United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA Environmental Research
Laboratory — Athens, GA
1991 Highlights
Sugarbeets
Gila Topminnow
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Research
Laboratory at Athens, Georgia, conducts and manages basic and applied
research to predict, assess, and reduce human and environmental expo-
sures and risks associated with the release of pollutants into freshwater,
marine, and terrestrial ecosystems and the emission of greenhouse gases to
the atmosphere.The research focuses on predictive environmental fate and
exposure and on modeling ecological processes and biospheric system re-
sponse.
The first focus identifies and characterizes the natural biological and
chemical processes in soils, surface waters, and sediments that affect the
environmental fate of toxic substances, such as solvents, pesticides, or
metals. The results are applied in state-of-the-art multimedia transport
models for predicting and assessing exposures and managing environmen-
tal pollution problems. The second emphasis involves the development of
ecological risk assessment techniques to evaluate pollutant and other
stressor effects on ecosystems such as the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, and
large agricultural areas.
EPA's Center for Exposure Assessment Modeling (CEAM), an interna-
tionally known center for modeling expertise located at the Athens Lab,
provides models, training, and support in multimedia exposure evalua-
tion and ecological risk assessm en t. CEAM assists the Agency and States in
environmental risk-based decisions concerning the protection of fresh
water, marine water, soil, ground water and air.
Lab-developed fate and. process data and assessment techniques support
EPA's environmental management regulation and enforcement activi-
ties. Major research anas include global climate change, stratospheric
ozone depletion, ecological risk assessment, sediment quality evaluation,
computational chemistry, identification of complex organic pollutants,
nonpoint source pollution management, Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment Program (agroecosystems), multimedia nitrogen impacts,
bioremediation, chemical remediation, and wellhead protection.
Rosemarie C. Russo, Ph. D., Director
Robert C. Ryans, Technical Information Manager
Environmental Research Laboratory
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
960 College Station Road
Athens, GA 30613-0801
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Research Highlights
ERL-Athens' Multispectral
Identification Program
Captures Attention of
Science Press:
Staff writers for Analytical Chemistry,
Environmental Science and Technology,
and Environment Today highlight the
multispectral identification research pro-
gram at ERL-Athens to identify un-
listed pollutants (or non-target analytes)
in samples from the ambient environ-
ment. In articles entitled "Multispectral
Methods of Analysis and Risk Commu-
nication" (Analytical Chemistry), "In
Search of Something: The 1991 Jekyll
Island Meeting" (Environmental Sci-
ence and Technology), and "New Method
for Marking Unknown Compounds"
(Environment Today), journal staffwrit-
ers address efforts to identify non-tar-
get analytes reliably in industrial and
municipal wastewaters and samples from
Superfund sites. ERL-Athens chemists
estimate that conventional identifica-
tions of compounds other than target
analytes, which are made by computer
matching of low resolution electron
impact mass spectra, are correct for only
about 25% of the chemicals "identi-
fied". By elucidating structures on the
basis of additional spectral information,
the Lab's multispectral identification
team can identify, with >99% reliability,
compounds that are not even among
the ten-million chemicals in the Chemi-
cal Abstracts Services Registry. Spectra
from high and low resolution chemical
ionization mass spectrometry, and Fou-
rier transform infrared spectroscopy are
analyzed by the team in an iterative
mode to define an unknown
compound's structure. This capability,
unique to the Athens Laboratory, opens
the door for considering much more
comprehensive risk assessments than
can be made by addressing only the few
hundred priority pollutants and target
analytes. Target analytes typically repre-
sent less than 2% of the potentially
hazardous chemicals in wastewaters and
solid wastes.
Lead Speciation, Transport
and Bioavailability:
EPA's Office of Research and Develop-
ment (under the leadership of the Envi-
ronmental Criteria and Assessment
Office) is developing methods to assess
human exposure to lead via incidental
ingestion of contaminated soils and
water. This assessment must take trans-
port and transformation processes into
consideration, including the process of
lead partitioning between solid (soil)
and aqueous phases. The chemical spe-
cies (form) of lead is significant in terms
of its transport and bioavailability, so
efforts are underway at the ERL-Athens
to predict the occurrence of the various
lead species under a variety of environ-
mental and human body conditions.
For example, laser spectroscopy is being
used to investigate the speciation of
lead in blood and to determine the
resultant distribution of lead between
the two systems. The determination of
the speciation of lead in the body and in
the environment (e.g., in soil) is tedious
and difficult; a complete determination
is impossible at this time. A study at
ERL-Athens statistically examined the
experimentally observed aqueous parti-
DBA PE provides
on-line soils and
meteorologic
data for use with
predictive
pesticide
transport models
...the Lab's
multispectral
identification
team can identify
compounds that
are not even
among the ten-
million
chemicals
in the Chemical
Abstracts
Services
Registry
-------
Pesticides under
study include
atrazine,
alachlor, and
carbofuran
PIRANHA is a
product of the
Ecological Risk
Assessment
Research
Program
...laser
spectroscopy
is being used to
investigate the
sped at ion of
lead in blood
tioning behavior of lead in 12 aquifer
material and sediment samples as a func-
tion of pH within the context of 14
sediment chemical/physical properties.
