United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Research and
Development
EPA/600/M-90-01i
October 1990
Guide to the Office of
Modeling, Monitoring Systems
and Quality Assurance
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Contents
The OMMSQA Vision.
Introduction
Organization
.2
.4
OMMSQA }s Research Program 6
Air and Radiation 7
National Ambient Air Quality Standards 7
New Source Performance Standards
and State Implementation Plans 7
Hazardous Air Pollutants 8
Mobile Source Pollutants 8
Indoor Air 8
Stratospheric Ozone 9
Global Warming 9
Acid Deposition 9
Radiation 9
Water 10
Water Quality-Based Approach 10
Marine Waters, Estuaries, and Lakes 10
Wastewater Treatment Technology 10
Drinking Water Technology 10
Ground Water 11
Hazardous Waste and Superfund 12
Waste Identification 12
Quality Assurance 12
Releases 13
Procedures for Site Assessment 13
Technical Support 14
Advanced Field Methods 14
Quality Assurance 14
Superfund Innovative
Technology Evaluation Program 14
Pesticides and Toxic
Substances 15
Exposure Monitoring 15
Test Method Development 15
Health Markers, Dosimetry,
and Extrapolation 15
Biotechnology 15
Support 16
SARA Title III 16
Asbestos 16
Multimedia 17
Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment Program 17
Total Human Exposure
Research Program 18
Risk Reduction 19
Reducing Uncertainties
in Risk Assessment 19
Data Integration and Analysis 20
Quality Assurance 20
Labs
Environmental Monitoring Systems
Laboratory-Cincinnati 21
Environmental Monitoring Systems
Laboratory-Las Vegas 25
Atmospheric Research and Exposure
Assessment Laboratory 28
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The OMMSQA Vision
6 .ly, I
T
he Office of Modeling, Monitoring Systems and
Quality Assurance (OMMSQA) has assumed a lead
role within the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) in conducting exposure research.
OMMSQA's primary function is to develop
methods to measure, characterize, and predict
human and ecological exposure to pollutants.
Exposure assessments are integral elements in the
risk assessment process used to identify populations
and ecological resources at risk. The EPA increas-
ingly relies on quantitative risk assessment to
regulate chemicals and to appropriate resources.
The utility of the risk-based approach, however,
depends on accurate exposure information. The
mission of OMMSQA is to enhance the Agency's
capability for evaluating exposure from a holistic
perspective. Specifically, OMMSQA's research
program for the next five years is targeted toward
achieving the following goals:
• Establish an integrated national scale human
exposure database which provides accurate
information for predicting and verifying the
exposure of humans to pollutants.
• Establish a nationwide integrated chemical and
biological monitoring program for representative
ecological resources.
• Maintain a national leadership role in atmos-
pheric sciences
• Develop state of the art analytical techniques, in-
strumentation, and capabilities (i.e., modeling,
monitoring systems, quality assurance, and assess-
ment) to quantify the exposure of humans and
ecosystems to pollutants.
These goals are the focal point for all of OMMSQA's
activities, which balance support of traditional
clients, Regional and Program Offices, with basic
research. In addition to the pursuit of these goals,
it is vital for OMMSQA to enhance the quality of
science and to improve the reputation of the Office
among its clients and within the international
scientific community. One way that OMMSQA
will improve its scientific reputation is the periodic
distribution of material describing the Office's
major research programs and areas of special
expertise. The major purpose of this document is
to facilitate the exchange of information on
OMMSQA's research activities as well as to
promote cooperative efforts to foster the science of
exposure assessment.
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Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(USEPA), created by President Nixon in 1970
under Executive Order No. 3, was established
largely as a regulatory agency. Through various
legislative mandates, it has sought to regulate air
pollution, drinking water, water quality, hazardous
waste, pesticides, and toxic substances. EPA is
organized into four major regulatory Program
Offices, has ten regional offices, and the Office of
Research and Development (ORD). The four
Program Offices and their areas of responsibility are
as follows: Office of Water—drinking water and
water quality; Office of Air and Radiation—air and
radiation; Office of Pesticides and Toxic Sub-
stances—toxic substances and pesticides; and Office
of Solid Waste and Emergency Response—
hazardous waste, Superfund, and underground
storage tanks. In order to regulate, however, it is
first necessary to generate the knowledge essential
to sound decision making. This is the function of
research.
The Office of Research and Development was established
within the Agency to provide the scientific and
technical information needed to make decisions
regarding the development of policy, guidance,
standards, regulations, and the tools to implement
abatement strategies. The Office of Research and
Development is also responsible for providing the
scientific and technical information required by the
Agency to support its regulatory and enforcement
programs. Its overall research effort, which is
conducted through 12 environmental research and
development laboratories, employs a staff of about
2,000 and has an annual budget of approximately
$400-million.
To accomplish its research goals, ORD established the
following seven offices: Office of Technology
Transfer and Regulatory Support, Office of Health
Research, Office of Environmental Engineering
and Technology Demonstration, Office of Envi-
ronmental Processes and Effects Research, Office of
Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of
Exploratory Research, and the Office of Modeling,
Monitoring Systems and Quality Assurance
(OMMSQA). Figure 1 provides an overview of the
Office of Research and Development.
The Office of Modeling, Monitoring Systems and Quality
Assurance is responsible for quantifying the
exposure of humans and ecological resources to
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pollutants and for supporting the Agency's
programs. Through research conducted
at its three research laboratories,
OMMSQA selects/develops
sampling and analytical methods to
determine the presence and concen-
trations of chemicals and biological
hazards in the environment and provides
quality assurance support to the Agency's regu-
latory, monitoring, and research programs. These
data that are generated are integral elements used
for the assessment of risk, a
tool upon which the
Agency increasing relies for
making regulatory deci-
sions and appropriating
resources. The develop-
ment of accurate exposure
information is essential to
fulfilling the Agency's
mandates.
In line with the Agency's new long-term strategy for ad-
dressing environmental problems in the next
decade, OMMSQA is supporting a major new
"Core" Research Program that will generate
knowledge essential to all areas of environmental
decision making, including new initiatives in several
critical areas.
This document details the organizational structure of
OMMSQA, describes all aspects of its research
program, provides a review of its three major re-
search laboratories, discusses its leadership role in
the Core Research Program, and cites its support of
the 10 EPA Regions and the Agency's regulatory
Program Offices. It is intended to acquaint the
layman with the functions of this Office, while
providing a more substantive picture of its efforts
for scientists working in the field.
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Organization
OMMSQA's role is to develop the scientific meth-
ods, monitoring systems, and quality assurance
strategies needed to implement a monitoring and
research program that assesses exposure of humans
and ecosystems to various pollutants.
In addition to quantifying exposure, OMMSQA also has
the following responsibilities:
• Characterizing the sources, atmospheric and en-
vironmental transformations and pathways, and the
physical, chemical, and biological properties of
pollutants stressing human and ecological systems;
• Determining the status and trends in pollutant
concentrations and ecosystem condition;
• Determining the status, trends, and geographical
variability of the exposures of human populations
to environmental pollutants;
• Developing and validating models to estimate the
atmospheric sources, transport, fate, and concentra-
tions of pollutants for use in exposure and risk
assessments and in the development of effective-
control strategies for risk reduction;
• Developing the measurement techniques,
analytical tools, and quality assurance protocols
necessary to characterize, monitor, and assess
exposure to pollutants and ecosystem condition;
and
• Developing and supporting implementation of
Agency-wide policies, procedures, and manage-
ment systems aimed at assuring the quality of
data produced by Agency programs.
OMMSQA is composed of a Program Operations Staff, a
Quality Assurance Management Staff, a Modeling
and Monitoring Systems Staff, and three research
laboratories. Figure 2 depicts the overall structure
of OMMSQA.
