Mike Trojan and Associates

Environmental Site Assessment in Austin and throughout Texas

  U.S. EPA Homeland Security Research News

EPA's homeland security research is helping to protect human health and the environment from intentional acts of terror.

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.

Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) for Hazardous Agents 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.

Commonly Used Water Quality Sensors Can Detect Intentional Drinking Water Contamination EPA released a report which summarizes the results of tests with various online water quality sensors to see if they could provide dual use for early warning of intentional contamination, as well as monitoring general water quality.

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.

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.

Exposure Guidelines Used to Aid in the Selection of Analytical Methods EPA has identified more than 100 chemical and radiological constituents that are considered homeland security threat contaminants.

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.

Protocols All Hazards Receipt Facilities The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with support from EPA, the Department of Defense (DoD), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), recently developed and constructed All Hazards Receipt Facilities (AHRFs) for prescreening unknown and potentially hazardous samples collected under unusual or suspicious circumstances.

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.

Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) for Hazardous Agents PALs are a tiered set of exposure values used to inform risk-based decision making during a response to environmental contamination involving hazardous chemicals.

Technology Performance Summaries for Detection Instruments These technical briefs summarize the evaluation of commercially available screening technologies designed to rapidly detect, and in some cases indicate the concentration of, toxic industrial chemicals and chemical warfare agents in air, water, or surface samples. The technologies were specifically evaluated to see if they could detect chemicals that might be used during, or develop as a by-product from, a terrorist attack.

Fumigant Technologies Used to Inactivate Biological Agents on Indoor Materials In 2001, the anthrax mailings not only caused loss of life, but also interrupted the daily functioning of the United States government when affected buildings had to be taken out of service until decontamination and restoration efforts were complete. Because of these events and their consequences, EPA has evaluated the performance of several decontamination technologies designed specifically to inactivate biological agents.

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.

Determining the Impacts of Decontamination Technologies on Building Materials EPA is investigating decontamination technologies for restoring public buildings to a usable state after a terrorist contamination event. In the context of decontamination, contaminants of interest are those that can persist on indoor surfaces and can lead to a continuing chance of exposure long after the contamination event occurs.

Detecting Contamination Events in Water Distribution Systems, Using Multi-Parameter Sensors Multi-parameter water monitors are 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.

Detecting Biological Contaminants in Water, Using Rapid Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Technologies PCR is used to determine the presence of specific bacteria in water in less than four hours. PCR involves enzyme-mediated reactions that replicate the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of the target organisms.

Detecting Biological Contaminants in Water, Using Immunoassay Technologies Immunoassay tests are 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.

Detecting Chemical Agents and Pesticides in Water, Using Enzymatic Test Kits Enzymatic test kits can detect the presence of chemical agents, carbamate pesticides, and/or organophosphate pesticides through a cholinesterase enzyme reaction. Under contaminant-free conditions, the enzyme reacts with other reagents present in the test kit.

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.

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.

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.

Microbial Risk Assessment Compendium of Methods EPA has created a report entitled the "Compendium of Prior and Current Risk Assessment Methods" to accelerate risk assessment, which in turn supports rapid response.

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.

Video: Securing Buildings Against Chemical and Biological Agents EPA organized a workshop to provide architects, engineers, owners, and other building professionals with the latest research on protecting buildings from a terrorist attack. The video captures the entire workshop, presentations, and discussion sessions.

EPANET Extended to Include Multi-Species Modeling EPANET is used in homeland security research to model contamination threats to water systems. Historically, EPANET has been limited to tracking the dynamics of a single chemical transported through a network of pipes and storage tanks. EPANET did not consider interactions between bulk species in the water or the surface species fixed to the pipe wall.

Tucson Water Study Tucson Water is an innovative and advanced municipal drinking water system that serves nearly 700,000 customers. Through an EPA Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) grant, online monitors have been providing near real-time water quality data to the public for several years.

Support for Environmental Rapid Risk Assessment EPA is developing the Support for Environmental Rapid Risk Assessment (SERRA) database to accelerate the risk assessment process and to support emergency response.

Building Retrofits TA 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.

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.

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.

Spray-Applied Sporicidal Decontamination Technology Evaluation As part of EPA’s Office of Research and Development, the National Homeland Security Research Center rigorously tests technologies against a wide range of performance characteristics, requirements, and specifications under the Technology Testing and Evaluation Program.

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.

Animal Disease and Agro-Terrorism EPA is conducting several projects concerning foreign animal disease (FAD) pathogens, agricultural terrorism, and agriculture disaster management.

