Innovation
United States Environmental Protection Agency
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Table of Contents
Air, Climate, and Energy Research 2
Safe and Sustainable Water Research 7
Chemical Safety for Sustainability Research 12
Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research 17
Homeland Security Research 23
Human Health Risk Assessment 27
Supporting and Building Partnerships 31
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Insight. Innovation. Impact.
Insight. Innovation. Impact. All three are at the heart of every
research project conducted by the scientists and engineers at the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and
Development.
Together with partnerships cultivated throughout the scientific
community, EPA research teams conduct the studies that provide
critical insight into the links between human health and the
environment. To that knowledge, they apply a collective spirit
of innovation to provide timely, cost-effective tools, models,
and other solutions needed to meet today's most pressing
environmental challenges. Finally, their research results are
incorporated in ways that have true positive impact: improving
human health; taking action on climate change; lowering risks
from exposures to pollution, chemicals, and other potential
environmental hazards; and advancing more prosperous and
sustainable communities.
This report highlights some of the many research results delivered
in 2013 by EPA researchers and their partners in support of the
American people. For example, Agency researchers:
• Developed the Village Green Project, a solar-powered,
community-based air quality monitoring and information kiosk
providing real-time data, educational opportunities, and a
place to advance innovative air sensor technology.
• Released the National Stormwater Calculator, an easy-to-use,
customizable tool that helps developers and other decision
makers identify and incorporate "green" techniques to reduce
Stormwater runoff.
• Shared all the data from the Agency's innovative ToxCast
program (1,800 chemicals), and launched a beta version of
the interactive Chemical Safety for Sustainability Dashboard.
• Enhanced and/or developed a host of tools, models, and
databases—such as EnviroAtlas, the Community-Focused
Exposure and Risk Screening Tool, the Tribal-Focused
Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool, the Directory of
Sustainability Indicators and Indices, and others—to support
and advance safe and sustainable communities.
• Co-led the Bio-response Operational Testing and Evaluation
project, a two-phase demonstration to test and advance
decontamination methods used on anthrax spores inside a
building.
• Increased the transparency and improved the efficiencies in
the Agency's Integrated Risk Information System to meet the
needs of the Agency and the public.
The list above represents just a handful of the many, many research
accomplishments made by Agency scientists and engineers, and
their partners during 2013. The full breadth and impact of their
collective achievements would stretch far beyond the pages of a
single report.
No other research organization in the world offers the overall
diversity of expertise found in EPA's Office of Research and
Development. Together, this community of scientists and engineers
published some 379 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals
during 2013 (source: EPA Science Inventory). These papers, as
well as the numerous other ways in which Agency researchers
share results, each represent a story of insight, innovation, and
impact.
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Air,
Climate,
and Energy
Research
Improving air quality/ reducing carbon and other
greenhouse gas emissions/ and developing strategies to
help communities and individuals address the effects of a
changing climate are central to EPA's mission to protect
human health and the environment. Research by EPA's
Air, Climate/ and Energy research program and its partners
is playing a prominent role in protecting the air we breathe
and providing new understandings about the relationship
between air quality/ climate change and energy production.
Studies are advancing technology to better measure and
monitor air quality/ providing innovative modeling tools to
help predict and respond to the impacts of climate change/
and investigating the adverse health and environmental
effects related to air pollution and a changing climate.
EPA air/ climate/ and energy research results have far-
reaching impact/ providing the scientific foundation for
decisions and actions to protect public health and the
environment.
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The Village Green Project
EPA, researchers are helping change the paradigm of air pollution monitoring.
For more than four decades, EPA researchers and their partners
have been developing cutting-edge technologies and improving
existing ones to advance novel, innovative ways to collect,
monitor, and analyze air pollution data. The results of this work
have supported decisions and policies that in turn have sparked
dramatic improvements in the nation's air quality. Impacts, for
example, include a 59 percent reduction in the emissions of six
major air pollutants between 1990 and 2010, and have even
increased the life expectancy of the average American by four to
eight months.
Today, EPA researchers continue to usher in the kind of next-
generation clean air science needed to advance that legacy of
progress, and meet the challenges many communities still face due
to poor air quality.
The launch of the Village Green Project, a community-based,
solar-powered air monitoring system in 2013 exemplifies this
research work. The pilot project, conducted in partnership with
Durham County (NC), is advancing local air quality measurement
capabilities for states, tribes, and communities.
EPA built the state-of-the-art monitoring system into a park bench
and installed it at the Durham County South Regional. The system
provides real-time data on three air pollutants (ozone, particulate
matter, and black carbon) and meteorological conditions that are
made available online, in real time, to the public.
The Village Green Project provides educational opportunities
for citizens and students to learn more about the air they breathe
as well as the cutting-edge air quality sensor and monitoring
technologies being developed by EPA and others to improve the
ability to measure and monitor air quality.
The Village Green Project stems from a growing national interest
in harnessing new sensor technologies to gain insight into
local air quality conditions and trends near schools, parks, and
neighborhoods. The three main goals are to (1) engage local
communities in pollution awareness; (2) increase the geographic
coverage of air pollution monitoring; and (3) advance the ability of
Agency researchers to measure and share air pollution information
in real-time, at a minimum in cost and maintenance.
Study results will be used to advance air quality measurement tools
and capabilities. The system is also expected to provide a model
for communities seeking to investigate local air quality, and to
identify ways to monitor and improve air pollution trends, such as
reducing vehicle idling.
The data gathered at the monitoring station is available online at
http://villagegreen.epa.gov.
The Village Green Project is just one of many achievements
made during 2013 by EPA's Air, Climate, and Energy research
program. Additional highlights follow.
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Fenceline Monitoring Research
Fences are important features for industrial sites such as chemical plants and petroleum
refineries: they provide security, keep nearby residents safe from potentially dangerous
activities, and mark boundaries. EPA researchers are advancing the use of sensor
technologies that will add another important benefit—monitoring air quality and
detecting pollutant emissions.
EPA researchers have developed innovative techniques using sensor technologies
to measure air quality around the perimeter of a building or area, often referred to as
"fenceline monitoring." The technology provides cost-effective and near-real-time air
monitoring that has gained support from industrial partners and the Agency's Office
of Air and Radiation. Fenceline monitoring provides both an early warning system for
leak detection and better protects neighboring communities from air pollution. EPA
estimates that the results of the research will help industry save $500 million in reduced
compliance costs.
Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study
In 2013, EPA researchers helped lead one of the largest studies in decades to explore air
pollution in the United States—the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS), part
of the even larger Southeast Atmosphere Study.
During an intense and highly collaborative field effort using research towers, balloons, and
aircraft, Agency researchers and their partners collected detailed data on atmospheric
chemistry in Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina to learn more about how organic
aerosols are formed and how they interact with volatile organic compounds to affect air
quality and climate.
As part of the SOAS study, EPA also awarded more than $4.3 million in grants to 13
academic and research institutions to learn more about air quality in the Southeast. (Also
see STAR-supported Research for Climate Change Modeling, Air Quality Management
in the "Supporting Partnerships" section of this report.)
Supporting the President's Climate Action Plan
On June 25, 2013, President Obama announced a Climate Action Plan strategically
designed to help the nation respond to the challenges posed by a changing climate. EPA
scientists are providing data, tools, and information that support the three pillars of that
plan: (1) helping communities prepare for the impacts of climate change, (2) reducing
carbon pollution and (3) addressing global climate change on an international level.
Agency researchers are addressing many of the specific topics identified in the President's
plan, including: extreme weather events; forests health and how to better understand and
calculate the role forests play in absorbing carbon pollution; identifying climate-resilient
investment opportunities for communities (such as climate-ready water utilities); identifying
links among climate change and public health; and promoting community resiliency
through a better understanding of how natural resources (including oceans, wetlands and
freshwater) help mitigate climate change effects.
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Wildfire Impacts on Public Health
Research by EPA-supported scientists at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied
Sciences suggests that by the year 2050, wildfire seasons will increase in length by some
three weeks, produce twice as much smoke, and will burn a wider area in the Western
States. Researchers used a new method to study the connections among meteorology, fire
risk forecasts, and the amount of area burned in North America. Researchers also found
that the increase in fires led to a significant increase in several types of particulate matter.
In another study related to the impacts of wildfire, Agency researchers analyzing data
from a major 2008 North Carolina peat fire found significant increases in local hospital
emergency department visits for a number of respiratory and cardiovascular risks and
symptoms. They also observed in another study that people living in poorer communities
experienced greater health effects than those living in richer communities, even across
similar exposures to air pollutants from the wildfire.
Healthy Heart
EPA researchers are providing new insights into the importance of air quality for human
cardiovascular health. One study found that exposure to combinations of air pollutants
can cause significantly greater health risks than those caused by exposure to single agents.
Other research findings include that exposure to ozone may affect the cardiovascular
system, and that controlling blood pressure may reduce some of the negative impacts that
long-term exposure to diesel exhaust has on the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems.
EPA researchers have also expanded related outreach efforts to ensure research results have
impact improving public health, especially for those with heart disease. For example, Agency
clean air scientists and cardiologists published a 2013 paper in the Journal of Cardiovascular
Nursing that provides information on how nurses can help educate patients about potential
air pollution risks and actions the patients can take to protect their own health, such as
monitoring local air quality forecasts through the Air Quality Index.
My Air, My Health: Sparking Innovation
EPA clean air researchers are helping to catalyze innovation by bringing the use of
affordable, mass-produced sensor technologies to the realm of air pollution monitoring.
In June, 2013 they joined forces with partners from the National Institutes of Health to
announce the winner of the My Air, My Health Challenge, which invited innovators
nationwide to design a small, low-cost sensor that integrates air quality measurements with
related health data.
The winning team of David Kuller, Gabrielle Savage Dockterman, and Dot Kelly received a
$100,000 for developing Conscious Clothing, a wearable, real-time breathing analysis tool
that calculates the amount of polluted air a person inhales. Such innovations will help EPA and
NIH to better understand, in real time, the impacts of harmful air pollution on people's health.