A preliminary analysis identifies signifi-
cant correlations between lead parti-
tioning behavior (i.e., increase in the
soil/water lead ratio) and the amounts
of sedimentary extractable manganese
and particulate organic carbon. The
findings from this work, somewhat sur-
prising within the context of conven-
tional geochemistry, will provide direc-
tion to future geochemical-speciation-
based approaches toward assessing lead
mobility in soil systems.
New Fate Constants
Database:
A major step has been taken toward
elimination of one of the Agency's big-
gest impediments to comprehensive and
quantitative prediction of human health
and ecological risks posed by manmade
chemicals in the environment. A data-
base developed at ERL-Athens is now
online on the laboratory's VAX com-
puter. FATE is the only database of
kinetics and equilibrium constants nec-
essary for predicting the fate of chemi-
cals in the environment in which-data
have been screened for reliability. Sci-
entists using other databases have voiced
major concern about the questionable
reliability of published fate constants.
These concerns arise because quality
assurance measures for other databases
do not ensure that the data were taken
directly from original sources, nor do
they incorporate any review to exclude
data that were generated under ques-
tionableconditions. FATE resolves both
of these problems.
The database meets a key Agency need
because the lack of reliable fate con-
stants is one of the largest contributor
to uncertainty in predicting the risk
posed by environmental exposure to
manmade chemicals. FATE will assist
EPA in its reviews of approximately
4000 chemicals each year for their po-
tential environmental impact and will
contribute to the Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response and the Of-
fice of Water in chemical risk assess-
ments.
FATE accommodates data for 12 pa-
rameters, and relevant information is
also provided to help the user assess the
applicability of data for his/her particu-
lar purpose. Other features include ex-
trapolation of hydrolysis rates, often
measured at elevated temperatures and
extreme pH levels, to 25°C and pH 7.
Because of the lack of literature data,
the questionable reliability of the data,
and the prohibitive cost of laboratory
measurement, most new data will be
computed by SPARC, a highly versatile
and reliable computation system under
development atERL-Athens. TheFATE
database is expected to grow rapidly as
SPARC becomes operational for more
parameters and broader classes ofchemi-
cals.
Predicting Chemical
Reactivity by Computer:
The SPARC computer system for pre-
dicting reactivity parameters of chemi-
cals strictly from molecular structure is
described in an article in the November
issue of Environmental Toxicology and
Chemistry. SPARC uses computational
algorithms based on fundamental
chemical structure theory to estimate a
variety of reactivity parameters (equilib-
rium/rate constants, UV-visible absorp-
tion spectra, octanol/water partition
coefficients, etc.) for a broad range of
organic compounds. These data are
vital for EPA's regulatory activities and
can be obtained at a much lower cost
using SPARC than by other methods.
Abiotic Reduction
Research As Basis for New
Chemical Remediation of
Contaminated Soils:
Research by Dr. N. Lee Wolfe at ERL-
Athens leads to an improved under-
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standing of the mechanisms of reduc-
tion of a variety of organic pollutants
and the environmental conditions un-
der which such processes occur.
Nitroaromatics, azo compounds, and
some halogenated aliphatic hydrocar-
bons, for example, are readily reduced
to other compounds, which often are
less hazardous. Munitions wastes are
rich in nitroaromatic organics; reduc-
tion of these compounds readily pro-
duces aniline derivatives, which can sub-
sequently be aerobically degraded to
innocuous products. This could be the
basis for simple and effective in-situ
chemical remediation technology for
the many munitions waste sites in the
United States.
Pesticide Transport to
Ground Water:
Pesticide residues have been detected in
ground water resources in recent years.
These findings have fueled new research
to better define the extent of the prob-
lem, identify key sources and transport
pathways, and develop new manage-
ment alternatives to reduce future deg-
radation of ground water resources.
Several research efforts are underway at
the Environmental Research Labora-
tory-Athens to address these problems
from the standpoint of developing pre-
dictive methodologies for performing
exposure/risk assessments, establish-
ing wellhead set-back criteria, and de-
veloping information systems for States'
use in evaluating management alterna-
tives. Among the 1991 accomplish-
ments were the development of a na-
tional database and retrieval system
(DBAPE) that provides on-line soils
and meteorologic data for use with
predictive pesticide transport models. A
direct-coupled version of DBAPE and
the Pesticide RootZoneModel (PRZM)
was produced in the form of the new
PRZM Input Collator code (PIC). The
DBAPE database also was incorporated
into comprehensive assessment model-
ing methodologies for estimating well-
head setbacks and establishing informa-
tion systems for States' use in develop-
ing pesticide management plans. Criti-
cal pesticide transport constructs used
in the transport codes are being evalu-
ated under field conditions at a test site
in south Georgia.
