Relevance of radiation compensation litigation to compensation for toxic exposures

Several recent court decisions add to the growing body of law concerning the responsibility of Government in radiation matters and the quantum of proof needed to show causation between radiation exposures and certain types of cancer and leukemia. The courts have also been addressing a wide range of compensation claims for exposures to toxic chemicals with demonstration of causation being a particularly difficult task. Meanwhile, the Congress has been attempting to legislate a far reaching administrative and judicial framework for compensating toxic victims, including an easing of burden-of-proof requirements for demonstrating causation and a broadening of the basis for admissibility of scientific evidence. Drawing parallels between radiation and toxic exposure problems can be both instructive and misleading. Some of the technical issues are quite similar, including the importance of person-specific exposure estimates and of epidemiological studies. However, the uncertainties associated with toxic exposures are usually far greater, and the scientific data base for relating exposures and effects is much more uncertain.     

Exploring data quality for some inorganic and organic constituents of inhalable particulate matter (PM10)

Quality assurance (QA) assessments of air pollution data sets provide a basis for evaluating the significance of various substances in the atmosphere. For non-criteria pollutants, QA results are seldom reported in the technical literature and are often difficult to estimate. The present report provides a summary of QA results such as recovery, precision and accuracy data. Of the six trace elements and nine organic constituents compared in detail, recoveries, laboratory precision and laboratory accuracy values were 100%, ±3% to ±19% and-2 to-13% for the former group and 69% to 98%, ±7% to 23% and-15 to-34% for the later group. System precision varied from ±22% to ±47% for the trace elements and ±42% to ±83% for the organic constituents. Limitations in the interpretation of non-criteria particulate-phase pollutant data bases are discussed with some emphasis placed on receptor-modelling and risk assessment applications. Finally, the relevance of NBS certified materials for QA estimates in non-criteria air pollutant studies is also reviewed.     

An evaluation of in situ microcosms for validating aquatic fate and transport models

The fates of two compounds, 2,4 Dichlorophenoxy Acetic Acid Butoxyethyl Ester (2,4-DBEE) and 1,4 Dichlorobenzene (1,4-DCB), were examined in in situ microcosms placed in a pond and compared with the fates in the pond itself. Results also were compared with predictions of an aquatic fate and transport model (EXAMS). Decay rates of 2,4-DBEE were not significantly different among the microcosms, pond and model predictions. The decay rate of 1,4-DCB in the microcosms was significantly lower than the rate for the pond, and lower than the rate predicted by the model. The low volatility of 1,4-DCB in the microcosms is attributed primarily to lack of water surface turbulence in the microcosms.     

Environmental audits: Proposed terminology

This paper presents a review of the fast developing subject of environmental auditing with the authors proposing a series of definitions. Of particular concern is a move towards the development of an accepted vocabulary for environmental impact assessment, even though the international dimension of the subject makes this a difficult task. Use of the word audit has become an accepted part of EIA vocabulary, however there are several types of audits being undertaken today. Presently, there are no commonly accepted definitions, consequently this paper will attempts to address this issue. Definitions for seven types of environmental audits are suggested, derived from the experience of the authors and from a review of the current literature. It is hoped that by the presentation of these definitions that such terms will be advocated for future EIA work, and thereby reducing confusion that otherwise may occur. The paper concludes with a brief review of the status of auditing.     

Population monitoring for genetic damage induced by environmental physical and chemical agents

The short-term tests performed in vitro on different systems, from phage to human cells, or in vivo, on laboratory animals, allow only a qualitative estimate of the action of mutagenic agents, and the extrapolation of such experimental results to man may encounter many difficulties.Direct biomonitoring of populations exposed to chemicals could represent a more realistic approach for an evaluation of the hazards to man. Certain methods are still under development. Nevertheless, other ones can already by used routinely, e.g. the cytogenetic observations on peripheral blood lymphocytes and the Ames test for mutagenic substances in urine, and can provide useful suggestions how to set threshold limits for chemical substances encountered in the working environment.     

Changes in levels of organochlorines in woodcock wings from 1971 to 1975

Wings from woodcock (Philohela minor) were first monitored for organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the eastern U.S. in 1971. Regional differences in these compounds were clearly demonstrated and baseline residue levels were obtained for later comparisons. An expanded sampling of wings in 1972 revealed that residues in wings of adult woodcock may differ significantly from those in immatures, and that residues of several important agricultural insecticides and PCBs had declined significantly. More extensive sampling was undertaken in 1975 to determine if changes in residue levels had taken place in the intervening years. PCBs, mirex, and heptachlor epoxide increased significantly between 1972 and 1975 in adult woodcock wings. In immature woodcock wings mirex, dieldrin, and PCBs increased significantly between 1972 and 1975, but DDT residues decreased significantly.     

Determination of the working level of radon/thoron mixtures by personal α-dosimeters and environmental α-monitors using gross α-counting

Analytical procedures are presented which permit the determination of the Working Levels of the radon and thoron progenies with personal α-dosimeters and α-particle environmental monitors, operating on time integrating principles, from gross α-counts. Experiments have been carried out in an underground uranium mine and in a radon/thoron environmental chamber, specially designed for calibration purposes, to verify theoretical data. In general, and notwithstanding a number of complicating factors, fair to good agreement has been found between theoretical and experimental data. Experimental values have been found to be lower than theoretical values, an observation which is partly ascribed to plate-out of decay products in the instrument's sampling heads.     

Soil fauna and soil microflora as possible indicators of soil pollution

Research on biological indicators of soil pollution is hampered by soil variability and temporal and spatial fluctuations of numbers of soil animals. These characters on the other hand promote a high biological diversity in the soil. A high diversity combined with persistent soil pollutants increases the chance to select good indicators. However research on these topics is still limited. Examples of specific indicators are the changed arthropod species patterns due to pesticide influence and the changed soil enzyme activity under the influence of specific heavy metals. Another approach is to look for organisms that give a general indication of soil pollution. In this respect the earthworm species Allolobophora caliginosa proved to be sensitive for different types of manure especially pig manure with copper, for sewage sludge, for municipal waste compost and for fly ash. A third way of indication is by organisms accumulating pollutants. For some heavy metals (Cd, Zn), earthworms are very efficient accumulators. More research is needed especially on the specific relation between biological responses and abiotic soil characteristics.     

Second derivative spectroscopy for the determination of volatilized ammonia from urea-amended soil

A second derivative spectrometer custom fitted with a 1 m stainless steel White cell and maintained at 105°C is used to make real-time measurements of volatilized NH₃ from urea-amended soil. Comparison of the technique to impinger data shows a 5–16% discrepancy between the two techniques; however, other experiments presented suggests that this is not real. Sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide interferences are discussed, though they were not found to be present in this study. Instrument response time is shown to be fast if 67% of the total response is achieved in less than 5 min. Fast response is achieved for ammonia if wall-adsorption effects are minimal and if ammonia mass flow is maintained at 0.2 μg min^-1.