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Air Pollution and Metabolic Syndromes: Studying the Links
Researchers are investigating the role air pollution may have on metabolic syndrome, a
group of health factors that raises the risk for heart disease and other health problems,
such as diabetes and stroke. A study published in 2013 found that both young and
old laboratory animals experienced temporary glucose intolerance and high blood sugar
(hyperglycemia) after short-term exposure to ozone. The results indicate the importance
of studying multiple age groups to learn more about the potential for air pollution to
contribute to the development of metabolic diseases.
Other related findings by EPA-funded research and published in 2013 include:
• Short-term exposure to rural, coarse particulate matter leads to an increase in levels of
endothelial progenitor cells, an indication of metabolic changes and an increased risk
of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
• Concentrated air pollutants and ozone in obese rodents resulted in inflammation and
oxidative stress in the fat around the heart and kidney, findings that may provide a link
between air pollution exposure and accelerated susceptibility to metabolic syndrome
and its associated health risks.
Learn More!
Please visit: www.epa.gov/research/airscience/.
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Safe and
Sustainable
Water
Resources
Research
Across the United States, people are placing increased
demands on the finite water resources that supply precious
drinking water, support healthy aquatic ecosystems, and fill
important societal and economic needs, including energy,
agriculture, and industrial production.
EPA's Safe and Sustainable Water Resources research
program provides the science and innovative technologies
that the Agency—and the nation—need to maintain
drinking water sources and systems, as well as to protect
the chemical, physical and biological integrity of our waters.
EPA scientists and engineers, together with their research
partners, are addressing 21st-century challenges to water
supplies and infrastructures by integrating research across
social, environmental, and economic disciplines. Together
they are working to provide lasting, sustainable solutions to
those challenges.
This section highlights a few of the research results EPA
researchers and their partners achieved in 2013 to support
safe and sustainable water resources.
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The National Stormwater Calculator
New EPA tool helps planners and developers tap the benefits of "green infrastructure."
In 2013/ EPA researchers launched a new tool to help city
planners, developers, and property owners reduce the amount of
Stormwater runoff flowing from their sites. The tool, the National
Stormwater Calculator, provides such decision-makers with an
easy-to-use, customizable resource to identify and incorporate
environmentally-friendly techniques to retain and absorb rain and
Stormwater.
Known as "green infrastructure," these techniques include a host
of practices, including the installation and use of rain gardens and
barrels, cisterns, permeable pavements, vegetated ("green") roofs,
retaining or restoring vegetation along rivers, and retention ponds.
The National Stormwater Calculator was designed to help
individuals and local communities take advantage of such green
infrastructure techniques to reduce the volume and impacts of
Stormwater runoff. Excess and/or contaminated runoff is a major
challenge to the health of the nation's water resources; it is linked
to combined sewer overflows (when Stormwater is combined
with untreated sewage), downstream nutrient and other pollution,
reduced groundwater recharge, and flooding.
The National Stormwater Calculator incorporates data and
information on annual rainfall, Stormwater runoff frequencies and
volumes, local soil conditions, land cover, and historical rainfall
records. Users can plug in any U.S. location and select different
development and green infrastructure scenarios to explore site-
specific options they can incorporate to reduce runoff volumes
from their areas.
As an example of how the calculator might be used, consider a
developer or municipality planning a parking lot on what is currently
undeveloped or vacant land. By incorporating location, project
data, and other parameters into the calculator, the user can gain
insight into how integrating green infrastructure aspects such as rain
gardens, vegetation, and permeable pavement into the design will
reduce Stormwater runoff from flowing off the finished parking lot.
The National Stormwater Calculator provides a tool for
identifying green infrastructure techniques at the beginning of the
planning process, offering often lower cost options for meeting
local standards and community goals for sustaining the health
of waterways. Such forethought will have positive impact far
downstream, too.
The National Stormwater Calculator release in 2013 is the first
phase of the Stormwater Calculator and Climate Assessment Tool
package announced in the President's Climate Action Plan.
The National Stormwater Calculator is just one of many
achievements made by EPA's Safe and Sustainable Water
Resources research program during 2013. Additional highlights
follow.
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Green Infrastructure Research
The National Stormwater Calculator (see previous feature story) is just one of many
research solutions EPA scientists and engineers are advancing to help communities better
protect their local waterways through green infrastructure practices.
To facilitate the sharing and dissemination of best practices and performance monitoring,
in 2013 Agency researchers continued to analyze, compile and assess the latest data,
models, and tools on: green roofs, permeable pavements, rain water harvesting, rain
gardens, bioswales, urban tree canopy, constructed wetlands, and watershed-scale
practices. That information, in addition to a set of databases and reports is available at:
http://1.usa.gov./19d3Dul.
Waters of the U.S. Connectivity Draft Report
Water trickling through a nearby creek, cascading down a desert streambed after a summer
rainstorm, or overflowing from a seasonally flooded wetland are all examples of the sources
of freshwater that fill the nation's lakes, reservoirs, aquifers, and rivers. Clean, healthy
streams and wetlands are essential to the nation's drinking water supply. Understanding the
complex and dynamic interrelationships among different types of surface waters presents
many challenges to sustaining their integrity and is critical to determining how waters are
protected under the Clean Water Act.
To help meet those challenges, in September 2013, Agency researchers released a
draft scientific report: Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: A
Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence (External Draft Review). Presented for
public comment and review by the EPA Science Advisory Board, the report provides an
extensive review and synthesis of more than 1,000 peer-reviewed publications pertaining
to the physical, chemical, and biological connections that link streams, wetlands, and open-
waters downstream to rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans.
Bristol Bay Assessment
Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed supports the largest sockeye salmon fishery in the world,
is home to 25 federally recognized tribal governments, and contains mineral resources
that — if mined — are estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually. In
2010, several Bristol Bay Alaska Native villages requested that EPA prevent development
of a large copper and gold mine they believed would threaten salmon resources. Other
tribes requested the Agency not take action. To adequately respond, Agency researchers
began to compile the best, most current science on Bristol Bay ecology, fisheries, and
potential mining impacts.
In April 2013, EPA researchers released the second (revised) draft of An Assessment
of Potential Mining Impacts on Salmon Ecosystems of Bristol Bay, Alaska. The revisions
in the draft reflect reviews of some 233,000 public comments, as well as consultation
and coordination with Native tribes, and input from twelve expert peer reviewers, all in
response to an earlier draft released in May, 2012. The final assessment was released
January 15, 2014; for more information: http://www2.epa.gov/bristolbay.
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Innovation to Support Water Quality Forecasting
Anyone who has ever followed turn-by-turn directions from a small device mounted atop
their dashboard or used a smartphone to get real-time weather updates is familiar with
the magic of portable, satellite- and/or data-driven technologies and applications. EPA
researchers are tapping the collective community of innovators to bring that same kind of
power and convenience to water quality forecasting.
In 2013, EPA launched the Cyano Predictive Modeling & Mobile App Challenge,
a series of open, awards-based competitions to spark the development of a predictive
model to forecast blooms of cyanobacteria, a kind of algae linked to fish kills and human
illness. The end goal of the competitions is an easy-to-use application that will help local
and federal policy makers target actions for areas most at risk to dangerous algae blooms.
EPA Models Inform Actions to Protect Gulf of Mexico
Every summer, an area of oxygen-starved water of up to 20,000 square kilometers (7,772
sq. mi) forms across the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico near the mouth of the Mississippi
River, killing bottom-dwelling marine life, sparking often massive fish kills, and chasing other
creatures out to sea. This zone of hypoxia is the result of an overload of nutrients.
EPA researchers are building complex, three-dimensional models based on the dynamic
physical characteristics of the Gulf, including ocean currents, wind data, and water
temperatures. Their Gulf Ecology Model, Gulf of Mexico Dissolved Oxygen Model,
and other frameworks are helping to determine how much nutrient loading needs to be
reduced. The models support the design and implementation of actions to stem the flow
of nutrients and combat the formation of the summertime "dead zone."
,ct Report Window Help
Watershed Management Support Tool
EPA released the Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool in 2013, a publicly
available, user-friendly resource for local water resource managers and planners. Agency
modelers developed the tool to help local water resource managers explore the costs,
benefits, and other tradeoffs of a wide-range of potential options, including low impact
development, land conservation, and green infrastructure.
The tool facilitates the evaluation and identification of lower cost, environmentally sensitive
techniques to improve the sustainability of infrastructure projects and the communities they
serve. It is a particularly important resource for projects potentially supported by Congress's
"State Revolving Funds." Congress has set aside 20% of these funds specifically for the
development of "Green Project Reserves," which include green infrastructure and land
conservation measures.
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EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study: Progress and Outreach
EPA researchers are conducting a focused study on the potential impacts, if any, of
hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. An explicit component of the study
design is that the research be conducted through a transparent, peer-reviewed process with
significant stakeholder input.
EPA released its progress report, Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing
on Drinking Water Resources in late 2012. The study will culminate in an assessment
report, which has been designated a "Highly Influential Scientific Assessment" and, like
other EPA studies, will receive peer review in accordance with the Agency's Peer Review
Handbook. Throughout 2013 EPA continued enhanced technical engagement and
stakeholder outreach efforts to gather feedback through a series of technical workshops and
roundtables on key elements of the study effort, including analytical chemical methods,
well construction and operation, subsurface modeling, wastewater treatment and related
modeling, water acquisition modeling, and case studies.
Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Watersheds
In 2013, EPA researchers released the final "20 Watersheds Report," more formally
entitled Watershed Modeling to Assess the Sensitivity of Streamflow/ Nutrient, and
Sediment Loads to Potential Climate Change and Urban Development in 20 U.S.
Watersheds. It describes watershed modeling conducted in 20 large, U.S. drainage basins
(6,000 to 27,000 sq. mi.) to characterize the sensitivity of Streamflow, nutrient (nitrogen
and phosphorus) loading, and sediment loading to a range of potential mid-21 st-century
climate futures.