The Program Operations Staff provides administrative
support of all staff activities. This includes develop-
ment of the budget and fiscal administration,
staffing and training, and other essential adminis-
trative activities.
OMMSQA Structure
Office of Modeling,
m
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The responsibility of the Quality Assurance Management
Staff (QAMS) is to assess the accuracy and effec-
tiveness of environmental measurements. In fulfill? *
ment of this function, QAMS performs the
following management-related activities (i)
documents the quality, effectiveness, completeness,
and efficiency of major EPA data collection pro-
grams; (2) supports and oversees the development
of Agency quality assurance (QA) management
systems and policies; (3) supports Agency quality
assurance efforts; and (4) informs the environ-
mental community on QA. In addition, QAMS
provides research support in the design and im-
plementation of exposure studies and monitoring
systems to assess exposure trends and improve the
process of conducting exposure assessments. The
staff conducts research in the areas of data quality
objectives, data quality audits, model validation
protocols, and improvements in quality control
programs.
The Modeling and Monitoring Systems Staff (MMSS)
coordinates the scientific planning, program
evaluation, budgeting, and management of
OMMSQA's research programs. MMSS consists of
two teams—a Media Research Team and a Core
Research Team. The former coordinates activities
among the three laboratories, the regulatory
Program and Regional Offices, and the Research
Committees, while the latter is involved in the
development of the Core Research Program,
particularly the Total Human Exposure Research
Program and the Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment Program (EMAP).
The research laboratories are the Environmental Moni-
toring Systems Laboratory, Cincinnati (EMSL-
CIN), the Environmental Monitoring Systems
Laboratory, Las Vegas (EMSL-LV), and the
Atmospheric Research and Exposure Assessment
Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, North
Carolina (AREAL). A laboratory thematic concept
is used to delineate the primary responsibilities of
each laboratory's work to eliminate overlap. His-
torically, areas of concentration of each laboratory
are as follows: EMSL-CIN—water, EMSL-LV—
terrestrial and subsurface environment, and
AREAL—air. Each laboratory's areas of concentra-
tion are discussed further in a dedicated section of
the guide.
Collaborative AREAL and USSR research effort in the USSR to
study dispersion patterns of volatile organic compounds.
OMMSQA's quality assurance activities include development
and distribution of calibration standards for water quality
analyses as well as for the analyses of pesticides and
industrial chemicals.
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OMMSQA's Research
Program
0
MMSQA's research is carried out through its three
research laboratories and focuses on four major
areas: exposure modeling, exposure assessment,
exposure classification, and monitoring and
environmental characterization. Underlying the
Office's entire research and technical support
program is its continued development of state-of-
the-art modeling, monitoring, method develop-
ment, and quality assurance capabilities to assure
the completion of precise, accurate exposure
assessments. The research program supports both
its traditional clients—Regional Offices, Regulatory
Program Offices, ORD Offices, and Research
Committees—and ORD's Core Research
Program in the areas of health risk assessment,
ecological risk assessment, and risk reduction
(pollution prevention). OMMSQA works jointly
with the Program Offices and Regions through the
Research Committees for planning and coordinat-
ing research activities. The Research Committees
provide guidance for planning research programs to
meet the needs of the regulatory Program Offices,
Regions, and the Agency. OMMSQA is repre-
sented in the following Research Committees: Air
and Radiation, Water, Hazardous Waste and
Superfund, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, and
Multimedia.
Total research funding in OMMSQA is approximately
$120 million per year. Funding for major areas of
research is shown in Figure 3. Unlike the research
areas described above, the Quality Assurance
Management Staff (QAMS) recieves approximately
$1.7 million per year to conduct the QA responsi-
bilities.
OMMSQA's AREAL laboratory
measures dispersion pattern
smoke from combustion soui
using fluid modeling techniq
• Superfund/Hazardous Wastes 25%
• Air and Radiation 30%
• Total Human Exposure 5%
Water 10%
H Pesticides and Toxic Substances 5%
Environmental Monitoring
and Assessment Program 25%
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Air and Radiation
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977,
EPA was required to reevaluate the standards for
ambient air quality for the following "criteria" air
pollutants: nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide
(SO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), lead
(Pb), and inhalable particulate matter. The stan-
dards, known as the National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS), are intended to protect
human health with a reasonable margin of safety
(primary standards) and to protect against effects
on human welfare such as crop loss, materials
damage, and impairment of visibility (secondary
standards). Obtaining accurate measurements of
these criteria pollutants is essential to air quality
control. OMMSQA is responsible for assuring the
adequacy of these measurements by developing,
evaluating, improving, and standardizing the meth-
odologies and monitoring systems used to gather
the data.
OMMSQA provides the support to assure that the
NAAQS monitoring methodology remains accurate
and appropriate. In line with this objective,
OMMSQA developed a methodology both to
quantify damage to materials and to determine the
extent and causes of visibility loss caused by air
pollution. This quantification is necessary to revise
the secondary NAAQS, as well as to plan control
strategies and prioritize future research.
OMMSQA is also initiating an effort to obtain the
information that would help the Agency determine
whether a fine particle and acid aerosol standard is
required to protect human health or welfare. In
addition, the Office is developing a methodology
to measure aerosol acidity and population exposure
in response to needs identified by the Clean Air
Science Advisory Committee.
New Source Performance Standards and
State Implementation Plans
OMMSQA provides extensive assistance to the
Office of Air Quality Performance Standards
(OAQPS) to support New Source Performance
Standards (NSPS) and State Implementation Plans
(SIPs). The NSPS are Federal standards set for
new pollutant sources, while SIPs are State
strategies for attaining the ambient air quality
standards. This support includes monitoring
methods and model evaluation and development,
data management, quality assurance, technical
consultation, and emergency assistance.
In one project, OMMSQA is developing and evaluating
state-of-the-art remote monitoring methods to aid
air quality regions that are still in nonattainment,
that is, those regions that have not attained the
ambient air quality standards. OMMSQA is also
providing the necessary monitoring support to
OAQPS in its efforts to ascertain the need for new
standards, assess long-term effects, and determine
effects on health and welfare. The Office also
devises and evaluates methodologies used to
determine compliance with the NSPS and to
facilitate the measurement of source emissions as
required in the SIPs.
Quality assurance requirements are a vital part of the air
monitoring regulations. OMMSQA, therefore,
develops the procedures and systems used to assess
the quality of source emission data and ambient air
data, prepares the guidelines and programs that
transfer QA technology to monitoring agencies,
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assesses the quality of the data
submitted to EPA, and also provides
quality assurance to the SIPs.
In other related projects, OMMSQA investi-
gates, develops, and applies air quality
simulation models to predict the air
quality impacts associated with pollu-
tion control strategies (e.g., SIPs). In
particular, fluid and theoretical modeling tech-
niques are being used to modify present atmos-
pheric dispersion models as well as to develop new
models. The modeling program focuses on both
urban scale and regional scale (1,000 km) pollutant
transport, with emphasis currently placed on ozone
and inhalable particulate matter pollution prob-
lems. Models are also being developed by
OMMSQA to support the Agency's assessment of
primary and secondary air quality standards for fine
particles, visibility, and acid aerosols.
Hazardous Air Pollutants
OMMSQA supports several methods development
projects for the regulation of hazardous air
pollutants. Measurement and characterization of
pollutant emissions from municipal and hazardous
waste incinerators, chemical manufacturing
facilities, and other stationary sources require
specialized methods. OMMSQA conducts research
to develop these specialized source emission test
methods.
There is also a need for more specific, more sensitive, and
less expensive methods to measure hazardous/toxic
air pollutants at low but significant concentrations
in ambient air. Therefore, OMMSQA researchers
are developing and evaluating new methods to
measure air pollutants and are expanding existing
techniques to include additional pollutants. These
methods are being developed in the laboratory and
tested under field conditions.