PIRANHA Adds
Components:
Version two of PIRANHA, the 1'esu-
cide andlndustrial Chemical Risk Analy-
sis and Hazard Assessment Program, is
now available. PIRANHA, now in its
second year of development in a project
coordinated by the ERL-Athens, is a
computer-based software system for
applying the ecotoxicological and envi-
ronmental sciences to ecological risk
assessment. Version two includes imple-
mentation of Department of Agricul-
ture statistics for Major Land Resource
Areas, completion of the ichthyofaunal
database, major improvements in the
Toxicologjcal Inference Program and
the PRZM Input Collator program,
and a full menu-driven implementation
of the model in the VAX CLUSTER
environment at the EPA National Com-
puter Center. The final version, planned
for delivery in 1995, will encompass
analytical capabilities ranging from the
estimation of chemical properties from
molecular structure through evaluation
of risks attending chemical releases to
whole ecosystems. PIRANHA is a prod-
uct of the ORD Ecological Risk Assess-
ment Research Program, which was
establishedin 1985. Environmental con-
tamination by synthetic chemicals is a
concern of the Office of Pollution Pre-
vention, Pesticides and Toxic Sub-
stances, the Office of Water, the Office
of Solid Waste and Emergency Re-
sponse, and the ten Regional Offices.
Five OEPER Environmental Research
Laboratories (ERLs) conduct research
under the EcoRisk program: ERL-Ath-
ens (matrix manager), ERL-Corvallis,
ERL-Duluth, ERL-Gulf Breeze, and
ERL-Narragansett.
...chemists
optimized
sample
ionization, while
minimizing
interference
from
matrix ions...
FGETS is a
FORTRAN
simulation
model
designed to
predict the
bioaccumulation
of non-
metabolized
organic
chemicals in
fish exploiting
multiple prey
items
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FATE will assist
EPA in its
reviews of
approxima tely
4OOO chemicals
each year for
their potential
environmental
impact
A new model
has been
developed for
analyzing the
discharge of
conventional
and toxic
pollutants from a
multiport
diffuser
into the mixing
zone of a river
or lake
Pesticide Leaching
Database:
A major joint research project among
EPA, the Department of Agriculture,
the Geological Survey, and the Univer-
sity of Georgia at a field site in Plains,
GA, is producing much-needed data on
the leaching of pesticides through the
soil environment. Pesticides understudy
include atrazine, alachlor, and
carbofuran- -all of which are widely used
throughout the United States. The com-
prehensive database is vital to efforts to
validate the pesticide leaching models
that are frequently used in the regula-
tory decision process. Validation of
models under actual field conditions is
cited by the Science Advisory B oard and
the General Accounting Office as an
important Agency need. The database
has already been applied in a test of
EPA's RUSTIC model.
A Step Closer to Predicting
Fate and Transport of
Textile Dyes:
Improved methods for the character-
ization of ten monosulfonated and
disulfonated azo dyes resulted from a
systematic study using liquid secondary
ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS). ERL-
Athens chemists optimized sample ion-
ization, while minimizing interference
from matrix ions, by studying effects of
matrix, primary beam energy, concen-
tration, and mode of operation on the
spectra obtained. Approximately 15%
of the 250 million pounds of textile
dyes used each year in the United States
is discharged in the effluents of textile
mills. In implementing the National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination Sys-
tem, permit writers will eventually have
to deal with textile dyes in surface wa-
ters, which can result in significant aes-
thetic deterioration and have caused
cancer in laboratory test animals. Com-
prehensive ecological risk assessments
require consideration of the textile dyes
in linking effects of aquatic habitat de-
terioration to causes. The improved
characterization methods will lead to
the identification of the dyes and their
transformation products in order to
predict their transport and transforma-
tion in receiving waters.
Model Predicts
Bioaccumulation of
Chemicals in Fish:
FGETS (Food and Gill Exchange of
Toxic Substances) is a FORTRAN simu-
lation model designed to predict the
bioaccumulation of nonmetabolized,
organic chemicals in fish exploiting
multiple prey items. The model can be
used by EPA to analyze chemical
bioaccumulation in fish species of inter-
est that are exposed to constant or time-
varying water concentrations and feed
on other fish species, plankton/drift
organisms, and/or benthos that also
have bioaccumulated the chemicals of
concern. In general, the relative contri-
butions of these food items are assumed
to be age dependent. The model is
supported by its own physiological and
morphological database that provides
model parameters for important
Centrarchids (Lepomis, Micropterus,
Pomoris), Clupeids (Alosa and
Dorosoma), Percids (Perca and
Stizostedion), Salmonids (Oncorhynchus,
Salmo, and Salvelinus), and other se-
lected genera including Catostomus,
Cyprinus, Esox, and Ictalurus. This work
demonstrates the relative contributions
of food chain and direct aqueous expo-
sures are dependent on the particular
exposure scenario being considered.
This work also shows that the
bioaccumulation of extremely hydro-
phobic chemicals such as the chlori-
nated dioxins can be predicted assum-
ing that fish insert chemical from con-
taminated prey and water that is as-
sumed to be in equilibrium with con-
taminated sediments.
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CORMIX2 for Mixing Zone
Analysis:
A new model analyzes the discharge of
conventional and toxic pollutants from
a multiport diffuser into the mixing
zoneofariverorlake. Called CORMIX2,
the model collects the relevant data for
the discharge situation, computes the
physical parameters, and classifies the
discharge into one of many possible
hydrodynamic configurations. The
model then executes the corresponding
hydrodynamic simulation for the flow,
interprets the results of the simulation
relative to legal requirements including
toxic discharge criteria, and suggests
possible design alternatives and improve-
ments concerning the mixing charac-
teristics.
