Environmental Protection Agency

Values for body surface area (BSA) are commonly used in medicine, particularly to calculate doses of chemotherapeutic agents and index cardiac output. Various BSA formulas have been developed over the years. The DuBois and DuBois (Arch Intern Med 1916;17:863-71) BSA equation is the most widely used, although derived from only 9 subjects. More recently, Mosteller (N Engl J Med 1987;317:1098) produced a simple formula, [weight (kg) Â height (cm)/3600] 1/2 , which could be easily remembered and evaluated on a pocket calculator, but validation data in adults are rare. The purpose of the present study was to examine the BSA based on Mosteller's formula in normal-weight (body mass index [BMI], 20-24.9 kg/m 2), overweight (BMI, 25-29.9 kg/m 2), and obese (BMI, z 30 kg/m 2) adults (N 18 years old) in comparison with other empirically derived formulas (DuBois and DuBois, Boyd [The growth of the surface area of the human body.

In order to assess the condition of heavy metal pollution in the Yellow River, Lanzhou section, China, and to quantify heavy metal (copper, lead, zinc, and cadmium) contents in tissues (liver, kidney, gills, and muscles) of two fish species (Triplophysa pappenheimi and Gobio hwanghensis), levels of these four metals in the water body, sediment, and tissues of the two fish were measured using inductively coupled plasmaatomic emission spectrometry. The metal levels from this study were compared with the threshold values in the guidelines of water, sediment, and food given by the National Environmental Protection Agency of China, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of America, and the National Standards Management Department of China. We found the mean concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd in THE water body, sediment, and muscles of two fish species were far below the values in guidelines. We also found that the type of metals present and their concentrations varied in different tissues and species. The results suggested that (1) Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd did not contaminate the aquatic ecosystem severely and did not threaten the safety of human consumption in the Yellow River, Lanzhou section, and (2) organs that are sensitive to accumulating heavy metals may be useful to develop bioindicators for monitoring metal contamination. Considering environmental variables, further study is necessary before deciding which fish species or tissue could be the ideal bioindicators for aquatic pollution.

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel and fuel extender easily derived from vegetable oil or animal fat. In 2006, the US Environmental Protection Agency mandated that maximum sulfur content of diesel fuels be reduced to 15 ppm to protect catalysts employed in exhaust aftertreatment devices. Processing to produce this ultra-low sulfur petrodiesel (ULSD) alters fuel lubricity, density, cold flow, viscosity, and other properties. Consequently, there is a need to develop a better understanding of the basic fuel properties of biodiesel/ULSD blends. This work evaluates the effects of biodiesel volumetric blend ratio (V BD) on cloud point (CP), kinematic viscosity (m), specific gravity (SG), and refractive index (RI) of blends with petrodiesel. Properties measured for various blends of methyl esters of soybean oil (SME) and used cooking oil (UCOME) in ULSD were compared with those for blends with low sulfur (B500 ppm) petrodiesel fuel (LSD). With respect to increasing V BD , CP and SG increased and RI decreased with each parameter demonstrating a linear correlation. In contrast, m showed a curvilinear relationship with respect to increasing V BD. Calibration curves were derived from regression analyses to determine V BD in biodiesel/ULSD blends from measurements of each individual property. While the models had generally high coefficients of regression (R 2 [ 0.986), SG models were most accurate for predicting V BD to within 1.3 vol%. Keywords Biodiesel Á Blend ratio Á Cloud point Á Refractive index Á Specific gravity Á Kinematic viscosity Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the US Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether water quality parameters commonly associated with primary productivity may be used to predict the susceptibility of a specific water body to exceed proposed fish consumption advisory limitation of 0.3 mg kg −1 . South Dakota currently has nine lakes and impoundments that exceed fish tissue mercury advisory limits of 1.0 mg kg −1 total mercury, far exceeding US Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration 0.3 mg kg −1 consumption criteria. Previous studies suggest that increased aquatic productivity may mitigate the effects of biological production and subsequent uptake of methyl mercury through bio-dilution; however, it is uncertain whether these trends may exist within highly alkaline and highly productive aquatic conditions common to South Dakota lakes and impoundments. Water quality parameters and fish tissue mercury data for northern pike and walleye were collected and assessed using existing South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Game Fish and Parks data. The data was initially screened using both parametric linear regression and non-parametric Mann-Whitney rank sum comparisons and further assessed using binary logistic regression and stepwise logistic regression methodology. Three separate phosphorus measurements (total, total dissolved, and Trophic State Index) and pH were determined to significantly correlate with increased mercury concentrations for the northern pike-in-impoundments model. However, phosphorus surprisingly was not a strong predictor for the remaining scenarios modeled. For the northern pike-in-natural lakes models, alkalinity was the most significant water quality parameter predicting increased mercury concentrations. Mercury concentrations for the walleye-in-natural lakes models were further influenced by pH and alkalinity. The water quality and fish tissue mercury interrelationships determined within this study suggest aquatic productivity, and consequential eutrophication processes appear to be reasonable indicators of fish tissue mercury susceptibility for aquatic conditions common to South Dakota and highlight the continuing need to minimize eutrophication through effective watershed management strategies.