In support of risk assessments and regulatory decision
making, OMMSQA undertakes laboratory and field
studies to provide data on the occurrence,sources,
transport, formation, removal, reaction products,
and ultimate fate of hazardous air pollutants in the
atmosphere.
Mobile Source Pollutants
Motor vehicles are important sources of atmos- ! :;
pheric pollution. OMMSQA plays a major role t%J
EPA's effort to ensure that no
unreasonable risk exists from motor
vehicle emissions. Since emphasis is
placed on such alternative fuels as methanol,
ethanol, and gasoline blends of these alcohols
and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), OMMSQA is
involved in a project that quantifies emissions from
vehicles using these alternative fuels.
This project also includes the modification of standard
Agency models and the identification of microenvi-
ronments with possible high exposures.
Indoor Air
In recent years there has been an increase in the monitor-
ing of air in indoor locations, termed microenvi-
ronments. Microenvironments include residences,
offices, and automobiles. The data obtained from
such monitoring, when combined with time and
activity pattern information, can provide more
accurate estimates of human exposure. OMMSQA
is conducting extensive exposure monitoring;
research to develop the tools to estimate human
exposure to indoor air poIhitaiMs, 4elefmiae their .^ ;
impact, and to identify their kjajicps ^fiil ct^ti^^iWaJi(|?;;%
strategies, • Amonit thfe «»afeftfiiii^^fiaiifetffii.;i
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Radiation monitoring in commu-
lities near a nuclear test site.
Stratospheric Ozone
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation has a deleterious effect
on the earth's biological and chemical systems.
Since the stratospheric ozone layer is the earth's
primary shield against these rays, more information
is needed on stratospheric ozone depletion and the
effect of UV radiation on the earth's surface.
OMMSQA is conducting air modeling analyses to
predict the influence of increasing ultraviolet-B
(UV-B) radiation on ambient ozone formation in
attainment and nonattainment urban areas.
Laboratory studies will be conducted to determine
the potential for depletion of O, in the strato-
spheric ozone layer. OMMSQA also is conducting
controlled chamber and field studies to determine
UV-B effects on selected materials. This work is an
integral component of ORD's stratospheric ozone
program.
Global Warming
The buildup in the atmosphere of pollutants such
as carbon dioxide, methane, solvents, and refriger-
ants (e.g., Freons) may trap more heat in the at-
mosphere, producing a greenhouse effect.
OMMSQA scientists are involved in an effort to
determine what effects the expected change in
climate will have on the environment. They are
working to develop methods to ascertain the
impact of climate on environmental systems and to
predict climate on a regional basis, thereby
allowing effects-oriented scientists to conduct
climate impact assessment studies.
Acid Deposition
OMMSQA's responsibilities in this area involve the
construction, documentation, and evaluation of an
Eulerian Regional Acid Deposition Model
(RADM). RADM describes the atmospheric
processes occurring during the transport and
reaction of acidic substances from the sources to
the receptors, i.e., lakes, streams, and forests.
RADM will also be used to simulate and predict
the source-receptor relationships over time and
space. In addition, OMMSQA has a program to
test the scientific accuracy of RADM. To obtain
the information needed, OMMSQA researchers are
performing field investigations that involve daily
measurements of wet deposition and air concentra-
tions of acid compounds.
OMMSQA is also involved in the development of a
deposition monitoring data base. Gaseous
pollutants and by-products of their interaction that
are being emitted into the atmosphere are affecting
various ecosystems by returning to the earth's
surface through wet (e.g., acid rain) and dry
deposition processes. The National Acidic
Deposition Program (NADP) seeks to obtain data
on the levels of ions in wet deposition throughout
the United States. OMMSQA supports the Agency
in this effort by sampling rainfall at several sites and
analyzing these samples for pH, conductivity, and a
variety of chemical concentrations. OMMSQA also
provides quality assurance for the Acid Deposition
Program and works to improve the methods used
to collect relevant data so that uncertainties can be
reduced.
In addition, OMMSQA supports the National Dry
Deposition Network (NDDN). The NDDN
estimates dry deposition rates at a network of
monitoring sites to ascertain deposition trends for
various pollutants. In conjunction with this effort,
OMMSQA develops accurate and reliable field
measurement techniques, explores the question of
uncertainties, and deploys standard procedures for
collecting and analyzing samples.
Radiation
There is a need to provide an independent evalu-
ation of the continuing safety of nuclear testing.
EPA, as a separate, unbiased Agency, performs this
function for the Department of Energy (DOE).
Because of its monitoring expertise, OMMSQA has
assumed responsibility for managing the Offsite
Radiation Monitoring Program (ORMP) for DOE,
which includes both hydrologic and human
surveillance monitoring. In addition, the Office
maintains a quality assurance support program for
measurement of ionizing radiation contaminants in
air, water, milk, and food; oversees a radiation data
base; and advises DOE on the offsite safety aspects
of each test.
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Wetter
Water Quality-Based Approach
To ensure the quality of the Nation's surface
waters, EPA has established a water quality-based
approach to the permitting of pollutant discharges
into aquatic environments. OMMSQA's activities
in the area of water quality thus are largely
concerned with ensuring that the water quality
monitoring data used by EPA for setting regula-
tions and for enforcement and compliance purposes
are scientifically valid and legally defensible. In
fulfillment of this responsibility, OMMSQA
develops the standardized chemical, physical,
methods and biological assay procedures used to
ensure the collection of accurate data. It also
provides the reference materials, calibration
standards, and biological test organisms, including
fish, microinvertebrates, algae, and microorgan-
isms, needed to support water quality monitoring.
In addition, OMMSQA researchers conduct inter-
laboratory validation studies to obtain precision
and accuracy data for each monitoring method and
conduct performance evaluation studies of EPA,
EPA contractors/grantees, and State and local
laboratories.
Marine Waters, Estuaries, and Lakes
The near-coastal areas of the United States are
among our richest and most sensitive ecosystems.
However, EPA lacks the standardized methods and
reference materials to monitor and regulate the
chemical constituents and pollutants found in these
marine and estuarine waters and sediments. Ac-
cordingly, OMMSQA is reviewing available
monitoring methods for their applicability to ma-
rine and estuarine environments and will modify
them as necessary.
Wastewater Treatment Technology
Every industrial facility that discharges wastes into
water must have a permit under the National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
Under NPDES, dischargers monitor their own
compliance up to the maximum allowable levels
and report violations immediately to the Agency.
EPA then initiates enforcement actions as needed.
Such actions are legally and technically equitable
only when the quality of the data generated within
the NPDES is assured. OMMSQA is thus involved
in evaluating NPDES monitoring and maintaining
the credibility of the NPDES data. This is accom-
plished (1) through the provision of quality control
samples to the regulated community as an external
QA check, (2) through participation in Perform-
ance Evaluation (PE) studies on unknown samples
to determine a laboratory's potential analytical ca-
pabilities, and (3) through participation in the
Discharge Monitoring Report/Quality Assurance
(DMRQA) study conducted annually for major
NPDES dischargers.
In a related area, OMMSQA is concerned with assuring
the adequacy for regulatory purposes of approved
analytical methods for measuring pollutants in
industrial wastewater. The Office investigates defi-
ciencies in existing analytical methodologies to
improve their validity, conducts research on the
existing development and standardization of new
instrumental techniques for new regulated parame-
ters, and operates an Equivalency Program to
evaluate alternative test procedures.
Drinking Water Technology
The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 (SDWA) was
passed by Congress to ensure that the Nation's
drinking water supply is safe from contaminants.
With its extensive experience in the area of quality
assurance, OMMSQA has the responsibility for de-
signing, preparing, and verifying quality control
standards, performance evaluation samples, and
calibration standards for drinking water laboratory
certification and evaluation. It conducts the
National Drinking Water Laboratory Certification
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Monitoring of surface water
contamination around well head
to assess the potential for
groundwater contamination.