Greenhouse Gases and
Agriculture:
Agricultural inputs, outputs and wastes
that alter atmospheric concentrations
of carbon dioxide, methane, and ni-
trous oxide have been identified. Agri-
culture ranks third (behind fossil fuel
use and chlorofluorocarbon release)
among die human activities that can
alter the sun-earth energy balance re-
sulting in the potential for climate
change. Understanding the net effects
of agriculture as a source or sink of
greenhouse gases, then, is an important
component of EPA's research to under-
stand and control global climate change.
Agriculture
ranks
third among
the human
activities that
can alter the
sun-earth
energy balance
Staff Honors and Awards
Karickhoff Receives
SETAC's Highest Award:
The Society of Environmental Toxicol-
ogy and Chemistry presented its 1991
Founder's Award to Dr. Sam Karickhoff.
The society's highest award is presented
annually to "a person with an outstand-
ing career who has made clearly identi-
fiable contributions in the environmen-
tal sciences consistent with the goals of
SETAC." Previous recipients are Dr.
Joshua Lederberg, Dr. John Caims, Jr.,
Dr. Eugene P. Odum, Dr. Ruth Patrick,
Dr. Robert L. Metcalf, Dr. Eugene
Kenega, Mr. William D. Ruckelshaus,
Dr. Donald I. Mount, Dr. Fumio
Matsumura, and Dr. John Sprague.
Dr. Karickhoff is an internationally rec-
ognized expert on the sorption of hy-
drophobic pollutants to sediments. He
is the author of numerous articles on
chemical sorption and other natural
processes affecting pollutant fate in the
environment. The Institute for Scien-
tific Information has identified his
"Sorption of Hydrophobic Pollutants
on Natural Sediments" as a "Citation
Classic," one of the most frequently
cited works in its field. He received
Scientific and Technical Achievement
Awards from EPA's Office of Research
and Development in 1982, 1985, and
1986.
Dr. Karickhoffs current research offers
promise of immense dividends to the
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SPARC /s
applicable to the
universe of
chemicals
providing
accurate data
required by both
EPA and
industry
for
environmental
exposure
assessments at
costs that are
much lower than
those of
conventional
data generation
techniques
Agency. He is leading a research team to
develop a technique forpredictingphysi-
cal and chemical reactivity parameters
for modeling the fate of pollutants. The
computer-operated system, called
SPARC, is applicable to the universe of
chemicals providing accurate data re-
quired by both EPA and industry for
environmental exposure assessments at
costs that are much lower than those of
conventional data generation tech-
niques.
McCutcheon Named EPA
Engineer of the Year:
Dr. Steve McCutcheon was selected as
the Agency's Engineer of the Year for
1991. Along with similarly designated
engineers from 35 other federal agen-
cies, he will be honored by the National
Society of Professional Engineers at an
awards ceremony in February 1992.
The "Federal Engineer of the Year," as
selected by the NSPE from the 35
nominees, will be announced at the
awards ceremony. NSPE's Engineer of
the Year program, now in its thirteenth
year, recognizes the contributions of
engineers employed in the Federal gov-
ernment.
Ambrose Garners Bronze
Medal:
Mr. Robert Ambrose, Manager of the
Center for Exposure Assessment Mod-
eling, has been awarded an EPABronze
Medal. The award cites his "exceptional
leadership in the development, distri-
bution, and support of a system of
predictive exposure and risk assessment
tools and (his) creative management of
the (CEAM)." He was EPA's Engineer
of the Year in 1990 and has received-
Bronze Medals for Commendable Ser-
vice in 1986 and 1991.
Mulkey Awarded Bronze
Medal:
Mr. Lee Mulkey and 12 other members
of EPA's Toxicity Characteristics Team
were awarded the Agency's Bronze
Medal. The citation reads "For exem-
plary service resulting in the promulga-
tion of the Toxicity Characteristic, a
rule which will help ensure-proper man-
agement of significant quantities of
hazardous waste on a national basis and
result in substantial reduction of risk to
human health and the environment."
EPA calls it the most significant hazard-
ous waste identification rule to be pro-
mulgated in the last 8 years.
Garrison, Swank Get
Bronze Medal:
Dr. Wayne Garrison and Dr. Robert
Swank along with six other members of
the Office of Research and
Development's MMT Risk Evaluation
Team, were awarded the Agency's
Bronze Medal for thier risk evaluation
of a petition by industry to include
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl, an antiknock compound,
in unleaded gasoline.
Stancil Awarded Bronze
Medal:
Mr. Frank Stancil and six other mem-
bers of EPA's sediment quality criteria
planning committee were awarded an
EPA Bronze Medal for their develop-
ment of the Agency's.first five sediment
quality criteria standards. Mr. Stancil
provided octanol/vvater partition coef-
ficients for the five chemicals.
Wolfe Garners STAA
Award:
The Scientific and Technological
Achievement Award Committee pre-
sented a Level 3 Award for 1990 to Dr.