In many countries throughout the world, fly and bottom ashes originating from coal-fired thermal power plants are declared as wastes requiring special care during reuse and disposal. In this regard, a number of toxicity tests have been developed to assess the metal leaching potential of ash residues. In this study, fly ash samples obtained from the Ç atalagzı thermal power plant, located on the northwestern coast of Turkey, were subjected to toxicity tests such as the extraction (EP) and toxicity characteristic leaching (TCLP) procedures of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), and the so-called Method A extraction procedure of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM). The results observed for the extracts were compared with each other and the selected tests were evaluated in terms of their use in representing leaching under natural field conditions.

After two previous investigations demonstrated that the baffled flask test was an effective and reproducible method for screening the effectiveness of dispersant products in the laboratory, the US Environmental Protection Agency decided that before the new protocol could be considered for replacement of the swirling flask test, it would have to be subjected to an interlaboratory round robin investigation. This paper describes how the round robin evaluation was carried out and presents repeatability and reproducibility calculations that demonstrate the superiority of the new method over previous methods. Probabilities for passing various threshold levels of effectiveness values were computed, and the results will be used by the Agency to develop final pass-fail decision rules for dispersant manufacturers wishing to have their products listed on the national contingency plan product schedule.

Assessing the effects of air quality on public health and the environment requires reliable measurement of PM 2.5 mass and its chemical components. This study seeks to evaluate PM 2.5 measurements that are part of a newly established national network by comparing them with more versatile sampling systems. Experiments were carried out during 2002 at a suburban site in Maryland, United States, where two samplers from the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) Speciation Trends Network: Met One Speciation Air Sampling System-STN S and Thermo Scientific Reference Ambient Air Sampler-STN R , two Desert Research Institute Sequential Filter Samplers-DRI F , and a continuous TEOM monitor (Thermo Scientific Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance, 1400a) sampled air in parallel. These monitors differ not only in sampling configuration but also in protocol-specific laboratory analysis procedures. Measurements of PM 2.5 mass and major contributing species (i.e., sulfate, ammonium, organic carbon, and total carbon) were well correlated among the different methods with r-values 40.8. Despite the good correlations, daily concentrations of PM 2.5 mass and major contributing species were significantly different at the 95% confidence level from 5% to 100% of the time. Larger values of PM 2.5 mass and individual species were generally reported from STN R and STN S. These differences can only be partially accounted for by known random errors. Variations in flow design, face velocity, and sampling artifacts possibly influenced the measurement of PM 2.5 speciation and mass closure. Statistical tests indicate that the current uncertainty estimates used in the STN and DRI network may underestimate the actual uncertainty.

In 1997, low-level perchlorate contamination (<50 ng mL -1 or parts per billion) was discovered in the western U.S. Since that time, it has been found in sites scattered around the nation. Although the Environmental Protection Agency has not established a regulation for perchlorate in drinking water, it has placed perchlorate on the contaminant candidate list (CCL) and the unregulated