The report provides information useful to those seeking to produce strategies and to take
actions designed to reduce risks and mitigate some of the likely impacts that a changing
climate will have on their water resources.
Building from Net Zero
EPA researchers formed a partnership in November, 2011 to provide innovative science
and technologies to support the Army's Net Zero initiative, a program focused on
developing strategies to reduce energy and water consumption, and waste on military
bases.
In 2013, Agency researchers continued to support Net Zero's impacts by advancing
three research projects: (1) reusing non drinkable wastewater for irrigation and cleaning;
(2) studying the connection between water use practices and water savings technologies/-
and (3) testing and advancing decontamination methods using dirty water from cleaning
military vehicles that have returned from training exercises. (See more about Net Zero on
page 25.)
^
Learn More!
Learn more about EPA safe and sustainable water resources
research: www.epa.gov/research/waterscience/
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Chemical
Safety for
Sustainability
Research
Chemicals are a lynchpin of innovation in the American
economy/ and moving toward a more sustainable society
requires designing/ producing/ and using chemicals in
safer ways. EPA's chemical safety research is designed
to meet this challenge in ways that promote human and
environmental health/ protect vulnerable species and
populations/ and support the Agency priority of reducing
risks associated with exposure to chemicals in commerce/
the environment/ products/ and food.
EPA chemical safety researchers lead the development of
innovative science to support the safe/ sustainable design
and use of chemicals and materials. They are developing
efficient and effective methods to accelerate the evaluation
of thousand of chemicals; using complex system science
to advance the understanding of the relationships between
chemical exposure and ecological and human health effects;
providing accessible data and interactive web applications
to support scientific discovery and chemical safety
decisions; and engaging with stakeholders to facilitate the
translation of research to improve chemical safety policy
and regulatory decisions.
Results of EPA's chemical safety research help the Agency
address the impacts of existing chemicals and materials as
well as anticipate impacts of new chemicals and emerging
materials.
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Accelerating the Pace of Chemical Screening
EPA released wealth of safety data/ launched online interactive dashboard
EPA scientists are harnessing advances in exposure science,
molecular and systems biology, chemistry, toxicology, mathematics,
and computer technology to usher in a new generation of faster
and more efficient chemical testing. They are also developing new
ways to share the data that are transparent and accessible. A major
part of this effort is EPA's Toxicity Forecaster (ToxCast) project.
Using ToxCast, EPA screened 1,800 chemicals in more than 700
rapid, automated chemical screening tests called "high-throughput
screening assays." The chemicals screened were from a broad
range of sources including industrial and consumer products, food
additives, and "green" substances with the potential to replace
existing chemicals.
On December 17, 2013, EPA publicly released all of the ToxCast
data for these 1,800 chemicals and launched a beta version of the
interactive Chemical Safety for Sustainability Dashboards (iCSS
dashboard) that is being developed to improve the user experience
in accessing chemical data.
ToxCast is a multi-year effort launched in 2007 that uses high-
throughput screening technologies to expose living cells or isolated
proteins to chemicals. The cells or proteins are then screened to
identify those that exhibit changes in biological activity that may
indicate potential for negative health effects.
The vision of the iCSS dashboard is to provide an easy-to-use,
customizable, interactive online resource that enables users to
explore the ToxCast data and integrate selected chemical data
in support of decision making. iCSS dashboard users can select
chemicals and data of interest, explore and score the selected
chemicals and associated data, and then analyze the data to
determine how they can be used to better inform decisions made
about the safety of chemicals.
As part of EPA's efforts to use advances in computational
toxicology research, EPA scientists also completed a proof of
concept high-throughput exposure prediction model (ExpoCast)
for more than a thousand chemicals. In 2014, EPA researchers
will continue this research to be able to improve these exposure
predictions. The vision is to be able to combine ExpoCast
exposure predictions with the hazard predictions from ToxCast to
develop rapid risk-based prioritization for chemicals.
Making ToxCast data publicly available through EPA's Web page
and the iCSS dashboard is part of the Agency's commitment to
make its science and research results transparent and useful. It also
is facilitating the ability to engage stakeholders outside EPA to
solicit feedback about how advances in computational toxicology
research can be used to accelerate the pace of chemical testing.
The high-throughput chemical screening conducted as part
of the ToxCast program uses robotics and other cutting-edge
technologies. The robotics technology is made available through
a federal research partnership called Toxicity Testing in the 21st
Century, or "Tox 21." A collaboration uniting EPA, the National
Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,
Tox 21 is screening tens of thousands of chemicals using these
automated robotic technologies.
Innovative methods like ToxCast and ExpoCast have the potential
to significantly reduce the number of required animal-based
laboratory toxicity tests while quickly and efficiently screening
thousands of chemicals for potential health effects.
The above features just a few of trie many achievements made
by EPA's Chemical Safety and Sustainability research program
during 2013. Additional highlights follow.
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EPA Launches ToxCast Data Challenge
In coordination with the release of chemical data on 1,800 chemicals (see Chemical Safety
for Sustainability 2013 feature story), EPA researchers launched public challenges inviting
the science and technology community to explore how the new data can be used to
predict potential health effects.
The first Predictive Toxicology Challenges, were made available through the TopCoder
and InnoCentive crowd-sourcing technology platforms. They invite scientists and engineers
to use the ToxCast data and develop a predictive algorithm. The goal of the algorithm is to
predict the lowest chemical dose that would show adverse effects in animals. Winners will
receive prize money to help fund their own planned research, and their solutions will help
EPA determine innovative ways to use ToxCast data to inform decisions made about the
chemical safety.
Protecting Vulnerable Populations
When evaluating the safety of a pesticide application, one of the most difficult challenges
is to know how they affect nontarget, wild populations, such as birds. The National
Academy of Sciences indicated that without this type of information, existing pesticide risk
assessments were missing important ecological risks.
To address the challenge outlined above, EPA scientists linked information on toxicity
data, species-specific life history data, and pesticide application timing to predict the
reproductive success of bird populations. The scientists created the Markov Chain Nest
Productivity Model, or ""McNest," an accessible, easy-to-use, model that risk assessors
and stakeholders can use to predict the extent of ecological impact of pesticides. The
success of this effort demonstrates how complex data from a variety of sources can be
integrated to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of EPA decisions.
Growing Knowledge: EPA's Virtual Embryo Project
EPA scientists are carrying out an innovative research program to "virtually" explore how
chemical exposures might affect the intricate growth processes within an embryo. Through
their Virtual Embryo Project (v-Embryo™), they are developing methods to use high-
tech computer modeling and vast collections of data and biological knowledge bases
to develop prediction techniques to improve the understanding of how environmental
influences may impact early development.
In 2013, v-Embryo scientists published results of a model they developed to explore
how exposure to certain chemicals might interfere with the healthy development of blood
vessels in a developing embryo. Another advancement of EPA's computational toxicology
research, the scientists demonstrated the utility of using such computational approaches
for simulating developmental biology and predicting chemical toxicity. Their paper, A
Computational Model Predicting Disruption of Blood Vessel Development, was published
April 4, 2013, in "PLoS Computational Biology."
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Adverse Outcome Pathway Wiki
EPA scientists partnered with colleagues from the Organisation of Economic Co-operation
and Development, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, and the
European Commission's Joint Research Centre to develop "AOPWiki," a user-friendly,
open-source, Wiki-based interface for sharing information and facilitating collaboration on
adverse outcome pathways (AOPs).
An AOP is a conceptual framework that helps toxicologists, public health officials, and
others better understand the links between chemical exposures and changes at different
levels of biological organization (from molecules within cells to bodily systems) that might
result in adverse health risks. The access to the wiki is currently limited to those invited by
the OECD to provide their expertise. Those interested in gaining access to the AOP Wiki
are invited to visit http://bit.ly/1lgl5Cp.
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Harmonizing Green Purchasing Practices
In 2013, the Agency announced draft guidelines on Product Category Rules (PCR) that
provide specific requirements and guidelines for calculating and reporting environmental
impacts across the full life cycle of a product. Agency researchers developed the
guidelines using life cycle analyses to meet the challenge of providing clear, comparable
information about the environmental impacts of different products. PCR is a voluntary,
international effort with more than 40 participating organizations dedicated to improving
the ongoing guidance document.
The release of the draft guidelines stems, in part, from an international initiative—co-led
by EPA and involving more than 30 organizations in 11 countries—to help purchasers
select the most environmentally-friendly and safe products. The European Union will use
the guidance to develop rules for environmental labels as part of its Product Environmental
Footprint program. There has recently been an increase in demand in the U.S. for
standardized environmental information for building products, in part because of new
LEED 4.0 green building standards that incorporate credits for products with such labels.
Protecting Growth and Development
Exposures to excess hormones or hormone-like substances known collectively
as "endocrine disrupting chemicals" (EDCs) can disrupt development and the
functioning of the endocrine system in humans, fish and wildlife, leading to adverse
effects that could include infertility and childhood disorders. Learning more about
EDCs has been a high priority for EPA researchers since the early 1990s. They have
developed a two-tiered testing approach. Tier 1 identifies chemicals that have the
potential to interact with the endocrine system. Those chemicals flagged for potential
effects are subjected to more in-depth analysis to determine endocrine-related effects
at different levels of exposure in Tier 2.
Agency researchers continued to advance insights in to EDCs throughout 2013. For
example, EPA researchers provided guidance and protocols to EPA's Endocrine
Disruption Screening Program for Tier 2 endocrine disruption tests used to evaluate
chemicals for ecosystem risk and used new ToxCast data and Quantitative Structure-
Activity Relationship models (QSAR) to prioritize chemicals for their potential for
endocrine disruption.
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Advancing the Safety of Nanomatcrials
Nanomaterials, those between one and 100 nanometers in size, exhibit unique properties
and are increasingly entering the marketplace in products that include paints, fabrics,
cosmetics, treated wood, and electronics. As part of a large U.S. and international
research collaboration, EPA researchers are leading the effort to understand the unique
and novel properties of nanomaterials and determine whether they are safe for humans and
the environment as they are used in products.