Lee Wolfe forajourrial article, "Charac-
terization of the Reducing Properties of
Anaerobic Sediment Slurries Using
Redox Indicators," which appeared in
.Environmental Toxicology and Chemis-
try. Award winners are selected by EPA's
Science Advisory Board from nomina-
tions provided by all of the Agency's
laboratories and offices.
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Bailey Elected SSA
Chairman:
Dr. George Bailey was elected chairman
for 1992-1993 of the Division of Soil
Chemistry of the Soil Society of America.
The election was the result of voting by
the national membership of the Soil
Science and Crop Societies of the Ameri-
can Society of Agronomy. This is his
second election to a national chairman-
ship by the ASA. He served as chairman
of the Division of Environmental Qual-
ity in 1976-1977.
Wolfe Named to
International Commission:
Dr. Lee Wolfe was appointed as Titular
Member of the International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry. Among
his first duties will be participation in
the 36th IUPAC General Assembly in
Hamburg, Germany, in May 1992.
Region 9 Thanks Lab for
Spill Work:
Dr. Steve McCutcheon, Dr. Larry Burns,
Dr. Eric Weber, Mr. Bob Ambrose, and
others at the Lab were cited for their
contribution to EPA Region 9 and the
State of California in addressing the
July 1991 spill of the herbicide metam
sodium into the Sacramento River. A
letter by Mr. John Wise, Deputy Re-
gional Administrator, to Mr. Erich
Bretthauer, AA/ORD, expressed "Re-
gion 9's sincere appreciation for the
expertise and teamwork provided by
ORD's laboratories." He added that
the ORD laboratories demonstrated
the utmost professionalism in working
hand-in-hand with Regional and State
agency employees who needed to give
guidance to the ongoing response. The
letter of appreciation cited the Lab's
"effort. . .on modeling expected con-
centrations of the herbicide when the
spill reached Lake Shasta and its effects
on aquatic organisms in the lake; and
possible human exposures... and to pro-
vide chemical degradation pathways and
toxicity information to the Region 9
Water Management Division and to the
State of California Governor's Office."
ORD laboratories
demonstrated
the
utmost
professionalism
In working hand-
in-hand with
Regional and
State agency
employees
New Staff and Activities
Steen Heads Biology
Branch:
Dr. William C. Steen was named Chief
of the Lab's Biology Branch in August.
The announcement was made by Dr.
Rosemarie Russo, Lab Director. Dr.
Steen, who completed 20 years of Fed-
eral service in July (all here at the Athens
Lab), manages a branch composed of
27 Federal employees supported by con-
tractor personnel, with a budget of
more than $2 million (internal and
extramural). He has served as acting
chief of both the Measurements and
Biology Branches and is the US-side
chairman of a project under the USA-
USSR Agreement on Cooperation in
the Field of Environmental Protection
with association in two others. He was
awarded EPA's Bronze Medal (group)
in 1973 and has received two 2% Inno-
vative Research Program rundingawards
from ORD for special research projects.
For the past 3 years, he has served as an
Adjunct Professor at the University of
Georgia.
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An ERL-Athens
nature trait
project at an
elementary
school was
selected as the
best Partners-
in-Education
Project in
1991 in the
Clarke County
(GA) School
District
Four foreign
scientists began
research visits
to ERL-Athens
in 1991
Weber Receives Innovative
Research Funding:
Dr. Eric Weber is one of four OEPER
scientists whose innovative research
proposals were selected for funding in
the FY92 competition. Eric will receive
a budget of $50K for a study of the
covalent binding of aromatic amines to
humic substances, soils and sediments
by WN NMR.
Garrison Reappointed to
Clemson Post:
Dr. Wayne Garrison has accepted reap-
pointment to the position of Adjunct
Professor of Environmental Systems
Engineering at Clemson University. The
appointment is effective for the 1991-
1992 academic year.
New Research Geochemist:
Dr. Roger A. Burke, Jr., Research Geo-
chemist, has joined the Chemistry
Branch staff. Dr. Burke, who holds a
Ph.D. in Marine Science from the Uni-
versity of South Florida, came to the
Lab from Texas A&M University; he is
involved in global change research con-
cerning stable isotope ratios and flux-
emissions of methane from natural wet-
lands.
New Microbial Ecologist:
Dr. Rochelle Araujo, Microbial Ecolo-
gist, joined the Biology Branch staff.
Dr. Araujo, who has a Ph.D. in Toxicol-
ogy from Cornell University, conducts
research on the microbial processes that
affect chemicals in wetlands and other
natural environments.
New Chemist:
Mr. Andrew Paeng, Chemist, joined
the Assessment Branch staff. Mr. Paeng,
who holds a B.S. in Chemistry from
California State University, Bakersfield,
performs field studies of chemical move-
ment in soil.
New Research Biologist:
Dr. W. Jack Jones, who holds a Ph.D. in
Microbiology from Clemson Univer-
sity, joined the Biology Branch staff.
Dr. Jones, who was an associate profes-
sor in Georgia Institute ofTechnology's
School of Biology, conducts research in
bioremediation, global climate change,
and other areas.