The Research Triangle Park (RTP) Particulate Matter (PM) Panel Study represented a 1-year investigation of personal, residential and ambient PM mass concentrations across distances as large as 70 km in central North Carolina. One of the primary goals of this effort was to estimate ambient PM 2.5 contributions to personal and indoor residential PM mass concentrations. Analyses indicated that data from the two distinct non-smoking subject populations totaling 38 individuals and 37 residences could be pooled. This resulted in nearly 800 data points for each variable. A total of 55 measurements believed to have been potentially influenced by personal or residential exposure to passive environmental tobacco smoke were not included in the analysis database. Variables to be examined included C ig (concentration of indoor generated PM), E ig (personal exposure to indoor generated PM), F inf (ambient PM infiltration factor), and F pex (personal exposure to PM of ambient origin factor). Daily air exchange rates (AER) were measured and statistical modeling to derive estimates of particle penetration ðPÞ and particle deposition ðkÞ factors was performed. Seasonality, cohort grouping, participant or combinations of these variables were determined not to be significant influences in estimating group infiltration factors. The mean (7std) mixed model slope estimates were AER=0.7270.63, P=0.7270.21, k=0.4270.19, and F inf =0.4570.21. These variables were then used in a number of mixed effects models having varying features of single, random or fixed intercepts and/or slopes to determine the most appropriate means of estimating ambient source contributions to personal and residential settings. A mixed model slope for F pex (7SE) was 0.4770.07 using the model with the highest degree of fit. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques were used to measure concentrations of dissolved atrazine in 149 surface-water samples. Samples were collected during May 1992-September 1993 near the mouth of the White River (Indiana) and in two small tributaries of the river. GC/MS was performed on a Hewlett-Packard 5971A t with electron impact ionization and selected ion monitoring of filtered water samples extracted by C-18 solid phase extraction; ELISA was performed with a magnetic-particle-based assay with photometric analysis. ELISA results compared reasonably well to GC/MS measurements at concentrations below the Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (3.0 Ixg/L), but a systematic negative bias was observed at higher concentrations. When higher concentration samples were diluted into the linear range of calibration, the relation improved. A slight positive bias was seen in all of the ELISA data compared to the GC/MS results, and the bias could be partially explained by correcting the ELISA data for cross reactivity with other triazine herbicides. The highest concentrations of atrazine were found during the first major runoff event after the atrazine was applied. Concentrations decreased throughout the rest of the sampling period even though large runoff events occurred during this time, indicating that most atrazine loading to surface waters in the study area occurs within a few weeks after application. About 1.4 X 108 kg/yr of herbicides have been applied to farm land in the midwestern United States (Gianessi and Puffer 1991). Because many currently used herbicides are moderately water soluble (>30 mg/L) and have environmental half-lives

The National Environmental Protection Agency of Italy (APAT) performed a soil sampling intercomparison, inviting 14 regional agencies to test their own soil sampling strategies. The intercomparison was carried out at a reference site, previously characterised for metal mass fraction distribution. A wide range of sampling strategies, in terms of sampling patterns, type and number of samples collected, were used to assess the mean mass fraction values of some selected elements. The different strategies led in general to acceptable bias values (D) less than 2s, calculated according to ISO 13258. Sampling on arable land was relatively easy, with comparable results between different sampling strategies.

Since protest forced the US Navy off Vieques Island, Puerto Rico in 2003, the US military has embarked on one of the largest environmental remediation projects it has ever undertaken. This article explores the way a narrowly conceived, technocratic cleanup process is translated onto an island with a deep history of grassroots mobilization and antagonism towards federal authority. The Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) is a crucible for considering the uneasy dynamics of cleanup. US law enshrines the RAB as the principal venue for "public participation" in the cleanup process. However, the prevailing technocratic framework, constrained by under-resourced bureaucratic agencies, clashes with more encompassing concepts of environmental justice. Citizen members of the RAB, nonetheless, approach the committee as a point of access to information about the remediation process, and leverage their participation as a tool for advancing a broader set of environmental justice claims.

Des protestations ont forcé l'US Navy à quitter l'île de Vieques, à Puerto Rico, en 2003. Depuis lors, l'armée américaine a mené l'un de ses plus grands projets d'assainissement de l'environnement. Cet article explore comment un processus de nettoyage technocratique est traduit sur une île avec une histoire profonde de mobilisation de la base et d'antagonisme envers l'autorité fédérale. Le Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) illustre la dynamique difficile du nettoyage. La loi américaine fait de la RAB le principal lieu de «participation du public» au processus de nettoyage. Cependant, le cadre technocratique dominant, contraint par des organismes bureaucratiques sous-financés, se heurte à des concepts plus englobants de justice environnementale. Les citoyens membres du RAB approchent le comité comme un point d'accès à l'information sur le processus d'assainissement. Ils utilisent leur participation comme un outil pour faire avancer un ensemble plus large de revendications de justice environnementale.

Desde que protestas forzaron a la marina de Estados Unidos a abandonar Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico en 2003, las fuerzas armadas estadounidenses emprendieron uno de sus mayores proyectos de descontaminación. Este artículo explora la manera en que un proceso de limpieza, tecnocrático y de estrecha planeación, se traduce a una isla con una larga historia de movilizaciones populares y de antagonismo contra la autoridad federal. La Junta de Consejo para la Restauración (RAB) es la razón para considerar la complicada dinámica en el proceso de limpieza. Las leyes estadounidenses consignan al RAB como la principal instancia para la "participación pública" durante la limpieza. Sin embargo, el marco tecnocrático que prevalece, limitado por agencias burocráticas con bajo presupuesto, se enfrenta con más amplios conceptos de justicia ambiental. Miembros ciudadanos de RAB, no obstante, se acercan al comité como punto de acceso a información relacionada con el proceso de limpieza y aprovechan su participación como una herramienta para avanzar hacia un más amplio conjunto de demandas de justicia ambiental.

