00
                         U.S.  ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
  
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                                 CONTENTS
Background	    1

The Research Centers - - Summary	    2

National Center for Ground Water Research	    3
Advanced Environmental Control Technology
  Research Center 	
Marine Sciences Research Center

National Center for Intermedia
  Transport Research	
 8
Center for Environmental Epidemiology	  13
17


20
Industrial Waste Elimination        ;
  Research Center	L	   26
Ecosystems Research Center 	

Hazardous Waste Research Center
30

38

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                   U.S.  ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
                              ANNUAL REPORT
                                  OF THE
                  ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTERS PROGRAM
                                  FY 1986
BACKGROUND

     The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for
implementing laws designed to mitigate or prevent environmental pollution.
Central  to the!execution of its responsibility is the need for reliable
scientific information.  Recognizing the fact that some of the information
needed to  address current or emerging problems is not available, the
Agency has established a long term, exploratory research program.

     As  part of its long term research program, EPA's Office of Research
and Development (ORD) has created the Environmental Research Centers
Program  to support environmental research in science and engineering.
The program consists of a collection of university-based centers, each
specializing in an area of research of interest to EPA.  At present,
there are  eight centers.  Their locations, research themes and principal
research focuses are discussed in subsequent sections of this report.

     Support to each center is provided through a cooperative agreement
with EPA.   Each center's research program is managed by a center director,
in concert with EPA's project officer.  The center director is assisted
by a Science Advisory Committee which advises the director on the technical
progress of ongoing research, and reviews proposals for further research.
The Science Advisory Committees (SACs) are composed of scientists and
engineers  from industry, government and (primarily) academic institutions.
Each SAC contains at least two members from EPA laboratories.  The director
of the Office of Exploratory Research (OER) is responsible for policy
matters affecting the centers program and for the review and renewal of
individual centers.  Advice on matters of policy affecting the overall
Centers Program is provided by an ad-hoc committee of ORD officials,
called tihe Centers Council.         ••
                                    i

     The centers are responsible for publishing the results of their work.
Though publication in peer-reviewed journals is the preferred approach,
other types of publications and presentations are also used to speed
information transfer.  In fiscal year 1986 (FY186), which covers the
period October 1, 1985 to September ;30,  1986 the centers produced a total
of 99 refereed journal articles, 28 books or bound proceedings, 47 book
chapters and 123 project reports. In addition, they have sponsored or co-
sponsored  a total of 16 conferences,! workshops or seminars.

     This  is ah annual report, which covers those activities and adminis-
tration of the Centers Program which! occurred in FY'86.

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THE RESEARCH
— SUMMARY
     Table 1 provides a summary of centers currently in the program.

               i
                                 TABLE 1

                             RESEARCH CENTERS
UNIVERSITY
             CENTER THEME
YEAR STARTED
Rice
Univ. of Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Univ.

Univ. of Illinois,
Urbana

Univ. of Pittsburgh

Univ. of Rhode Island

Univ. of California-
  Los Angeles

Illinois Institute
  of Technology

Cornell Univ.

Louisiana State Univ.
         Ground Water Research



         Advanced Environmental
         Control Technology Research

         Environmental Epidemiology

         Marine Sciences  Research

         Intermedia Transport Research

               I
         Industrial Waste Elimination
         Research

         Ecosystems Research

         Hazardous Waste  Research
   1979



   1979


   1979

   1980

   1980


   1980


   1980

   1981
     The material following represents information on activities within
each research center.  Additional information may be obtained by contacting
the center director or project officer.
                                   42-

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Center;
                  National Center for Ground Water Research (NCGWR)
Location:
Director:
Prolect Officer:
Co-Directors:
FT 86 Funds ($K)

     EPA      -
                                    i
                  Consortium:  Rice University
                               University of Oklahoma
                               Oklahoma State University
                                    i
                  Dr. C.H. Ward     j
                  Department of Environmental Science
                    and Engineering
                  Rice University
                  P.O. Box 1892
                  Houston, Texas  77251
                  713/527-4086

                  Marion R. Scalf
                  Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Lab
                  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                  P.O. Box 1198
                  Ada, OK  74820    ;
                  405/332-8800
                  FTS:  743-2308

                  Dr. L.W. Canter   i
                  School of Engineering and Environmental Science
                  University of Oklahoma
                  Norman, OK  73019 ,
                  405/325-5202

                  Dr. N.N. Durham
                  203 Whitehurst
                  Oklahoma State University
                  Stillwater, OK  74078
                  405/624-6368
                   Other Government
University

   193
Private Sector

    160
    1,541     ;         435

These figures Represent monies spent during the period 10/1/85 - 9/30/86.
                 , v ...  '  •
Description   ;
                                    \
     The objective of the National Center for Ground Water Research
(NCGWR) is to improve our knowledge of the subsurface environment and
its interaction with pollutants.  To meet this objective, research is
conducted in three major areas:  transport and fate of ground water
contaminants, study of subsurface arid pollutant characteristics which
affect the transport and fate of pollutants, and development of methods
                                   -3-

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 to assess and protect ground water quality.  This  research program is
 designed to provide  information on the behavior of subsurface pollutants
 in order to:  (1)  evaluate options  for control of specific sources, (2)
 assess  the impact of contamination events,  (3) determine the likelihood
 that a  chemical will persist underground,  (4) take remedial action in
 the restoration of ground water quality and  (5) develop criteria for
 disposal site selection or rejection.  Research sponsored by NC&JR is
 oriented toward studies required to explain  and predict the transport
 and fate of synthetic organic  compounds in the subsurface, especially in
 ground waters associated with hazardous waste sites.

 Accomplishments - FY'86

      Use of indigenous subsurface  microorganisms to destroy synthetic and
 petroleum derived organic compounds present  in ground water is termed in
 situ biorestoration.   At sites  sufficiently  permeable to allow circulation
 of ground water augmented with  the mineral nutrients (nitrogen and
 phosphorus)  and dissolved oxygen required  to increase microbial activity,
 biorestoration is one of the most  cost effective technologies available.
 However,  the biotechnology of  in situ biorestoration as currently practiced
 has generally lacked the experimentally derived data needed to support
 widespread application.   Several of the center's projects have addressed
 these needs.   Recent findings at Rice University include:  (1) the micro-
 bial activity in  water from existing wells is not  indicative of the
 ability of in situ subsurface organisms to degrade specific organics and
 should not be used to judge the potential  for biorestoration activities
 at  a site,  (2)  microbial populations at newly contaminated and pristine
 sites are not always  adapted to degrade organic pollutants—the time
 required  for  adaptation to occur is unknown, (3) inhibition of biodegra-
 dation activities at  some refinery sites appears to be due to the presence
of  toxicants,  and (4)  oxygen (rather than nitrogen and phosphorus) appears
 to  be the major factor limiting the degradation of organic pollutants
present in low concentrations.      '

     Most halogenated organic compounds, such as those containing chlorine,
are not biodegradable under aerobic; (presence of oxygen) conditions
normally  employed in biorestoration.  Studies at the University of Oklahoma
under anaerobic (without, oxygen) conditions have demonstrated that halogen
atoms can be  removed by a reductive;reaction not related to other known
 substituent removal mechanisms.  Hence, it may be possible to develop
 anaerobic processes  for dechlorination of recalcitrant compounds to yield
products  completely degradable  in  the aerobic phase of in sj.ta biorestoration.

     Although indigenous microorganisms are being used to develop
biotechnology for subsurface remediation, little is known of their
metabolism and ecology.  Highly sensitive biochemical techniques are
being developed at Oklahoma State  University to characterize the energy
metabolism of subsurface organisms  in their natural state and after being
stimulated by the addition of oxygen and inorganic nutrients.  It is now
possible  to evaluate  the metabolic activity of subsurface organisms by

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 quantitatively extracting phosphorusTcontaining energy transfer compounds
 such as  adenosine  triphosphate and guanosine monophosphate.  These highly
 sophisticated and  sensitive techniques employ the process of bioluminescence
 (biological  light  production) which is known in marine animals and some
 insects  such as the  firefly.         \

      A computer model  (BIOPLUME) was developed at Rice University to
 describe natural,  oxygen-limited biodegradation of hydrocarbons in the
 subsurface.   BIOPLUME  accurately describes loss in mass and lack of
 spread of plumes in  a  down  gradient direction from hazardous waste sites,
 a significant finding  which suggests that natural biorestoration may be
 adequate for containment  and control,of some subsurface contamination
 problems.  Field measurements and laboratory analyses were performed in
 cooperation  with the EPA's  Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Labora-
 tory in  Ada,  Oklahoma.  These studies confirmed natural biodegradation
 of hydrocarbon plumes  in  ground water.  BIOPLUME has been calibrated to
 observed data at two field  sites (united Creosote, a Superfund Site and
 the  U.S. Naval Air Station, Traverse City, Michigan), and is one of the
 first such modeling  efforts in the United States.

      Neutral organic compounds such as industrial solvents, pesticides,
 and  petroleum hydrocarbons  in ground waters have been observed to move
 through  the  subsurface at rates far greater than can be predicted using
 the  conventional theory of  hydrophobic sorption.  This phenomenon, termed
 facilitated  transport, has  been quantitatively described at Rice University
 in terras of  equilibrium constants and the rate of sorption to aquifer
material.  Soluble humic materials in the subsurface, resulting from the
 incomplete breakdown of trees and other plants, have been shown to be
primarily responsible  for facilitated transport of neutral organics in
 the mobile water phase.   Studies were performed with surrogate model
compounds substituted  for humic materials which show that the interaction
of neutral organic contaminants with natural organics dissolved in ground
water is complete within one minute.  This is in contrast to the slow
interaction  (weeks)  found with the immobile soil organic carbon phase.
 In a  real aquifer  as the  solubility of contaminants decreases, it is
believed that there will  be a lower solubility limit at which all compounds
will move at  the same rate.  These findings are significant in that they
contradict the popular view that transport of a compound in the subsurface
decreases as  it becomes -less soluble.

     The sorption of organic compounds by aquifer materials is generally
described by  physical parameters which provide little help in understanding
the mechanisms involved.  We know that pollutant compounds are strongly
adsorbed by soil organic matter and to a lesser extent by solid soil
minerals.  Advanced  techniques using FTIR and laser Raman spectroscopy
are being developed at Oklahoma State University to predict the sorption
capacity of subsurface materials based on the mineral composition of the
solids.  Preliminary results are encouraging and indicate that the degree
of sorption is a function of mineral composition, at least for a narrow
range of solvent molecules  tested.

