1990 Update of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SITE Emerging Technology Program

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish an Alternative/Innovative Treatment Technology Research and Demonstration Program. The EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response and the Office of Research and Development established a program called the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program to accelerate the development and use of innovative cleanup technologies at hazardous waste sites. The SITE Program comprises of five areas: the Demonstration Program, the Emerging Technology Program, the Measurement and Monitoring Technologies Development Program, the Innovative Technologies Program, and the Technology Transfer Program.

This paper discusses the Emerging Technology Program (ETP) that supports the development of technologies that have been successfully tested at bench-scale level. Before a technology can be accepted into the Emerging Technology Program, sufficient data must be available to validate its basic concepts. The ETP enters into a co-funding effort with developers for a one- or two-year effort. Developers are responsible for contributing financial support and conducting the developmental research. After development and data collection, the technology’s performance is documented and a report is prepared, which may include recommendations for further developing the technology. If test results are encouraging, a technology may proceed with approval to a field demonstration.

The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with (1) an introduction to the Emerging Technology Program (2) an understanding of how the program operates (3) a summary of those technologies currently being tested and evaluated under the program and (4) information on how to apply to the program.     

Particle Mass Emission Rates from Current-Technology,Light-Duty Gasoline Vehicles

ABSTRACT

Now that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has promulgated new National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM_2.5, work will begin on generating the data required to determine the sources of ambient PM_2.5 and the magnitude of their contributions to air pollution. This paper summarizes the results of an Environmental Research Consortium program, carried out under the auspices of the U.S. Council for Automotive Research. The program focused on particulate matter (PM) emissions from representative, current-technology, light-duty gasoline vehicles produced by DaimlerChrysler Corp., Ford Motor Co., and General Motors Corp. The vehicles, for the most part taken from the manufacturer's certification and durability fleets, were dynamometer-tested using the three-phase Federal Test Procedure in the companies' laboratories. The test fleet was made up of a mixture of both low-mileage (2K-35K miles) and high-mileage (60K-150K miles) cars, vans, sport utility vehicles, and light trucks. For each vehicle tested, PM emissions were accumulated over 4 cold-start tests, which were run on successive days. PM emission rates from the entire fleet (22 vehicles total) averaged less than 2 mg/mile. All 18 vehicles tested using California Phase 2 reformulated gasoline had PM emission rates less than 2 mg/ mile at both low and high mileages.     

Predictors of urinary bisphenol A and phthalate metabolite concentrations in Mexican children

Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates is prevalent among children and adolescents, but little is known regarding important sources of exposure at these sensitive life stages. In this study, we measured urinary concentrations of BPA and nine phthalate metabolites in 108 Mexican children aged 8–13 years. Associations of age, time of day, and questionnaire items on external environment, water use, and food container use with specific gravity-corrected urinary concentrations were assessed, as were questionnaire items concerning the use of 17 personal care products in the past 48-h. As a secondary aim, third trimester urinary concentrations were measured in 99 mothers of these children, and the relationship between specific gravity-corrected urinary concentrations at these two time points was explored. After adjusting for potential confounding by other personal care product use in the past 48-h, there were statistically significant (p < 0.05) positive associations in boys for cologne/perfume use and monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), and in girls for colored cosmetics use and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), MEHHP, MEOHP, and mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), conditioner use and MEP, deodorant use and MEP, and other hair products use and MBP. There was a statistically significant positive trend for the number of personal care products used in the past 48-h and log-MEP in girls. However, there were no statistically significant associations between the analytes and the other questionnaire items and there were no strong correlations between the analytes measured during the third trimester and at 8–13 years of age. We demonstrated that personal care product use is associated with exposure to multiple phthalates in children. Due to rapid development, children may be susceptible to impacts from exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals; thus, reduced or delayed use of certain personal care products among children may be warranted.     