Life-cycle assessment concepts and methods are currently being applied to evaluate integrated municipal solid waste management strategies throughout the world. The Research Triangle Institute and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are working to develop a computer-based decision support tool to evaluate integrated municipal solid waste management strategies in the United States. The waste management unit processes included in this tool are waste collection, transfer stations, recovery, com~ post, combustion, and landfill. Additional unit processes included are electrical energy production, transportation, and remanufacturing. The process models inclnde methodologies for environmental and cost analysis. The environmental methodology calculates life cycle inventory type data for the different unit processes. The cost methodology calculates annualized construction and equipment capital costs and operating costs per ton processed at the facility. The resulting environmental and cost parameters are allocated to individual components of the waste stream by process specific allocation methodologies. All of this information is implemented into the decision support tool to provide a life-cycle management evaluation of integrated municipal solid waste management strategies. throughout the world that are applying LCA concepts and methods to the evaluation of integrated municipal solid waste (MSW) management strategies. In evaluating such strategies, planners have a wide variety of available processes for waste collection, separation, treatment, and disposal to evaluate. Combining these processes in integrated systems forms complex interrelationships of mass flows with associated energy and resource consumptions and environmental releases. Examining these interrelationships, and identifying optimal management solutions, can be accomplished by taking a life-cycle management (LCM) approach, as illustrated in . Unlike traditional product LCAs which begin with raw materials extraction, our system begins with MSW generation and considers the inputs and effects to all life cycle stages resulting from the management of MSW. This LCM perspective encourages waste planners to consider the environmental performance of the entire system including activities that occur outside of the traditional framework Int. J. LCA 4 (4) 193 -201 (1999) 9 ecomed publishers,

... DOI: 10.1177/0734242X9601400105 1996 14: 43 Waste Manag Res Ege Egemen and Coskun Yurteri Regulatory Leaching Tests for Fly Ash: a Case Study Published by: ... REGULATORY LEACHING TESTS FOR FLY ASH: A CASE STUDY Ege Egemen and coskun Yurteri ...

These comments and recommendations are products of the authors' experiences within their centers and their past works in the area of environmental neurotoxicology and teratology. We present both missteps and achievements in the hope that our collective experience can help guide in the planning and implementation of the National Children's Study.

Preliminary evaluation of deep borehole disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel indicates the potential for excellent long-term safety performance at costs competitive with mined repositories. Significant fluid flow through basement rock is prevented, in part, by low permeabilities, poorly connected transport pathways, and overburden self-sealing. Deep fluids also resist vertical movement because they are density stratified. Thermal hydrologic calculations estimate the thermal pulse from emplaced waste to be small (less than 20 o C at 10 meters from the borehole, for less than a few hundred years), and to result in maximum total vertical fluid movement of ~100 m. Reducing conditions will sharply limit solubilities of most dose-critical radionuclides at depth, and high ionic strengths of deep fluids will prevent colloidal transport. For the bounding analysis of this report, waste is envisioned to be emplaced as fuel assemblies stacked inside drill casing that are lowered, and emplaced using off-theshelf oilfield and geothermal drilling techniques, into the lower 1-2 km portion of a vertical borehole ~ 45 cm in diameter and 3-5 km deep, followed by borehole sealing. Deep borehole disposal of radioactive waste in the United States would require modifications to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and to applicable regulatory standards for long-term performance set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (40 CFR part 191) and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (10 CFR part 60). The performance analysis described here is based on the assumption that long-term standards for deep borehole disposal would be identical in the key regards to those prescribed for existing repositories (40 CFR part 197 and 10 CFR part 63).