EPA researchers are studying what nanomaterials are, and how they act, travel, and
change. Results in this area over the past year have included: characterizing the surface
properties of silver nanoparticles and how these properties affect their fate in containment
systems; developing high-throughput methods for characterizing nanoparticle transport
through soils and sediments; and the release of the report: Comprehensive Environmental
Assessment Applied to Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Flame-Retardant Coatings in
Upholstery Textiles: A Case Study Presenting Priority Research Gaps for Future Risk
Assessments (Final Report).
The Next Generation of Risk Assessment
Advances in molecular systems biology, improved understanding of gene-environment
interactions, reports from the National Research Council, and volumes of new toxicity data
from the United States and Europe are rapidly changing the landscape of chemical risk
assessment.
In September, 2013 EPA researchers released the draft report, Nexf Generation Risk
Assessment: Incorporation of Recent Advances in Molecular, Computational, and
Systems Biology, for public comment and peer review. NexGen is a multi-year program
aimed at developing and evaluating novel approaches to risk assessment that takes full
advantage of new molecular, computational, and systems biology research and methods.
The report summarizes the state-of-the-science in this area and provides case studies.
Beginning in 2014, EPA will enter the next phase of this effort, using novel data streams
generated by ToxCast and related research to enhance and accelerate EPA's risk-based
chemical evaluations.
Learn More!
Please visit: www.epa.gov/research/chemicalscience/.
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Sustainable
and Healthy
Communities
Research
How can communities and individuals meet their current
needs without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own? And more specifically/ how can they
balance the protection of our shared environment—air,
water/ land/ and natural ecosystems—in ways that sustain
both human health and economic stability? Providing the
science and engineering to answer those questions is the
focus of EPA's Sustainable and Healthy Communities
research program.
EPA researchers engage community stakeholders/
individuals/ partner agencies/ and other decision makers
to help identify the long-term environmental and related
health challenges they face. The scientists and engineers
then use that insight to design and implement programs that
provide the decision-support tools/ information/ and models
needed to meet those challenges. The impact of their work
is exemplified in a host of science-based strategies and
models available to decision makers/ and in the investments
these EPA partners are making today for a prosperous/
healthy/ and sustainable future.
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Ecosystems Services Research
EPA researchers identify and quantify ecosystem benefits.
When it comes to the benefits communities derive from
ecosystems, the marketplace often does not capture and reflect true
value. The benefits not accounted for include things such as the
flood and erosion control that mangrove forests and other wetlands
provide/ the recreational opportunities citizens enjoy from having
access to open water and forests, and the natural cycling and
absorption of excess nitrogen, phosphorous, and carbon that keeps
the climate and other systems stable and productive.
As a result, managers, community planners, and other decision
makers tasked with protecting the long-term health and sustainability
of their communities lack an accurate way to calculate and
incorporate environmental costs and benefits into their strategies
and actions.
EPA researchers are working to change that scenario. Working
closely with local communities, they are finding ways to quantify the
benefits people derive from natural ecosystems, what they refer to
as "ecosystem services." In 2013, this important work continued in
three different regions: Tampa Bay (Florida); the Pacific Northwest,
and California.
Agency scientists have partnered with local governments, other
research entities, planning organizations, and citizen and business
groups to identify and assess the values the Tampa Bay estuary and
other local environments provide to the surrounding community.
Together, these experts and stakeholders are helping identify
environmental assets that decision makers can use when establishing
plans to guide development and land use in the area.
For example, as part of the overall project, an EPA study of
nine mangrove wetlands and 18 freshwater river and marsh sites,
each with differing levels of human disturbance. With these
results, Agency researchers are now building a dynamic model
to illuminate how disturbances to such wetlands affect associated
ecosystem services such as absorbing excess nutrients, a key factor
related to water quality across the Tampa Bay watershed, like many
others.
Another EPA ecosystem services research project is unfolding
some 3,000 miles away from Tampa Bay, in select inland and
coastal communities of the Pacific Northwest (primarily Oregon).
The goal of the Pacific Northwest Demonstration Project is to
develop nationally-applicable models and decision support tools
that will quantify the production and value of ecosystem goods and
services.
To achieve this, an EPA team is designing the research by first
engaging individuals and groups in the region representing a
breadth of relevant expertise and user priorities. That effort is
helping ensure that the end products (models and tools) will help
local communities better understand the long-term consequences
that their decisions may have on ecosystem services and community
health and stability.
A team of EPA scientists, together with partners from state, federal,
and private organizations, is developing a detailed map identifying
California "EcoRegions," areas defined by the type, quality, and
quantity of their environmental resources.
With funding from EPA's Regional Applied Research Effort
(RARE), the scientists analyzed spatial patterns of geology,
physiology, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and
hydrology across California to identify 177 ecoregions. Such maps
provide vital information for evaluating and predicting ecosystem
response to disturbance, both natural and human-related.
Ecosystem services research is just on of trie many achievements
made by EPA's Sustainable and Healthy Communities research
program during 2013. Additional highlights follow.
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First School Building-focused HIA Launched
In 2013, EPA researchers launched the first school building-focused Health Impact
Assessment (HIA) to help inform renovations at the Gerena School in Springfield,
Massachusetts, where 20 percent of the attending students have asthma. The school is
located directly under a highway, adjacent to active train tracks, and has experienced a
history of indoor air quality issues related to moisture and old ventilation systems.
HIAs are decision making tools that help managers explore options on how proposed
decisions may impact health. This first school building-focused effort is informing EPA
external stakeholders and providing an opportunity for researchers to learn how to
incorporate their science into the Health Impact Assessment process. This collaborative
project is helping the City of Springfield identify renovation and improvement options
to best address environmental problems facing the school and reduce potential negative
health impacts such as exacerbation of asthma.
Health Impact Assessment Helps Inform Green Street Project
The community surrounding Proctor Creek in Atlanta faces a host of challenges, including
pervasive street flooding, repeated sewage backups, derelict properties, illegal tire
dumping, and bacterial contamination (£. co//and other fecal coliforms) in the creek itself.
Having limited resources, the community is working to identify solutions that will address
multiple problems at once.
One promising solution, the"Boone Boulevard Green Street Project," is incorporating
green infrastructure elements such as permeable pavement, bioretention systems, and
planter boxes to reduce stormwater runoff and associated pollution. EPA researchers
launched a Health Impact Assessment to support this work. Together with local and
Agency partners, the researchers are assessing green infrastructure options to identify
those that minimize adverse health impacts and maximize environmental and public health
benefits. Results of the study are informing the Boone Boulevard-Green Street design, led
by the City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management.
Mapping Reactive Nitrogen Sources
In March, 2013 EPA researchers and partners presented results of a study showing
that activities such as the use of agricultural fertilizers and the combustion of fossil fuels
were increasing the annual input of nitrogen into the nation's environment by three
times the levels experienced before the turn of the 20th century. That is an increase of
some 25,000,000 metric tons, equivalent to 75 Empire State Buildings. This nitrogen
contributes to water pollution and harmful conditions for fish.
The researchers calculated the above estimate as part of developing a clearer picture of
reactive nitrogen inputs to U.S. lands and waterways. The researchers synthesized decades
of nitrogen research and created a series of maps illustrating both human and natural
sources of nitrogen. The research helps partners, such as states, prioritize watersheds for
reducing nutrient pollution and to develop nutrient criteria for protecting their waters. The
maps will inform decisions that will positively impact water resources and drinking water
quality threatened by excess nitrogen.
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Advancing Community Sustainability
Agency researchers developed a searchable database of indicators and indices that
community planners and others can use to assess the sustainability benefits of their
programs and plans. They also produced a corresponding framework document as a
reference to guide the selection and use of sustainability indicators.
The "Directory of Sustainability Indicators and Indices (DOSII)" provides information on
measures for evaluating the sustainability goals and progress of programs, projects, and
activities related to air, water, energy, products, communities, human health risks, and
national security. In addition, Agency researchers are building on this product to develop
an interactive Web-based tool (e-DOSII) to extend the indicator and indices database
search capabilities to communities and others.
Assessing Performance of Groundwater Remediation Barriers
EPA researchers are advancing techniques and technologies to help local communities
meet their most urgent groundwater issues and challenges. For example, Agency scientists
and engineers are conducting studies on groundwater remediation technologies to support
the Agency's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
Recent research includes a study on the long-term (15 years) performance of a Permeable
Reactive Barrier installed to treat groundwater contaminants (hexavalent chromium and
the chemical trichloroethylene) at the U.S. Coast Guard Support Center located near
Elizabeth City, NC (pictured, left). The results are the longest available data record of
performance of a Permeable Reactive Barrier, providing significant insight into the longevity
of such techniques.
Engineering and Technical Support
EPA's Engineering Technical Support Center provides engineering expertise to EPA
program offices and remediation teams working at Superfund and other cleanup sites across
the United States. Center personnel provide site-specific scientific and engineering support
to remedial project managers, on-scene coordinators, and other remediation personnel.
In 2013, researchers released Innovative Science and Technical Support for Cost-Effective
Cleanups: Five Year Summary Report for 2007-2012 (EPA/600/R-13/093). The report
summarizes a variety of projects that Agency experts have supported, addressing an array
of environmental scenarios, including: remote mining contamination, expansive landfill
waste, sediment remediation by capping, and persistent threats from abandoned industrial
sites. It highlights how EPA scientists and engineers have advanced remediation practices
through the construction and testing of cutting-edge pilot projects and new technologies,
and shares significant developments in environmental engineering.
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EnviroAtlas and Community Sustainability
EPA researchers released for beta testing the EnviroAtlas, a multi-scale (national to
community), Web-based mapping, visualization, and analysis tool designed to help
communities and policy-makers make decisions that affect sustainability. The Atlas
provides the first-ever picture of the distribution of ecosystem services for the mainland
United States, and includes more than 200 data layers. The community component
provides additional data at a finer resolution for six areas: Durham, NO Portland, ME;
Tampa, FL; Pittsburgh, PA; Milwaukee, Wl; and Phoenix, AZ.