International Scientists on
Long-Term Visits:
Four foreign scientists began research
visits to ERL-Athens in 1991. Ms. Ma-
rina YereschukovaoftheHydrochemical
Institute of the Russian State Commit-
tee on Hydrometeorology and Envi-
ronmental Protection, began a 9-month
study on water quality modeling. Dr.
Willie Peijnenburg of the National In-
stitute of Public Health, The Nether-
lands, completed a 3-month collabora-
tive research project on redox reaction
processes. Mr. Hans Bouwers, a gradu-
ate student at Wageningen Agricultural
University, The Netherlands, completed
a 4-month cooperative project on re-
dox reactions of the iron couple with
smectite surfaces. Dr. Gokhan Cayci of
the University of Ankara, Turkey, be-
gan a 6-month cooperative project on
pesticide transport and modeling.
Russo Heads Board:
Dr. Rosemarie Russo was reelected as
Chairperson of die Agency's Perfor-
mance Review Board for its Senior Ex-
ecutive Service.
Lab Recognized for
Education Program:
An ERL-Athens nature trail project at
an elementary school was selected as the
best Partners-in-Education project in
1991 in the Clarke County (GA) School
District. The nature trail was one of the
projects instituted when the Lab
adopted the 4th Street Elementary
School in a Partners-in-Education
Project. Lab staff led trail-clearing ef-
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forts on weekends and participated with
teachers to develop the trail as a learning
tool with curricula and an education
booklet to assure that pupils gain maxi-
mum education benefit. The Lab staff
also conducted an after-school-hours
science program and participated in
other school programs.
McDaniel Named Science
Education Manager:
Ms. Kate McDaniel became the Lab's
first Science Education Program Man-
ager in 1991. The appointment re-
flected the Agency's commitment to
the National Environmental Education
Act of 1990. In August, the Lab joined
with the local chapter of the American
Chemical Society to present an envi-
ronmental science workshop for high
school teachers from five area school
systems. Emphasis was on environmen-
tal chemistry coordinated to help teach-
ers teach science, mathematics, and tech-
nology.
Technology Transfer
Modeling, Training, and
On-Site Assistance:
The Center for Exposure Assessment
Modeling, EPA's internationally known
center of modeling expertise, contin-
ued its technology transfer and techni-
cal assistance activities in 1991. More
than 150 model users from govern-
ment, industry and academia attended
5 training courses on the QUAL2EU,
MINTEQA2, and WASP4 models. In
response to requests from the user com-
munity, the Center distributed 3379
sets of code for the 22 models it sup-
ports. Users also took advantage of the
electronic bulletin board to obtain ex-
pert help in resolving problems en-
countered in model application. A total
of 3880 bulletin board calls were pro-
cessed. During the year, 872 new users
were added to the CEAM database,
bringing the total to 3959 active mod-
elers. CEAM staff continued direct as-
sistance to environmental-problem sites
throughout the United States. Staff
provided assistance at 68 Water Pro-
gram sites, 35 Superfund Program sites,
and 9 Resource Conservation and Re-
covery sites in all 10 EPA Regions.
Symposium on
Environmental Analytical
Chemistry:
Eighteen invited papers by scientists in
government, industry, and university
laboratories were presented at the 21st
International Symposium on Environ-
mental Analytical Chemistry held on
May 20-22 at Jekyll Island, GA. Plenary
lectures were presented by Dr. Vincent
Covello, Center for Risk Communica-
tion, Columbia University; Mr. John
Slavick, Chemical Manufacturers Asso-
ciation; and Ms. Ann Cardinal, SRA
Technologies, Inc. The symposium also
included 31 poster presentations. Ap-
proximately 150 scientists from the
United States and several foreign coun-
tries attended the symposium, which
was co-sponsored by EPA.
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Workshop on Metal
Speciation and Soil
Contamination:
Experts from several scientific disci-
plines participated in a Workshop on
Metal Speciation and Contamination of
Soil on May 22-24, 1991, at Jekyll
Island, GA. Organized by EPA (ERL-
Athens), the American Chemical Soci-
ety, and the University of Delaware, the
workshop sought to define the state of
knowledge concerning metal chemistry
in soil system. The 150 participants
included experts in analytical and aquatic
chemistry; chemical, civil, environmen-
tal, and mining engineering; hydrol-
ogy; and soil science.
ERL-Athens Scientists at
Pittsburgh Conference:
Three scientists from ERL-Athens made
major presentations at the 42nd Pitts-
burgh Conference and Exposition on
Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spec -
troscopy on March 4-6. Dr. David
Brown discussed the use of equilibrium
models in assessing potential environ-
mental problems. Dr. Leo Azarraga
reported on metal binding to humic
substances as revealed by lanthanide ion
probe fluorescence spectrometry. Dr.
Lee Wolfe discussed investigations of
the redox capacity of anoxic reducing
sediments.
International Symposium
on Climate Change
More than 30 scientists from the
People's Republic of China, the United
States, The Philippines, and Canada
participated in the International Sym-
posium on Climate-Biosphere Interac-
tions: Biogenic Emissions and Environ-
mental Effects of Climate Change in
Beijing in May. The seminar featured
presentations by several internationally
recognized experts on climatology, bio-
genie emissions, and the environmental
effects of climate change.