The 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act have spurred the development of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) processes, several of which produce a dry, solid by-product material consisting of excess sorbent, reaction products containing sulfates and sulfites, and coal fly ash. Presently FGD by-product materials are treated as solid wastes and must be landfilled. However, landfill sites are becoming more scarce and tipping fees are constantly increasing. It is, therefore, highly desirable to find beneficial reuses for these materials provided the environmental impacts are minimal and socially acceptable. Phase 1 results of a 4 and 1/2 year study to demonstrate large volume beneficial uses of FGD by-products are reported. The purpose of the Phase 1 portion of the project was to characterize the chemical, physical, mineralogical and engineering properties of the FGD by-product materials obtained from various FGD technologies being developed in the state of Ohio. Phase 1 also involved the collection of baseline economic data related to the beneficial reuse of these FGD materials. A total of 58 samples were collected and analyzed. Our results indicated the chemical composition of the FGD by-product materials were dominated by Ca, S, AI, and Si although the specific composition varies from one sample to another. Many of the elements regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reside primarily in the fly ash. The presence of excess sorbent and reaction products causes a dilution of the concentrations of these elements in the FGD by-product materials as compared to the fly ash alone. Concentrations of the eight metals (Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, and Se) regulated by the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) were below drinking water standards when measured by either the ASTM or TCLP leachate tests. Engineering tests revealed that samples made from the compacted FGD by-product materials were generally higher in strength and had greater stiffness than natural soils typically used in the construction of a highway embankment. Compacted densities were also lower than typical compacted soil densities. These data suggest that FGD by-product materials, used in construction of a highway embankment, would be lighter and require less right-of-way due to the possibility of constructing steeper slopes. Dry FGD by-products can react with with water to form ettringite, an expansive calcium sulfoaluminate hydrate mineral. This expansiion may affect how dry FGD byproduct is stockpiled and used by professional engineers and construction contractors. Based on analyses of the agricultural lime and supply demand relationships it was concluded that FGD by-product material, used as an agricultural lime substitute, would be entering a very competitive market. This substitution will be sensitive to transport distances and the FGD producer's willingness to subsidize its use in agricultural. In summary, Phase 1 results revealed that FGD by-product materials are essentially coal fly ash materials diluted with unreacted sorbent and reaction products. High volume beneficial reuses will depend on the economics of their substituting for existing materials for various types of applications (e.g. as an agricultural liming material, soil borrow for highway embankment construction, and reclamation of active and abandoned surface coal mines). Environmental constraints to the beneficial reuse of dry FGD byproduct materials, based on laboratory and leachate studies, seem to be less than for coal fly ash.

US Environmental Protection Agency Method 300.0 specifies the use of an IonPac AS4A anion-exchange column with a carbonate–hydrogencarbonate eluent and suppressed conductivity detection for the determination of inorganic anions in environmental waters by ion chromatography. Hydroxide eluents have not typically been used for the routine analysis of common inorganic anions due to the lack of an appropriate hydroxide selective column

Heavy metal contaminants in environment, especially in drinking water, are always of great concern due to their health impact. Due to the use of heavy metals as catalysts during plastic syntheses, particularly antimony, human exposure to metal release from plastic bottles has been a serious concern in recent years. The aim and scope of this study were to assess metal contaminations leaching out from a series of recycling plastic bottles upon treatments. In this study, leaching concentrations of 16 metal elements were determined in 21 different types of plastic bottles from five commercial brands, which were made of recycling materials ranging from no. 1 to no. 7. Several sets of experiments were conducted to study the factors that could potentially affect the metal elements leaching from plastic bottles, which include cooling with frozen water, heating with boiling water, microwave, incubating with low-pH water, outdoor sunlight irradiation, and in-car storage. Heating and microwave can lead to a noticeable increase of antimony leaching relative to the controls in bottle samples A to G, and some even reached to a higher level than the maximum contamination level (MCL) of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) regulations. Incubation with low-pH water, outdoor sunlight irradiation, and in-car storage had no significant effect on antimony leaching relative to controls in bottle samples A to G, and the levels of antimony leaching detected were below 6 ppb which is the MCL of USEPA regulations. Cooling had almost no effect on antimony leaching based on our results. For the other interested 15 metal elements (Al, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Ba, Tl, Pb), no significant leaching was detected or the level was far below the MCL of USEPA regulations in all bottle samples in this study. In addition, washing procedure did contribute to the antimony leaching concentration for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. The difference of antimony leaching concentration between washing procedure involved and no washing procedure involved (AC) was larger than zero for samples A to G. This interesting result showed that higher antimony concentration was detected in experiments with no washing procedures compared with those experiments with washing procedures. Our study results indicate that partial antimony leaching from PET bottles comes from contaminations on the surface of plastic during manufacturing process, while major antimony leaching comes from conditional changes. The results revealed that heating and microwaving enhance antimony leaching significantly in PET plastic bottles. Plastic bottle manufacturers should consider the contaminations during manufacturing process and washing bottles before first use was strongly recommended to remove those contaminants.

Sampling can be a significant source of error in the measurement process. The characterization and cleanup of hazardous waste sites require data that meet site-specific levels of acceptable quality if scientifically supportable decisions are to be made. In support of this effort, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investigating methods that relate sample characteristics to analytical performance. Predicted uncertainty levels allow appropriate study design decisions to be made, facilitating more timely and less expensive evaluations. Gy sampling theory can predict a significant fraction of sampling error when certain conditions are met. We report on several controlled studies of subsampling procedures to evaluate the utility of Gy sampling theory applied to laboratory subsampling practices. Several sample types were studied and both analyte and non-analyte containing particles were shown to play important roles affecting the measured uncertainty.

