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OFFICE OF RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT
National
Homeland
Security
Research
Center
Advancing Our
Nation's Security
Through Science
The National Homeland Security Research Center
As part of USEPA's Office of Research and Development, the National Homeland Security Research Center
(NHSRC) provides products and expertise to improve our nation's ability to respond to and recover from
environmental contamination caused by terrorist attacks on our nation's water infrastructure, buildings
and outdoor areas.
NHSRC conducts and reports on research
related to
• Detecting and containing contamination from
chemical, biological and radiological agents
• Assessing and mitigating exposure to
contamination
• Understanding the health effects of
contamination
• Developing risk-based exposure advisories
and contamination cleanup goals
• Decontaminating and disposing of
contaminated materials
NHSRC has developed afield-portable water sample
ultrafiltration device that concentrates pathogens, thus
increasing the likelihood of detecting them.
NHSRC works closely with a variety of stakeholders
and experts to develop products that include
• Standardized analytical methods for use by
a nationwide network of federal and state
laboratories following a terrorist attack
• Research on contamination warning systems for
water utilities
• Models which integrate existing public health
surveillance data and drinking water quality
measurements
• Methods and technical support for treatment,
decontamination and disposal of contaminants
and debris
• Technology testing and evaluation reports
• Research on effective risk communication
EPA s rotary kiln incinerator simulator is used by
NHSRC to investigate the destruction of contaminated
building materials.
For additional information, visit our
web site at www.epa.gov/nhsrc
or email nhsrc@epa.gov
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&EFA
www.epa.gov
NATIONAL HOMELAND SECURITY RESEARCH CENTER
How NHSRC Does Its Work
NHSRC works closely with other scientists, engineers and government agencies, as well as security specialists, public health officials, industry leaders and emergency responders to:
Help detect and limit contamination by
• Developing models that predict how
contamination spreads in buildings, outdoor
environments and drinking water distribution
systems
• Researching exposure advisory levels for
resumed use of water resources and re-entry into
facilities and outdoor areas
• Developing, compiling and verifying standardized
sampling and analytical methods used to define
the extent of contamination or the effectiveness
of decontamination
• Evaluating reliable, real-time monitoring systems
for detecting contamination in water and
wastewater systems
• Developing software tools to assist water utilities
in mitigating contamination incidents
• Creating computer-based tools for estimating
potential damage to drinking water and
wastewater systems from explosives
• Developing technologies that immobilize
contaminants on surfaces
Help decontaminate by
• Developing cost-effective tools and procedures
for containment, treatment, decontamination and
removal of chemical, biological and radiological
agents
• Providing the scientific basis for the development
of risk-based cleanup goals
• Testing, evaluating and optimizing commercially
available and emerging decontamination
technologies
• Evaluating the impact of decontamination
technologies on sensitive materials and
electronics
Help dispose of contaminated
materials by
• Identifying and reporting on the best practices for
disposal of debris contaminated with chemical,
biological and radiological agents
• Developing decision support tools to provide
options for treatment and disposal of debris from
homeland security incidents
• Evaluating techniques that support the
remediation of water and wastewater, buildings
and outdoor environments
Much of NHSRC s water related research can help -water utilities detect, respond to
and recover from contamination events.
The -wind tunnel at the Research Triangle Park facility is used to study
dispersion of contaminants.
NHSRC develops and tests various decontamination methods to determine how well
they -work and their effect on building materials and sensitive equipment. Tenting
buildings contains thefumigant used to inactivate or destroy contaminants.
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