More than 500 registered testers are providing feedback on the beta version and
helping identify potential decision making uses. EnviroAtlas has been selected to be
part of "Ecolnforma," a White House initiative to create a publicly available database
on the nation's biodiversity and distribution of ecosystem services. The EnviroAtlas is
available at http:\\enviroatlas.epa.gov\enviroatlas.
Tools to Support Community Health and Sustainability
EnvironAtlas is just one of a suite of accessible, Web-based decision-support resources
that EPA scientists are developing to help communities. Two innovative tools have been
developed to help communities identify risks and access relevant scientific information
and data that illuminate the connections between ecosystems and public health. The
Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST) is a community
mapping, information access and assessment tool to inform environmental public health
decisions; the Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) is
a web-based, geospatial environmental decision-support tool developed specifically for
Federally Recognized Tribes.
C-FERST and Tribal-FERST (available as password-protected beta versions) have been
piloted in multiple communities and underwent external peer review in 2013. Agency
researchers conducted C-FERST training for stakeholders in Springfield, MA, and
Tacoma, WA, and collaborated with the Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Tribe (Maine)
and the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) to apply Tribal-FERST. EPA New
England (Region 1) partners initiated a C-FERST training pilot in preparation for a 2014
public release.
A Decade of Tribal Environmental Health
For more than a decade, EPA extramural grants and fellowships programs have been
supporting tribal-focused research to inform decisions, reduce health risks, and help ensure
the well-being of tribal and Native Alaskan communities.
In 2013, the Agency released a report highlighting the many accomplishments and impacts
of those programs: /A Decade of Tribal Environmental Health Research: Results and
Impacts from EP/\'s Extramural Grants and Fellowships Programs. The report highlights how
research conducted by EPA grantees and their partners have enabled tribal communities to
identify solutions and take action. The overall impacts have reduced health and ecological
effects from: the consumption of water and water-based resources, chemical contaminants,
and the effects of climate change. Tribes have also enhanced their ability to conduct
community-level risk assessments. The research has supported policy changes and the
creation of tools to help tribal communities maintain their traditional lifestyle, health and
well-being.
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Science to Support Environmental Justice
Executive Order 12898/ "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income Populations" states that every federal agency should make
environmental justice part of its mission, "by identifying and addressing, as appropriate,
disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs,
policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations." EPA is fully
committed to fulfilling that mandate.
EPA scientists and engineers provide critical support and coordination on Agency environmental
justice activities. Two particularly noteworthy 2013 achievements in this area include: 1) releasing
the draft report Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis;
and 2) supporting the Science and Research Work Group under the National Environmental
Justice Advisory Council, which issued recommendations about research programs and the
science needed to address and prevent environmental inequities. Note: EnviroAtlas, C/T-Ferst,
(see previous page) and the Community Cumulative Assessment Tool are part of Plan EJ 2014,
an Agency roadmap for environmental justice.
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Decision Support Framework Supports Community Action
EPA researchers are advancing an open-source, web-based decision analysis framework to help
objectively identify and sort through diverse and often complicated issues, including the benefits
of ecosystems ("ecosystem services"). Watershed and other managers, community members,
risk assessors, and other stakeholders will be able to use the framework to help make decisions
with linked environmental, economic, and societal impacts. Focused on sustainable systems and
communities, Decision Analysis for a Sustainable Environment, Economy, & Society (DASEES)
is designed to facilitate common understandings in the development of rigorous, inclusive,
defensible, and transparent solutions.
DASEES (available as a password-protected beta version) is being piloted in Guanica Bay, Puerto
Rico. Agency researchers in collaboration with EPA Region 2 partners are working with multiple
communities to create and evaluate the use of multiple land practices across the watershed that
will collectively reduce sediment and contaminated stormwater runoff from reaching the Bay.
In addition, EPA New England (Region 1) partners are working to integrate brownfield re-
development guidance into the DASEES Web-format to facilitate collaboration and usability.
Advancing Watershed Management to Protect Coral Reefs
Tropical coral reefs are the largest living structures on the planet, the habitats of some of the
most biologically diverse natural communities, and among the most threatened of marine
ecosystems. For several years, EPA researchers have been working with the Agency's Office
of Water, communities surrounding Guanica Bay, Puerto Rico, and other partners to develop
a watershed management plan that reduces land-based contributions, such as contaminated
stormwater runoff and nutrient pollution, so as to better protect the Bay's coral reefs.
In 2013, EPA researchers presented another key milestone in that effort with the publication
of research results from studies they conducted using decision analysis structuring tools, like
DASEES (described above). Using these tools, the researchers were able to explore a
complex set of diverse tradeoffs to advance a proposed water management plan addressing
multiple objectives, including maximizing ecological integrity, maximizing economic benefits,
maximizing social well-being, minimizing threats to human health, meeting political and
legislative requirements, and maximizing learning objectives.
Learn More!
EPA Ecosystems Research: www.epa.gov/research/ecoscience/
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Homeland
Security
Research
EPA is the lead federal agency for decontamination
operations and for protecting water systems following
incidents involving chemical/ biological/ and radiological
substances. Scientists and engineers in the Homeland
Security research program provide the knowledge, data,
and tools that form the scientific foundation for meeting
those responsibilities.
EPA homeland security research results help communities
across the country advance their emergency response and
remediation capabilities and take action to become more
resilient in the face of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or
other large-scale disruptions. Results provide water utility
managers, laboratory technicians, emergency personnel, risk
assessors, and other Agency partners with the information,
protocols, and techniques they need to take action.
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Advancing Anthrax Decontamination
EPA researchers and their partners are developing anthrax
decontamination techniques.
In 2001, shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, letters tainted with
anthrax-causing Bacillus anthracis spores were mailed to two U.S.
Senators and a handful of major television network newscasters.
Although that mail never reached its intended targets, 22 people
who came into contact with the envelopes were infected; five
died. Adding to the toll, at least 17 buildings were confirmed to
have been contaminated with anthrax spores, requiring extensive
and expensive clean up and decontamination efforts.
Today, the nation stands significantly better prepared to respond
to acts of bio-terrorism than it did just over a decade ago. As the
lead federal entity for responding to biological, chemical, and
radiological contamination events, EPA has played a major role in
that achievement.
That important work continued throughout 2013 with research
efforts such as the Bio-response Operational Testing and Evaluation
(BOTE) project. Co-led by EPA scientists and their partners at
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), BOTE is a two-
phase demonstration project to test and advance decontamination
methods that can be used after anthrax spores have been released
into a building.
Researchers tested three technologies: (1) fumigation with
vaporized hydrogen peroxide, (2) fumigation with chlorine
dioxide, and (3) a bleach spraying technique.
To advance the research from the laboratory to real world
conditions, they released a nonlethal, anthrax surrogate (Bacillus
atropeus) in a two-floor test facility they designed to mimic typical
living and workspaces, with rooms set up like office spaces or small
apartment dwellings.
The researchers tested all three decontamination methods under
varying conditions, and evaluated the potential for recontamination
risks that might occur due to spores reentering the air during
cleanup activities. They also examined costs including the damage
they might cause to the facility or to computers and other electronic
equipment and waste management operations from related cleanup
activities.
In the second phase of the BOTE study, partners from several
government agencies conducted a joint exercise testing the
coordinated response of health officials, law enforcement
personnel, and decontamination (environmental) responders.
Because BOTE included partnerships among several government
agencies, the methods developed and lessons learned have been
shared throughout the homeland security community, continuing to
expand the impact of EPA research efforts.
BOTE was just one of many accomplishments achieved by EPA
homeland security researchers during 2013. Additional highlights follow.
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Advancing Anthrax Clean Up and Decontamination
In the aftermath of an attack involving the release of Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria that
causes anthrax, emergency responders and cleanup personnel will depend on EPA's
Environmental Response Laboratory Network (ERLN), which is a host of different,
independent analytical laboratories located across the country.
To unite ERLN efforts in ways that advance the nation's response capabilities, EPA
researchers have provided a standardized set of analytical procedures in the Protocol for
Detection of B. /\nthracis in Environmental Samples during the Remediation Phase of an
Anthrax Event. This single, open-access resource presents a consistent set of directions
and key components that labs need to conduct accurate, comparable, rapid analysis in
support of clean up and decontamination efforts.
Helping Individuals Clean Up Radiation Contamination
Among the biggest challenges following an incident involving radiological agents, such as
those released from the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants, is the massive
number of homes and businesses that can be affected. Although millions of people may
need to evacuate immediately following a radiation emergency, contamination levels in
many areas might be low enough for individuals to clean up after only a short time.
EPA researchers are developing effective, low-tech cleanup methods and strategies for
low-level radioactive decontamination. They have tested widely available household
cleaning products, standard laundry practices, and plain water for removing cesium
contamination from typical surfaces found in homes and businesses, and from clothing.
Results revealed that such simple house cleaning activities, when combined with measures
to avoid unintentional exposures, can have impact in helping people safely return to their
homes and businesses following a radiological incident.
Net Zero Partnership Advances Water Decontamination
EPA scientists and engineers have turned an industrial-size vehicle cleaning operation
at the Fort Riley military base in Kansas into a research program. There, they set up a
field station to use wastewater to test oxidation and disinfection techniques. The work
is advancing the kind of response and decontamination methods that would be needed
following a terrorist attack or other incident involving biological, chemical, or radiological
agents.
The project is one of the benefits flowing from EPA's partnership with the U.S. Army
to support its Net Zero Program, a sustainability initiative to reduce energy consumption,
water use, and waste production. (See more about Net Zero on page 11.)