Existing fuel consumption and emission models suffer from two major drawbacks, namely: (a) they produce a bang-bang control through the use of a linear power model (i.e. the optimum fuel consumption requires a full throttle acceleration); and (b) the calibration of model parameters cannot be done using publicly available data thus necessitating in-laboratory or field data collection. The research presented in this paper develops two simple fuel consumption models that overcome these two limitations. Specifically, the models do not produce a bang-bang control and are calibrated using the Environmental Protection Agency city and highway fuel economy ratings in addition to publicly available vehicle and roadway pavement parameters. The models are demonstrated to estimate vehicle fuel consumption rates consistent with in-field measurements (coefficient of determination above 0.90). In addition the models estimate CO 2 emissions that are highly correlated with field measurements (correlation coefficient greater than 0.98).

a b s t r a c t This paper proposes a water quality index (WQI) to subsidize management actions in the Mé dio Paranapanema Watershed in Sã o Paulo State, Brazil, as a simple pollution indicator for aquaculture activity. Water quality of the Macuco and Queixada rivers was investigated for 2 years (from May 2003 to May 2005). The index proposed in this work is composed of three measurable environmental parameters-turbidity, total phosphorus and dissolved oxygen. Concentrations of these three variables were normalized on a scale from 0 to 100 and translated into statements of water quality (excellent, good, regular, fair and poor). The index was applied to seventeen monitoring points in the aquatic bodies described above and compared to others, one being that used by the Environmental Protection Agency of United States and proposed for the National Sanitation Foundation, other employing minimal index and the last one considering the minimum operator concept. The results show that the degradation in this watershed from aquaculture activity can be easily inferred with this

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This review examines the qualitative and quantitative properties of the hazardous waste stream in Ghana as well as current associated management practices. As an emerging market, Ghana is experiencing a continuous increase in industrial activity and growth, which consequentially will result in an increase in generation of hazardous waste as well as its associated management challenges. Understanding this waste stream in the country would equip policy makers and organizations in developing critical policies and management practices that address hazardous waste generation and management in the country. Various stakeholders were engaged to take into account the professional opinions of persons and organizations involved in hazardous waste generation and management. This report discuss issues on current policies regulating the generation and management of hazardous waste, management practices identified in the country, qualitative and quantitative properties of this waste stream and finally challenges and opportunities associated with the generation and management of hazardous waste in Ghana.

This paper surveys recent and historical publications on automotive powertrain control. Controloriented models of gasoline and diesel engines and their aftertreatment systems are reviewed, and challenging control problems for conventional engines, hybrid vehicles and fuel cell powertrains are discussed. Fundamentals are revisited and advancements are highlighted. A comprehensive list of references is provided.

Eight heavy metals, namely Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cd, Ni, Pb and As, in nine varieties of edible vegetable oils collected from China were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS) after microwave digestion. The accuracy of procedure was confirmed by certified reference materials (GBW10018 and GBW08551). The relative standard deviations were found below 10%. The concentrations for copper, zinc, iron, manganese, nickel, lead and arsenic were observed in the range of 0.214-0.875, 0.742-2.56, 16.2-45.3, 0.113-0.556, 0.026-0.075, 0.009-0.018 and 0.009-0.019 lg g À1 , respectively. Cadmium was found to be 2.64-8.43 lg/kg. In general, iron content was higher than other metals in the investigated edible vegetable oils.

Summary The major causes of cancer are: 1) smoking, which accounts for 31% of U.S. cancer deaths and 87% of lung cancer deaths; 2) dietary imbalances which account for about another third, e.g., lack of sufficient amounts of dietary fruits and vegetables. 3) chronic infections, mostly in devel- oping countries; and 4) hormonal factors, which are influenced primarily by lifestyle.

This report serves as a guidance document for the preparation of stationary source air emissions inventories at US Air Force installations. Air emissions inventories are prepared at Air Force installations to comply with Federal, State, and local air quality regulatory requirements. Inventories are also used in the implementation of various environmental programs, including pollution prevention opportunities, emissions trading, risk assessments, and environmental auditing. In the past, inventories have been prepared at Air Force installations using a wide variety of different procedures and formats. The purpose of this document is to provide a uniform and logical approach for preparing these inventories. This approach will enhance the Air Force`s ability to utilize inventory data, as well as eliminate many of the common errors typically found in air emissions inventories. The report provides recommended methodologies for calculating both actual and potential emissions from the most ...

