also conducted. RSKERL has been instrumental in spon-
soring the International Ground-Water Modeling Center at Holcomb Research Institute in
Indianapolis, Indiana, and Delft, the Netherlands.
GROUND WATER QUALITY • SUBSURFACE CONTAMINATION * SUBSURFACE FATE It TRANSPORT PROCESSES
RSKERL - ADA
GROUND WATER INFORMATION & MODELING CENTERS « REMEDIAL ACTION • AQUIFER RESTORATK
.
*U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: WN - 74*-B»/2W02
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