| 2011 |
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Evaluation of Fumigant Technologies for Surfaces Contaminated With Bacillus anthracis Spores – The potential biological warfare agent anthrax forms spores that are highly resistant to exposure to harsh chemicals and physical stresses such as high temperature. EPA has conducted tests to collect performance data on several fumigant technologies that could be used to treat surfaces in a contaminated facility. Read more |
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Results from Persistence Testing of Biological Agents Under Various Conditions – Environmental conditions that might decrease the number of viable organisms could be implemented prior to decontamination efforts. This could potentially reduce the risks of exposure, lower the costs of cleanup, and shorten the time before re-use of a facility or an outdoor area. Read more |
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Evaluation of Five Technologies for the Mechanical Removal of Radiological Contamination from Concrete Surfaces – Because of the need for clean up that would follow a dirty bomb incident, EPA evaluated five mechanical decontamination tools for their ability to remove radioactive contamination from the surface of unpainted concrete. Read more |
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Evaluation of Liquid and Foam Decontamination Technologies for Surfaces Contaminated by Bacillus anthracis Spores – EPA investigated the effectiveness of liquid and foam decontamination technologies for surfaces contaminated with biological agents. The test conditions simulated those likely to occur in buildings or in populated outdoor areas. Read more |
| 2010 |
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Rapid Radiochemical Methods for Environmental Restoration Following Homeland Security Events for Selected Radionuclides in Water – Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 9 requires the development of nationwide, interconnected laboratory-networks for food, veterinary, plant health and water quality. The directive requires the networks to integrate resources and to use standardized analytical procedures to support responses to homeland security incidents. Read more |
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The Pathogen Information Catalog (PI Cat) Tool to Support Dose-Response Assessments – There are many challenges in assessing health risks from the exposure to microorganisms. Specifically, quality human dose-response data is limited or, in many cases, nonexistent. In order to recommend risk-based cleanup goals, as well as analytical detection limits and environmental decontamination efficacies, there is a need to characterize microbial dose-response relationships. Read more |
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Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) for Hazardous Agents – Special Journal Edition – Hazardous substances released during a terrorist attack will contaminate the environment, but there are few health-based guidelines to support decisions on temporary occupancy of contaminated spaces or resumed use of spaces or water following a large-scale disaster. Read more |
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Commonly Used Water Quality Sensors Can Detect Intentional Drinking Water Contamination – The EPA report Distribution System Water Quality Monitoring: Sensor Technology Evaluation Methodology and Results summarizes the testing of various online (i.e., real-time) water quality sensors to see if they could provide dual use for early warning of intentional contamination, as well as monitoring general water quality. Only sensors most commonly used by water utilities were tested. Read more |
| 2009 |
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Brooklyn Traffic Real-Time Ambient Pollutant Penetration and Environmental Dispersion
(B-TRAPPED) Study – The December 2009 issue of the Journal of Environmental Monitoring (RSC Publishing) focused on a real-time study of airborne particulate dispersion in urban canyons. Read more |
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Integration of Water Quality and Public Health Data to Improve Detection of Drinking Water Contamination – In order to develop an early warning system for an intentional or unintentional drinking water contamination event, EPA is collaborating with water utilities and public health agencies to gather, share, and analyze multiple types of data. Read more |
 Award-winning Ultrafiltration Device Used to Aid in the Detection of Microorganisms in Drinking Water – The possibility of terrorists or criminals intentionally contaminating drinking water with pathogenic microorganisms is a significant public health concern. This concern has given rise to the need to rapidly and effectively sample water to detect small concentrations of potentially dangerous microorganisms. Read more |
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EPA Releases Version 5.1: Suite of Tools to Support Disposal Decisions for Waste and Debris – Handling, transporting, treating, and disposing of large volumes of waste generated by natural disasters; chemical spills; biological, chemical or radiological terrorism and animal disease outbreaks present unique challenges. Read more |
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Protocols for All Hazards Receipt Facilities – Public safety and law enforcement officials are often required to determine whether suspicious materials pose a risk to the public or the environment. Qualified personnel should screen such materials in the field to determine whether special handling and transportation is required; however, laboratories sometimes receive samples without knowing whether adequate field screening was performed. Read more |
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Technology Performance Summary for Chemical Detection Instruments – All Hazards Receipt Facilities (AHRFs) were developed to prescreen
for chemical, radiochemical, and explosive hazards in samples collected during suspected terrorist attacks. Read more |
| 2008 |
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Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) for Hazardous Agents – There is concern that hazardous substances released during a terrorist attack will contaminate people and the environment, but there are few health-based guidelines for temporary building or outdoor site re-entry or for resumed use of water resources, as might be needed after a large-scale disaster. Read more |