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Research Goals  - F¥'87

     Four major areas will provide  the  focal points for the center's
research program:   (1) transport and fate of pollutants, (2) subsurface
characterization,  (3) methods development and  (4) information transfer.
The center will support active programs in all four areas.  Continued
emphasis will be placed on the development of biotechnology for aquifer
and subsurface  restoration.  Ttoo critical issues will be addressed relative
to aerobic in situ biorestoration:  (1) use of hydrogen peroxide (H202)
to increase oxygen tension and (2) use of surfactants to enhance desorption
of organic contaminants and increase the extent of biodegradation.
Studies  at Rice University will establish dose-response relationships
between  H2P2 and subsurface microbiota  to provide the basis for experiments
to increase microbial tolerance to highly oxidizing conditions.  The
enzymes  induced as  tolerance is increased will be characterized to determine
the mechanisms  involved and the factors that limit the use of H202 for
biorestoration.

     Work on the competitive interaction of neutral organic compounds
with dissolved  organic matter and with soil components will be extended
to define the kinetic and  equilibrium limits of transport models and to
develop  better models if needed.  Because of the long periods of time
required to establish equilibrium of contaminants between the dissolved
and sorbed states, ground water can become contaminated due to desorption
months after remediation efforts have ceased.  Use of surfactants (micelles)
to enhance the  availability of subsurface contaminants for biodegradation
could significantly enhance the state of the art of aquifer restoration.
Effective use of surfactants to enhance the extent of biodegradation will
require  a thorough knowledge of the mechanism of interaction with target
compounds and the biodegradability of surfactant-contaminant complexes.

     Research at the University of Oklahoma will continue to explore the
limits of anaerobic biodegradation in aquifers.  Only a few contaminant
compounds have been studied to date.  Previously observed metabolic
pathways (e.g., reductive dechlorination) found effective in biotrans-
formation of recalcitrant  compounds will be further developed as a basis
for designing laboratory and field processes for aquifer restoration
both in  situ and in the pump and treat mode.  Biological characterization
of shallow contaminated,.aquifers will continue in order to discover other
metabolic pathways potentially useful in the development of anaerobic
processes.

     The center, in cooperation with the R.S. Kerr Environmental Research
laboratory in Ada, Oklahoma, will complete the organization of an inter-
national conference on subsurface biodegradation to be held in FY'88.
All presentations will be coordinated to insure complete coverage of the
state of the art of biotechnology for aquifer restoration.  A major
reference work;, modeled after a previous center publication, Ground Water
Ojaality, will result from  the conference.

                                   -6-

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     Work on the biochemical characterization of subsurface microbiota
will be extended to develop bioluminescence-based methods for determining
flavin coenzyme and pyridine nucleotide coenzymes for use in assessing
the metabolic status of in situ organisms.  Information obtained will be
used in conjunction withTthe biodegradation studies to help design and
evaluate biorestoration processes.

     The prediction of biodegradation in ground water is a new research
endeavor, since data from actual field sites is extremely limited.
Computer modeling approaches offer useful methods for the management and
cleanup of contaminated aquifers, and with the incorporation of enhanced
microbial degradation, can provide for more efficient and economical
restoration systems.  Msdels such as'BIOPLlME should eventually be able
to simulate injection of oxygen or hydrogen peroxide to enhance natural
microbes to degrade certain organic contaminants.

     Specific goals in the modelling: area include a more careful consid-
eration of the mathematical solution; of the terms in BIOPLUffi so that
model accuracy can be improved.  Application of BIOPLUME to the Traverse
City data will be finalized and compared to results from the finite
element model being developed at the, University of Oklahoma.  BIOPLUME
will be applied to the problem of injection-pumping networks for the
cleanup of aquifer systems in the presence of natural biodegradation
and enhanced biodegradation.        \

Outputs - FY'86                     i

     ° Number of articles in refereed journals	10

     ° Articles submitted or in press 	22
                                    i
     ° Books and bound proceedings .•	 10

     0 Chapters in other books ..'...•	29

     0 Project reports 	!	46
              i         '             i
     0 Conferences and workshops held:

       - R.S. Kerr Laboratory Seminar, Oklahoma City, OK,
         April! 8-10, 1986           ',

       - National Symposium on Institutional Coordination
         for Ground Water Pollution'Control, Philadelphia
         Academy of National Sciences, Philadelphia, 1985

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 Center:
 Location;

 Director:
 Project Officer:
Advanced Environmental Control Technology Research
Center (AECTRC)   '.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Dr. R.S. Engelbrecht
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Illinois at U-C
Urbana, Illinois  :61801
217/333-3822      ]

William A. Cawley
Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
26 West St. ClairjStreet
Cincinnati, Ohio  45268
513/569-7896
FTS:  684-7896
 FT 86 Funds  ($K):
     EPA     Other Government       i University

     553            24              \    31
                                   Private Sector
These  figures  represent monies spent!during  the period 10/1/85 - 9/30/86.

Description                          i

     The research effort of  the Advanced Environmental Control Technology
Research Center  (AECTRC) may be described, in one sense, as problem-
oriented fundamental research, and  in another as exploratory research
which provides a coupling between fundamental and applied research as
it  impacts control technology.  Specifically, the research focuses on
separation technology, plus  contaminant detoxification and destruction.
The ultimate objective is the development of cost-effective technology
which can remove specific toxic and hazardous materials present in low
concentrations.                     '
               !         '.           -j
Accomplishments  - FY*86             (

     The supercritical fluid (SCF) extraction process, is being investi-
gated as a new,'  alternative means of environmental quality, control.
this process involves the use of a solvent that has been heated and
compressed beyond its critical temperature/pressure.  SCF solvents permit
the efficient extraction of  very low concentrations of toxic substances
and offer the potential for simultaneous separation and detoxification
of  organic compounds.  The SCF process is being studied experimentally,
with die data being coupled  to the development of predictive mathematical
                                   -8-

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models.   Results  to date indicate  that  the process  is applicable to
the removal and separation of contaminants adsorbed on various materials,
such as  soil.  Based upon the engineering feasibility and economic analyses
made'to  date,  it  appears that the  SCF process is practical and has the
potential for  reducing decontamination  costs significantly when compared
to methods in  use today.             •

      Phototropic  microorganisms, e.g;,  algae and certain bacteria which
make use of light as a primary source of energy, can detoxify a variety
of organic compounds,  including many that are considered significant
pollutants because  of  their toxicity.   An attached growth or biofilm
system,  using  the algae  Fhormidium autumnale, is being experimentally
studied  to develop  a fundamental understanding of the kinetics (rate of
reaction)  of the  process with respect to its ability to detoxify environ-
mental contaminants.   The process  depends upon the formation of a stable
biofilm  which, with algae alone, is  difficult to achieve.  It has been
found that the addition  of bacteria  and certain specific compounds,
e.g., agar and sodium  alginate, enhances the formation of a stable biofilm.
This  means that the process can probably be used to treat wastes with
low concentrations  of  toxic contaminants.

      The anaerobic  biological process is particularly suited for the treat-
ment of  wastes having high concentrations of organic matter, includii^»
toxic compounds.  To apply the process  in practice, it is essential to
know the relative rates  of biodegradation of various organic compounds
and the  concentration levels at which toxicity or inhibition of the
biological processes occur.  The model  organic compounds that are being
used  are typical of those found in many industrial wastes, including the
ortho-,  meta- and para-substituted compounds of phenol, e.g., methyl,
ethyl, hydroxyl and carboxylic functional groups.  Using the biodegration
of phenol  as a base for  comparison,  it has been found that phenol must
be  completely utilized before certain substituted phenol compounds,
specifically cresols and ethyl phenol,  are biologically attacked.  Also,
the rate of phenol  degradation can be affected by the initial concentration
of the substituted-phenol compound.  Of the three cresol compounds studied,
ortho- and meta-cresols were degraded slowly while the rate of degradation
of para-cresol approached that of  phenol.

     The use of an  expanded-bed, granular, activated carbon, anaerobic
filter is  being investigated for the treatment of hazardous landfill
leachate.  This laboratory study is  initially using a synthetic leachate
in which acetate  is added to represent  the degradable component with
either 3-ethylphenol or 4-methylcatecol representing the refractory
and/or toxic component.   Early results  indicate that concentrations of
3-ethylphenol Up to 200 mg/1 were not inhibitory to the biological process
while a  concentration of 400 mg/1  completely inhibited acetate utilization.
A  100 mg/1 concentration of 4-methylcatecol was found to completely
inhibit  the biological utilization of acetate.

                                   -9-

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      The contamination of soil with lubricating oil poses a threat to ground
 and surface water quality.   One potentially simple and inexpensive clean-up
 method of spilled oil on soil is in situ biodegradation by adding selected
 microorganisms to the contaminatecTsoil.   As a result  of laboratory and
 field-plot studies, it has  been demonstrated that oil-degrading organisms
 can be grown quite easily.   However, when these organisms are added to
 oil-contaminated soil,  they appear to  positively affect only the  amount of
 degradation that occurs in  the first one  or two days,  but not the overall
 rate or extent of oil degradation.   The addition of an oil emulsifier
 enhanced degradation in liquid cultures but had no significant  effect on
 the rate and extent of oil  degradation when examined jri situ using soil
 plots.

      Powdered activated carbon (PAC),  widely used in water and  waste
 treatment,  is recognized as an effective  adsorbent of  organic pollutants.
 One technology for reactivating the carbon used in such processes is  wet
 air regeneration (WAR).   This technique involves oxidation of a water
 slurry of used PAC with aqueous oxygen at elevated temperatures and
 pressures.   The center  is sponsoring >a study to determine the reaction
 products formed when PAC is reactivated by WAR,  the effect of WAR on  the
 loss of PAC and its adsorption properties,  and  the effect of various
 process parameters on regeneration  efficiency.   Wet air regeneration  of
 PAC with adsorbed phenanthrene has  b^en found to lead  to the formation
 of at least 15 products,  some of which may be toxic.   A decrease  in
 adsorption  capacity of PAC has also been  observed upon its  regeneration
 by WAR;  this is particularly true in the  case of adsorbing low molecular
 weight  organic compounds.   This decrease  in adsorption capacity, believed
 due to an increase in the amount of oxygen on the surface of the PAC,
 means that  additional virgin PAC is required if  removal of low molecular
 weight  organic compounds  is to be achieved by the PAC-activated sludge
 process in  practice.                 !