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Enhancing National Lab Response Capability
To advance homeland security preparedness and assist chemical laboratories' ability to
respond to a terrorist attack or other incident involving chemical weapons, EPA chemists
have been developing methods for detecting low concentrations of nerve agents, such as
sarin, VX, soman and cyclohexyl sarin, and the blister agent sulfur mustard.
Working with partners from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Agency
researchers completed several studies to examine the shelf life of ultra-dilute concentrations
of chemical warfare agents. Their research results, some of which are presented in the
report Stability Study for Ultra-Dilute Chemical Warfare Agent Standards, include the first
standards on the stability and shelf life of extremely low concentrations of chemical agents.
It provides information that labs can use to calibrate instruments, a critical first step to
analyzing chemical warfare agents in an emergency.
Protecting Drinking Water Supplies
EPA is the lead federal agency for protecting water systems. Agency researchers and
their partners are working diligently to prevent or minimize any actual or attempted
contamination event of the nation's drinking water supply and distribution system. To do
so, they are developing and advancing water monitoring and early warning technologies
and software that provide system-wide, real-time surveillance.
Throughout 2013, researchers continued to advance software technology designed to
help water utility personnel monitor the delivery of safe, clean water. Examples include
EPANET-MSX, which provides for the modeling of multiple, interactive contaminant
species, and EPANET-RTX, for real-time water quality monitoring. Another is CANARY
Event Detection Software, which was piloted in Cincinnati, New York, Los Angeles,
Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Singapore.
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World's First Water Security Test Bed Developed
EPA homeland security researchers developed an innovative Water Security Test Bed, a
200-foot by 400-foot, aboveground grid constructed of 30-year-old pipes. The system
replicates the piping structure and flow of a typical municipal drinking water network.
Constructed in partnership with the Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory
in Idaho Falls, the innovative Test Bed provides a working laboratory to advance water
security and decontamination research. Over the next several years, researchers will
use surrogates for various biological, chemical, and radioactive materials to conduct
experiments advancing monitoring, decontamination, and treatment of water system
infrastructure and water supplies. These will likely include testing chlorination and flushing
protocols, advanced oxidative processes, and emptying and fumigating the pipes. Future
plans include connecting the system to a lab built to resemble a residential bathroom,
providing the capacity for researchers to explore human exposure risks from contaminated
water entering a home.
Learn More!
EPA Homeland Security Research: www.epa.gov/nhsrc/
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Human
Health
Risk
Assessment
EPA's Human Health Risk Assessment research program
produces state-of-the-science research results that provide
insight into the intricate and complex relationships between
human health and our environment. The program plays a
unique role in serving the needs of EPA programs and their
partners by integrating and evaluating scientific information
into assessments and other products that can be used as a
foundation for regulatory decisions that positively impact
human health.
Examples of products developed by researchers in
ERA's Human Health Risk Assessment research program
include: scientific assessments describing the human health
effects of environmental chemicals and chemical mixtures;
comprehensive assessments of the health and environmental
effects of the six criteria air pollutants/ which are the
scientific foundation for the National Ambient Air Quality
Standards; tools and reports that help exposure assessors
understand how and to what extent humans are exposed
to environmental contaminants; and tools and methods to
modernize human health risk assessment.
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INTEGRATED RISK INFORMATION SYSTEM
Advancing IRIS
EPA researchers enhance stakeholder engagement/ increase transparency
for the Integrated Risk Information System.
A critical part of EPA's work assessing the potential health effects
posed by chemicals in the environment is the Integrated Risk
Information System (IRIS). Through IRIS, Agency scientists evaluate
and present comprehensive information concerning the human health
effects that might result from exposures to contaminants in land,
water, and air. IRIS assessments are used throughout the country and
beyond to guide environmental cleanups, set health standards, and
take other important actions.
In 2013, EPA researchers continued to advance a multi-year
commitment consistent with recommendations from the National
Research Council to improve and strengthen the IRIS program. The
Agency announced important changes to improve assessments,
increase transparency throughout the program, and incorporate
efficiencies in the process in order to produce more assessments
each year.
These improvements included the release of preliminary materials
and public meetings to discuss those materials early in the assessment
development process. The preliminary materials communicate EPA's
process for determining which studies are most important for the
assessment. The early public engagement also helps EPA ensure
important studies have not been omitted, and helps identify potential
scientific controversies early on.
The improvements also included using a more systematic approach
to reviewing and selecting studies. Additionally, the Agency
implemented new "stopping rules" so IRIS assessments are not delayed
by ongoing research on scientific debate after certain points of the
process have passed.
IRIS researchers also continued to implement design changes to the
presentation of assessments, making the technical information they
contain more accessible and understandable. The Agency revealed
an improved, clearer, more concise document structure. For example,
all future IRIS assessments will include evidence tables summarizing
critical scientific literature and exposure-response figures that
graphically depict biological responses at different levels of exposure
for studies.
EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB), established by Congress
in 1978 to advise the Agency on technical matters, held the first
meeting of the new-established Chemical Assessment Advisory
Committee. The charter of the Chemical Assessment Advisory
Committee is to provide expert advice regarding Toxicological
Reviews of environmental chemicals available on IRIS.
In addition, EPA researchers held a series of public meetings and
workshops throughout the year to engage stakeholders and solicit
input, part of larger efforts to increase transparency and improve IRIS
assessments. They kicked this off with a public stakeholder meeting
to facilitate discussion on the IRIS program in general. The first of its
kind for the program, the meeting attracted more than 400 individuals
participating either in person or by webinar. Additionally, IRIS
program researchers held a public planning and scoping workshop
to solicit stakeholder needs, evaluate the current science, and
identify the potential impacts of an inorganic arsenic assessment. The
workshop was fully available by webinar and telephone.
In August, EPA hosted the workshop "Applying Systematic Review
to Assessments of Health Effects of Chemical Exposures." It
provided a forum for examining the state-of-the-science of systematic
review methodology and for exploring recent developments and
different frameworks used to synthesize various evidence types for
evaluating causality between chemical exposure and adverse health
effects. Experts from EPA, other government agencies, academia,
and private industries attended the workshop.
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EPA Releases Final IRIS Assessment for Methanol (noncancer)
In September 2013/ EPA researchers released the final (noncancer) IRIS assessment of
methanol, a High Production Volume chemical used as a basic building block for numerous
other chemicals with a diverse number of applications and uses. Many of its derivatives are
used in the construction, housing, and automotive industries. Consumer products that contain
methanol include varnishes, shellacs, paints, windshield washer fluid, antifreeze, adhesives,
and de-icers. People may be exposed to methanol by breathing it when using solvents and
other products containing methanol. People in certain occupations, such as those working
in methanol production or end-product manufacturing, may also be exposed by breathing
methanol.
The methanol health assessment addresses the human health effects other than cancer that
may result from chronic exposure to the chemical. It provides information on the amount of
methanol that someone can inhale every day over a lifetime that is unlikely to have an adverse
health effect, a measurement knows as an "inhalation reference concentration" (RfC). The
assessment also provides a reassessment of the oral reference dose (RfD), the amount that can
be ingested every day over a lifetime that is unlikely to have an adverse health effect.
EPA Releases Final IRIS Assessment for Biphenyl
In August 2013, EPA researchers released the final IRIS assessment of biphenyl.
Biphenyl is an organic compound used in the production of polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs) before they were banned in the late 1970s. Today it is used in the production
of pesticides, as a dye carrier for coloring polyester, and as a heat-transfer component in
industrial processing applications. It is found at multiple Superfund and other hazardous
waste sites, is on the list of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), and is classified as a High
Production Volume chemical. People may be exposed to biphenyl by breathing it after
it is released when things such as garbage or cigarettes are burned. People may also
be exposed to biphenyl by eating food or drinking water that is contaminated with the
chemical.
The assessment describes the health effects that may result from exposure to biphenyl and
includes an oral reference dose (RfD) for the chemical.
Final Integrated Science Assessments for Lead and Ozone
The average American breathes more than 11,000 liters of air (a small tanker truck worth)
daily, making it easy to understand why clean air is critical to public health. To help ensure
that Americans have clean air, interdisciplinary teams of EPA scientists review, synthesize,
and evaluate the most policy-relevant science to produce Integrated Science Assessments.
These assessments, in turn, provide the scientific foundation for informing National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six criteria pollutants—ozone, particulate
matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and lead—considered harmful
to human health and the environment.
In 2013, EPA released its most recent reviews of the science on the health and ecological
effects of two criteria pollutants: the Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (Final Report)
and the Integrated Science Assessment of Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants
(Final Report). The reports provide concise reviews, syntheses, and evaluations for the
Agency's review of the lead and ozone NAAQS, respectively.
29
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Exposure Toolbox Launched
EPA scientists developed an innovative, Web-based exposure assessment "toolbox."
The EPA-Expo-Box (short for EPA Exposure Toolbox) is an encyclopedia-like resource
of exposure assessment information and tools complete with links to databases, models,
guidance documents and other resources. The site is organized by topics important to
assessors, such as exposure assessment approaches, chemical classes, environmental
media, routes of exposure, and life stages and populations.
EPA-Expo-Box is the first comprehensive, one-stop-shop providing step-by-step guidance
to people conducting a chemical exposure assessment. Its online format provides free, and
open access to users, enabling EPA researchers to quickly and easily add new resources as
they become available.
Advancing Data-driven Regulatory Risk Assessment
In January 2013, EPA researchers announced the availability of the proceedings Report
of the State-of-the-Science Workshop: Evaluation of Epidemiolos/cal Data Consistency for
Application in Regulatory Risk Assessment. The workshop was co-sponsored by EPA,
the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health, with additional support provided by Health Canada.
The workshop included well-recognized experts from a variety of fields from academia,
industry, government, and the public interest sectors. This report provides a summary
of selected epidemiology methodological issues discussed by the workshop participants
and provides the key findings and recommendations for future approaches to evaluating
epidemiological data in regulatory risk assessment.
