EPA Action Research Articles

Linking research and policy to ensure children's environmental health.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has made protecting children's environmental health its highest priority. Data on how and when children may be at risk are vital for accomplishing this goal. Recent examples of the link between research and policy include U.S. EPA actions to carry out the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences on pesticides in children's food, reduce and prevent childhood lead poisoning, and revise national ambient air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter. Today, the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), which makes protecting children from pesticide residues in food a national priority, is contributing to the growing need for data for decision making. Further impetus comes from provisions in the FQPA and 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments for establishing a screening and testing program for potential risks from endocrine disruptors. Another factor is the analysis that will be required under President William J. Clinton's executive order directing all federal agencies, for the first time, to reduce environmental health and safety risks to children. Success of the U.S. international commitment to protect children is directly tied to the strength and availability of environmental data. To meet such challenges, the U.S. EPA is revising key science policies, expanding research opportunities, and adding to the public's right-to-know tools. In this dynamic climate, there are growing opportunities for the research community to play a greater role in helping ensure the well-being of children living today and in generations to come.

Impacts of Copper Leaching From Copper Hydroxide-treated Containers on Water Recycling, Nursery Runoff, and Growth of Baldcypress and Corn

Studies were conducted using Zea mays L. and Taxodium distichum L. seedlings as model systems to study Cu leaching from Cu(OH)2-treated containers. Initial experiments developed Cu toxicity curves (as CuSO4) in an inorganic (sand) or organic (bark-sand) medium with single (acute) or multiple (chronic) applications. A second pair of experiments investigated short-term (35 days) Cu accumulation and plant responses to irrigation with water (125 mL/plant per day) recycled through a fixed reservoir volume (9.5 L) from 0.7-L Cu(OH)2-treated containers filled with an inorganic or organic medium. Finally, plant responses and Cu leaching were monitored during growth in 2.3-L Cu(OH)2-treated containers filled with two organic media fertigated with high (8.0) or low (6.5) pH solutions. Different Cu(OH)2 concentrations and application methods were tested. Leachate data from the latter studies were used to calculate potential Cu concentrations in nursery runoff using various water application methods and pot spacings. Expression of Cu toxicity symptoms depended on exposure, concentration, and medium for each species. Plants subjected to chronic exposure and grown in an inorganic medium developed toxicity symptoms at lower doses than plants subjected to acute exposure and grown in an organic medium. Several measures of plant growth were greater for both species when grown in 0.7-L Cu(OH)2-treated containers, but not in 2.3-L containers. Plants in Cu(OH)2-treated containers seldom exhibited Cu toxicity symptoms in shoot tissues, even with an inorganic medium. Soluble Cu content of the recycled solution from Spin Out-treated containers increased slightly (<1.2 mg·L-1) during the 35-day experiment. Longer-term studies with nonrecycled leachate from 2.3-L containers indicated that Cu leaching increased after 60 to 90 days. Copper leaching was greater with the combination of applied solution of pH 6.5 and bark-sand-peat medium than with the combination of applied solution of pH 8.0 and bark-sand medium, and increased with greater concentrations of Cu(OH)2 in container wall treatments or when containers were filled before latex carrier was dried. Calculations of potential nursery runoff indicated that the levels of soluble Cu in effluent for most concentrations and spacings projected were below EPA action levels for potable water (1.3 mg·L-1) when overhead irrigation was used.

The role of market forces in EPA enforcement activity

As corporate concern regarding environmental issues grows, recent studies have debated the stock market's role as an enforcer of environmental regulation. We examine stock market reactions to EPA judicial actions on a sample of publicly traded firms from 1972–91. Specifically, we find that (a) there is a significant decline of 0.43% in violator firm value during the week of settlement; (b) the market penalty is unrelated to fine size, (c) more pronounced for citations under the Clean Air Act, (d) for repeat violators, and (e) for more recent EPA actions. These stock market reactions appear to reinforce the intent of EPA enforcement efforts.

Waterborne radon pollution of indoor air

The domestic use of radioactive water has long been a cause for concern, but only a few studies have examined prolonged exposure to radionuclide concentrations found in natural settings. This paper reports on the indoor radon concentrations from 1,500 homes in northern Virginia and southern Maryland and well water radon from 700 homes in the same area. Indoor radon concentrations are almost all between 1 and about 40 pCi/L. The winter season shows the highest values with about 40% of the homes over the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L. The summer season shows the lowest values with about 25% of the homes over this level. This seasonal variation is related to home ventilation. Waterborne radon in homes with private wells ranges from about 100 pCi/L to about 8,000 pCi/L. In small homes, indoor radon can be significantly increased by outgassing of the home water supply, even at water radon levels of less than 10,000 pCi/L.