Publications in 1991
Allison, J.D.,D.S.BrownandKJ.Novo-Gradac. 1991. MINTEQA2/PRODEFA2,
AGeochemicalAssessmentModelforEnvironmentalSystems: Version3.0
User's Manual. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens GA.
Publication No. EPA/600/3-91/021.
Anon. 1991. Biological Remediation of Contaminated Sediments, with Special
Emphasis on the Great Lakes: A Workshop Report. C.T. Jafvert and J.E.
Rogers (Eds.). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA Pub-
lication No. EPA/600/9-91/001.
Armstrong, A.Q., R.E. Hodson, H-M. Hwang and D.L. Lewis. 1991. Environ-
mental Factors Affecting Toluene Degradation in Ground Water at a
Hazardous Waste Site. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
10(2):147-158.
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Asmussen, L.E. and C.N. Smith. 1991. Study Design to Investigate and Simulate
Agrochemical Movement andFate in Groundwater Recharge. In: Ground-
water Residue Sampling Design. R.G. Nash and A.R. Leslie. (Eds.).
Washington DC., American Chemical Society, p. 150-164.
Banerjee, S. and G.L. Baughman. 1991. Bioconcentration Factors and Lipid
Solubility. Environmental Science and Technology. 25(3):536-539.
Barber, M.C., L.A. Suarez and R.R. Lassiter. 1991. Modelling Bioaccumulation of
Organic Pollutants in Fish with an Application to PCBs in Lake Ontario
Salmonids. Canadian Journal of Fisheries andAquatic Science. 48(2):318-
337.
Baughman, G.L. and E.J. Weber. 1991. Estimation of Water Solubility and
Octanol/Water Partition Coefficient of Hydrophobic Dyes. Part I. Rela-
tionship between Solubility and Partition Coefficient. Dyes and Pigments.
16(4):261-271.
Bertino,DJ. andKG. Zepp. 1991. Effects of Solar Radiation on Manganese Oxide
Reactions with Selected Organic Compounds. Environmental Science and
Technology 25(7):1267-1273.
Bird, S.L, J.M. Cheplick and D.S. Brown. 1991. Preliminary Testing Evaluation
and Sensitivity Analysis for the Terrestrial Ecosystem Exposure Assessment
Model (TEEAM). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA.
Publication No. EPA/600/3-91/019.
Brown, K.P., E.Z. Hosseinipour, J.L. Martin and R.B. Ambrosejr.. 1991.
Application ofa Water Quality Assessment Modeling System ataSuperfund
Site. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens GA. Publication No.
EPA/600/3-91/046.
Bryant, F.O., D D. Hale and J.E. Rogers. 1991. Regiospecific Dechlorination of
Pentachlorophenol-Adapted Microorganisms in Freshwater, Anaerobic
Sediment Slurries. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 57(8 ):2293-
2301.
Collette,T.W.,R.F. Christman, J.M. McGuire and C.D. Trusty. 199LMultispec-
tral Identification of Potentially Hazardous Byproducts of Ozonation and
Chlorination: Part 1, Studies of Chromatographic and Spectroscopic
Properties of MX. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA.
Publication No. EPA/600/4-91/004.
Donigian, A.S. and W.C. Huber. 1991. Modeling of Nonpoint Source Water
Quality in Urban and Non-urban Areas. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Athens GA. Publication No. EPA/600/3-91/039.
Ellington, J.J., C.T. Jafvert, H.P. Kollig, E.J. Weber and NX Wolfe. 1991.
Chemical-Specific Parameters for Toxicity Characteristic Contaminants.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens GA. Publication No.
EPA/600/3-91/004.
Grimm, D.M., L.V. Azarraga, L.A. Carreira and W. Susetyo. 1991. Continuous
Multiligand Distribution Model Used to Predict the Stability Constant of
Cu(II) Metal Complexation with Humic Material from Fluorescence
Quenching Data. Environmental Science and Technology. 25(8):1427-
1431.
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Hale, D.D., J.E. Rogers and J. Wiegel. 1991a. Reductive Dechlorination of
Dichlorophenols in Anaerobic Pond Sediment. In: Organic Substances and
Sediments in Water. R.A. Baker. (Ed.). Chelsea,MI, Lewis Publishers., p.
211-222.
Hale, D.D., J.E. Rogers and J. Wiegel. 1991b. Environmental Factors Correlated
to Dichlorophenol Dechlorination in Anoxic Freshwater Sediments. Envi-
ronmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 10(10):1255-1265.
Hayase, K. andKG. Zepp. 1991. Photolysis of Copper(II)-Amino Acid Complexes
in Water. Environmental Science and Technology 25(7):1273-1279.
Hou,M., G.L. BaughmanandT.A. Perenich. 1991. Estimation ofWater Solubility
and Octanol/Water Partition Coefficient of Hydrophobic Dyes. Part II.
Reverse-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Dyes and
Pigments. 16(4):291-297.