      A  major contributor  to the eutrophication  (excessive fertilization
 that leads  to large aquatic  growths)'of lakes and streams  is the phosphorus
 contained in the effluents  from wastewater treatment plants.  Although
 phosphorus  may be removed through chemical  treatment,  recent attention has
 focused on  the use of various biological  systems  that  accomplish luxury
 (more than  required) uptake  of phosphorus.   The mechanism of this biological
 uptake  is not fully known but recent information suggests  that metal  ions
may be  involved.   Through the use of chemical analyses and  transmission
 electron microscopy (TOO* the uptake! and  fate of phosphorus  in micro-
 organisms,  such as polyphosphate inclusion bodies,  is being  studied.  An
 effective technique for examining microorganisms  by TEM has been developed
by  the  center.  Laboratory biological systems, to which bacteria of the
 genus Acinetobacter are added,  have not demonstrated the formation of
 distinct polyphosphate bodies  in microorganisms.  However, when acetate
was added to the  systems  and the microorganisms were anaerobically stressed,
phosphorus  rich cellular bodies were observed.  The results to date
 indicate  that there  are many additional factors associated with the
biological  luxury uptake of  phosphorus.
                                   -10-

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      Detrimental effects  resulting from sulfur dioxide  (S02> and nitric
 oxide (NO)  emissions  into the earth's atmosphere have become more evident
 in recent years.   Consequently,  there is a need for cost-effective 862
 and NO emission  control technology.  Because of this need to improve air
 pollution control technology, experimental and theoretical studies are
 being performed  to evaluate the  simultaneous removal of S02 and NO from a
 waste gas stream with a spray dryer system.  Results of recent experiments
 on S02 removal with an improved  spray dryer system were in general
 agreement with predicted  results of a model that assumes negligible mass
 transfer  resistance in the spray dryer  droplets.  Because NO is not as
 soluble as  S02,  a literature search was performed to determine suitable
 additives that would  enhance the removal of NO from the gas stream while
 still controlling S02 emissions.  Additives, such as potassium permanganate,
 were  shown  to enhance the removal of NO from the gas stream.  Literature
 searches  were also performed on  gas phase reaction methods for simultaneous
 502 and NO  control and on the hygroscopic properties of spray-dryer
 droplets.

      There  is a high  level of public concern about the effects of radon
 and the development of methods to remove radon from indoor air.  Of
 particular  interest is the removal  of radon from indoor air by adsorption
 onto  activated icarbon, the adsorption/desorption behavior of radon on
 several types of  carbon,  and the interferences that common gases have on
 the adsorption of radon.   Preliminary measurements and the conceptual
 framework of a carbon adsorption system have been completed.  Preliminary
 results indicate  that carbon dioxide•, water vapor, and temperature have
 significant effects on the adsorption of radon onto activated carbon.  A
 literature  review on  the  sorption of inert gases onto activated carbon
has also  been completed.

Research  Goals -  FY'87

     The  existing design models  for the supercritical fluid extraction
process will be further refined and verified with experimental data to
permit more accurate  economic analysis  for comparison with other clean-
up  procedures.  Less corrosive organic solvents, catalysts and mixed
solvents  will be  explored  to enhance process performance and economics.

     The  immediate goals of the work on phototropic microorganisms are to
continue  the fundamental aspects of the study by completing the determina-
tion of the kinetic parameters and to finalize the experimental evaluation
of  the biofilm process models.  At the  same time, research will be
initiated on algae detoxification with respect to the kinetics of the
dechlorination reactions.  The results of this phase of the study will be
evaluated as to the applicability of the process to practice.
                                   -11-

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         Research on the application of the expanded-bed, granular, activated
    carbon, anaerobic filter to the treatment of leachate from hazardous waste
   v landfills will be expanded to include chlorinated hydrocarbons.  The
  * interaction of process variables, such as waste strength, carbon replace-
  :v ment schedule and carbon particle size, will be evaluated.  A comprehensive
  .  mathematical model of the process will be developed for use in designing
 -'i- full-scale treatment units.
 f>  -.

 :^'-      The primary focus in future research on wet air regeneration of
.£.<-. powdered activated carbon will be on the factors affecting destruction of
^^ compounds, because an important application of the process appears to be
|JT the elimination or reduction of hazardous compounds in the powdered
££> activated carbon-biological process.  The study will also be expanded to
||" include thermal regeneration of activated carbon.

'fy£ .      The goals in studying simultaneous collection of sub-micron particles,
s£»/ sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide include the following: (1) continue the
|r:r present research on the effectiveness of additives on the simultaneous
*:*' removal of S02 and NO in spray dryers, (2) develop a thermodynamically
$  based model to predict the reactivity and hygroscopic properties of
f*/  select sorbents and additives, (3) pursue the idea of controlling parti-
^  culate and gas phase pollutants by coupling electron-beam or corona
£   discharge techniques with the laboratory based spray dryer, and (4)
, t _r
         The center will enhance the exchange of research information with
    Japan under the existing Trilateral Research Agreement by having in
   "residence a research engineer from the Japan Sewage Works Agency.  Also,
   > a distinguished international lecturer seminar program will be initiated.

    Outputs - FY'86

         ° Number of articles in ref ereed journals	 14

   '*      ° Articles submitted or in press 	 17

   i     ° Books and bound proceedings	  3

   v&    ° Chapters in other books	  1
   *>:.            "                      :
    V   ° Project reports	 23

         ° Conferences and workshops held:

           - Particulate and Gaseous Pollution Control Using
             Energetic Electrons  (Special Seminar)

           - Microbiological Considerations in Drinking Water
             Treatment (Symposium)      i

                                       i  -12-
\

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 Center;           Center for Environmental Epidemiology

 Location:         University of Pittsburgh

 Director:         Dr. Philip Enterline
                  Graduate School of!Public Health
                  University of Pittsburgh
                  130 DeSoto Street  '
                  Pittsburgh, PA  15261
                  412/624-1559       <

 Project Officer:  Gunther Craun
                  Health Effects Research Laboratory
                  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                  26 West St. Clair Street
                  Cincinnati, OH  45268
                  513/569-7422
                  FTS:  684-7422    j
FT 86 Funds ($K);

   EPA          Other Government

   732                 33
                                        University

                                            37
Private Sector

      186
These figures represent monies spent during the period 10/01/85 - 9/30/86.

Description

     The primary objective of the Center for Environmental Epidemiology
(CEE) is to improve the theoretical understanding of the human health
risks associated with environmental pollution.  Specifically, the center
provides basic research capabilities, especially chronic disease
epidemiology, to EPA's Office of Health Research.

     the center has established four research priorities:

     ° problem definition and feasibility assessments for epidemiology studies

     ° research to develop and improve epidemiological methods related to
       environmental health, for example, research on statistical and analy-
       tical methods

     ° research on exposure assessment relevant to epidemiological investiga-
       tions                       i
                                   I
     ° research support to EPA including review of data and reports, identi-
       fication of problems where epidemiology can support EPA's mission,
       assistance to the agency in participating in epidemiology studies in
                                   -13-

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        other agencies and research organizations  and  assistance  in setting
        long-range epidemiologtcal  research priorities for the agency.

 Accomplishments  - FY*86

      During the  1986 Fiscal Year,  center personnel continued work in
 developing data  useful for quantitative  risk assessment.  Considerable
 progress  was made in studying arsenic exposure.   Using data from a
 copper smelter jat Tacoma,  Washington,  mathematical models were developed
 which permitted  extrapolation of air arsenic exposure levels back to the
 year 1938.   This permitted re-estimation of the dose  response relationship
 between arsenic?  exposure and  respiratory cancer.  An  important result
 was  a dose response  curve that is  concave downward and which suggests
 that the  previous estimates of respiratory cancer risk at low arsenic
 exposure  levels  are  too low.   In a related effort, computer software
 was  developed to extend biologically: based risk assessment models to
 situations  where dose can be measured as  a continuous variable.

      Research was completed and  new research was  undertaken to better
 understand  the sources and consequences of indoor air pollution.  An
 extensive investigation was completed which dealt with the volatilization
 of chloroform and trichloroethylene (TCE) from bath and shower water.  For
 TCE,  it was found that under  standard bath conditions 27% could  be
 volatilized from water into the  air, whereas 80%  of TCE volatized under
 standard  shower  conditions.   If  batbJ water is further heated, volatiliza-
 tion  can  increase to 45%.   The inhalation of TCE  during showering and
 bathing was found to be an important and  significant  route of exposure.
 For chloroform,  volatilization from shower water  also occurred and poten-
 tial  daily  chloroform exposures  by inhalation were found to be about one
 half  of those by ingestion.   Since absorption through the lungs  is
 considerably more efficient than absorption through the gut, chloroform
 in shower water  may  be more important than in drinking water.  In general,
 off-gassing of water contributes importantly to indoor air pollution and
 should be considered when drinking water  and air  standards are set.

      Also related to indoor air  pollution are activities initiated during
 the year  by the  center to better define the problem of radon in homes as
 it relates  to lung cancer.  As a result of two workshops during  the year,
 involving persons conducting  radon lung cancer case-control studies, a
 project was developed which could  provide an early indication that radon
 in homes  is producing lung  cancer.  ;This  involves sputum cytology
 examinations; oh  persons  at high  risk of lung cancer living in homes with
high  levels  of radon.               I
                                    i
      A  focus of  center activities  has  been to develop early indicators of
 disease which would  be useful  in detecting effects of environmental con-
 tamination.   The sputum  cytology examinations, described above,  fall under
 this  category,.particularly since  additional tests for cellular damage
will  be included.  Of major importance have been  activities of the center
 in developing measures of early  fetal  loss as indicators of environmental

-------
contamination.  Early  fetal loss is difficult to detect in the general
population, though an  estimated 20-30% of all pregancies terminate with
fetal death.  Two such activities were conducted during FY'86.  One was
an epidemiologic study that demonstrated that women working in certain
types of jobs have excessive reported fetal wastage.  The other was a
pilot study which followed a group of women who are trying to become
pregnant.  This study, predicated on1the need for early and accurate
determination of fetal loss, used various traditional blood and urine
tests to detect pregnancy and fetal loss.  The study demonstrated the
capability to recruit  subjects and detect fetal loss within 14 days
after ovulation.  The  study also showed that none of the urine tests was
substantially better than the others in detecting pregnancy when a blood
test was used as the standard.       ,

     During the year the center completed work on a study of thyroid
abnormalities in a community near Pittsburgh where there was exposure
to gamma radiation from a uranivm waste site.  Comparison was made with
a nearby community without radiation.  Anong women over the age of 40 in
the exposed community, 8.7% had radiation related abnormalities whereas
in the comparison community, only 2.9% had such abnormalities.