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Fumigant Technologies Used to Inactivate Biological Agents on Indoor Materials – EPA evaluates homeland security related technologies that will help protect human health and the environment from the adverse impacts of terrorist acts. Radiological attacks may require massive evacuation to protect human health and greatly interfere with economic and business activities. Read more |
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Removing Radiological Contamination From Concrete Using Strippable Coatings – EPA evaluates homeland security related technologies that will help protect human health and the environment from the adverse impacts of terrorist acts. Radiological attacks may require massive evacuation to protect human health and greatly interfere with economic and business activities. Read more |
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Determining the Impacts of Decontamination Technologies on Building Materials – EPA, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center (ECBC), investigated decontamination technologies for restoring public buildings to a usable state after a terrorist contamination event. Read more |
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Detecting Biological Contaminants in Water, Using Rapid
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Technologies – In the past, people in the United States have largely taken for granted the convenience of potable municipal water. However, the threat of intentional contamination of our water supplies is becoming a concern because of a rise in the number of terrorist acts around the world. Read more |
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Detecting Contamination Events in Water Distribution Systems,
Using Multi-Parameter Sensors – Sensor units can be deployed at multiple locations in water distribution systems and collect general water quality data that can be transmitted to various locations, including remote locations, thereby giving water utilities access to real-time or near real-time data from their overall system. Read more |
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Detecting Chemical Agents and Pesticides in Water, Using Enzymatic Test Kits – There is much interest in technologies that can be used to detect a contamination event as well as dispel or confirm the credibility of a threat. Such technologies include enzymatic test kits, which are generally designed to be handheld and portable. Read more |
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Detecting Biological Contaminants in Water, Using Immunoassay Technologies – Immunoassay tests that can be used to determine the presence of biotoxins and pathogens in water. The immunoassay devices are based on immunological interactions during which specific antibodies react with contaminants, or antigens, to produce a response indicating the presence of the contaminant. Read more |
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Environmental Factors and Material Type Impact the Persistence of Ricin and Vaccinia – EPA is investigating the persistence (attenuation) of biological organisms and toxins on indoor building materials under various temperature and relative humidity conditions consistent with those achieved using heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Read more |
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Gasification Technology Used in Biomass Removal – The disposal of contaminated animal carcasses in response to foreign animal disease outbreaks is an event- and site-specific operation that can have significant environmental impacts. For certain diseases, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza or foot-and-mouth disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends on‑site disposal in order to avoid the spread of disease. Read more |
| 2007 |
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Threat Ensemble Vulnerability Assessment: CANARY, Event Detection Software – Anomalous water quality results can indicate the onset of a contamination incident. For this reason, water utilities must be able to rapidly and accurately identify such results in water distribution systems. Read more |
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Threat Ensemble Vulnerability Assessment: Sensor Placement Software – Water distribution networks deliver drinking water to consumers through systems of pipes, valves, pumps, and tanks. Within these systems, sensors that can detect contaminants can be placed at various locations, such as fire stations, schools, hospitals, public buildings, publicly owned infrastructure, and even private homes. Read more |
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Securing Buildings Against Chemical and Biological Agents – CBAs are easy for terrorists to use in an attack because only a small amount of material is needed to incapacitate, seriously injure, or kill building occupants. CBAs can be easily deposited within the building itself or at an air intake, window, or door. Buildings of any size may be targets for a terrorist attack. Read more |
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Threat Ensemble Vulnerability Assessment: Tucson Water Study – TEVA-SPOT software can be used to determine the number and location of sensors that are needed to support a contamination warning system. The location of online sensors can be optimized to help achieve such a system’s primary goal: to detect contamination incidents in time to mitigate public health and economic consequences. Read more |
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EPANET Extended to Include Multi-Species Modeling – The U.S. EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) Water Infrastructure Protection Division (WIPD), headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, conducts and coordinates research to improve the security of drinking water and wastewater treatment, distribution, and sources. Read more |
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Support for Environmental Rapid Risk Assessment (SERRA) – EPA is developing the Support for Environmental Rapid Risk Assessment (SERRA) database to accelerate the risk assessment process and to support emergency response. Because it contains an extensive compilation of scientific information designed to assist in managing, cleaning up, and mitigating hazards in the aftermath of a terrorist event, SERRA is also referred to as a “knowledge base”. Read more |