No evidence of mate discrimination against males carrying a sex ratio distorter in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila pseudoobscura</Emphasis>

Selfish genetic elements (SGEs) that spread by manipulating spermatogenesis often have highly deleterious effects on males that carry them. Females that mate with male carriers of SGEs can also suffer significant costs: they receive fewer and poorer-quality sperm, their offspring will inherit the deleterious allele, and the sex ratio of their offspring will be biased towards the more common sex. To counter these costs, females are therefore expected to prefer to mate with males that do not carry sex ratio distorters or other deleterious selfish genetic elements. However, despite the potential costs, there are few examples of female choice against males carrying SGEs. We searched for evidence of a female preference in fruit fly Drosophila pseudoobscura against males carrying a costly meiotic driving X-chromosome Sex Ratio (SR). In a series of five non-competitive mate preference experiments, we find no evidence that females prefer to mate with non-SR males. Our use of five separate experiments, involving more than 800 females, makes it unlikely that this lack of a difference was due to low power or simple chance. We suggest that the lack of female choice against SGE-carrying males may be due to strong selection on SGEs to be indistinguishable from alternative alleles. Furthermore, polyandry, either in direct response to receiving an ejaculate from an SGE-carrying male or carried out indiscriminately when at risk of mating with carriers, may be an alternative response by females to limit the exposure of their offspring to SGEs.     

Dredging impact on an urbanized Florida bayou: effects on benthos and algal-periphyton.

Environmental effects of dredging events have been uncommonly reported for shallow, residential estuaries characteristic of the Gulf of Mexico region. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of hydraulic dredging on an urbanized estuary. Physicochemical quality, benthic community composition, whole sediment toxicity, periphytic algal community composition and trace metal tissue quality were determined prior to and after dredging. The effects on surface water pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature were negligible but photosynthetically active radiation was decreased at several stations. Dredging significantly reduced benthic diversity and density (P < 0.05). However, the sediments were not acutely toxic to the epibenthic, Americamysis bahia (formerly Mysidopsis bahia); survival averaged 93% (post-dredging) and to 98% (pre-dredging). There were several post-dredging taxonomic structural changes in the diatom-dominated, periphyton community but differences in mean density and three diversity indices were not significant. Trace metal concentration in periphyton after dredging were reduced from an average of 4-65% and significantly for mercury, zinc and chromium in several areas. It was concluded that the environmental impact of small-scale dredging events in urbanized near-coastal areas, based on the selected parameters, are likely to be localized and of short-term environmental consequence. The choice of the target biota, response parameters and chemical analysis are important considerations in the environmental impact assessment of these periodic episodic events.     

Applying the dark diversity concept to nature conservation

Linking diversity to biological processes is central for developing informed and effective conservation decisions. Unfortunately, observable patterns provide only a proportion of the information necessary for fully understanding the mechanisms and processes acting on a particular population or community. We suggest conservation managers use the often overlooked information relative to species absences and pay particular attention to dark diversity (i.e., a set of species that are absent from a site but that could disperse to and establish there, in other words, the absent portion of a habitat‐specific species pool). Together with existing ecological metrics, concepts, and conservation tools, dark diversity can be used to complement and further develop conservation prioritization and management decisions through an understanding of biodiversity relativized by its potential (i.e., its species pool). Furthermore, through a detailed understanding of the population, community, and functional dark diversity, the restoration potential of degraded habitats can be more rigorously assessed and so to the likelihood of successful species invasions. We suggest the application of the dark diversity concept is currently an underappreciated source of information that is valuable for conservation applications ranging from macroscale conservation prioritization to more locally scaled restoration ecology and the management of invasive species.     

Using fisher-contributed secondary fins to fill critical shark-fisheries data gaps

Developing-world shark fisheries are typically not assessed or actively managed for sustainability; one fundamental obstacle is the lack of species and size-composition catch data. We tested and implemented a new and potentially widely applicable approach for collecting these data: mandatory submission of low-value secondary fins (anal fins) from landed sharks by fishers and use of the fins to reconstruct catch species and size. Visual and low-cost genetic identification were used to determine species composition, and linear regression was applied to total length and anal fin base length for catch-size reconstruction. We tested the feasibility of this approach in Belize, first in a local proof-of-concept study and then scaling it up to the national level for the 2017–2018 shark-fishing season (1,786 fins analyzed). Sixteen species occurred in this fishery. The most common were the Caribbean reef (Carcharhinus perezi), blacktip (C. limbatus), sharpnose (Atlantic [Rhizoprionodon terraenovae] and Caribbean [R. porosus] considered as a group), and bonnethead (Sphyrna cf. tiburo). Sharpnose and bonnethead sharks were landed primarily above size at maturity, whereas Caribbean reef and blacktip sharks were primarily landed below size at maturity. Our approach proved effective in obtaining critical data for managing the shark fishery, and we suggest the tools developed as part of this program could be exported to other nations in this region and applied almost immediately if there were means to communicate with fishers and incentivize them to provide anal fins. Outside the tropical Western Atlantic, we recommend further investigation of the feasibility of sampling of secondary fins, including considerations of time, effort, and cost of species identification from these fins, what secondary fin type to use, and the means with which to communicate with fishers and incentivize participation. This program could be a model for collecting urgently needed data for developing-world shark fisheries globally. Article impact statement: Shark fins collected from fishers yield data critical to shark fisheries management in developing nations.     