     One area of interest to the center is exploitation of data tapes
available to it which  contain unpublished detail on deaths occurring in
the continental United States.  During the year these tapes were used to
establish geographic patterns in the United States in deaths due to
malignant pleural mesothelioma.  The1extent to which this condition is
related to exposure to asbestos is of concern since asbestos is a general
environmental contaminant.  One view is that only occupational exposures
to asbestos are of major importance in the etiology of mesothelioma.
This view is supported by the fact that the increase in malignant pleural
mesothelioma in the United States is almost entirely among males 65
and over.  The analysis of geographic patterns in malignant pleural
mesothelioma shows that there are great geographic variations in deaths
and that geographic patterns for males and females were very similar.  A
conclusion that can be drawn is that environmental exposures play an
important role.  This has implications with regard to activities of the
EPA in regard to asbestos exposures in the general environment.

     A problem in environmental epidemiology is valid measurement of
human exposures.  Much of the available instrumentation was developed for
short term exposures which occur in occupational settings.  One center
project involves development of passive samplers that integrate exposures
over long time periods and as they occur in the general environment.
During the year it was possible to demonstrate the practicality of passive
sampling for low concentrations of chlorinated hydrocarbons over periods
as long as a week.
                                   -15-

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Research Goals - FY'87

     During PY'87 the computer programs developed for modeling exposure
response data are being updated, under center sponsorship, and will be
applied to a cohort of arsenic exposed workers and to a cohort of coke
oven workers.  Also, reports will beiprepared on updated mortality for
nickel and coke oven workers.  For nickel workers, it is hoped that this
report will clarify the role of various nickel compounds as these relate
to environmentally induced lung cancer - a matter of importance in
setting environmental standards.  In regard to indoor air pollution, the
center will attempt to find out what; factors influence indoor air concen-
trations of volatile constituents from all water uses in an experimental
building, and to improve understanding of various additional factors
that influence volatilization of chemicals from water.  With regard to
radon, a pilot study will be completed to see whether it is feasible to
obtain cooperation of individuals in high radon housing in providing
sputum specimens and to determine the potential of this for evaluating
cancer hazards associated with indoor radon exposure.  Regarding early
indicators of disease the validity of new methods will be evaluated in
detecting cellular damage in radon exposed individuals, methods for
detecting early fetal loss will be further tested on a group of women
who are trying to become pregnant, and methods for associating early
fetal loss with environmental factors will be explored.

Outputs - FY'86                     !

     0 Number of articles in refereed journals	 12

     ° Articles submitted or in press	 11

     ° Books and bound proceedings	 2

     ° Chapters in other books	 1

     0 Project reports 	<	8

     ° Conferences and workshops held:

       - Radon:Case Control Studies '(workshop), Pittsburgh,
         October 1, 1985            !

       - Ongoing Activities Related to Radon and Lung Cancer (workshop),
         Pittsburgh, June 16, 1986  !
                                    i
       - Epidemiology of iRadon and Hung Cancer (symposium), Pittsburgh,
         June 17, 1986

       - Study; of Hospital Admissions and Air Pollutants in
         Southern Ontario (seminar) :
                                    i
                                   -16-

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 Center:           Marine Sciences Research Center (MSRC)

 location;         University of Rhode Island

 Director;         Dr. Michael E. Q. Pilson
                  Graduate School of Oceanography
                  University of Rhode Island
                  Narragansett, RI  02882
                  401/792-6104

 Project Officer:  Jan Prager
                  U.S. Environmental1 Protection Agency
                  South Ferry Road  :
                  Narragansett, RI  02882
                  401/789-1071
                  FTS:  838-5089
FT 86 Funds ($K)

      EPA        Other Government   '  University

      729             0                  26
Private Sector

    70
These figures represent monies spent during the period 10/1/85 - 9/30/86.

Description
                                    i
     The objective of the Marine Sciences Research Center (MSRC) is to
increase the understanding of processes in coastal marine ecosystems
that are of importance in evaluating the effects of pollutant discharges.
The primary approach is experimental.  Mesocosms,  which behave in many
ways like coastal ecosystems, are used in direct pollutant loading
experiments to examine the responses of systems to pollutants and to
determine the fates of pollutants.  The mesocosm facility at MSRC consists
of 14 tanks, each containing 13 cubic meters (3500 U.S gal.) of water,
maintained outdoors under natural sunlight and temperature regimes.
These living models can be used for many fundamental and practical
investigations;  Such mesocosms fill a gap between laboratory experiments
and field observations.  Information from all three approaches provides
a basis for informed decisions on the regulation of pollutant discharges.
Pollutants which could be studied include municipal and industrial wastes
in general.  Specifically, the MSRC has worked with hydrocarbons, low-level
radioactive materials, nutrients, and municipal sewage.

Accomplishments - FY'86

     Two management options for disposal of sewage effluents in the marine
environments were tested in FY'86.  The effect of the benthic community
on eutrophic systems (systems with excessive nutrients) was tested, as
was the effect of silica additions on these systems.  Silica is an
                                   -17-

-------
 essential nutrient  for diatoms  (microscopic algae) which are believed to
 be  the preferred  food  source of a grazing food chain leading to fish and
 shellfish.  An  experiment  in 12 mesocosms was conducted from June 1985 to
 June  1986 in  systems with  and without benthic communities and with and
 without  silica  added to high nutrient treatments.  The system without
 benthic  communities developed a much larger and more active pelagic
 community than  systems with a benthic community.  For example, fish and
 ctenophores were  abundantly present in all nutrient treatments and in
 control  systems without nutrient additions.  This result may have
 implications  for  deep  water disposal' rather than shallow water disposal.
 The systems with  silica developed a more "efficient" food chain with less
 organic  matter  stored.  For example, the fish in the silica enhanced
 system grew to  the  largest size.  The rather small increment, in an
 improved utilization of organic matter, however, may not justify silica
 additions to  sewage effluents as a management option.  Concrete management
 suggestions based on this  experiment, must await a more thorough data
 analysis.

 Research Goals  -  FY'87

     An  experiment  was begun in July 1986 to test sewage effluent toxicity
 as  defined by standard EPA assays and by ecosystem responses.  This is a
 cooperative study with the EPA  Environmental Research Laboratory at
 Narragansett  arid  the MSRC.   EPA personnel will conduct their laboratory
 assays in mesocosms and in the  field.  They will also perform metal and
 organic  analyses  on the effluent, in1 the mesocosms and in the field.
 Staff at MSRC will  conduct the  mesocosm experiment and measure responses
 at  the ecosystem  level (primary production, system respiration, nutrient
 cycling  and responses  of dominant fauna).  This experiment should indicate
 how well the  fast,  inexpensive  laboratory assays predict what happens in
 the marine environment.             '       -     ,

     This experiment concludes  five years of experiments on eutrophication.
 The results will be synthesized in a journal issue or a book in FY'87.  This
 document will be  introduced by  an overview of eutrophication in the
 coastal  marine  environment.  Mesocosm methodology will be presented and
 follow in chronological order results of major experiments on eutrophica-
 tion:  nutrient gradient,  sewage sludge gradient, effect of benthic
 communities and silica on  eutrophic systems, and toxicity of sewage
 effluents.  A final synthesis chapter will include possible management
 options.      i
                                    i
     Another major  effort will  be a continuing field program to evaluate
 the state of Narragansett  Bay.  Last1 year four bay-wide surveys were conducted
 to  obtain data  on hydrographic  parameters and concentrations of nutrients,
heavy metals, certain  toxic organics. and bacteria.  Those data are now
 being analyzed.  This year the  study will concentrate on the Providence
                                   -18-

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River area of Narragansett Bay.  From these two studies and prior
information, a reasonably accurate picture of inputs of nutrients and
metals, as well as the fates of these materials, should emerge to help
define the best management options for Narragansett Bay.  This effort is
being carried out in cooperation with other studies of pollutant inputs,
shellfish health, bacterial contamination, and hydrodynamic modeling in
association with the Narragansett Bay Project also supported by EPA.

Outputs - FY'86

     ° Ntmber of articles in refereed journals	 17
     0 Articles submitted or in press 	  11

     0 Books and bound proceedings .;	   0

     0 Chapters in other books	,	   3

     ° Project reports 	,	   7

     ° Conferences and workshops held:

       - Secondary production of Hilinia lateralis
         (seminar - URI)

       - Eutrophication,  benthic responses and water column
         interactions (seminar - Woods  Hole)
                                   -19-

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         "if*.
 Center;' .-         National Center for Intermedia Transport  Research (NCITR)

 Location:.     .    University of California,  Los  Angeles

 Director:      ,    Dr.  Sheldon K.  Friedlander
                   Department of Chemical  Engineering
                   University of California,  Los  Angeles
                  •Los  Angeles,  CA  90024
                   213/825-2206     i
                                    i
 Project Officer;   Joseph V.  Behar
                   U.S. Environmental  Protection  Agency
                   EMSL-LV          I
                   P.O. Box 15027    i
                   Las  Vegas,  NV  89114
                   702/798-2216     :
                   FTS:  545-2216    j
 EY'86 ¥wda  ($K):
     EPA
Other Government
University

  122**
Private Sector
     523            356*         -         122**              0
                                    j
These figures represent monies spent; during die period 10/01/85 - 9/30/86.

*Program on Engineering and Systems Analysis for the Control of Toxics
(ESACT), which includes intermedia transport aspects.

**Includes $87K for ESACT.          ]
               i                     ;
Description                         ]
                                    i
     The National Center for Intermedia Transport Research (NCITR) studies
physical and chemical processes associated with the transport of particle
or gaseous environmental pollutants from one raeditm, such as air, land, or
waste, to another.                  !
               !       <*,.;
                     .            ,   i
     The goals of NCITR;,are:  (1) toj sponsor fundamental research in
intermedia transport, (2) to develop mew methods of dealing with multimedia
transport processes involving a variety of separate but interacting
environmental compartments, and (3) to conduct these studies for certain
chemical species (primarily organic) i which are expected to be of special
importance in the future.           ;

     Some key research questions which exist in this area are:

     0 What organic chemicals are deposited as a result of dry and wet
       fallout?                     -j
                                    120-

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      0 How do temperature,  humidity,  vegetation growth,  and other factors
        influence the pollutant deposition process?

      0 How are chemicals  which are placed on land entrained in  the atmosphere?

      0 Are there chemicals  accumulating in the  atmosphere which have not
        yet been recognized  as cumulative?

      ° Wiat are the fundamental processes determining dry deposition?