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Building Retrofits to Protect Against Airborne Chemical and Biological Releases – A new report provides owners, managers, engineers, and other decision makers with information about various building retrofit options that will improve building protection against airborne hazards. Read more |
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Chemical Wipe Sampling – The collection of surface contaminants, referred to as “wipe sampling,” is an important technique for government agencies and the private sector to estimate contamination on a variety of surfaces, including those in buildings, homes, outdoor areas, and hands. Read more |
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Message Mapping – Message mapping is a science-based risk communication tool that enables members of the emergency response and environmental protection communities to quickly and concisely deliver the most pertinent information about an emergency. EPA has produced a new 40-minute video on message mapping, as well as a report that deals specifically with water utility message maps. Read more |
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Spray-Applied Sporicidal Decontamination Technology Evaluation – EPA rigorously tests technologies against a wide range of performance charteristics, requirements, and specifications. Read more |
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Sampling Radiochemical Analytes – A radiological sampling procedure is now available to environmental sampling teams assisting the EPA with characterizing, remediating, and determining the final status of a site following a radiological contamination event. Read more |
| 2006 |
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Workshops on Site Decon, Cleanup, and Associated Issues – EPA conducted two workshops on decontamination, cleanup, and associated issues for sites contaminated with chemical, biological, or radiological (CBR) materials. EPA organized the workshops to provide a forum for fellow researchers and stakeholders to exchange information, share research results and experience, and foster collaboration. Read more |
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Using Hydrogen Peroxide to Decontaminate Indoor Surfaces – Bacterial endospores can survive in the environment for an extended time, and are resistant to a wide variety of treatments such as heat, desiccation, radiation, pressure, and chemicals. As potential bacterial spore decontaminants, ultraviolet light, γ-irradiation, wet/dry heat, ozone, aqueous solutions and mixtures, gels, and gases have been evaluated. Read more |
| Pilot-Scale Incinerator Destruction of Bacillus anthracis Surrogates – Building decontamination after a biological warfare agent (such as Bacillus anthracis) release may produce substantial building decontamination residue (BDR). This BDR would consist of materials such as ceiling tile, carpet, wallboard, concrete, and wood. Read more |
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Medical Waste Incineration of Microbiological Organisms – Many interior building materials will require disposal after a terrorist attack with a biological weapon such as anthrax
(B. anthracis). Although contaminated materials are usually decontaminated before removal, officials may decide to remove the materials without first fumigating them. Read more |
| Biological Inactivation Efficiency of HVAC In-Duct Ultraviolet Light Devices – One potential method of terrorism is the intentional introduction of biological warfare agents (BWAs) into the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems of target structures in order to distribute pathogens. Read more |
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Thermal Treatment of Building Decontamination Residue – The building decontamination residues (BDRs) destined for disposal may be parts of a structure or its contents, or waste from the decontamination process. One way to deal with these BDRs is to incinerate them in combustion facilities; another is to use autoclaving with steam to disinfect them. Read more |
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Thermal Destruction of Building Material Contaminants – EPA has initiated a program to investigate chemical/biological agent destruction in incineration systems when the agent in question is bound on common porous building interior materials. The program includes three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics modeling with matrix-bound agent destruction kinetics, bench-scale experiments to determine agent destruction kinetics while the agent is bound on various matrices, and pilot-scale experiments to scale-up the bench-scale experiments to a more practical scale. Finally, model predictions are made to predict agent destruction and combustion conditions in two modern, full-scale incineration systems. Read more |
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Point-of-Use/Point-of-Entry Treatment Devices – Point-of-use (POU) and point-of-entry (POE) water treatment devices are cited in the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Water Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan as a topic requiring further research. Read more |
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Shelter-in-Place Guidelines Enhance Protection Potential – An ongoing EPA study has confirmed the usefulness of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) guidelines for preparing in-house shelters as protection against airborne biological, chemical, or radioactive hazards. The DHS guidelines recommend that people create in-place shelters in their homes by using an interior room with few or no windows and sealing openings with plastic sheeting and duct tape. Read more |
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Anthrax Surrogates Used in Chlorine Inactivation Study – EPA is responsible for protecting drinking water systems and sources. In carrying out these responsibilities, EPA conducted research on the use of nonvirulent surrogates for Bacillus anthracis in inactivation studies involving chlorination. Read more |
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