Removing lead in drinking water with activated carbon

AbstractA point‐of‐use (POU) granular activated carbon (GAC) fixed bed adsorber (FBA) was evaluated for reduction of soluble and insoluble lead from drinking water. Some of the factors which affect lead removal by GAC were evaluated, such as carbon type, solution pH, and a limited amount of work on competitive interactions. The design criteria for lead reduction by a POU device are also addressed. Minicolumns were used to evaluate the capacity of carbon for lead under a variety of conditions. The importance of surface chemistry of the carbon and the relationship with the pH of the water for lead reduction was demonstrated. Results indicate that a properly designed POU‐GAC‐FBA can reduce lead in drinking water to below the EPA action level of 15 ppb while being tested under a variety of conditions as specified under the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) International Standard 53 test protocol.

Precision Field Study and Radon Chamber Test of a New Alpha-Track Monitor

Abstract Concern about the risk of lung cancer associated with residential exposure to radon (Rn) has led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to recommend that all homes be tested for Rn. There is also concern, however, about the precision of Rn detectors at the Rn concentrations expected in houses, particularly around 4 pCi/L, the U.S. EPA action level. A new alpha-track monitor was evaluated in a 1-month precision field test in which 12 sets of 3 monitors were deployed in each of 4 homes (total of 48 sets, 144 monitors). The coefficient of variation (CV) averaged 12 percent at mean Rn concentrations of ≥ 4 pCi/L. In a Rn chamber test simulating a Rn concentration of ∼ 10 pCi/L, the overall CV for 69 monitors was 8 percent and the recovery ratio (mean measured concentration/reference concentration) was 97 percent. Spatial variability data from the field study showed that basement Rn concentrations exceeded first-floor values, as in previous studies. Other differences in Rn concentration due to monitor placement (room-to-room, high versus low) were inconsistent.

Comment on Lance Wallace's Perspective1

This personal perspective discusses the policy implications of Lance Wallace's Perspective ( A decade of Studies of Human Exposure: What Have We Learned', Risk Analysis, Vol 12, No. 2, 1993, pp. 135-142) and also briefly emphasizes the scientific aspects of his article. The ultimate viewpoint of the author is that regardless of the immediate or eventual implications of the work of Wallace and his coworkers, they have made a major contribution to the conceptual basis of exposure assessment. The author believes EPA's actions will need to be closely monitored as the new Clean Air Act regulations unfold in order to determine whether of not full advantage in effectively protecting public health will be obtained.

Compliance with EPA guidelines for follow-up testing and mitigation after radon screening measurements.

A survey was taken of 314 individuals, 55 of whom had residences that exceeded the EPA action level of 148 Bq m-3 (4 pCi L-1) of radon as measured by a medical center radon testing service. The survey was designed to assess whether these individuals followed the 1986 EPA guidelines for follow-up testing and mitigation. The survey indicated 41% of respondents performed follow-up tests and 16% of the respondents performed some form of mitigation. Some respondents had performed mitigation after inadequate or no follow-up radon tests. There was a positive relationship between follow-up testing and mitigation and higher initial radon screening values.

Background radiation in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A., area

Background radiation levels in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, area are elevated when compared to much of the United States. Soil K, U, and Th are somewhat elevated compared to average values in this country and generate roughly 60 mrem per year to the average resident. Cosmic ray contribution, due to the mean elevation of 5,200 ft above sea level, is 80 mrem/yr—well over the average for the United States. Thirty percent of the homes in Albuquerque contain indoor radon levels over the EPA action level of 4 pCi/ℓ compared to 10–12 percent of homes for the entire United States. Indoor radon contributes about 100–300 mrem/yr. Food, beverages, and x-ray doses are assumed at an average-equivalent for the United States and locally yield 96 mrem/yr. Total contributions from other minor sources (color TV, coal, weapons fallout, etc.) are under 10 mrem/yr. Thus total background radiation received by Albuquerque residents is about 330–530 mrem/yr, well in excess of the rest of the United States. The spread in mrem values is due to variations in the contribution from indoor radon.

Regulatory Control of Indoor Rn

Regulation of indoor Rn is explored in the context of cost-effectiveness of regulatory action. Evaluation of cost (i.e., mitigation expenses) and benefits (i.e., savings associated with medical expenses and lost productivity related to lung cancer) at various action levels indicate that regulatory programs would be economically inefficient and unreasonable if standards were established at or below the current EPA action guide (150 Bq m-3 or less). For the approximately 95% of U.S. homes with Rn levels near or below 150 Bq m-3, government programs should continue to focus on public information and consumer protection. For the small number of homes with high Rn levels, government programs should focus on identifying high risk homes and encouraging homeowners to reduce Rn levels. Because of the potential for substantial risk reduction, such efforts would be cost-effective in these homes.