30
Improving the Risk Assessment of Chemicals in Breast Milk
In October 2013, EPA released the final report, Improving the Risk Assessment of
Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Chemicals in Breast Milk. The document provides a
summary of discussions held at an Agency-sponsored workshop in Research Triangle Park,
NC, in October 2012.
Workshop participants discussed approaches to improve risk assessment of persistent,
bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals that accumulate in breast milk. The workshop
and report highlight ways to identify data gaps and uncertainties, and suggest solutions.
Ultimately, the work will improve the risk assessment of chemicals that accumulate in breast
milk. Health experts continue to agree that breast milk is the healthiest option for infants,
and EPA's efforts will help to protect this vital resource.
Learn More!
Human Health Risk Assessment Research: http://go.usa.gov/ZesQ
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Supporting and Building Partnerships
The Agency's extramural research program funds research grants/
graduate and undergraduate fellowships/ and large research centers.
EPA supports some of the nation's leading scientists and engineers
in the pursuit and dissemination of high-quality research. Additionally,
Agency researchers cultivate and maintain partnerships with research
colleagues at colleges and universities around the world, federal and
state human health and environmental agencies, and other entities
throughout the scientific community.
The Agency's extramural research program funds research grants,
graduate and undergraduate fellowships, and large research centers.
Research in numerous environmental science and engineering
disciplines are funded through the Agency's Science to Achieve
Results (STAR) program. Through a competitive solicitation
processes (Requests for Applications), followed by independent,
peer-reviewed selection processes, the program engages and
supports the nation's best scientists and engineers in targeted research
that complements EPA's own intramural research program, as well as
collaborative research efforts with other federal agencies.
EPA is also one of 11 federal agencies that participate in the Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Through this program,
EPA awards contracts to support novel concepts for products and
technologies that will help spur economic growth while advancing a
more sustainable future.
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Protecting Children's Health for a Lifetime
2013 marked the 15th year of collaboration between EPA and
the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
to support some of the nation's leading children's environmental
health researchers.
The EPA/NIEHS Children's Environmental Health and Disease
Prevention Research Centers program engages scientists,
pediatricians, epidemiologists, other research specialists, and local
community representatives to reduce children's health risks, protect
them from environmental threats, and promote health and well-
being in the communities where children live, learn, and play.
Since the establishment of the program, more than 20
multidisciplinary Children's Centers have received grants to
support science aimed at meeting some of the most pressing health
challenges facing the nation's children, including asthma, autism,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, neurodevelopmental deficits,
childhood leukemia, diabetes, and obesity.
In total, since 1998 more than $140 million of EPA funding has
been devoted to supporting those efforts, matched by a similar
amount of funding from NIEHS.
This investment in the nation's most valuable assets has returned
critically important dividends. Children's Center researchers have
published a host of key findings on diverse research subjects
important to protecting children's health. Many of those findings
were highlighted during an EPA-hosted event celebrating 15 years
of Center achievements and to encourage collaborations with
EPA-funded Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units around
the country.
In addition, Children's Center researchers have pioneered
innovative thinking about how to understand and address children's
environmental health issues and how to prevent adverse health
impacts. Because the program has been strategically designed to
include community engagement, mechanisms for communicating
and sharing important findings early in the research processes, and
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mentoring new investigators, the program will have considerable
and significant positive impact on the field of children's
environmental health for many years to come.
Collectively, those impacts have made the Children's Centers
program an exemplary model of how collaborative, interagency
federal research support can effectively improve community and
public health for children and other vulnerable life-stages and
populations.
To continue to build upon a 15-year legacy of achievement highlighted EPA and NIEHS funded eight new Children's
Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers in 2013.
Institution
Dartmouth College
Duke University
University of Michigan
University of Illinois, Urbana-
Champaign
University of California - Davis
University of California - San
Francisco
University of California/Stanford
University
University of Southern
California
Project Title
Children's Environmental
Health & Disease Prevention
Research Center at Dartmouth
Neurodevelopment and
Improving Children's Health
following EtS exposure
(NICHES)
Lifecourse Exposures & Diet:
Epigenetics, Maturation &
Metabolic Syndrome
Novel Methods to Assess the
Effects of Chemicals on Child
Development
The UC Davis Center for
Children's Environmental
Health and Disease Prevention
The UCSF Pregnancy Exposures
to Environmental Chemicals
(PEEC) Children's Center
UC Berkeley/Stanford
Children's Environmental
Health Center
Southern California Children's
Environmental Health Center
(SC-CEHC)
EPA Anticipated
Funding*
$4,060,713
$3,907,780
$3,651,990
$3,962,727
$3,827,820
$3,312,848
$4,765,843
$4,146,875
Total Anticipated
Funding with NIEHS*
$8,121,426
$7,723,223
$7,303,980
$7,925,454
$7,655,640
$6,625,696
$9,531,686
$8,293,750
Total funding is subject to change based on availability of funds, research progress and other factors.
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STAR-Supported Research for Climate Change
Modeling, Air Quality Management
In partnership with the National Science Foundation and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, EPA awarded more than
$4.3 million in grants to 13 institutions to study how certain types
organic compounds form in the atmosphere. The grants were further
supplemented by additional support from Southern Company (a
southern regional power producer), and the Electric Power Research
Institute for a total of more than $20 million.
Organic aerosols are solid and liquid particles suspended in the
atmosphere. They impact climate by affecting the amount of solar
radiation that reaches the earth. They have also been linked to air
quality and related health effects. Research performed by the grantees
will help the Agency and others improve air quality management
systems and advance climate change models. For more information,
please see "Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study" on page four of
this report.
Recipient
Georgia Institute of Technology
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Carnegie Mellon University
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Georgia Institute of Technology
Reed College
University of California, Irvine
University of Iowa
Washington University in St. Louis
Project Title
The role of nitrate radicals (NO3) in aerosol life cycle:
Secondary organic aerosol formation and aging of
atmospheric organic aerosols
Impacts of Anthropogenic Emissions in the Southeastern
U.S. on Heterogeneous Chemistry of Isoprene-Derived
Epoxides Leading to Secondary Organic Aerosol
Formation
Sensitivity of Organic Aerosol Concentrations and
Forcing to Anthropogenic Emissions
Assessing anthropogenic impact on secondary
pollutant formation in the South Eastern US via airborne
formaldehyde measurements
Cloud Condensation Nuclei Measurements During the
SENEX 2013 Campaign: Observations, Analysis and
Impacts
Anthropogenic influence on biogenic VOC oxidation:
the role of NOx pollution in secondary organic aerosol
production in the Southeast U.S.
Understanding regional oxidation capacity by
comprehensive observations to constrain hydroxyl radical
sources and sinks during the Southern Oxidant Aerosol
Study (SOAS)
Sources and Radiative Properties of Organosulfates in the
Atmosphere
Novel Measurements of Volatility- and Polarity-Separated
Organic Aerosol Composition and Associated
Hygroscopicity to Investigate the Influence of Mixed
Anthropogenic-Biogenic Emissions on Atmospheric
Aging Processes
Amount
$300,000
$300,000
$399,998
$194,183
$185,790
$299,995
$299,895
$300,000
$298,747
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Recipient
Stony Brook University
University of California/ San Diego
Western Michigan University
Research Triangle Institute
Rutgers University
Project Title
Emission, Fate/ and Contribution of Biogenic Volatile
Organic Compounds to Organic Aerosol Formation in
the Presence of Anthropogenic Pollution: Measurements
and Modeling during SOAS
Using Particle Functional Group Composition to Identify
and Quantify the Effects of Anthropogenic Emissions on
Biogenic Secondary Organic Aerosol
The Role of Oxidation of BVOCs in SOA Production
in the Southeastern U.S.
Aerosol Optical Properties and Biogenic SOA: Effect
on Hygroscopic Properties and Light Absorption
Organic aerosol formation in the humid, photochemically-
active Southeastern US: SOAS experiments and
simulations
Amount
$399,964
$400,000
$387,483
$398,318
$399,928
Total: $4,564,301
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EPA's Small Business Innovation Research Awards
EPA is one of 11 federal agencies in the Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) program, established by the Small
Business Innovation Development Act of 1982. The Agency's
participation is designed to help support and facilitate the
development of new technologies with potential to solve priority
environmental problems while they spark economic growth.
In 2013, EPA awarded 26 small businesses with "proof of
concept" contracts (Phase I) to research the scientific merit and
technical feasibility of proposed technologies. In addition, seven
companies that received similar Phase I contracts in 2012 where
awarded additional contracts (Phase II) to bring their products
towards commercialization and implementation.
EPA Phase I SBIR Awardees for 2013
Small Business
National Recovery
Technologies
LLC
Faraday Technology, Inc.
Radiation Monitoring Devices,
Inc.
HJ Science & Technology, Inc.
ACEA Biosciences, Inc.
Advanced Diamond
Technologies Inc.
Applied Environmental
Technology
ArunA Biomedical, Inc.
KWJ Engineering, Inc.
NexTech Materials
Providence Photonics, Inc.
Physical Sciences, Inc.
Project Title
Automated Identification and Sorting of Rare
Earth Elements in an E-Waste Recycling Stream
Environmentally Conscious Electrochemical Machining for Zero Discharge and
Metal Recycling
Solid State Sensor for Inspection of Prestressed Concrete Pressure Pipe
Handheld Microfluidic Device for Cyanobacteria Toxin Detection and
Monitoring
Development of Pathway Selective Cells and Assays for Sensitive Detection of
Environmental Toxicants via High Throughput Label-Free Cell-Based Screening
Remediation of Oil Contaminated Ground and Surface Water Using
Sulfate Nanofiltration Combined With High Efficiency On-Site Generation
of Peroxodisulfate Using Ultrananocrystalline Diamond Electrodes
Energy and Nutrient Extraction From Onsite Wastewater
Developmental Neurotox Assay Using Scalable Neurons and Astrocytes in
High-Content Imaging
Ultra-low Power CO2 Sensor for Intelligent Building Control
Sulfur Tolerant Catalysts for Biomass Tar Removal
Development of Real-Time Flare Combustion Efficiency Monitor
A Low-Cost Rare Earth Elements Recovery Technology
Amount
$79,968
$80,000
$80,000
$79,957
$78,881
$79,967
$79,938
$79,993
$80,000
$80,000
$79,854
$79,985
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Small Business
Compact Membrane Systems,
Inc.