Infrared satellite imagery of the
lower Chesapeake Bay water-
shed (red depicts vegetation,
dark blue is water, light blue is
silt-filled water, grey areas are
buildings, rocks, houses, etc.).
Program. This includes interlaboratory perform-
ance evaluation studies of Federal, State, and local
laboratories that perform radiochemical, chemical,
and microbiological analyses.
In addition, OMMSQA develops and reviews standard-
ized analytical procedures for onsite monitoring of
microbiological contaminants to assure compliance
with the maximum contaminant levels set by the
SDWA. It also provides support to the Agency's
drinking water programs by developing and stan-
dardizing technically and economically feasible
analytical procedures for determining the presence
of contaminants in drinking water. Congress has
mandated that 25 new analytes a year are added to
the monitoring requirement.
Ground Water
The Safe Drinking
Water Act and its
amendments also
require accurate, cost-
effective monitoring of
ground-water re-
sources. In particular,
monitoring ground-
water quality around
Wellhead Protection
Areas (WHPAs) is
necessary to protect
drinking water sup-
plies. The Under-
ground Injection
Control regulations further require the
assessment of the potential for ground-
water contamination, which, in turn,
requires the ability to predict and
map migration of wastes from
deep well injection facili-
ties. OMMSQA provides guidance in these areas.
In another ground-water-related effort, OMMSQA is
assisting the Office of Ground-Water Protection in
developing technical resource documents and other
information to aid States and local governments in
implementing ground-water protection programs.
An assessment of monitoring technologies that can
provide inexpensive alternatives to traditional
monitoring in a really extensive WHPAs will be
performed.
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Hazardous Waste and Superfund
Waste Identification
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of
1976 (RCRA) and the Hazardous and Solid Waste
Amendments of 1984 (HSWA) are the vehicles
used by EPA to control hazardous waste. Among
its provisions, RCRA requires EPA to provide
methods that determine the chemical composition
of waste, detect trace levels of toxic constituents
(both organic and inorganic), and provide for the
rapid screening of hazardous constituents in a
variety of environmental and waste matrices.
Properly validated analytical methods are required
to support these regulatory monitoring
requirements. OMMSQA is involved in an effort
to develop and evaluate more accurate and rapid
methods for extracting and analyzing hazardous
materials, as well as to improve existing methods.
RCRA also requires that most RCRA waste sites have
ground-water monitoring programs. Geophysical,
geochemical, and remote sensing methods and
hydrologic monitoring approaches are among those
used to assess the presence and extent of contami-
nation at these facilities. OMMSQA is currently
developing and evaluating a number of subsurface
monitoring methods, including soil-gas and
vadose-zone monitoring methods, ground-water
sampling devices, borehole geophysics, and fiber-
optic sensors. OMMSQA is also developing moni-
toring systems for the Agency's Underground
Storage Tank program. In addition, it has the lead
12
ftk sampling network design and data inttrf*et»r > yjff^S,
lion, and is comparing methods of data analysis ;
currently in use.
Another OMMSQA effort in the hazardous waste area
involves releases at hazardous waste sites. If there
is a release at a RCRA hazardous waste site, site
conditions, must be rapidly assessed. Aerial
photographs and multispectral scanner data provide
the best means of obtaining the necessary informa-
tion quickly and cost-effectively. Geographic
information system (GIS) technology, the com-
puter-based system for referencing all types of
spatial data, is being developed. GIS provides a
rapid and highly associative and descriptive
analytical tool for applying these data to the
practical, problem solving needs of the Regional
and Program Offices of the Agency. Applications
using global positioning system (GPS) technology,
a very fast and accurate method of ground survey-
ing that is accomplished from earth-orbiting
satellites, are being rapidly assimilated into
methodologies where precise geo-referencing is
critical. These approaches are also used in the
evaluation of permits and of overall compliance
status. OMMSQA is involved in the collection and
interpretation of data derived from these and
similar techniques.
Quality Assurance
In line with its quality assurance objective,
OMMSQA documents the quality of the RCRA
data generated by the EPA Regions, contractors,
and State and local agencies. The Office provides
industrial waste and synthetic quality control
samples and calibration standards to laboratories
conducting RCRA monitoring and analyses. It also
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Sampling of contaminated soil
from spill using Level B protec-
tive equipment.
develops, analyzes, and distributes natural-matrix,
liquid, and solid performance evaluation samples
for use by these laboratories and reports statistics to
the Office of Solid Waste (OSW). In addition,
OMMSQA regularly distributes samples to RCRA
laboratories for use as quality control samples and
conducts referee laboratory analyses on selected
RCRA samples. Finally, the Office prepares
sampling QA guidance manuals for soils and
industrial wastes and provides assistance to Regions
and States in QA and in conducting sampling
audits.
Releases
Section 311 of the Clean Water Act mandates that
Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure
(SPCC) plans be prepared for all facilities involved
with hazardous materials. OMMSQA provides
aerial photography, satellite imagery, Global
Positioning Systems (GPS), computer assisted car-
tographic mapping, and multispectral scanner and
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) support to
assist Regional Offices in SPCC surveys, planning,
and emergency response activities.
In another release-related activity, OMMSQA is evaluat-
ing pollution plume models and developing
protocols for underground storage tank (UST)
modeling. Site characterization procedures are
viewed as a high-priority need by the Office of
Underground Storage Tanks, therefore OMMSQA
is testing relevant monitoring devices and operating
procedures, along with various sampling tech-
niques.
Since all releases into the environment must now be re-
ported, there is a need for the proper tools to
accurately report releases and predict their paths.
OMMSQA is examining such tools, including
state-of-the-art dispersion modeling. To validate
the accuracy of new models, the Office is develop-
ing a methodology for model validation.
Procedures for Site Assessment
The Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CER-
CLA) provides for the cleanup of sites that pose
threats to human health or the environment. The
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
(SARA), enacted in 1986, provides for the research
to support these activities.
OMMSQA provides assistance to the Superfund program
by developing the analytical protocols, sampling
and preservation techniques, monitoring methods,
and data interpretation approaches to be used by
on-scene coordinators (OSCs) and regional project
managers (RPMs) in assessing the degree of hazard
posed by these waste sites. These include air
monitoring techniques for ambient and source
sampling; ground-water monitoring techniques for
hazardous waste and agricultural chemicals;
analytical sample preparation methods and auto-
mated data transfer techniques; geophysical
methods such as high resolution seismic reflection;
x-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurements of metal
concentrations; remote sensing techniques; soil
core preparation procedures; portable GC technol-
ogy; and PC-based geostatistics computer pro-
grams.
13
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Technical Support
Because precise and accurate data are required to
properly characterize Superfund sites, OMMSQA
provides OSCs and RPMs with site-specific
technical assistance, monitoring and characteriza-
tion support, and quality assurance support. In
addition, it evaluates the performance of EPA's
Regional Laboratories involved in the Superfund
Program.
Advanced Field Methods
Another OMMSQA effort in support of the
Superfund program is the development, evaluation,
and standardization of field analytical and sampling
methods and the design of techniques for manag-
ing and interpreting field data. The techniques
under development must be rapid, inexpensive, and
sensitive. OMMSQA's analytical and sampling
activities in this area have initially focused on
volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the most
common contaminants at Superfund sites. Cur-
rently, the Office is developing new screening
methods for exposure assessment, including bio-
markers, and is evaluating vadose zone monitoring
equipment.
Quality Assurance
Since an effective quality assurance program is
essential to ensure that the analytical data involved
are of appropriate quality, OMMSQA prepares
quality assurance reference materials and audits the
data generated. These reference materials include
calibration standards as well as quality control
and performance evaluation samples. The
resulting data are maintained in a Quality
Assurance/Quality Control Data
Base. These activities are in
support of the Contract Labora-
tory Program (CLP), which is
responsible for most of the chemical
analyses performed under the Superfund
program.
Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation Program
Section 31 Ib of SARA requires EPA to conduct
the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation
(SITE) Program to promote promising new tech-
nologies that can be applied to Superfund contami-
nation problems. OMMSQA is currently evaluat-
ing and validating a number of these new technolo-
gies, including fiber optics/chemical sensors,
immunoassay systems, soil gas analyzers, high-
volume stack samplers, and x-ray fluorescence for ,
rapid screening.
14
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Pesticides and Toxic Substances
IMMSQA's exposure monitoring
md modeling research utilizes
iomputerized methods such as
he x-ray spectrometer to meas-
ire exposure of humans and the
:nvironment to pesticides and
oxic substances.
Exposure Monitoring
Direct monitoring of human exposure is a relatively
new approach to measuring human exposures to
environmental contaminants. It is preferable to
inferential or reconstructive exposures, which often
result in error, particularly underestimation of total
exposure. OMMSQA's exposure research program
seeks to measure the exposure of populations to the
critical chemicals regulated by the Agency. This
exposure information is used by the Office of Pesti-
cides and Toxic Substances (OPTS) in the implem-
entation of the Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and related legislative
mandates. The results from research are used in
evaluating risks associated with pesicide use as well
as the manufacture, use, and release of new and
existing chemicals.
OMMSQA's research is designed to develop models that
predict the exposure of the entire target population
to these critical chemicals from all sources. Among
other things, exposure studies help to identify non-
traditional sources that may contribute to exposure.
The exposure research also examines dietary, non-
dietary, residential, and occupational exposure
scenarios to develop models to improve exposure
estimation techniques. These exposure estimates
can then be extrapolated to larger populations.
Emphasis is being placed on estimating pesticide
exposures to potentially high-risk populations, such
as toddlers and children. Research is designed to
detect exposure to pesticide residues, to model
exposures and to develop guidelines for registrants.
Test Method Development
The Office of Toxic Substances (OTS) requires
analytical methods for mixtures that are difficult to
analyze, as well as for other uncharacterized materi-
als disseminated into the environment. OMMSQA
is providing the validated methods to characterize
and analyze these materials and mixtures. Among
the technologies being studied are tandem mass
spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass
spectrometry (ICP/MS), immunochemical
techniques, liquid and ion chromatography, and
supercritical fluid extraction applied to biological
samples.
Health Markers, Dosimetry, and Extrapolation
Biomarkers are specific biochemical or physiologi-
cal changes within an organism. OMMSQA's
human biomarker research program involves the in-
vestigation of selected biomarkers as indicators of
exposure. OMMSQA researchers are seeking to
identify, develop, refine, and apply appropriate
biomarkers that can be used along with other
monitoring data to better measure exposure to
individuals and populations. Results will be used to
construct pharmacokinetic models. This informa-
tion will in turn reduce the uncertainty in the
estimates of human risk following exposure to toxic
chemicals and pesticides.
Biotechnology
Since conventional microbiological sampling
techniques are inadequate to monitor the disper-
sion and persistence of microbes in the microenvi-
ronment, OMMSQA conducts research to develop
and standardize collection and quality assurance
procedures to measure these microbes. Emphasis is
being placed on development of standard proce-
dures to measure the release of microbes into the
environment. The Office will also assist OPTS
prepare guidelines and hold demonstrations and
workshops to introduce and maintain these
monitoring procedures.
15
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Support
One of the support services that OMMSQA
provides in the area of quality assurance is the
operation and maintenance of the Pesticides and
Industrial Chemical Repository. There is a need to
maintain a source of chemical standards in order to
establish traceability and maintain comparability
between laboratories in chemical analyses of
pesticide residues and other analytes. The reposi-
tory acts as a unique source of chemicals and meta-
bolic degradation products which are no longer
available commercially in the U.S., but are needed
to implement responsibilities of the Agency.
Providing quality assurance support for the pesticides and
toxic substances programs is another function of
OMMSQA. Such support includes reviewing
current monitoring methodologies used to develop
data bases, QA protocols, and guidelines for data
management procedures. It also involves providing
materials for bioassays, biological measurements,
exposure monitoring, and exposure assessments.
Advanced computer technology is being used to
analyze spatially related monitoring data from
existing Agency programs to identify areas of
potentially high exposure.
SARA Title III
OMMSQA is concerned with the development and
demonstration of an innovative methodology to
address the potential for routine or catastrophic
chemical releases from industrial sites. The Office
investigates process analytical chemistry techniques
to monitor chemical production processes and
assess potential or actual releases from industrial
sites. OMMSQA also develops and evaluates pro-
cedures to address environmental and human
exposure monitoring at industrial sites.
Asbestos
Since asbestos is present in many public buildings,
schools, and residences, human exposure to
asbestos is of concern. OMMSQA is developing
and evaluating sampling procedures and micro-
scopic procedures to detect asbestos. In addition,
monitoring methods to measure human exposure
in microenvironments will be studied, with
emphasis placed on public building maintenance
and abatement practices.
16
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Multimedia
inalytical quality assurance
ampling.
ield portable Test Kit for
nmunochemical Environmental
lonitoring.
>dvanced analytical methods to
etermine the presence of pesti-
ides and toxic substances
iclude liquid chromotography
nd mass spectromelry.
n recognition of the growing environmental
problem resulting from continuing, persistent, and
cumulative pollution from a variety of sources, both
controlled and uncontrolled, the EPA Science
Advisory Board (SAB), in 1988, urged the Agency
to reevaluate its approach for dealing with environ-
mental problems in the next decade and beyond
and recommended a long-term research program to
support this new strategy. Among its recommenda-
tions was the establishment of a program to
monitor ecological status and trends, as well as to
develop innovative methods to detect emerging
problems before they reach crisis proportions.
EPA is thus initiating a major new "Core" Research
Program, supported by an SAB review of the Office
of Research and Development's long-term research
program. The Core Research Program is intended
to generate knowledge essential to all areas of envi-
ronmental decision making, not just the immediate
regulatory needs of EPA Program Offices. It
requires a commitment to long-term research and
to maintaining the resources necessary for an effec-
tive basic research program. The Core Research
Program consists of four parts: ecological risk
assessment, health risk assessment, risk reduction,
and exploratory grants and research centers.
OMMSQA will have a lead role in both the ecologi-
cal risk and health risk assessment areas. It will also
be involved, but to a lesser extent in the risk reduc-
tion area.
The Multimedia Planning Group has a lead role in plan-
ning the Core Research Program, particularly the
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Pro-
gram (EMAP) and the Total Human Exposure-
Research Program.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program
Ecological risk assessment is the scientific process of
evaluating the risk that pollution poses to our
environment. Historically, such risk assessments
have focused on evaluating the effects of individual
pollutants and discharges on a limited number of
species to provide the data for specific regulations.
Thus, there is at present a limited information
framework from which to assess the cumulative
effects of pollution on the ecosystem as a whole.
Moreover, the need for such baseline conditions
against which future changes can be documented
has become more acute as environmental issues
have grown in complexity.
To meet this need, the Office of Research and Develop-
ment has established the Environmental Monitor-
ing and Assessment Program. EMAP is a major
effort to assess and document the condition of the
Nation's ecological resources. EMAP provides the
strategic approach needed to identify and deter-
mine the extent, magnitude, and location of
deteriorating or improving environmental condi-
tions. It also monitors the status and trends in rep-
resentative ecological resource systems that are at
risk from multiple environmental stresses. The data
derived from such monitoring programs will indi-
cate whether serious changes are occurring in these
systems and whether single or multiple pollutants
are responsible. Because data on large geographic
scales and over long time frames are essential to
such assessments, EMAP focuses on national- and
regional-scale conditions over extended periods of
time.
