Environmental Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
960 College Station Road
Athens, Georgia 30605-2720
Phone: 706-546-3134
FAX: 706-546-2018
EMAIL: ERL/ATHENS8431
September 1993
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Pollution Prevention
EcoRlsk Assessment
Contaminated Sediments
Large Lakes and Rivers
Bioremediation
Environmental Review
of New Chemicals
Human Exposure
Groundwater
Drinking Water
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Unique laboratory capabilities include computa-
tional chemistry, chemical remediation,
bioremediation, watershedresponse, multimediapol-
lutant exposure assessment, andmultispectraliden-
tification of unusual organic pollutants. Research
themes are:
II Environmental Chemistry
Characterize the mechanisms by which chemicals are
transformed and metals are speciated in the environ-
ment and develop mathematical expressions that
describe these mechanisms to permit prediction of
environmental concentrations; develop and apply
computational chemistrymethods(includingfunda-
mental perturbation theory and molecular spectro-
scopic relationships) to predict equilibrium, con-
stants, reaction rates, and reaction products; apply
theoretical considerations and laboratory experimen-.
tationto determine the efficacy of chemical processes
(alone and together with biological techniques) for
remediation of soils and sediments; and develop and
apply multispectral identification techniques to iden-
tify, organic-source chemicals and transformation
products in soils, wastes, leachates, and the ambient
environment.
H Predictive Exposure Assessment
Establish the kinetics of abiotic and microbial degra-
dation of hazardous chemicals in the environment;
characterize and test, techniques to enhance these
processes to achieve bioremediation of contaminated
soils .and sediments; develop computerized math-
ematical models, with appropriate expert systems, to
predict environmental fate and effects of chemicals;
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The U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency's Environmental
Research Laboratory at Athens,
Georgia, conducts and manages
basic and applied research to
predict, assess, and reduce the
human and environmental
exposures and risks associated
with release of organic chemicals
and heavy metals into freshwa-
ter, marine, and terrestrial
ecosystems, and of greenhouse
gases to the atmosphere.
This research identifies and
characterizes the natural biologi-
cal and chemical processes that
affect the environmental fate and
effects of toxic substances, such
as solvents, pesticides, or metals,
and the net exchange of green-
house gases between the tropo-
sphere and terrestrial biosphere
taking into account cycling and
sequestration. Results are ap-
plied in mathematical models
developed to assess and manage
multimedia pollution problems
at the watershed and larger
geographic units and greenhouse
gases on national and global
scales.
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