NEI Corporation
IDA Research, Inc.
Electro Mechanical Associates,
Inc.
Precision Combustion, Inc.
Ecovative Design, LLC
Imaging Systems Technology,
Inc.
Liquid Lignin Company
RegeneMed, Inc.
Verrix
Enviro Utilities Inc.
Instrumental Polymer
Technologies, LLC
Solidia Technologies
EP Purification, Inc.
Project Title
Enhanced Processing of Green Solvents
Self-Healing Corrosion Resistant Coating: An Enabling
Technology to Allow Use of Alternate Water for Cooling
Encapsulating Waste Disposal Methods
Diesel Engine Efficiency and Emissions Improvement via Piston Temperature
Control
Fuel Flexible Low Emissions Burner for Waste-to-Energy Systems
Growth of a Fungal Biopolymer to Displace Common Synthetic Polymers and
Exotic Woods
Efficient Water Purification Using TIO2 and Novel Activation
Method
Environmentally Friendly Borate-Based Wood Preservative
3D Breast Tissue Co-Cultures for Screening Mammary Carcinogens
Automated Monitoring of Wastewater Treatment Efficiency
Electrolytic Reactor for N Removal from Existing Septic Tanks
Soy-Capped Polycarbonate Dendrimers for Tough, Sustainable Water Based
Wood Coatings
Use of Supplementary Cementitious Materials in High
Performance, COS Sequestering Construction Material
Low Cost, Efficient MicroChannel Plasma Ozone Generator for Point of Use
Water Treatment
Amount
$80,000
$79,999
$80,000
$79,996
$79,895
$80,000
$80,000
$80,000
$80,000
$79,998
$79,749
$80,000
$80,000
$79,915
Total
$2,078,095
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EPA Phase II SBIR Awardees for 2013
Small Business
Synanomet LLC
GVD Corporation
Aerodyne Research Inc.
Electron Energy Corporation
Fluidic microControls, Inc
NanoSonic Inc.
Okeanos Technologies, LLC
Project Title
Novel Lignin-based Magnetite Nanocomposites for
Removal of Phosphate from Contaminated Waters
Environmentally-benign Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Coatings for Mold
Release
Size-Selecting Aerosol Characterization Instrument
Cost-effective Rare Earth Element Recycling Process from Industrial Scrap and
Discarded Electronic Products to Valuable Magnetic Alloys and Permanent
Magnets
A 10-Kilowatt, Rankine Cycle, Waste-to-Energy Conversion
Module Utilizing Ultra Micro Turbo-Alternators
Voc-free, Highly Flame-resistant HybridSil® Insulation Coatings for
Next-Generation Thermal Insulation and Energy Efficiency
Cost Effective Seawater Desalination with FICP Element Arrays
Amount
$299,987
$298,009
$300,000
$300,000
$300,000
$300,000
$292,350
Total:
$2,090,346
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P3 — Sowing the Seeds of a Sustainable Future
On June 19/ 2013/ EPA announced the winners of the coveted
P3 Award for Sustainability. EPA's People, Prosperity and the
Planet (P3) award competition was held at the 9th Annual
National Sustainable Design Expo. Established in 2004, the two-
phase competition is focused on supporting innovative designs
that benefit people, promote prosperity, and the planet.
Teams that receive funding (up to $15,000) during Phase I are
invited to Washington, DC to showcase their research projects
for chance to move onto Phase II, which includes the P3 Award
and up to $90,000 in additional support to further develop their
design and potentially bring it to the marketplace. In 2013, out
of 40 Phase one college and university teams, seven were named
P3 Award winners.
2013 EPA P3 Award for Sustainability Winners
Institution
Cornell University
Cornell University
Georgia Southern University
Research & Service Fdnjnc.
Loyola University of Chicago
Radford University
San Jose State University
University of Massachusetts -
Lowell
Project
AguaClara Stacked Rapid Sand Filtration — A Robust
Filtration Process For Sustainable Drinking Water Infrastructure
Pyrolytic Cookstoves and Biochar Production in Kenya:
Low Temperature Combustion with Reduced PM and NOx Emissions,
Achieved by n-Butanol in-Port Injected in an Omnivorous Diesel Engine
A Sustainable and Interdisciplinary Solution to Biodiesel Production
Wastewater
Synthetic Humic Acid Materials for Improved Water Purification
3D Printing Sustainable Building Components for Facades and as Window
Elements
'Greener' Surfactants from Bio-based Waste as Efficient Alternatives to
Nonylphenol Ethoxylates
Amount
$90,000
$87,841
$90,000
$90,000
$89,975
$89,940
$90,000
Total: $627,756
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2013 P3 Phase I Winners
Institution
Brigham Young University
Clemson University
Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University
DePaul University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University
Florida International University
Iowa State University
Kansas State University
Miami University - Oxford
Mississippi State University
Missouri University of Science
and Technology
Northern Arizona University
Northern Kentucky University
Oklahoma State University
Old Dominion University
Oregon State University
Purdue University
Rochester Institute of
Technology
Rochester Institute of
Technology
Rowan University
Project Title
Greenplex - A Sustainable Urban Form for the 21st Century
Clemson Vanishing Firefly Project: Using a Mobile
Phone App as Education and Research Tools for Sustainability
Proposed Process for Management of Textile Waste from
Redesigned Secondhand Clothing Production in Haiti:
No- Waste, Recycling, and Repurposing
Sustainable Water Treatment Facility for Communities
with Arsenic Contaminated Groundwater
"Smart" Turbidimeters for Remote Monitoring of Water Quality
Community-based Soil Quality Assessment as a Tool for Designing
an Urban Green Infrastructure Network to Manage Stormwater Runoff
Develop a Concentrated Solar Power-based Thermal
Cooling System via Simulation and Experimental Studies
On Track to Carbon Neutral Buildings
Developing Sustainable Products Using Renewable
Cellulose Fiber and Biopolymer Composites
From Garbage to Gourmet: Sustainable Waste Prevention
and Mushroom Cultivation from Used Coffee Grounds
Using Sand and Moringa Oleifera Protein for a Sustainable Water Filter
Innovative in-situ Microwave/Ultrasonic Reactor for
Algal Biomass Harvesting and Biofuel Production
A Climate-Responsive Adaptive Control for a
Combination Passive Solar Shading and Natural Ventilation
Evaluating and Designing Ultra-low Cost Solar Water Heating Systems
New Technologies for Rapid Water Quality and
Bioassessment of Agricultural Streams by Citizen Scientists
Improved Biosand Methodologies for Sustainable Clean Water Solutions in
Northern Honduras
Flash Hydrolysis of Microalgae for On-site
Nutrients Recovery and Biofuels Production
Biosorption of Dyes from Textile Industry Effluents Using Macroalgae
Biowall's Impact on Indoor Air Quality and Energy
Implementing Practical Pico-Hydropower
Development of an Improved Arboloo to Promote Sanitation in Rural
Environments
Low Cost Portable Percussion Well Drill and Bailer
Amount
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
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Institution
SUNY Stony Brook
University of Arkansas,
Fayetteville
University of California/ Davis
University of California/
Riverside
University of California/
Riverside
University of Delaware
University of Illinois/ Urbana-
Champaign
University of Kansas, Lawrence
University of Maryland
University of Massachusetts,
Lowell
University of Nebraska/ Lincoln
University of Rhode Island
University of Tennessee,
Knoxville
University of Tennessee,
Knoxville
University of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin
Western Kentucky University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Project Title
Ocean Wave Energy Harvester with a Novel Power Takeoff Mechanism
Drinking Water System for Developing
Countries/Disaster Relief Made with Local Materials
Small-scale Ecosystem Engineering:
Development of Household Level Greywater Treatment Systems
Exploring a Proof of Concept in Ocean Current Energy Extraction
Test Protocol for Evaluating Smog Reducing Roof Tiles
Environmentally Friendly Leather Tanning Using Enzymes
Improved Biosand Filters by Enhanced
Monitoring and Data Collection Methods
Biostabilization of Rammed Earth for Reduction of Waste and COS Emissions
Solar-Powered Membrane System for Emergency Drinking Water Supply
Sustainable Packaging Solutions Based on Biodegradable Plastics
Energy Node Locator Platform Development:
Using Real-Time Monitoring to Conserve Energy
Sustainable Sanitation Strategies for
Peri-Urban and Rural Developing Communities
Green Oak as a Sustainable Building Material
Eco-friendly Additives for Biodegredation of Agricultural Mulches
Exchange Network for Expanded Polystyrene Bio-Shipping Containers
Sustainable Wastewater Treatment:
Nutrient Upcycling of Ammonia into Fertilizer
Highly Insulated Glazing Systems Using Liquid Fills
Rain or Shine: Rainwater Harvesting Systems for
Dependable, Safe Drinking Water in Rural Guatemala
Amount
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
Total: $600,000
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GRO Fellowships: Supporting the Next Generation of Scientists
2013 marked the 30th year that EPA's Greater Research
Opportunities (GRO) fellowship program has been supporting
undergraduate students in environmental fields of study. The goals
of the program are to bolster the next generation of environmental
leaders/ inspire and train diverse communities/ and boost excellent
research and development.
Thirty-three students from across the country received fellowships
in 2013, for a total of $1.65 million. Each GRO student receives
a total of $50,000, which covers a monthly stipend, academic
support, and support for an internship at an EPA laboratory
between their junior and senior year in college. Students who are
eligible for the fellowship must have two years remaining in their
undergraduate careers.
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United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
WashinSton, DC 20460
Keep up with EPA Reseach all year long!
Follow us on Twitter — @EPAresearch
Read our blog - blog.epa.gov/science
EPA601/K-14/001
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