      The Program on Engineering and Systems Analysis for the Control of
 Toxics (ESACT)  was  initiated  in 1985  with support from the  State  of
 California,  the UCIA Chancellor's  Office, and the Office of the Dean of the
 School of Engineering and Applied  Sciences at UCIA.  Most of the  NCITR
 principal investigators also  participate in ESACT.  The  ESACT program
 includes an industrial and  technological component and a component of
 multimedia transport.               :

 Accomplishments - FY'86             :

      Dry Deposition Processes:  Dry deposition  research  at  NCITR  has led to
 the development of  a generalized correlation applicable  to  a variety of
 surfaces relating the deposition velocity of particles to particle size and
 gas velocity.   The  correlation is based  on data for grasses, gravel of
 various sizes,  and  water.   Certain parameters which appear  in the correlation
 must be obtained from experimental  data.   To help estimate  these  parameters,
 experimental studies were made in  a wind tunnel with a test section having
 walls  lined  with well-defined  roughness  elements.  Transport data were
 obtained for the molecular  range by naphthalene evaporation.  Particle
 deposition was  studied over the size  range from about 0.1 urn to 3 urn.
 The experimental results  support the  correlation in the  diffusion range;
 uncertainties remain in the interception range.
                                    i
     NCITR has  proposed a new method  for determining dry deposition velocities.
 The method is based on the measurement at  the source and in  ambient air of
 the ratio of a  deposited  species to a conserved (non-depositing)  species.
 For best  results, both species should be emitted from the same  source.
 Calculations based  on ratios of lead  (a  depositing species)  to  carbon
monoxide (a  conserved species) in Los Angeles air were used  to  estimate
 deposition velocities for lead.  Values  so calculated are reasonable but
 there  is much uncertainty in the calculations because the data base is
weak.
                                    i
               ,                     i
     Studies were initiated on toxic,  air pollutants, in particular, the
products of incomplete combustion  (PICs) found  in the aerosol phase.  Data
on size distribution and  chemical composition have been assembled.  Samples
are also being collected  for analysis using  structural analysis methods.
This information is  needed  for estimating dry deposition rates  for PICs.

               i                     -21-

-------
      Theoretical and Experimental Laboratory Studies of Wet Deposition
 Processes:In  the area of wet deposition  research, previously developed
 theoretical models of the uptake of gaseous  pollutants by cloud and rain
 drops were  used to explore,  and  thereby define, the dependence of scavenging
 rate on the nature and extent of aqueous phase chemistry occurring within
 the drops.   In  addition,  a new theoretical model was developed to compute
 wet deposition' rates achieved during  atmospheric rain events.  This model
 accounts for the variation of the atmospheric pressure, temperature, relative
 humidity, drop, size spectrum, and trace gas  pollutant concentration with
 altitude.   Sensitivity testing on the model has been completed so that it
 may now be  used to simulate  environmental washdown scenarios of interest.

      Organic Compounds in Los Angeles Wet Deposition;  Following the
 experimental programs accomplished  up to F5f'86, a large amount of data was
 collected on organic acids and aldehydes.  Several manuscripts, which
 account for the fluxes, wash-out rates  and pH control by these organic
 entities, are presently in various  stages of preparation.  An inventory is
 now being constructed to  account for  the relative amount of organic acids
 being directly  emitted in the Los Angeles atmosphere, in contrast to the
 organic acids formed in the  atmosphere  by photochemical reaction.  As a
 part of this inventory, the  first information that we are aware of was
 obtained by the center on the direct  emission of organic acids from auto-
 mobile  exhaust.

      During FY'86, methods were  investigated for the rapid and simple
 estimation  of hydrogen peroxide  in  the  Los Angeles atmospheric gas phase.
 Measurements have been made  for  10  months at the UCIA site.  Hydrogen
 peroxide has also been measured  in  rain and  fog water during the winter.
 An  investigation has been initiated on  reactions between ozone and organic
 matter which produce hydrogen peroxide.

      Soil/Water Processes:   Research  on micrpscale processes that affect
 volatile halocarbons  in soil/water  systems has led to several new insights
 about the environmental fate of  these compounds.  In one experimental study,
 clay was found  to be a strong sorbent for some (e.g. trichloroethylene)
but not all,  volatile halogenated solvents.  Ihe mechanism of adsorption
 of  solvents  to  clay was found to be significantly different than the
mechanism of adsorption to silica.  In  another study, more was learned
about the nutrient and Q£ requirements  for a specific soil bacterium
which has been  cultured under conditions that generate unique halocarbon
degradation  enzyme activity  in the bacterium.
     Structural Characterization and ] Source Allocation for Organic Pollutants:
In the area of aerosol characterization and source allocation, two new
analytical methods were developed.  In the first method, a cascade
impactor is used to collect atmospheric aerosols in eight size cuts ranging
from less than 0.2 urn to greater than 3.5 urn.  Each of the eight size cuts is
deposited onto a ZnSe disk, which is I transparent to infrared radiation.
               ;                     i

                                    422-

-------
      >-.   *•!„ *=»'*< .
 The depositoTaerosols are then examined by  transmission infrared spectro-
 scopy.  -This: analytical approach is providing some of the first direct
 chemical  information on aerosol composition  as a  function of size. The
 second analytical method developed is based  on gas chromatography interfaced
 with fourier  transform infrared spectroscopy.  It is used to estimate the
 concentrations of functional groups in organic aerosols.  Both of the
 methods underwent field tests  during the California Air Resources Board's
 analytical method intercomparison study  August 12-21, 1986.  The results
 hold great promise  for the source allocation studies to be initiated in
 FT87.

      Multimedia Transport  of Chemical Pollutants;  A theoretical framework
 of  contaminant transport in the top soil zone was formulated.  Theoretical
 models were developed to assess the Importance of diurnal temperature
 changes on contaminant transport in dry  and unsaturated soil environments.
 Temperature gradient effects on contaminant  diffusion were found to be
 most pronounced when adsorption was also significant.  This study is the
 first to  consider the effect of temperature  and moisture gradients and
 their diurnal variations on contaminant  transport in the top soil zone.
 In  the area of multimedia  modeling, a new sensitivity model was incorporated
 into the multimedia transport model.,  Additionally, the hybrid model,
 which consists of both uniform and non-uniform compartments, was improved.
 The hybrid multimedia transport model consists of coupled non-linear ordinary
 and partial differential equations which are solved by a collocation method.
 The model was adapted to run on the IBM/AT computer and it will be further
 refined to allow for easy  full-screen user interaction.  Finally, a review
 of  organic pollutant  transport modeling was completed and published as a
 feature article in  Environmental Science and Technology.

      Ecosystem Modeling:  Atmospheric Deposition and Environmental Assimilation
 of  Gases and Aerosol  Particulates in!a Desert Ecosystem:Studies were
 performed to increase understanding of the effects on desert ecosystems of
 selected pollutants from the main pollutant plume from the Los Angeles
basin.  Special attention was given to the effects of oxidant pollutants
on  biochemical .structures  and concentrations of secondary plant compounds
 in  external leaf resins.

Research Goals - FY* 87

     Dry Deposition Processes:   Experimental studies of particle deposition
 from turbulent gases  to the rough walls of a wind tunnel test section
will be continued.  The goal of this!study is to test the dry deposition
correlations developed previously byiNCITR.  New data will also improve the
 ability to calculate  certain parameters  appearing in the correlation which
must now be determined empirically.

     The utility of the chemical ratio method for the determination of dry
deposition will be  tested by calculations for simulated releases from
sources over surfaces with known dry deposition velocities.  Examples of
                                    ^23-

-------
 such surfaces,  for which wind tunnel  data are available in the literature,
 are rye grass,  gravel of various sizes, and water.  The goal of the study
 is to determine the  conditions under  which releases from point sources lead
 to measurable changes in the  ratio of depositing to non-depositing species
 between the point of release  and the  measurement site.  This is important
 to the practical implementation of the method.

      Studies of dry  deposition of toxic air pollutants in the aerosol phase,
 especially  PICs,  will continue.  The  goal of this study is to determine the
 distribution of chemical species with respect to particle size for certain
 toxic air pollutants.   Such information is needed to predict dry deposition
 rates for these compounds.

      Theoretical and Experimental Laboratory Studies of Wet Deposition
 Processes:Research on wet deposition will center on applications of NCITR's
 recently developed atmospheric trace  gas scavenging model,  the washout of
 gaseous pollutants will be simulated  over a range of environmental conditions,
 as characterized by  the precipitation and lapse rates, and the altitudinal
 profiles of relative humidity and pollutant mixing ratio.  Quantitative
 estimates will  be obtained of the time evolution of both the rates of wet
 deposition  and  atmospheric pollutant  depletion, and of the vertical
 redistribution  of the pollutant in the sub-cloud region.  In particular,
 the model will  be applied to  the scavenging of the specific trace chemical
 species observed  in  the rainwater collected in the field component of the
 center's  wet deposition research activities, thereby enabling a comparison
 of the observed and  theoretically predicted wet deposition rates to be
 made,  and the gas phase concentrations of those species to be estimated.

     Organic Compounds  in LosAngeles Wet Deposition:  Because hydrogen
 peroxide has been identified  as a potentially key component in the
 transformation  of sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid, it is of utmost importance
 to understand its mechanisms  of formation and reactivity in the atmosphere.
 In  5Y'87, efforts will  be devoted to!continuing our measurements of hydrogen
 peroxide  in both  the gas and  aqueous!phases relating to dry and wet pollutant
 deposition.    >                     :

     In addition  to measuring the ambient content of hydrogen peroxide,
 studies will continue on_the production rates of peroxides through the
 interaction of  ozone and organic matter.
     Soil/Water Processes:  Soil/water processes research will focus on
further experimental studies directed at understanding the microbial
destruction of halocarbons.  Various methods of generating necessary enzyme
activity and examining the role of oxygen levels on rates of destruction
will be investigated.  The results may be directly applicable to finding
methods for inducing biodehalogenation reactions in contaminated soils that
previously did not possess such microbial activity.

-------
     Structural Characterization and Source Allocation for Organic Pollutants;
The primary goal of this project is to establish a method for performing
source allocation studies on the organic component of aerosols.  The source
allocation will rely on two new analytical methods for organic aerosol
characterization which were developed last year under NCITR sponsorship.
Source dominated sites will be fingerprinted and the source allocation
methodology will be developed.
                                    I
     Multimedia Transport of Chemical Pollutants;  The multimedia transport
program will focus on the modeling of contaminant transport in the multiphase
top soil zone subject to diurnal temperature and moisture variations.
Using the concept of volume averaging, appropriate expressions for tortuosity
as a function of soil moisture content will be developed.  Additionally, a
collocation numerical procedure will be adapted in order to solve the
coupled diffusion equations with the multiphase air/atmosphere flux boundary
condition.  The collocation method will also be used to solve the hybrid
uniform/non-uniform compartmental multimedia transport model.  A full screen
user input interface will be added to the multimedia transport model in
order to make it useful for rapid and user-friendly screening analysis.
                                    i
     Ecosystem Modeling;  Atmospheric Deposition and Environmental Assimilation
of Gases and Aerosol Particulates in a Desert Ecosystem;Ecosystem modeling
will focus on the significance of nitrogen-bearing trace compounds in air
to system nitrogen levels, the transfer rate of submicron aerosols to
vegetation, and the effects of vegetation on the transfer of atmospheric
pollutants.

