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METHODS DEVELOPMENT AT THE NEAR LAB ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH AREA (NLERA) LOCATED IN THE NEUSE RIVER BASIN.

Contact

http://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_comments.cfm

Impact/Purpose:

1) Develop methods of ecological exposure (e.g. rapid , sensitive analytical screening methods for a select list of antibiotics widely used in agriculture primarily in CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations).

2) Do Measurements & Provide data for multicompartment models of fate and transport.

3) Study biomagnification of specific chemicals and toxic metals.

4) Study specific pharmaceuticals:

*Determine the routes of entry and the impact of environmental factors such as rainfall on the movement and survivorability of selected antimicrobials in the environment.

*Determine if the entry of agriculture based antibiotics into the environment contributes to resistance in bacterial populations.

*Determine the contribution from municipal waste water treatment plants to antibiotic loading in the environment.

5) Develop methods for the analysis of alkylphenol ethoxylates and derivatives.

Description:

This task supports the Agency's efforts on developing a proper risk assessment tools to address Ecological and eventually Human exposures. The Agency needs to be able to identify, measure and estimate ecosystem exposure to multiple stressors. The research under this task supports Ecological Characterization and Assessment and Chemical measurements and Characterization Technologies goals stated in NERL's strategic plan. The plan describes the need to develop new, low-cost, effective, sensitive methods for characterizing the presence of a wide-range of toxic chemicals and metals in a variety of ecological media, including biota. The methods developed under this task will enable a risk assessment/ risk management analyses by identifying major exposure scenarios and their sources. The baseline data on fate and transport in a multimedia environment would provide a scientific understanding on exposure levels and the impact of human activities on a river basin. The methods and indicators to be developed will be tested in other geographical areas. The methods development focuses on single point data acquisitions as well as regional indicators. The task also includes the establishment and maintenance of sites along the Neuse River Basin so other EPA locations and collaborators could test their methods.

The available sites include a low impact agriculture site on the Flat River in Hill Forest north west of Durham NC; a high impact agriculture/urban site on the Neuse River at Kinston, NC and a high impact site agriculture site on Contentnea Creek at Hookerton NC and a brackish water site located on Cherry Point, NC. Access to CAFOs in Wayne, Green and Craven counties is available, as is access to wastwwater treatment plants in Wayne and Green counties. Methods for sampling and analyses of pharmaceuticals, alkylphenols, pesticides and toxic metals are currently being developed and tested. Data will be placed in the Neuse River NLERA Database.

Record Details:

Record Type:PROJECT
Start Date:10/01/2000
Completion Date:12/01/2002
Record ID: 56153