SAFE AIR II is a model which simulates transport and diffusion of airborne pollutants emitted in the low atmosphere above complex orography at both local and regional scale, under non-stationary and inhomogeneous emission and meteorological conditions. The aim of this paper is the assessment of the performance of the dispersive module (P6) of SAFE AIR II in simulating pollutant concentrations due to releases from area sources. This analysis has been carried out comparing the results of model simulations with the data collected in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Meteorological Wind Tunnel. Three different scenarios have been investigated in order to understand the effects of the shape and orientation of the area source. To compare measured concentrations against the corresponding predicted ones, both graphical analyses and appropriate statistical indices have been used. The capability of the code to simulate area sources has been outlined.

Chlorination of drinking water is a common practice, used by numerous municipalities in the United States (US) to safeguard their water supplies. However, the chlorine used can chemically react with organic components in the drinking water to produce unwanted chlorination by-products. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the use of granular activated carbon produced from nutshells (almond, English walnut, pecan) in a point-of-use (POU) water filtration system designated 'Envirofilter' and to determine its efficacy in removing select, potentially carcinogenic chlorination by-products, namely the trihalomethanes (THMs) bromodichloromethane, bromoform and dibromochloromethane. The POU water filtration system that contained the nutshell-based carbons was designated 'Envirofilter' and adsorption efficiencies of this system were compared to that of four commercially available POU home water filter systems, namely, BRITA, Omni Filter, PUR and Teledyne Water Pik. Eight different 'Envirofilters' were constructed of individual or binary mixtures of carbons produced from acid-activated almond or pecan shells and steam-activated pecan or walnut shells and evaluated for adsorption of the three chlorination by-products. The results indicate that only two of the eight 'Envirofilters' failed to remove more THMs than the commercial POU systems. In both cases, these filters contained carbons with either 100% acid-activated almond shells or 100% acid-activated pecan shells. All six of the other filters contained carbons with either 50% or 100% steam-activated pecan shells or steam-activated walnut shells. Therefore, 'Envirofilters' appeared to depend on the presence of steam-activated nutshell carbons for their success. The six effective 'Envirofilters' reduced THM levels to below the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) required by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Based on these results, these six 'Envirofilters' may be considered as a replacement for existing commercial filter systems because of their efficacy and projected cost.

Developing optimal operating policies for conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources when different stakeholders with conflicting objectives are involved, is usually a challenging task. This problem would be more complex when objectives related to surface and groundwater quality are taken into account. In this study, a new methodology is proposed to resolve the conflict of interests among water users, water supply and environmental protection agencies which are involved in a problem of conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources.

This paper examines the impact a government agency can have on setting the political agenda for the agency's policy area. While most literature on the role of agencies in the policy process acknowledges that agencies play a role in developing policy alternatives, it generally dismisses the possibility that the agency might affect the political agenda. The subject of this research is the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Brownfield Initiative from the development of the Brownfield concept in 1992 to enactment of the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act in 2002. The Brownfield problem resulted from provisions of the 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), better known as "Superfund." Superfund is one of EPA's main pieces of enabling legislation and addresses soil contamination. It defines cleanup standards and liabilities for owners of contaminated sites. Before its revision by the 2001 legislation, Superfund discouraged prospective owners from considering redevelopment and encouraged former owners to mothball sites, which were termed "brownfields." From 1994 on, the EPA promoted a Brownfield Action Agenda to address the problem of thousands of abandoned former industrial properties. The EPA pursued grant programs, administrative remedies, regulatory changes and legislation to encourage private parties to redevelop the contaminated properties. The research evaluates whether these actions fit within expected parameters of agency behavior described by the agenda setting literature or whether they pushed the boundaries of agency involvement in the iii agenda setting process. The agency appears to have succeeded in influencing the federal political agenda by defining and promoting the brownfield issue through its grant program and its impact on local press and by organizing interests that were ideologically and economically attracted to the brownfield issue. Brownfield legislation was passed and signed into law in 2001 institutionalizing the brownfield program and amending critical pieces of Superfund legislation related to the redevelopment of contaminated sites.

We express sincere gratitude to all who gave their time to assist in the undertaking of this project, including the Steering Committee, those who completed questionnaire surveys, attended focus groups, met with members of the team and answered our communications. We also thank those organisations and agencies who provided us with data and information.