Outputs - FT 86

     ° Number of articles in refereed journals	 6

     ° Articles submitted or in press 	 6
     ° Books and bound proceedings

     ° Chapters in other books ....

     0 Proj ect 'reports^.-	

     0 Conferences and workshops held:
                                    j
       - Pollutant Transport and Accumulation in a
         Multimedia Rivironment (workshop)
2

1

1
                                    -25-

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 Center;            Industrial Waste Elimination Research Center  (IVJERC)

 location;          Illinois  Institute of Technology

 Director;      '    Dr. James W.  Patterson
                   Pritzker  Department of Environmental Engineering
                   Illinois  Institute;of Technology
                   Chicago,  Illinois 60616
                   312/567-3535

 Project Officer:   Louis Lefke
                   Deputy Director    i
                   Water Engineering Research Laboratory
                   U.S. Environmental;Protection Agency
                   Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
                   513/569-7953
                   FTS:  684-7953
FY'86 Funds  ($K):

      EPA      Other Government

      820           0
;  University
i
i     34
Private Sector

     30
These figures represent monies spent during the period 10/1/85 •=• 9/30/86.

Description

     The Industrial Waste Elimination Research Center (IWERC) conducts
research on fundamental and applied aspects of industrial waste management
associated with in-plant recovery and containment, avoidance, and reduction
of pollutant discharges.  The research focus is multi-media, including
air and water pollutants and hazardous wastes, and is primarily concerned
with reduction and elimination of industrial pollutant discharges through
innovations in 'industrial process manufacturing and development of
recycle/recovery strategies.         '

     IWERC is a problem-oriented exploratory research center utilizing
the tools of basic science and engineering to perform research directed
at industrial waste elimination.  The principal areas of research, listed
in order of current priority, are:   i

     ° Metals speciation and separation
     ° Sorption/desorption phenomena:
     0 Particle size and shape control
     ° Process catalysis and control!
     ° Anaerobic management of industrial emissions (pyrolysis)
                                    -26-
                                     i

-------
 Accomplishments - FY'86

      Six projects were conducted and funded under IWERC sponsorship during
 FY'86.   These include five laboratory research projects, and a field study.
 The major features of each of these projects  are  briefly described below.

      Metals  Speciation,  Separation and Recovery:   Heavy metals in
 wastewaters  represent a serious  industrial  pollution control problem.
 The metals are often  toxic, and  are regulated pollutants.  They can be
 viewed  as a  recoverable product  and 'there may be  economic incentives to
 remove  them  from waste streams.   Two important heavy metal pollutants
 with potential economic value are cadmium and copper.

      This study has developed a model which can measure reaction rates
 for metal complexation reactions  under conditions of environmental
 interest, and work is in progress to test the developed rate and equilibrium
 equations in multicomponent systems.  The measured rates of cadmium and
 copper  complexation are  not instantaneous.  Mixed ligand experiments are
 being performed for copper and cadmium-soluble phase systems.  Titrations
 and kinetic  experiments  involving the simultaneous complexation of cadmium
 with chloride and hydroxide ligand will be  performed.

      Evaluation of the Dynamics of Multicomponent Sorption/Desorption
 with Differential Reactor  Columns:This research is designed to determine
 equilibrium  and mass  transfer coefficients  for complex systems in air and
 water by the use of solid  phase concentration measurements, differential
 reactor columns,  and  simplified numerical solutions.

     Water-phase studies are  well advanced, and recent research has
 indicated the possibility  of  a unified design model for both air and water
 systems.  A multi-component desorption procedure  for gas-phase systems is
 under development which  will  allow multi-component isotherms to be
 developed.  Air quartz spring experiments at  elevated temperatures are
 also underway.'                      :

     Kinetic Analysis of the  Solution-Precipitate Interface for Particle
 Size Control;   The principal  instrument used  in this research is a Farrand
 Optical MK I modular  spectrofluoriraeter.  Using this instrument, conditions
 are being established (e.g.,  pH,  ionic strength, equilibrium temperature,
 excess  anion  or cation,  oxygen pressure) under which a particular system
may be varied for the purpose of  isolating  individual steps of chemical
 reactions on  particle surfaces.  While the  stopped flow kinetic system
is being  installed, fluorescence quenching measurements are being made
using the steady state technique which involves measurement of fluore-
scence  intensity as a function of quencher concentration.   Particular
emphasis  is being  placed on sulfonicj acids.
                                   -27-

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      Industrial Waste Elimination by Periodic Operation — Reduction of
00? and Chlororganicai EmissionsIn Ethylene Oxidation:  Both theoretical
and experimental  studies are being carried out.  The experimental studies
consist of experiments for determining the reaction rate parameters and
the parameters,of the reactor system model and of preliminary experiments
in periodic operation of the reactor; system.  Theoretical studies focus
on the  application of the pi-criterion to the ethylene oxide reactor system
and on  the development of a vibrational control system.
                                     1
     Modifications of the reactor system and of the Cp2 analysis system,
and construction of the ethylene oxide analysis system were completed.
Preliminary experiments were conducted to provide information for
the formulation of an a-priori model of the gradientless reactor.
                                     i
     Production of Useful Chemicals from the Pyrolysis of Chorinated
Hydrocarbon Wastes (CHC);The United States produces from 35 to 100
million metric tons of potentially hazardous and toxic chemical wastes
every year.  Since process waste streams frequently contain mixtures of
CHCs, the  direct recovery of the constituent chemicals is uneconomical.
As a result, universally applicable processes such as incineration and
pyrolysis  are more suitable for the treatment of toxic and hazardous
wastes  containing  chlorinated hydrocarbons.  Although incineration and
oxidation  are effective in destroying essentially all types of organic
hazardous  compounds, they are of very limited use for materials recovery.
In contrast, pyrolysis i.e., thermal; treatment in the absence of oxygen,
offers  the advantage of both detoxication and materials recovery.

     Progress was  made on the design and construction of the experimental
pyrolysis  system and on the mechanism of pyrolysis of a model compound,
chloromethane.  Construction of the experimental facility Fast Reactor
with Mass  Spectrometer Analysis System is nearly finished.  This design
provides flexibility for system modification and easy maintenance needed
to conduct the proposed set of experiments.

Great Lakes Field  Evaluation;       i

     With  support  from EPA1 s Great Lakes Program Office, the center is
conducting a field evaluation of an innovation technology to control and
recover toxic metals from electroplating wastes.

Research Goals - FY* 87              ;

     For FY*87 IWERC proposes to extend its work on sorption/desorption
technology for^organics recovery to field studies.  Candidate industries
include printing and drycleaning.  In addition, the results of the ongoing
field study on metals recovery are expected to provide guidance for
further laboratory research.  IWERC expects to maintain funding of the
particle size and  shape control effort and to select either the pyrolysis
or periodic operation research for expanded support.


                                   -28-

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This decision will be made on the basis of advice received from the
IWERC Scientific Advisory Committee and the Industrial Advisory Council
following the Annual Program Review Meeting.

Outputs - FY'86
                                     i
     o Number of articles in refereed journals 	  4

     ° Articles submitted or in press	  3

     0 Books and bound proceedings	  0
                                     i
     0 Chapters in other books	i	  0
                                               t-
     ° Project reports	 13
                                     i
     ° Conferences and workshops held:

       - International Symposium on Metals Speciation,
         Separation and Recovery, Chicago, 111.
         July 27-August 1, 1986     ;
                                   -29-

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Center;        .   Ecosystems Research Center (ERG)

Location;         Cornell University

Director;         Dr. Simon Levin
                  Ecosystems Research Center
                  347 Corson Hall    |
                  Cornell University-
                  Ithaca, NY  14853  ,
                  607/255-4747

Project Officer:  Herbert Ojuinn
                  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                  RD-682
                  401 M Street, SW
                  Washington, DC  20460
                  202/382-5940
                  FES:  382-5940     '
                                                   Private Sector
FT 86 Funds ($K) ;

     EPA       Other Government     University     	

     750              98                92               50

These figures represent monies spent during the period 10/1/85 - 9/30/86.
Description                         ;

     The mission of the Ecosystems Research Center (ERG) is to assess and
evaluate the state of knowledge on whole biological communities and
ecosystems and to investigate its applicability to environmental regulation
and management.  The concerns of the ERG are with both conceptual and
methodological issues, and with synthesizing the lessons of ecosystems
science in ways that can be applied to regulatory problems.

     The primary goals of the center1 are:

     0 To identify the fundamental principles and concepts of ecosystems
       science and determine their importance in understanding and
       predicting the responses of ecosystems to stress.
                                    i

     ° To describe the basic mechanisms that operate within ecosystems
       and the stability of ecosystems in the face of stress.

     ° To evaluate the applicability of these theoretical concepts
       to problems of concern to EPA, including consideration of
       retrospective and other case studies.
                                    I
               ,                     I
                                   -30-

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Accomplishments  - FY'86              !
               ,                      |

     Major accomplishments  for the ERG have been in the areas of
environmental  risk assessment,  ecotoxicology, biotechnology, freshwater
wetland assessment, estuarine  impact assessment, air pollution effects on
forests and plant-pest interactions, assessment of rates of lake acidifi-
cation,  use of sensitivity  analyses of ecosystem models, comparative
analyses of ecosystems, and application of ecosystem theory to regulatory
endpoints  of specific environmental legislation administered by EPA.
The ERG continued the exchange  among scientists in the academic community
and scientists and regulators  at EPA headquarters and EPA laboratories.
Mechanisms for .this exchange included workshops involving ERG staff and
EPA personnel, visits by ERG staff to EPA facilities and by EPA scientists
to Cornell, development of  collaborative research activities with EPA
laboratories,  and presentation of a week-long seminar for EPA scientists
on ecological  principles applied to environmental problems.

     Ecotoxicology:  One of the central challenges in ecosystem research
is the  evaluation of the effects of chemicals on ecosystem structure and
function.  The ERG, through its past and current projects, has demonstrated
that laboratory bioassays, while providing an important and rapid first
tier in impact assessment,  are  by themselves inadequate.  The problem of
laboratory-to-field extrapolation remains one of the most vexing problems
in environmental assessment, and ERG work emphasizes that it is essential
that bioassays be complemented with other methods, including microcosm
and field  testing, that consider populations in situations more closely
mimicking  their natural ecosystem environments.