Study of Local Radon Occurrence as an Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Project

A study of local radon occurrence involving more than a dozen students representing five academic departments and three faculty from the Geology, Physics, and Biology Departments of Southern Oregon State College was recently carried out in the Rogue River Valley of southern Oregon. Four hundred homes in three communities were sampled for in-home radon, and soil-gas radon and gamma-ray measurements were taken at each homesite. Students were involved in designing the project, fabrication of hardware, writing computer programs to handle the data collected, conducting home interviews, collecting data in the field, and analyzing the results. The fall term of 1988 was spent preparing for the data-collection phase of the study which extended from November, 1988, through March, 1989. Two of the communities studied showed uniformly low in-home radon levels, the third features a region with some homes above the EPA action level of four picocuries of radon per liter of air. The project provided an unusual opportunit...

EPA hazardous waste regulations draw fire

No sooner did the Environmental Protection Agency announce the final part of its major regulations banning land disposal of hazardous waste than it found itself criticized from all sides. The regulations won't appear in the Federal Register for several weeks, but one lawsuit already has been filed challenging EPA's action. This rule is the fifth and by far the largest promulgated under the land ban provisions of the 1984 amendments to the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act. It affects: • 349 wastes listed on EPA's hazardous waste lists. • Other unlisted wastes that possess the hazardous characteristics of toxicity, corrosivity, ignitability, and reactivity. • Multisource leachates from landfills. • Mixed radioactive and hazardous waste. Don R. Clay, EPA assistant administrator for solid waste and emergency response, says, We think we have done a lot to prevent future groundwater and drinking water contamination. The program will also serve as a catalyst to prevent pollution by encouraging ...

Indoor radon and well water radon in Virginia and Maryland

The domestic use of radioactive water has long been a cause for concern, but only a few studies have examined prolonged exposure to radionuclide concentrations found in natural settings. This paper reports on the indoor radon concentrations from 1,500 homes in northern Virginia and southern Maryland and well water radon from 700 homes in the same area. Indoor radon concentrations are almost all between 1 and about 40 pCi/L. The winter season shows the highest values with about 40% of the homes over the US EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L. The summer season shows the lowest values with about 25% of the homes over this level. This seasonal variation is related to home ventilation. Waterborne radon in homes with private well ranges from about 100 pCi/L to about 8,000 pCi/L. In small homes, indoor radon can be significantly increased by outgassing of the home water supply, even at water radon levels of less than 10,000 pCi/L.

EPA as a public health agency

Much of EPA's actions are driven by concerns for public health. The public's perception of the potential adverse consequences to their health of chemicals and physical agents in the general environment is a common motivating force in setting EPA's agenda and in making regulatory decisions. Despite its responsibilities in public health, and the major role that public health plays in its decision making, EPA is not part of the Department of Health and Human Services, the federal cabinent-level department with primary responsibility for human health. Rather, EPA is an independent agency with its own Administrator who is the decision maker for over a dozen legislative acts, many of which are based on public health concerns. For very few of these laws is there more than a minimal tie to the activities of classic public health agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services. Unfortunately, this organizational approach has led to a relative lack of individuals trained in the discipline of public health which hinders EPA's ability to approach public health problems. While there are many good reasons to keep EPA a separate entity from the Department of Health and Human Services, it is imperative there be close cooperation between EPA and the appropriate units of the U.S. Public Health Service. Most importantly, the number of people within EPA who are trained in public health disciplines must be increased. As a corollary there must be a concerted effort to educate students in a manner responsive to the need for public health manpower at EPA and at State and local agencies active directly or indirectly in environmental health issues.

EPA action on lead in water draws criticism

Calling it major rule as far as the drinking water program is concerned, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee M. Thomas last week announced a set of requirements he claims will g...

EPA Compiling Data on Extent Of Indoor Radon Hazard

To skeptics it's the latest cancer-ofthe- month scare. To Environmental Protection Agency officials, indoor radon is significant health hazard. EPA is now compiling record of how widespread and serious the radon problem is to buttress its contentions. A survey of homes in 10 states last year and homes in another seven this coming winter, data collected by states independently, and epidemiological studies will give the agency a robust database in another couple of years/7 deputy EPA administrator A. James Barnes predicts. The agency began building this database last winter, when, in cooperation with 10 states, it conducted screening survey of indoor radon concentrations. The results released few weeks ago show that more than fifth of the 11,600 homes tested had levels of radon above EPA's action level of 4 picocuries per L. According to the agency's guidelines, any reading above the action level should cause the homeowner to think about measures to decrease indoor radon levels. Radon, colorles...

Epa Action Research in Educational Priority Areas

Epa Action Research in Educational Priority Areas

Reactions of eleven nursery teachers and assistants to the Peabody Language Development Kit.

Summary. Teachers and assistants using the Peabody Language Development Kit (level P) as part of the EPA Action Research Project were interviewed. Opinions as to the worth and efficacy of the Kit varied widely and seemed to be largely determined by the personality of the teacher concerned. None of the interviewees had a clear idea of the principles underlying the construction of the Kit.