Imhoff, J.C., R.F. Carsel, J.L. Kittle and P.KJr Hummel. 1991. DBAPE—A
Database and Model Parameter Analysis System for Agricultural Soils to
Support Water Quality Management. Water Science and Technology.
24(6):331-337.
Jafvert, C.T. and J.K Heath. 1991. Sediment- and Saturated-Soil-Associated
Reactions Involving an Anionic Surfactant (Dodecylsulfate). 1. Precipita-
tion and Micelle Formation. Environmental Science and Technology
25(6):103M038.
Jafvert, C.T. and EJ. Weber. 1991. Sorption oflonizable Organic Compounds to
Sediments and Soils. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens GA.
Publication No. EPA/600/3-91/017.
Jafvert, C.T. 1991. Sediment- and Saturated-Soil-Associated Reactions Involving
an Anionic Surfactant (Dodecylsulfate). 2. Partition of PAH Compounds
amongPhases. Environmental Science and Technology 25(6):1039-1045.
Jirka,G.H.,R.L. DonekerandT.O. Barnwell. 1991. CORMIX: An Expert System
for Mixing Zone Analysis. Water Science and Technology. 24(6) :267- 274.
Karickhoff, S.W., V.K. McDaniel, C. Melton, A.N. Vellino, D.E. Nute and L.A.
Carreira. 1991. Predicting Chemical Reactivity by Computer. Environ-
mental Toxicology and Chemistry. 10(11):1405-1416.
Kollig, H.P. and JJ. Ellington. 1991. Fate Constants for Some Chlorofluorocar-
bon Substitutes. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens GA.
Publication No. EPA/600/M-91/007.
Kollig, H.P., KJ. Hamrick and B.E. Kitchens. 1991. FATE, the Environmental
Fate Constants Information System Database. U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, Athens GA. Publication No. EPA/600/3-91/045.
Lewis, D.L. and D.K Gattie. 1991a. Predicting Chemical Concentration Effects
on Transformation Rates of Dissolved Organics by Complex Microbial
Assemblages. Ecological Modeling. 55(l/2):27-46.
Lewis, D.L. and D.K Gattie. 1991b. The Ecology of Quiescent Microbes. ASM
News. 57(1 ):27-32.
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Loux, N.T., J.D. Allison, C.R. Chafin and S.M. Hassan. 1991. Carbonate
Equilibria and Groundwater Sample Collection: Implications for Esti-
mated Average Subsurface Properties in Continental North America.
International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry. 44(1 ):41-
53.
Mueller, T.C., P.A. Banks and W.C. Steen. 1991. Microbial Degradation of
Flurtamone in Three Georgia Soils. Weed Science. 39(2):270-274.
Richardson, S.D., A.D. Thrustonjr., T.W. Collette and J.M. McGuire. 1991.
Application of Multispectral Techniques to the Precise Identification of
Aldehydes in the Environment. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
10(8):991-997.
Richardson, S.D., A.D. Thrustonjr., J.M. McGuire and G.L. Baughman. 1991.
Influence of Experimental Conditions on the Liquid Secondary Ion Mass
Spectra of SulfonatedAzo Dyes. Organic Mass Spectrometry. 26(10):826-
830.
Said,W.A. andD.L. Lewis. 1991. Quantitative Assessment of the Effects of Metals
on Microbial Degradation of Organic Chemicals. Applied and Environ-
mental Microbiology. 57(5):1498-1503.
Steen, W.C. 1991. Microbial Transformation Rate Constants of Structually Diverse
Man-made Chemicals. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens
GA. Publication No. EPA/600/3-91/016.
Susetyo, W., L.A. Carreira, L.V. Azarraga and D.M. Grimm. 1991. Fluorescence
Techniques for Metal-Humic Interactions. Fresenius' Journal of Analytical
Chemistry. 339(9):624-635.
Thruston, A.D., Jr., S.D. Richardson, J.M. McGuire and T.W. Collette. 1991.
Multispectral Identification of Allcyl and Chloroalkyl Phosphates from an
Industrial Effluent. Journal of American Society for Mass Spectrometry.
2(5):419-426.
Trusty, C.D. and J.J. Ellington. 1991. Techniques Affecting Precision and
Accuracy in Hydrolysis Rate Constant Determinations of Volatile Organic
Compounds Using Jeffers' Zero Headspace Reaction Bulbs. Analytical
Letters. 24(2):327-344.
Weber, EJ. 1991. Studies of Benzidine-based Dyes in Sediments-water Systems.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 10(5):609-618.
Wolf, S.D., R.R. Lassiter and S.E. Wooten. 1991. Predicting Chemical Accumu-
lation in Shoots of Aquatic Plants. Environmental Toxicology and Chem-
istry. 10(5):665-680.
Yen, C-P.C., T.A. Perenich and G.L. Baughman. 1991. Fate of Commercial
Disperse Dyes in Sediments. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
10(8):1009-1017.
Zepp, R.G. 1991. Photochemical Fate of Agrochemicals in Natural Waters. In:
Pesticide Chemistry: Advances in International Research, Development,
and Legislation. H. Frehse. (Ed.). Weinheim (Germany), VMS, p. 329-
345.
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