17
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To determine the overall state of the environment,
indicators of ecological condition are used. The
success of such evaluations depends on the accuracy
of these indicators. The EMAP program has
identified three categories of indicators: (1)
response indicators—biological measures that
address the overall condition of ecosystems; (2)
exposure indicators—physical, chemical, and
biological measurements that can be related to
pollutant exposure, habitat degradation, or other
causes of poor condition; and (3) stressor indica-
tors—economic, social, and engineering data (e.g.,
coal production, pesticide applications, pollutant
emissions) that can be used to confirm diagnoses.
OMMSQA will test and refine these indicators by
conducting several pilot studies. The Office will
also develop new and improved environmental
indicators, along with statistical diagnosis and data
analysis techniques.
EMAP monitors conditions in near-coastal systems,
wetlands, inland surface waters, and terrestrial
ecosystems. It will also monitor acid precipitation
and air quality because they are important factors
that affect ecosystems. Pollutant exposure and
response indicators to be monitored include those
related to multiple and cumulative pollutant
interactions, regional air pollution and acidic depo-
sition, habitat loss and modification, nonpoint
source pollutant impacts to surface water and
estuaries, and changes in radiation energy inputs
and climate. Early emphasis is being placed on
implementing the program in estuaries, near-
coastal wetlands, and inland surface waters, as well
as on the evaluation and maintenance of the
atmospheric deposition network (i.e., the National
Trends Network/National Dry Deposition
Network). OMMSQA will plan and conduct
regional pilot status surveys in near-coastal and
forested ecosystems and will modify sampling plans
based on these pilot surveys. Estuaries and coastal
wetlands were selected as part of the pilot surveys
because they are spawning grounds for many or-
ganisms, and because estuarine watersheds are
primary recipients of pollution. During all phases
of the EMAP effort, OMMSQA is working closely
with other Agency offices as well as Federal
agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration (NOAA), the U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and the U. S.
Department of Agriculture
(USDA).
In other activities to support this aspect of the
Core Research Program, OMMSQA will
establish a national network of annual trend
monitoring sites, including the maintenance and
expansion of the monitoring of ecosystem exposure
to pollutants in air and atmospheric deposition. In
addition, the Office will produce annual statistical
reports on status and trends for both the scientific
community and the public, and will support the
Administrator and EPA officials in allocating
resources by providing periodic integrated interpre-
tive assessments of environmental data.
To improve coordination of ecological research efforts
and to provide a comprehensive view of ecological
research to date, the Office of Research and
Development is studying the creation of a National
Institute of Ecological Research (NIER). The
NIER would conduct ecological research, develop
field monitoring studies, provide support in the
areas of data management and statistical analysis,
and disseminate information to policy and decision-
makers. OMMSQA is involved in the planning
phase of this effort.
Total Human Exposure Research Program
Traditionally, environmental health research at
EPA has concentrated on assessing the health risk
of single chemicals; therefore, little information is
available about how environmental exposures are
affecting our health and what can be done about
them. The Core Research Program will enhance
18
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rated into the major components of The Human
Exposure Research Program, that is, methods
development, measurement and data collection,
modeling, and exposure assessments.
In addition, OMMSQA will coordinate with
other Federal agencies, non-Federal groups, and
State organizations involved in environmental
research to exchange information on the results
of their efforts. A data base management system
will be devised to efficiently handle the data
obtained form these sources.
the Agency's capabilities by develop-
ing the tools and knowledge needed -to
assess the status of public health, identify
potential problems, develop risk reduction pro-
grams, and evaluate the effectiveness of these pro-
grams.
OMMSQA will play a major role in ORD's Core
Research effort in the Total Human Exposure
Research Program. Emphasis is being placed on
the need for direct measurements of personal
exposure through monitoring of media that contact
the target and measurements of the biomarkers of
exposure, such as body burden. This approach
involves the measurement or estimate of total
exposure, the measurement of the contribution of
each route of exposure, and the apportionment of
the exposure among the sources. Estimates of
exposure will also be improved because of en-
hanced abilities to measure human activity patterns.
OMMSQA's efforts will focus on four principal areas of
research: (1) characterization and classification of
human exposures; (2) design and implementation
of human exposure studies and monitoring systems
to assess exposure trends; (3) development of the
science of predicting exposures to pollutants
through models and surrogate systems; and (4) im-
provement of the process of conducting exposure
assessments. These research areas will be incorpo-
Risk Reduction
Risk reduction includes any policies, technologies,
and activities implemented to lessen the risk to
humans or the environment from hazardous con-
taminants. The risk assessment portions of the
Core Research Program will provide the informa-
tion needed to identify pollutants that pose risks to
human health or our ecosystem. They will also
determine the magnitude of the risk. If the risk is
found to be unacceptable, risk reduction methods,
such as pollution prevention, treatment, or
minimization of exposure, can be employed to
reduce the risk. Pollution prevention, or waste
minimization, is the preferred approach.
OMMSQA will provide support to this area in the
coming years as well.
OMMSQA also conducts atmospheric research on a co-
operative basis with various scientific bodies of the
People's Republic of China, Poland and others.
The topics include transport and dispersion, the
influence of aerosols on conversion of sulfur
dioxide to sulfate, and the role of pollutants in
damaging structures and monuments.
Reducing Uncertainties in Risk Assessment
Uncertainty is introduced into risk assessments
because chemicals are generally regulated on the
basis of the concentration to which an individual is
exposed rather than on the dose that actually
reaches vulnerable tissue. To reduce these
uncertainties, the methodologies for determining
human exposure must be improved. One method
for assessing human exposure is through exposure
modeling. OMMSQA will develop and validate
these models as part of its responsibilities under the
Core Research Program.
19
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Data Integration and Analysis
EPA's Center of Excellence for Data Integration
and Analysis is located within OMMSQA. Their
primary function is to promote the use of Geo-
graphical Information Systems (GIS), a relational
data base to store such themes as land use, soils,
populations, or well logs for a particular area.
Another computer file contains the earth coordi-
nate data and the relationships between that
location and those surrounding it.
More than just a mapping system, GIS functions as a
window on existing data bases, allowing the analyst
to interact and manage data, models, and maps,
develop scenarios and visually showing the results
in either permanent paper map form or as tempo-
rary presentations on a color screen. The data
analyzed are a collection of spatial information
(represented by points, lines, and polygons) and
their associated attributes (characteristics of the
features such as ownership information, chemical
characteristics, or economic activities) which the
points, lines, and areas represent. The cartographic
tools of GIS then allow the analyst to display,
overlay, measure, merge, and identify thematic data
in support of a particular analysis. By allowing the
spatial data maps to be displayed and analyzed on a
common scale, GIS provides the linkages necessary
for effective decision-making, program prioritizing
and the associated implementation of environ-
mental management plans.
Quality Assurance
In addition to the previous activities, OMMSQA
also manages the Agency-wide Quality Assurance
Program. In this capacity, OMMSQA provides
central management and oversight of the Agency's
quality assurance program for environmental data
operations. Key program elements include:
development of QA Program Plans covering all
Agency organizations having environmental data
operations; conduct of Management Systems
Reviews of selected programs; implementation of
the Data Quality Objectives process; and manage-
ment of an Agency-wide QA training program.