     Currently, the ERG is  completing a book on'the present state of.the
science  in ecotoxicology.  This represents a primary goal in the coming
year.

     Biotechnology;  Development of an effective regulatory system for
genetically engineered microorganisms has become one of the major
challenges to EPA.  The ERG performed an extensive evaluation of research
needs and  issues related to the environmental impact of biotechnology.
This research  resulted in the publication of a major docvment (in
Environmental Management, July  1986)' which focuses upon mechanisms for
dispersal and establishment of microorganisms, infectious transfer of
genetic information, and potential ecosystem effects, and discusses the
implications for research, assessment, and management.  Critical needs
relate to the development of standardized test systems, methods for
detection and monitoring, evaluation of pathogenic!ty, competitivity and
the potential for infectious transfer, assessment schemes for effects on
ecosystem structure and function and methods for containment and
mitigation.  Rirther research, based on the results of this needs
assessment, is planned.
                                   -31-

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      Environmental Risk Assessment;  ;In FY'86, ERG conducted a workshop
 to evaluate  the  environmental scoring method under development by EPA1 s
 Office of Policy Planning and Evaluation  (OPPE).  While the workshop
 participants were quite supportive of the principle of incorporating
 ecological effects evaluations  as an;explicit part of the risk assessment
 and decision-making process, it was clear that many parts of the proposed
 OPPE  method  were deficient and  required alteration.  During this year
 ERG scientists have worked to improve it by examining issues concerning
 the sensitivity  and recovery potential of different classes of ecosystems.
 In particular, ERG identified characteristics of ecosystems that
 determine how the ecosystems would respond to disturbance and how they
 would recover once the  disturbance is removed.  In closely allied work,
 ERG studied  methods of  measuring the "health" of an ecosystem, as a
 set of indicators and measures  of ecosystem disturbance and recovery.
 Since ecosystems are hierarchical and operate simultaneously across many
 different scales of time  and space, a suite of measures is necessary,
 each  defined with respect to characteristics of the ecosystem that are
 directly  or  indirectly  of importance to humans.  Partially as a result
 of continuing discussions at ERG andi joint meetings with The Institute
 of Ecosystem Studies (Gary Arboretum) and the Ecosystems Center (Marine
 Biological Laboratory), a report has]been prepared elaborating these
 issues.        :                      i
                                    ]

      Environmental risk assessment is also the theme of a new cooperative
 project with the EPA Environmental Research Laboratory at Gulf Breeze,
 Florida.   The ERC has hired two scientists working in residence at the
 Gulf  Breeze  facility to conduct experiments on shallow-water marine
 Thalassia (seagrass) ecosystems and microcosms exposed to the toxic
 chemical,  tributyl-tin  (TBT).   The ERC contribution to the TBT experiments
will  focus on developing  methods for studying the fate and effects of
TBT in seagrass  ecosystems.         ,

     Mr  Pollution and  Acid Precipitation:  The ERC has completed
 publication of the conclusions  of its international workshop on modifica-
 tion of plant-insect and  plant-disease interactions by air pollutants.
Major conclusions were:              ;

     0 Air pollutants'can alter plant productivity indirectly through
       modification of  plant-insect |and plant-disease interactions,
       potentially affecting productivity of agricultural and forested
        ecosystems and species composition of forests
                " • "                 1
     0 The current understanding of ihow low levels of pollutants affect
        the environment  is  limited by research that has emphasized high
       pollutant concentrations, single pollutants,  and individual species
                                   r32-

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     ° Pollutant-induced changes in plants most likely to affect insects
       and pathogens include partitioning of photosynthate to above- and
       below-ground components (root:shoot ratios), foliar carbon:nitrogen
       ratios, and secondary defense compounds

     0 Experimental (model) systems will provide a particularly fruitful
       approach to research.  Potential candidates recommended for
       development of model systems .include alfalfa, hybrid poplar, and
       white pine.

     Major conclusions of ERC's workshop report, "Watershed Manipulations
and Time lags in Response to Acid Deposition," published in FY'86 are:

     ° The commonly used measure, water-column alkalinity, is by itself
       an inadequate measure of the.acid-neutralizing capacity of a lake;

     ° In addition to processes occurring within watersheds, processes
       occurring within some lakes are important in that they may delay,
       but do not prevent, acidification;

     ° The abundance of 'direct-response1 systems may be overestimated by
       lake acidification schemes based on water column and terrestrial
       parameters alone;

     ° For surface waters and large,watersheds having high base saturation,
       high cation exchange capacity, and high sulphate adsorption
       potential, the delay in acidification produced by non-terrestrial
       processes will be of minor consequences.

     The ERG has developed a classification scheme for forests of the
Northeast that permits evaluations to be made as to whether or not a
significant change in forest composition has occurred.  This scheme will
be used in conjunction with the ERC's forest modelling project, discussed
below, to examine the influence of forest composition on response to air
pollutants.

     In FY'86 the ERG staff described the characteristics of and processes
controlling a naturally acidic lake!ecosystem.

     The forest dynamic simulation model (FORNUT) has been used to project
the expected behavior of northern sugar maple forests over the next 200
years under unpolluted conditions.  These forests are projected to maintain
a relatively constant composition of species during this period.  Matched
against forest service records for 1950-1980, the model simulations
suggest these forests have developed during this period in a manner
expected from examination of trees uninfluenced by atmospheric pollutants.
To characterize the reliability of these results, the sensitivity of the
model behavior to uncertainty in parameter estimation is being investigated.
Implementation of the model on the Cornell Production Supercomputer, in
which the FORNuT model was restructured to take advantage of parallel
                                   433-

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 processing techniques has been completed.   Initial  sensitivity  tests
 demonstrated an extreme sensitivity of forest model simulations to
 estimates of tree growth and mortality rates.  The  latter especially
 indicates that  the reliability of model predictions can be greatly improved
 by enhanced data collection efforts [for tree mortality rates.  Forest
 service records for mortality have been examined.   It has been found that
 total tree mortality  across the forests in  the State of New York declined
 during the period 1966-1980 compared1 to the period 1950-66 (presuned to
 be a pre-pollution period).   Certain species, however, have shown marked
 increases in their mortality rates over this time period.  Importantly,
 there are few differences in mortality rates among  tree size classes,
 validating a key assumption of the model.

      Estuarine  Impact Assessment:  Through  a consideration of case studies
 involving various human-induced stresses on the Hudson River and other
 estuarine systems,  the ERG completed a series of major reports on estuarine
 impact assessment.  Primary conclusions from this study point to the
 need to decrease the  levels of uncertainty  remaining in predictions, and
 to develop better procedures  for management under uncertainty.
                                    •
      Comparative Analyses of Ecosystems;  ERC staff continued investigations
 of the function and structure of different  types of ecosystems, with the
 ultimate goal of generating a classification scheme for ecosystems and
 their responses to  stress.   During 1986, projects focused on the ecological
 importance of sediment-water interactions of marine and freshwater
 ecosystems, nutrient  cycling  in ecosystems  as related to overall autotrophic
 nutrient needs,  nutrient  availability and use efficiency in terrestrial
 ecosystems, and nitrogen  and  phosphorus cycling in lakes.  Primary
 conclusions emphasize multiple scales within ecosystems and the importance
 of external factors that  are  essentially manageable, versus internal
 factors  that  are less subject to human control.  The issues of scale and
 internal/external control of  ecosystem structure and function are seen
 as  critical to  the  development of a jfunctional classification scheme for
 the  responses of ecosystems to stress.

     Freshwater Wetlands  Ecosystems:  A study of surface water chemistry
 showed that in  some wetland systems,' surface water chemistry changes
 dramatically  over relatively.short periods  of time, primarily through
 interactions with sediments.  The results are important because wetlands
 typically are-characterized by their surface water chemistry.  These
 findings suggest  that  in  characterizing wetlands for scientific or regu-
 latory purposes such  as effluent discharges or dredge and fill permits,
sediment properties be taken  into consideration.
                                   -'34-

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      Anodier important determinant  of the  functional characteristics of
wetlands,  such as groundwater  recharge/discharge, flood control, nutrient
trapping,  and wildlife habitat,  is  die wetland's hydrologic regime.  In
reviewing  die existing literature on: wetland hydrology, ERG staff found
that lack  of data on hydrology is a major  shortcoming  in  regard to
management and regulation of the vast acreage of wetlands in Alaska.
Further, major differences  such  as  the influence of glaciers and permafrost
prevent extrapolation  of data  from wetlands in the contiguous states to
Alaska.        ,                      ,

      Wetland Impact  Assessment:  ERG  staff derived a preliminary functional
grouping of  species  based on their response to altered patterns of flooding
and  soil anaerobiosis  (lack of oxygen).  This functional classification
is intended  to ;aid assessment  of the!effects of hydrologic alterations
on the composition and structure of multi-species wetland plant communities.

      Regulatory Project;  The  ERG continued three activities which focus
on the use of ecological principles in application to specific sections
of environmental laws  and regulations.
                                     i
      Concerning Section 403(c) of die Clean Water Act, studies were
continued  on drilling  fluids and Thalassia ecosystems.  This year a
final report was produced for  this project, with attention to the use of
functional and compositional indicators of ecosystem impacts from drilling
fluids.  A technique was presented that reduced the number of benthic
invertebrate species diat need to beiidentified and counted, while
appreciably  increasing die  ability to measure community stress.  Also,
decomposition was demonstrated to be  an inexpensive indicator of toxic
stress.

      Section 309 of  die Clean  Air Act, legislates EPA's role in reviewing
environmental  impact statements  (EIS's).   The regulatory background is
being examined in order to  understand better the issues in ecological
terms.  The  subsequent  step will be to seek an improved scheme for
assigning  EIS's to specific categories of  projected ecological impact.

     A completed project, concerning  Section 301(h) of the Clean Water
Act, demonstrates the  importance of effects on die benthos, and provides
specific recommendations concerning the efficacy of various indicators of
benthic community impacts (such  as species diversity, tropic infauna
indices, species abundance, etc.).   :
                                   -35-

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Research Goals - FT87
                                     i
     For FY'87, the ERG plans to continue its research in the areas of
environmental risk assessment, ecotoxicology, biotechnology,  effects of
air pollutants on forests, comparative analyses of ecosystems, structural
and functional characteristics of wetlands,  and analyses of regulatory
endpoints.  Some specific research goals follow:
                                     i
     0  Environmental Risk Assessment;  The ERG will focus on the
        characteristics of ecosystems that determine how they respond to
        disturbance.  ERG will continue to emphasize the sources and levels
        of uncertainties inherent in;ecological predictions.   The work at
        Gulf Breeze will expand to include experimental and modeling
        research addressing ecosystem effects from toxic stress.