A multibiomarker approach using the polychaete Arenicola marina to assess oil-contaminated sediments

Background, aim and scope  

Marine and coastal sediments can accumulate substantial concentrations of metals and hydrocarbons, yet the consequences of this contamination for exposed biota in situ can be difficult to establish. Here, we examine the hypothesis that exposure to contaminated sediments can lead to detrimental effects in sediment-dwelling species. The combination of chemical and biological assessment allows the identification of the impact of chemical contamination, and their use as assessment tools is becoming increasingly important.     

Bioaugmentation with butane-utilizing microorganisms to promote in situ cometabolic treatment of 1,1,1-trichloroethane and 1,1-dichloroethene

A field study was performed to evaluate the potential for in-situ aerobic cometabolism of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA) through bioaugmentation with a butane enrichment culture containing predominantly two Rhodococcus sp. strains named 179BP and 183BP that could cometabolize 1,1,1-TCA and 1,1-dicholoroethene (1,1-DCE). Batch tests indicated that 1,1-DCE was more rapidly transformed than 1,1,1-TCA by both strains with 183BP being the most effective organism. This second in a series of bioaugmentation field studies was conducted in the saturated zone at the Moffett Field In Situ Test Facility in California. In the previous test, bioaugmentation with an enrichment culture containing the 183BP strain achieved short term in situ treatment of 1,1-DCE, 1,1,1-TCA, and 1,1-dichloroethane (1,1-DCA). However, transformation activity towards 1,1,1-TCA was lost over the course of the study. The goal of this second study was to determine if more effective and long-term treatment of 1,1,1-TCA could be achieved through bioaugmentation with a highly enriched culture containing 179BP and 183BP strains. Upon bioaugmentation and continuous addition of butane and dissolved oxygen and or hydrogen peroxide as sources of dissolved oxygen, about 70% removal of 1,1,1-TCA was initially achieved. 1,1-DCE that was present as a trace contaminant was also effectively removed ( 80%). No removal of 1,1,1-TCA resulted in a control test leg that was not bioaugmented, although butane and oxygen consumption by the indigenous populations was similar to that in the bioaugmented test leg. However, with prolonged treatment, removal of 1,1,1-TCA in the bioaugmented leg decreased to about 50 to 60%. Hydrogen pexoxide (H₂O₂) injection increased dissolved oxygen concentration, thus permitting more butane addition into the test zone, but more effective 1,1,1-TCA treatment did not result. The results showed bioaugmentation with the enrichment cultures was effective in enhancing the cometabolic treatment of 1,1,1-TCA and low concentrations of 1,1-DCE over the entire period of the 50-day test. Compared to the first season of testing, cometabolic treatment of 1,1,1-TCA was not lost. The better performance achieved in the second season of testing may be attributed to less 1,1-DCE transformation product toxicity, more effective addition of butane, and bioaugmentation with the highly enriched dual culture.     

The cultural politics of mining and natural disaster in Indonesia: by fire and sword

Natural disasters are inevitably the outcome of cultural agonisms. The cultural politics of natural disasters are shaped by competing claims and conceptions of ‘nature’. Recent disasters in Indonesia are directly linked to these contending conceptions and the ways in which different social groups imagine risk and reward. The Sidoarjo volcanic mudflow of 2006 represents a volatile and violent exemplar of contending cultural and economic claims. Like other disasters in Indonesia and elsewhere in the developing world, this ‘natural’ disaster is characterised by differing conceptions of ‘nature’ as cultural tradition, divine force, and natural resource. A new extractive project in East Java is exhibiting similar economic and cultural agonisms, particularly around the notion of development, environment, self‐determination, and tradition. This paper examines the ‘disputes over meaning’ associated with natural disasters in contemporary societies, and the ways in which they are related to human culture, social organisation, and hierarchical systems of violence.