-------
Cincinnati,
Ohio 45268
[513-569-7301;
ZTS 684-7301)
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory-Cincinnati
s *%• ,1
The Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory-
Cincinnati (EMSL-CIN) develops, evaluates, and
standardizes methods and procedures to acquire
data used to monitor and assess the status of the
environment. Research conducted by the Labora-
tory involves methods and procedures to detect,
identify, and measure both chemical and biological
environmental pollutants in various media, includ-
ing raw and treated wastewater, drinking water,
ambient water, soil, sediments, sludge, and
biological samples. Once standardized, these
methods are used to detect and identify
bacteria,viruses, parasites, and aquatic organisms, as
well as organic and inorganic pollutants. The
Laboratory also develops and tests procedures for
sample handling, transport, and preservation. In
addition, it operates the EPA's Quality Assurance
Program for maintaining the scientific credibility of
the Agency's water, wastewater, and solid waste/
Superfund/toxics data bases. The quality assurance
effort includes method evaluation studies to
establish the precision and bias of the Agency's
analytical methods and the distribution of quality
control samples and calibration standard to Agency,
state, and contractor laboratories.
EMSL-CIN employed 98 full-time personnel in FY 89.
Its FY 89 budget was $11.7 million, divided
between in-house ($5.6 million) and extramural
($6.1 million) research activities.
The Laboratory is organized into three research divisions:
Chemistry, Microbiology, and Quality Assurance.
A Program Operations Staff coordinates the overall
program activities of the Laboratory. Figure 5
depicts the structure of the EMSL-CIN.
Chemistry Research Division
The Chemistry Research Division (CRD) is
responsible for development and standardization of
analytical methods for determination of chemical
environmental contaminants in various sample
types. These methods are used in setting and en-
forcing Agency standards and regulations for
ambient water, drinking water, wastewater, and
solid waste.
The CRD is composed of two branches—the Inorganic
Chemistry Branch and the Organic Chemistry
Branch. Major research areas in the Inorganic
Chemistry Branch are determination of metals
through application of inductively coupled plasma
(ICP) emission spectrometry and ICP/mass spec-
trometry and determination of inorganic ions, or-
ganometallics, and metal speciation with chromato-
graphic procedures. The Organic Chemistry
Branch is involved in the development and
evaluation of improved data systems; software
devices; and techniques employing automated data
collection, manipulation, and transfer. This branch
uses a variety of computerized systems integrating
mass spectrometers with gas and liquid chromato-
graphs, to develop accurate and precise analytical
methods.
21
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Liquid chromatograph/mass
spectrometer.
22
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Office of the Director
Deputy Director
Program
Operations
Staff
Containment
Facility
Chemistry
Research
Division
• Inorganic
• Organic
Microbiology
Research
Division
• Bacteriology
• Virology
• Parasitology/
Immunology
Quality Assurance
Research
Division
• Development/
Evaluation
• Aquatic Biology
• Project Management
Microbiology Research Division
The Microbiology Research Division (MRD)
conducts research on methods for detecting, identi-
fying, and quantifying microbial indicators and
pathogens found in water, wastes, soil, and air.
These methods are used to determine the occur-
rence, distribution, transport, and fate of micro-
organisms in the environment. Methods for
monitoring microorganisms are also evaluated and
standardized. The Division conducts studies to
ascertain the health and ecological effects associated
with viruses, bacteria, and parasites in the environ-
ment. It also develops quality assurance guidelines
for inclusion in Agency manuals and produces
reference materials. The Division has three
branches: Bacteriology, Virology, and Immunol-
ogy and Parasitology.
The Bacteriology Branch is concerned with detection,
enumeration, and identification of indicator and
pathogenic bacteria in media such as water, sludge,
soil, sediment, air, and leachate. Research is con-
ducted to determine the virulence of infectious
agents and the potential for human exposure to
them. This Branch also is investigating emerging
health and environmental problems caused by
bacteria in water and wastes and is evaluating new
bacterial indicators of specific health and environ-
mental problems.
The Virology Branch develops methods to identify water
quality problems, pollution sources, and control re-
23
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quirements related to human enteric viruses.
Emphasis is placed on practical and economical
analytical procedures that permit rapid assessment
of environmental health problems associated with
viral pathogens.
Research on methods to determine the occurence and
significance of environmental pathogens is con-
ducted by the Parasitology and Immunology
Branch. The Branch also develops and applies
immunoassay techniques to ascertain the viability,
virulence, speciation, and growth characteristics of
bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
Quality Assurance Research Division
The Qualtiy Assurance Research Division provides
quality assurance support for various Agency
programs, including standardization of methods for
aquatic biology, collaborative multilaboratory
studies to evaluate the Agency's chemical and
biological methods, and large-scale studies to assess
analytical laboratory performance. This Division is
composed of a Development and Evaluation
Branch, an Aquatic Biology Branch, and a Project
Management Branch.
The aquatic biology area has activities that include the
development and validation of toxicity tests for
marine and fresh water and sediments. This
division is involved in the biomarker research
program. Biomarkers are being developed,
standardized and tested in the field for their ability
to be used as early indicators of exposure.
The Agency's data collectio
and enforcement activities
depend upon standards and
reference materials supplie
OMMSQA for assuring the
accuracy of analytical meth
24
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'.0. Box 93478
as Vegas, Nevada
19193-3478
702-798-2100;
TS 545-2100)
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory-Las Vegas
The overall mission of the Environmental Monitor-
ing Systems Laboratory-Las Vegas (EMSL-LV) is
to develop, evaluate, and apply methods and
systems for monitoring the environment in order to
assess the exposure of humans and other receptors
in the environment to pollution, as well as to
characterize the status of and identify trends in
environmental quality. To accomplish these
objectives, the Laboratory develops and applies
field monitoring techniques, analytical methods,
and remote sensing systems for monitoring
environmental pollutants and then transfers these
systems to Agency user organizations. EMSL-LV
also develops and operates quality assurance
programs for radiation, hazardous wastes, and
toxic/pesticide monitoring. It develops and
maintains reference standards, prepares perform-
ance evaluation materials, and conducts perform-
ance audits for the Agency and for other Federal,
State, and local laboratories. In addition, the
Laboratory provides technical support to EPA's
Regional and Program Offices in response to their
requests for pollutant monitoring, testing, and sur-
veillance assistance.
The laboratory employs about 250 Federal employees
and has 310 contract support employees onsite. Its
FY 89 budget was $40.2 million.
EMSL-LV is organized into the following four divisions:
Quality Assurance and Methods Development,
Advanced Monitoring Systems, Nuclear Radiation
Assessment, and Exposure Assessment Research.
Figure 6 shows the organizational structure of
EMSL-LV. The divisions and their functions are as
follows.
Quality Assurance and Methods Development
Division
This division develops and evaluates innovative
techniques for sample extraction and analysis of
organic and inorganic contaminants in complex
environmental matrices. It also develops and
implements procedures for assuring and assessing
the quality of data from environmental monitoring
and distributes standards and reference materials to
laboratories around the country. The performance
of these laboratories is then evaluated, along with
the precision, accuracy, and ruggedness of the ana-
lytical protocols. In addition, the Division provides
quality assurance support and data audits for the
Superfund Contract Laboratory Program and, in
cooperation with the University of Nevada-Las
Vegas, has established a fully equipped Quality
Assurance Laboratory to support the Superfund
program.
Advanced Monitoring Systems Division
The Advanced Monitoring Systems Division
develops, optimizes, and field tests methods, sys-
tems, and strategies for monitoring the condition
of the environment and for assessing the exposure
of critical receptors. The Division develops, adapts,
optimizes, and applies methods and techniques for
measuring environmental pollutants as they
transcend the media criteria for designing mini-
mum adequate configurations. In addition to de-
veloping pollutant-specific strategies for integrated
25
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measurement determinations, it conducts environ-
mental quality studies and validates theoretical ap-
proaches through field investigations. In support
of this mission, and to fulfill other Agency meas-
urement requirements, the Division develops or
adapts and reduces to practice rapid, wide-area
monitoring methodology and techniques; this
includes three-dimensional air mass pollutant
measurements and remote sensing of specific
environmental pollutant parameters. The Division
develops and puts into practice systems designed to
provide interactive computer-based data for envi-
ronmental assessments and assessing exposure
impacts on critical environmental components. It
also acquires and interprets photographic and other
remotely sensed data for environmental assessments
and to support other Agency needs. The Division
develops and provides the Agency airborne moni-
toring capability and provides emergency response
monitoring in the event of pollution episodes or
accidental releases of contaminants into the envi-
ronment.