Calculating the risks and benefits of agricultural pesticides determines whether a pesticide will be registered for use on commodities. Historically, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has used very conservative estimates of health risks, particularly in the absence of data regarding actual use patterns of the pesticide and actual pesticide residue at the point of food purchase. However, when grower groups and manufacturers were faced with the problem of losing the ethylene bisdithiocarbamate (EBDC) fungicides, they approached EPA offering to provide hard data in place of estimates. Plant pathologists familiar with apple agroecosystems pointed out that different fungicides have highly specific uses in integrated pest management (IPM) programs, and that banning EBDC use on apples wouM probably raise total pesticide use in apples by compromising the pesticide reductions obtained under existing IPM programs. In addition, an early study showed that use-patterns could significantly reduce the amount of EBDC residue on apples. This approach led to a more realistic appraisal of both risks and benefits of the fungicides, lowering risks and raising benefits. The process ended with a registration prescribing use-patterns which result in minimal residue at harvest, thus providing valuable tools for use in IPM programs.

The Esk Shire Council has recently installed a Vetiver Grass System to treat sewerage effluent at Toogoolawah in South East Queensland. The aim of this scheme was to improve water quality before the effluent discharges to the natural wetlands. The biggest problem with the quality of the effluent is its high nutrient loading. With the recent changes to license conditions imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, the existing treatment plant no longer complies with the license and an upgrade of the plant was required. Instead of traditional upgrades, a new and innovative phyto-remedial technology recently developed in Queensland by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, is being implemented at Toogoolawah. Under the Vetiver System, the effluent is being treated in two stages:

With the recent Final Compensatory Mitigation Rule by the US Army Corps of Engineers and US Environmental Protection Agency, wetland mitigation banking has been designated as the preferred means of compensatory mitigation after avoidance and minimization of wetland impacts. Permits and supporting documents were reviewed and site visits conducted at 29 Florida wetland mitigation banks to assess their permit-based success. Just over half of the banks included three or more ecological criteria in permit success requirements. Release of a majority of potential credits (60-75%) was strongly based on completion of activities (e.g. conservation easement, financial assurance, ditch filling). A review of bank compliance suggested that over 40% of banks had reached final success criteria or were clearly trending towards success, but that 17% of the banks were not trending towards success. Most banks were deemed successful according to permit criteria and compliance considerations, although permit criteria were not explicitly tied to ecological considerations. While permit success criteria may have been met, it was unclear what level of functional performance wetland mitigation banks provided.

Largely accessible organic wastes can be turned into valuable compost product for raising crops organically on one hand, and get them disposed off safely at the other end. Straight use of organic wastes has tribulations like transportation and handling, wider C:N ratio, high application rates, nutrient overloading, weed seeds, pathogens, and metal toxicities. Composting bestows a tactic for coping high volumes of organic wastes in environmentally sound and desirable manners. Composted materials are remarkably regarded for their ability to improve soil health and plant growth, and suppress pathogens and plant diseases. Currently several composting systems have become available; ranging from a crude and slow windrows method, to the most speedy and computer monitored in-vessel system. Scientific investigations of this biological cum chemical process have reached to molecular level. Value addition of compost through beneficial microorganisms, mineral materials and fertilisers is also being considered. The nature and composition of materials put into composting is imperative for its quality rationale. On the whole, principles and processes governing composting are not so straightforward that ordinary enterprises could develop efficient composting facilities for the treatment of organic wastes. In this scenario, accessibility of comprehensive information to the scientific community as well as environmental protection agencies is imperative. This review article brings together the current information necessary for effective composting of organic wastes from different origins with diversified characteristics under various situations. It also covers the schematic description of well known composting systems, and various factors controlling the process.

The increasing number of surface mines in Ghana and the consequent adverse effects of mining operations on the environment have been of great concern to the local communities, government and non-governmental organisations in Ghana over the last decade. Satellite Goldfields Limited (SGL) is an open pit gold mine in the Mporhor Wassa East District which produces about 10,000 tpd of ore at an average stripping ratio of 2.1:1. Ore is processed by coarse and fine crushing, treatment by agglomeration, stacking, cyanide heap leaching, electro-winning and smelting. This paper identifies the potential environmental impacts of mining and ore processing at SGL on the environment. The results show that fugitive dust levels were generally high during the dry seasons and that the fugitive dust levels far exceeded the Australian and New Zealand maximum guideline value of 4.0 g/m 2 /month in 1998 when the project was under construction. The levels reduced markedly over the years. Total Suspended Solids and iron levels exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guideline values in streams that received direct discharge from the mining and ore processing areas. Ground vibration and airblast levels were predominantly below the set trigger limit of the seismograph. Waste management practices at the mine, especially segregation of contaminated and uncontaminated waste at disposal sites, were found to be inadequate and require some attention.