Workshops on Site Decon, Cleanup, and Associated Issues EPA held a workshop from April 26-28, 2006, in Washington, D.C. titled “Decontamination, Cleanup, and Associated Issues for Sites Contaminated with Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Materials”.

Online Water Quality Monitoring EPA is building upon and expanding current monitoring programs in order to develop robust, comprehensive, and fully coordinated surveillance and monitoring systems for water quality that provide early detection and awareness of disease, pest, or poisonous agents.

Anthrax Spores on 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.

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.

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 such as ceiling tile, carpet, wallboard, concrete, and wood. These materials would be removed from the building either before or after decontamination efforts.

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). Research indicates that incineration may be the best option to destroy all potentially remaining bio-contaminants.

Fuel Comparison of Coal Only and Carpet Co-Fire The US EPA participated in a collaborative test program on the feasibility of using cement kilns for the destruction of post-consumer carpet.

Bio-Inactivation with UV 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 pathogenic organisms.

Extending Public Health Surveillance to Water Quality Sophisticated computer programs are one type of tool available for monitoring changes in public health. The programs look for patterns in health-related data that indicate the appearance of a particular syndrome or set of symptoms in the population. Many cities and counties use these electronic public health syndromic surveillance (PHSS) system programs to help identify potential disease outbreaks early.

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. EPA researchers are investigating how various materials and their contaminants behave during these two high-temperature treatments.

Point-of-Use/Point-of-Entry Treatment Devices Point-of-use (POU) devices are designed to purify only that portion of incoming water that is being used for drinking and cooking purposes, while point-of-entry (POE) devices treat all the water coming into a house or facility. What are the capabilities of these devices for treating or capturing the most likely contaminants?

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.

Anthrax Surrogates Used in Chlorine Inactivation Study In carrying out its responsibilities for protecting drinking water systems and sources, the NHSRC conducted research on the use of nonvirulent surrogates for Bacillus anthracis in inactivation studies involving chlorination.

Threat Ensemble Vulnerability Assessment (TEVA) Computational Framework To counter threats against water systems, EPA's National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) is developing the Threat Ensemble Vulnerability Assessment (TEVA) program. This program uses a computational framework containing a suite of software tools that can simulate threats and identify vulnerabilities in drinking water distribution systems, measure potential public health impacts, and evaluate mitigation and response strategies.

Workshop on Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Decontamination EPA's National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) held its first "Workshop on Decontamination, Cleanup, and Associated Issues for Sites Contaminated With Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Materials" at the International Trade Center Building in Washington, D.C., February 23–25, 2005. The workshop opened with a plenary session.

Progress Report for the Water Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan Since the events of September 11, 2001, improving the security of our nation's drinking water and wastewater infrastructure has become a top priority. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plays a critical role in this effort as the federal agency lead for water security.

Destruction of Spores on Building Decontamination Residue in a Commercial Autoclave In the event of a terrorist attack in which biological weapons such as anthrax are used to contaminate a building, much of the porous material in the building will be shipped for disposal after decontamination activities. This material is collectively termed "building decontamination residue" (BDR).

EPA Explores Building Decontamination Alternatives In September 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) within the Agency's Office of Research and Development (ORD). As one of the elements within NHSRC, the Safe Buildings Team has, as a key part of its responsibilities, engineering and economic analysis of alternative technologies and approaches for decontaminating buildings following an attack using chemical and biological (CB) agents.

EPA Releases Guide for Water Utilities The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) has published Security Information Collaboratives: A Guide for Water Utilities. The purpose of the guide is to inform drinking water and wastewater utilities, and others, about the benefits of establishing collaborative arrangements with other organizations to share information on water security.

Emissions from Combustion of Post-Consumer Carpet in a Cement Kiln The NHSRC, in collaboration with other government, academic, and private organizations, conducted a series of investigations on issues related to combustion of Building Decontamination Residues, such as carpeting. To broaden the usefulness of the research, issues were investigated both relating to the disposal of carpeting as building decontamination residue as well as the utilization of post-consumer carpeting as supplemental fuel for energy intensive industrial processes such as cement production.

EPA Homeland Security Strategy In September 2002, EPA published a Strategic Plan for Homeland Security outlining the Agency's activities and initiatives through fiscal year 2005 in support of homeland security. The 2004 Homeland Security Strategy updates this earlier effort and furthers EPA's strategic planning process. Specifically, the update takes into consideration the Agency's available resources through fiscal year 2005, recent Presidential Directives and expectations, and the evolving role of the Department of Homeland Security.