Geographical Information Systems
Data Layers
Hydrology
Sample Sites
Soil/water Chemistry Samples
Buildings
Topography
Drainage Basins
Soils
Hazardous Waste Site
Nuclear Radiation Assessment Division
EMSL-LV, through its Nuclear Radiation Assess-
ment Division, maintains extensive radioanalytical
and field radiological monitoring capabilities to
monitor environmental radioactivity levels around
nuclear weapons testing sites in Nevada and
elsewhere. Under a Memorandum of Understand-
ing with the Department of Energy, the Division
collects radiological surveillance data and performs
research on pathways to determine the actual and
potential radiation exposure to man and the
environment from nuclear testing. These capabili-
ties are used to assist in radiation accident emer-
gencies such as the Three Mile Island incident.
The Division operates a whole body counter for
determining radionuclide body burdens in the
population and serves as a radioanalytical quality
assurance center for drinking water sample analyses.
Exposure Assessment Research Division
The Exposure Assessment Research Division is
divided into two program areas: exposure moni-
toring and ecosystem monitoring. The exposure
monitoring program has research efforts in total
26
EMSL-LV complex located on the
campus of the University of
Nevada, Las Vegas.
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eographic Information Systems
ilS) Data Layers.
'
human exposure modeling (microenvironment
characterization and human activity pattern
analysis), biomarkers of exposure, pharmacokinetic
modeling, consumer product modeling, methods
for assessing dermal exposure, measurement and
monitoring methods for airborne microorganisms
including genetically engineered microorganisms,
and the development and evaluation of immuno-
chemical methods for environmental pollutants.
The ecosystem monitoring program has research
efforts in field quality assurance, soil/sediment
sampling methods, classical and spatial statistics,
and monitoring methods for municipal waste
facilities. This program also provides quality
assurance support to the Aquatic Effects Research
Program which is part of the Agency's acid
deposition research effort. The program is also
responsible for the monitoring of terrestrial ecosys-
tems (forest, agroecosystems, and deserts and
rangelands) as part of OMMSQA's Environmental
Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP).
27
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Atmospheric Research and Exposure Assessment Laboratory
Research Triangle
Park, NC 27711
(919-541-2106;
FTS 629-2106)
T
he Atmospheric Research and Exposure Assessment
Laboratory (AREAL) conducts intramural and
extramural research in the chemical, physical, and
biological sciences. This research is designed to:
• Characterize and quantify present and future
ambient air pollutant levels and resultant exposures
to humans and ecosystems on local, regional, and
global scales;
• Develop and validate models to predict changes
in air pollution levels and air pollutant exposures
and determine the relationships among the factors
affected by predicted and observed changes;
• Determine source-to-receptor relationships
relating to ambient air quality and air pollutant
exposures, developing predictive models to be used
for assessments of regulatory alternatives derived
from these relationships either directly or indirectly;
• Provide support to Program and Regional Offices
and to state and local groups, in the form of
technical advice, methods research and develop-
ment, quality assurance, field monitoring, instru-
ment development, and modeling for quantitative
risk assessment and regulatory purposes;
• Develop and carry out long-term research in the
areas of atmospheric methods, quality assurance,
biomarkers, spatial statistics, exposure assessment,
and modeling research to solve cutting edge
scientific issues relating to EPA's mission; and
• Collect, organize, manage, and distribute
research data on air quality, human and ecosystem
exposures, and trends for Program and Regional
Offices, ORD, the scientific community, and the
general public,
AREAL has an annual budget of $40 million; 74 percent
of this amount is allocated for extramural research
and 26 percent is devoted to in-house research.
AREAL currently employs a staff of 219, with the
majority found in the disciplines of chemistry,
meteorology, and physics.
AREAL's research program is divided among five
divisions: Chemical Processes and Characterization
Research Division, Methods Research and Devel-
opment Division, Exposure Assessment Research
Division, Atmospheric Sciences Modeling Research
Division, and Quality Assurance Division. Other
28
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AL's research efforts
ude monitoring and
eling source-to-receptor
tionships to determine
ient air quality.
AL's atmospheric research
lies stratified flow of atmos-
ric pollutants over landscapes
etermine dispersion character-
is of air pollutants, (left,
om)
meteorlogical wind tunnel is
1 to determine flow patterns
moke emitted from industrial
major components of the Laboratory are the Office
of the Director, the Program Design and Integra-
tion Staff, and the Program Operations Staff.
Figure 4 provides an overview of AREAL's
organizational structure.
Chemical Processes and Characterization
Research Division
AREAL conducts chemical process and characteri-
zation research to measure and characterize the
chemical composition of the atmosphere and emis-
sions, as well as the physical properties of ambient
air pollution. The overall objective of this research
is to quantify the relationship between the atmos-
pheric composition of air pollution and emissions
from both mobile and stationary sources. In
addition, AREAL devises statistical models and
analysis techniques to demonstrate the links
between atmospheric concentrations of pollutants
and their probable sources. Research is also under
way on new vehicle, fuel, and emission control
technology on the chemical and physical nature of
pollutants emitted to the atmosphere.
Methods Research and Development Division
The Methods Research and Development Division
seeks to devise and test methods for determining
and quantifying pollutants in ambient air, indoor
microenvironments, and other environmental
samples. Through this program, AREAL explores
technical and cost-saving opportunities for
upgrading the instruments and the monitoring and
analytical methods used in compliance efforts,
problem identification and characterization efforts,
and status and trends efforts. In addition, it devel-
ops, evaluates, improves, and field tests cost-
effective air pollution monitoring methods and
measurement technology for use in network
operations, field studies, human exposure assess-
ment studies, and global climate change studies.
Exposure Assessment Research Division
In general, the Exposure Assessment Research
Division develops exposure assessment techniques,
conducts exposure assessments, designs environ-
mental monitoring networks related to AREAL's
Prototype air sampling device for collecting trace levels of
semivolatile organic compounds in indoor air.
mission, and collects and disseminates data on air
quality and human and ecosystem exposures. The
Division develops and applies human activity-
pattern models and predictive source-to-microenvi-
ronment exposure models, and develops and
applies statistical and mathematical theory related
to environmental monitoring and research data.
This Division also performs exposure analyses on
direct and indirect pathways of air pollution effects
for human health and ecosystem risk assessments
developed within the Agency.
Atmospheric Sciences Modeling Research Division
The objective of the Atmospheric Sciences
Modeling Research Division is to develop predic-
tive models on local, regional, and global scales for
assessing alterations in air quality and air pollutant
exposures that result from changes in ecosystem
management and regulatory decisions. In addition,
this Division performs and directs the interagency
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research necessary to support ecological risk
assessment. The support includes quantitatively
evaluating changes in regional air quality resulting
from global climate fluctuations, modeling tech-
niques that describe atmospheric physical processes
affecting buoyant and dense gas pollution disper-
sion under unique meteorological situations,
terrain features, and source configurations. This
Division also implements modeling software design
and systems analysis.
Quality Assurance Division
The Quality Assurance Division's objective is to
develop and implement the EPA-wide air pollution
quality assurance program. The Division develops
materials, systems, and procedures to assess the
quality of air measurement data submitted to EPA.
It also evaluates, improves, describes, and standard-
izes the methodologies used for measuring
pollutants in the ambient air and in stationary
source emissions. In addition, the Division
implements EPA's program for formal designation
of reference and equivalent methods in support of
the National Ambient Air Quality Standards and
coordinates the development of the quality assur-
ance requirements of EPA's monitoring regula-
tions.
30
i, US GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE' 1990-726-022
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