Jump to main content.

In the Spotlight

Get email when we post "In the Spotlight" news

Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council Fall Meeting

"Leading Environmental Change"

Oct. 26-30, 2009
Louisville, KY
Registration deadline:
Oct. 5, 2009
Read More Exit EPA Disclaimer

2007-2008 Superfund Technology and Liason Report

Read More

Tools for Assessment at Contaminated Sites

To assess the potential for risk from contaminated sediments and to help determine contamination levels for remedial designs, the Land Research Program has developed several ecological risk assessment tools including:

  1. Sediment Accumulation Factor (BSAF) Data Set, which can be used to evaluate the transfer of chemicals from sediments into the aquatic food chain

  2. PCB Residue Effects (PCBRes) Database, an abundance of information for risk assessors to use for correlating polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other dioxin-like compound residues with toxic effects. The database supports development of Toxicity Reference Values (TRVs)

  3. ECOTOX Database, for use when risk assessors and managers need to develop TRVs for sediment sites that have contaminants other than, or in addition to, PCBs and dioxins and provides ready access to single-chemical toxicity information for aquatic and terrestrial life. Each of these tools facilitate a scientifically defensible risk assessment, improve the decision-making ability of risk managers at Superfund and other contaminated sites, and facilitate successful remediation efforts.

Site Characterization and Remediation Tools

The Land Research Program has developed decision support systems to evaluate the fate and transport of chemical/hazardous wastes following their release in the subsurface:

REMChlor - analytical solution for simulating the transient effects of source zone and plume remediation on ground water quality (released December 2007)
User’s Manual (EPA/600/C08/001; 2007)

FOOTPRINT - screening model used to estimate the length and surface area BTEX plumes in ground water, produced from gasoline spill containing ethanol (released June 2008)

Ground Water Treatment Technology

Recent Land Research Program activities include:

  1. Laboratory and field based studies of geochemical, hydrogeological, and microbiological factors that influence the performance of permeable reactive barriers (PRBs)
  2. PRB strategies for long-term performance monitoring for treatment of inorganic and organic contaminants in ground water
  3. Use of alternate media PRBs to remediate ground water contamination.

The outputs from this research are:

More information on arsenic in ground water

More information on permeable reactive barriers

Previous Spotlight News

Sediment Research Highlights

Coal Combustion Residue Papers: Two new reports

"Characterization of Coal Combustion Residues from Electric Utilities Using Wet Scrubbers for Multi-Pollutant Control"

This report evaluates changes that may occur to coal-fired power plant air pollution control residues from the use of activated carbon and other enhanced sorbents for reducing air emissions of mercury and evaluates the potential for captured pollutants leaching during the disposal or use of these residues. Leaching of mercury, arsenic, and selenium during land disposal or beneficial use of coal combustion residues (CCRs) is the environmental impact pathway evaluated in this report. Coal combustion residues refer collectively to fly ash and other air pollution control solid residues generated during the combustion of coal collected through the associated air pollution control system. This research is part of an on-going effort by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use a holistic approach to account for the fate of mercury and other metals in coal throughout the life-cycle stages of CCR management.

http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/pubs/600r08077/600r08077.htm

"Characterization of Mercury-Enriched Coal Combustion Residues from Electric Utilities Using Enhanced Sorbents for Mercury Control"

This report evaluates leaching characteristics of air pollution control residues from coal-fired power plants that use acid gas scrubbers, which may also reduce air emissions of mercury and other pollutants. Leaching of mercury and other constituents of potential concern (COPCs) during land disposal of coal combustion residues (CCRs) is evaluated in this report. The data presented in this report will be used in a future report to evaluate the fate of mercury and other COPCs from the management of CCRs resulting from the use of multi-pollutant control technologies. This research is part of an ongoing effort by EPA to use a holistic approach to account for the fate of mercury and other metals in coal throughout the life-cycle stages of CCR management including disposal and beneficial use.

http://www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/pubs/600r06008/600r06008.pdf (PDF) (221 pp, 3.81 MB, About PDF)

Materials Management and Remediation Center

A Materials Management and Remediation Center established by EPA verifies the performance of materials management technologies that are designed to provide sustainable solutions to waste and mitigate environmental contamination. The center will assess the performance of technologies used to recycle, recover and reuse beneficial waste materials and minimize disposal requirements. Technologies to remediate contaminated land and ground water at Superfund sites and other hazardous waste properties will also be reviewed. The center is part of the Environmental Technology Verification program in EPA's Office of Research and Development.

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.