     0  Acid Neutralization and Production in Ecosystems;   The ERG will
        conduct an international workshop to summarize and synthesize
        current research on the neutralization and production of acids in
        terrestrial, aquatic, and wetland ecosystems.  Results are expected
        to contribute to understanding the types of surface waters and
        watersheds for which, and the conditions under which, processes
        occurring in lakes,  streams,;and wetlands may significantly affect
        acidification rates.        ]

     °  A textbook on ecotoxicology will be completed.

     0  Responses of Wetland Ecosystems to Chronic Stress; The ERG will
        complete two projects pertaining to assessing the response of
        freshwater wetlands  to stress.  The  first project seeks to define
        criteria for aggregating plant species for impact assessment;
        the second will characterize, rates of change in disturbed wetland
        plant communities.  In addition, a project will be initiated to
        explore the application of the concept of functional  grouping of
        species to the problem of cumulative impact assessment.

     °  A report on containment and mitigation for genetically engineered
        organisms will be completed.

     °  Cumulative Impact Assessment  for Wetland Ecosystems:   The ERG
        will conduct a workshop on wetland cumulative impact  assessment
        in collaboration with EPA1s Corvallis laboratory.   An edited
        volume including background papers prepared for the workshop and
        a synthesis of workshop conclusions  will be produced.

     °  Sensitivity Analyses of Ecosystem Models:  Responses  of the
        forested ecosystem model on the supercomputer will be studied to
        examine issues of sensitivity, error propagation,  aggregation,
        and research needs.


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     0  Comparative Analyses of Ecological Systems:   The ERG will begin
        preparations for a major conferenceoncross-systems comparisons
        leading to a functional classification of ecosystems.

     °  Regulatory Endpoints:  The ERC will prepare  a workshop involving
        regulators and ecologists to advance the ecological meaning of
        existing regulatory endpoints, by addressing issues such as data
        needs, monitoring requirements, indicators of ecological impacts,
        and decision-making on those endpoints.

Outputs - FY'86                      I
                                     i
     ° Number of articles in refereed journals 	,	21

     ° Articles submitted or in press  	12

     0 Books and bound proceedings	5

     0 Chapters in other books	i	12
                                     i
     0 Projects reports	5

     ° Conferences and workshops held:
               '                      i
       - Principles and Issues  in Ecosystem Science:  Theory and
         Application to Regulatory Problems (short course)

       - The Shackelton Point Vforkshpp on Biotechnology Impact Assessment
                                    -37-

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Center:
location:
Director:
Hazardous Waste Research Center (HWRC)
                  j
Louisiana State University

Dr. Louis Thibodeaux
Hazardous Waste Research Center
3418 CEBA Building
Baton Rouge, LA.
504/388-6770
                                    70803
Project Officer;
Clyde Dial        !
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Laboratory
26 West St. Clair (Street
Cincinnati, OH  45268
513/569-7528      :
FTS:  684-7528
FY'86 Funds ($K):

     EPA       Other Government

     675
                  1 University
                  i
                       71
                                                       Private Sector
                     166             ,71                  25
                                     i
These figures represent monies spent:during the period 10/1/85 - 9/30/86.
                                     i
Description    '                      ,

     The Hazardous Waste Research Center (HWRC) conducts research on
problems of hazardous waste treatment and disposal.  The purpose of this
research is to contribute to the development of advanced technologies for
the destruction, detoxification, recovery or containment of hazardous
wastes, therefore providing better options for waste management.

     The center's research priorities are incineration, alternate methods
of treatment, and waste/materials interaction.  Incineration research
includes investigations on the combustion kinetics of chlorinated hydrocarbons
and how the physical and thermodynamic properties of wastes affect their
incinerability;. 'Research on alternate methods of waste treatment focuses
on the destruction of hazardous organic wastes by biological treatment, and
on their removal from soil via supercritical extraction techniques or rotary
kiln desorption.  Materials interaction research is developing new information
and prediction'procedures- for evaluating the extent and magnitude of
hazardous wastei""contanination.
                                    i-38-

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      In addition to the fundamental research activities  of the center,  an
 applied research program and a technology transfer program are carried  out.
 The applied research program fosters.university-industry research, and
 includes current activities in an in-depth study of a rotary kiln incinerator
 and the fate of wastes injected underground.  The  technology transfer
 program provides an effective means of communicating  research  results,  both
 fundamental and applied.            '

 Accomplishments - FY'86

      The Hazardous Waste Research Center funded eight fundamental research
 projects and one applied research project for the  fiscal year  1986.   Research
 activities have contributed significantly toward solving some  key hazardous
 waste management,  treatment and/or destruction problems.   Specific
 accomplishments are described for each research area.

 Separation:                          i

      The separation of a waste into its hazardous  and non-hazardous
 components is an important  aspect of; a hazardous waste management
 program.   Through separation,  pollutants are  removed  and concentrated,
 allowing recovery of reuseable materials and  more  effective and more
 economical treatment or destruction of the unwanted hazardous  waste
 component.   Projects funded in this  area addressed supercritical  extraction
 and rotary kilri drying as separation' processes.
                                     I
      The supercritical extraction process has been used  to remove hazardous
 organic wastes from soils.   Research; at HWRC  has shown that over  99%  of
 PCB's and DDT can  be removed from a  contaminated soil  in a short  period of
 time when using carbon dioxide in combination with co-solvents as the
 supercritical fluid  in the  extraction  process.  This extraction efficiency
 can have  a significant impact on the effectiveness of  a hazardous waste site
 clean up, and through the volume reduction  of waste requiring  further
 treatment,  clean up  costs can be reduced.   There is commercial interest in
 a soil cleaning unit that uses this process.  However, further testing  of
 the process  is recommended  before going to  full scale  commercial  operations.

      Research to investigate the clean up of  contaminated  soils using rotary
kiln dryers  as. a separation process ;has been  initiated.  During rotary  kiln
 drying, relative low temperature heating of a contaminated soil causes  the
 organic contaminants in it  to evaporate.  The gases containing the evaporated
 contaminant  can be evacuated for further treatment.  In the center's rotary
kiln project,  a bench scale desorber and a  pilot scale kiln have  been built.
 Based on  the work with the bench scale desorbers,   a mathematical model
will be developed  that can  predict evaporative rates in  a  large scale kiln.
                                    -39-

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Conversion to Environmentally Compatible Species:

     Research on processes that will destroy a hazardous waste or make it
environmentally compatible is being conducted by the HWRC.  Incineration
processes to destroy the waste and biological treatment processes to alter
the waste have been studied, and are '• yielding significant findings.

     Through the biological treatment research, two new bacterial species,
Pseudomones DR 101 and DR 201, have been isolated which are capable of
degrading chloroaromatic compounds.  Further experiments have shown that
these species are capable of utilizing trichloroethylene (TCE) as their
sole source of carbon and energy.  This preliminary finding suggests that
these bacteria can be safely used to I treat TCE since the bacteria would not
survive in the environment once the pollutant is no longer present.  Patent
applications on the two new isolates are being prepared for submission to
the U.S. Patent Office.             ,
                                    1
Waste/Environment Interactions;

     Essential to the ability to treat or destroy a hazardous waste is the
proper understanding of waste interactions with other materials (air, water,
soils, other chemicals) in the natural environment.  Accomplishments of the
center's research in the area of waste/environment interactions are in the
ability to determine the extent and magnitude of contamination.

     The solubility of a pollutant in the environment is an important
element in understanding the impact of a hazardous material or waste spill.
HWRC research efforts revealed that while much data was available on the
solubility of pure hydrocarbons (components of gasoline) at 25 C, a gap in
information existed for data showing: the effect of temperature and water
salinity on the solubility.  Experiments have been conducted to determine
this information, and a method for predicting salt water solubilities from
fresh water solubilities has been developed.  The work has focused on
gasoline spills.  Therefore the information obtained is particularly helpful
for understanding movement in the environment of an accidental spill or a
leaking underground storage tank.  This work has also shown that gasoline
octane enhancers increase the solubility, and therefore increase the
seriousness of a spill or leak.     '.

     Efforts to understand waste migration is further being studied with
emphasis on the ability to predict the extent and magnitude of contamination
in the soil.  A simple "sharp front" model has been developed to predict
the infiltration into unsaturated soils of an immisible organic.  The model
requires two parameters for input:  jintrinsic permeability and moisture
retention characteristic curve.  These measured parameters are readily
available, making the model easily applicable to exposure assessment
calculations.                        ;
                                    -40-

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Research Goals  - FY'87               i
     Research efforts of  the Hazardous Waste Research Center will continue
in the areas  of incineration, materials interaction, and alternate methods
of treatment.   In  addition to existing research, new projects are planned
that will address  some key unknowns in information relevant to hazardous
waste management.                    [
Research projects  that will  be undertaken in FY 1987 are:
                                     i
     °   Transport  in soil  of biodegradative microorganisms to transform
         hazardous  waste components ori-site
     °   Plasma  pyrolysis of  selected 'organic compounds in a pilot-scale"
         50KJ  plasma-fired  furnace    '
     0   Transport  studies  of the mobility of heavy metals which have been
         burled  over long periods of time using chemical, archaeological,
         and bioarchaeological sites and techniques
     °   Transport  and fate of selected chemical components in deep
         underground aquifers as a consequence of the practice of
         subsurface injection of hazardous waste
     0   Treatabillty, mobility, and clean-up of oil field waste in the land
         and marine environments.    |
Information gained from these studies will contribute new understanding
and new  technologies applicable to hazardous waste site clean up projects
and to hazardous waste management strategies.
Outputs  - FY'86
     0 Number of articles  in refereed journals 	14
     0 Articles submitted or in press 	6
     0 Books and bound proceedings .1	0
     0 Chapters in other books	j	0
                                    I
     0 Project reports	'	2

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° Conferences and workshops held:
                               i
  - International Seminar and Workshop on the Solidification and
    Stabilization of Hazardous Waste,  Baton Rouge, May 2-3,  1986

  - Ground Water Contamination in Louisiana:   Issues  and Answers
    (conference),  Baton Rouge, Feb.,  1986

  - Hazardous Waste:   Movement of Chemicals in Mr, Water and Soil
    (short course),  Baton Rouge- March 18-19,  1986

                             i-42-

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