Grantee Research Project Results
2008 Progress Report: Texas Tech University Center for Water Law and Policy
EPA Grant Number: EM833085Title: Texas Tech University Center for Water Law and Policy
Investigators: Eckstein, Gabriel , Anderson, Todd A. , Morse, Audra N. , Jeffery, William
Current Investigators: Eckstein, Gabriel , Anderson, Todd A. , Jeffery, William , Morse, Audra N.
Institution: Towson University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Project Period: June 1, 2007 through May 31, 2010 (Extended to May 31, 2011)
Project Period Covered by this Report: June 1, 2008 through May 31,2009
Project Amount: $432,300
RFA: Targeted Research Grant (2007) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Targeted Research
Objective:
Background
The work plans for Projects I, II, and III were approved on May 5, 2008. The QAPPs for Project I, II, and III were approved on July 25, 2008, November 3, 2008, and March 9, 2009, respectively.
On May 7, 2009, EPA approved a personnel change related to Project III and a related redistribution of funds, both of which are described below under Project III. In that same approval, EPA authorized redistribution of funds for Projects I and II, both of which are also described below.
The structure of the present report is aligned to the structure of the relevant Project work plans. The results obtained during the research are described relative to the phase performed within each Project.
Progress Summary:
Project I: Water Law and Policy Clearinghouse
Results Project I:
The initial goal of Project I has been to compile documents and information in three related areas: a) water quality issues; b) existing, proposed, and alternative legal, regulatory, and institutional mechanisms for dealing with water quality issues; and c) water‐quality decision‐making processes. The longer term objective of the project is to create a clearinghouse of material that will provide stakeholders, researchers, legislators, and the general public with a dynamic and robust database of documents, reports, data, analyses, articles, and other materials in these related areas. Once complete, that Clearinghouse will be accessible via the Internet as well as in‐house at the Center.
Phase I: Collection and Categorization of Researched Information
Over the past year, the Center for Water Law & Policy has collected over 700 individual documents and materials on subjects related to water quality in a variety of formats, including: federal, state, and intergovernmental reports; peer reviewed and other professional articles; books and monographs; conference materials; online and print news stories; Web sites; and others.
Simultaneously, the Center has been reviewing and cataloguing these materials and developing a system to allow researchers and the general public to cull through the various resources and enhance searchers’ ability to conduct a qualitative analysis. While not a comprehensive list, the categories being used in the cataloguing process include:
· Document Information: title, authors, publisher name, publication year, full citation
· Document Type: government (federal, state, and intergovernmental); professional journal articles (peer reviewed and non‐peer reviewed), books and monographs, media material (news articles and website, conference material
· Type of Information: Law and/or Policy, and Science
In addition, The Center has collected abstracts for many of the documents and material collected and, time permitting, intends to create similar abstracts for material that do not already have one. The purpose of this effort is to allow users of the database to conduct searches based on words found in the abstracts of each document.
Furthermore, the Center is exploring the possibility of collecting Document Object Identifier (DOI) numbers for articles and other documents that have such identification. The DOI System is used to identify content objects in the digital environment (e.g., the Internet). The benefit of using DOI is that, while information about a digital object may change over time (including where to find it on the Internet), its DOI name will not change. That will allow the database to maintain accurate links to documents to which it links on the Web. More information on the DOI System can be found at http://www.doi.org/. The decision on whether to collect available DOI numbers for each document will depend on whether it can fit within the timeframe of the present project.
Phase II: Web Site Creation and Accessibility of the Collection
The Center has also embarked on developing the Web interface for the database that will allow public access to the database in an easy, searchable format. As this phase of the project is still in a very preliminary stage, there is nothing to report.
Phase III: Identification of Key Beneficiaries and Publication of the Clearinghouse
To date, no substantive work was conducted on Phase III of Project I.
Key Personnel
The Unit Manager that was hired in March 2008 resigned in September 2008 to take another position. The Unit Manager’s tasks included coordinating and supervising subordinate staff of student researchers, and conducting administrative duties related to the three Projects. A new Unit Manager was not hired because the tasks described here no longer required a full‐time staff person. Those tasks have now been undertaken by the PI, Professor Gabriel Eckstein, with the occasional in‐kind assistance of Texas Tech University School of Law staff.
The Center hired two student researchers in June 2008 to research and identify relevant material and documents for inclusion in the clearinghouse. Due to graduation and other conflicting commitments, those students were replaced with two other student researchers in October 2008.
Statement on Quality Assurance Requirements
The quality assurance requirements outlined in 40 C.F.R 30.54 regarding the assurance of data quality relevant to the environmental measurements and data generation as well as those assurances agreed to in the QAPP for Project I, have been met by all personnel involved in Project I. Professor Eckstein is the Quality Assurance Manager responsible for overseeing the quality assurance and integrity of the data generated in this study.
Future Activities:
The next steps in Project I, which will be undertaken in year 3, include to:
· Complete the research of and categorization process for the documents and material for inclusion in the Clearinghouse database;
· Complete the data entry process of the documents and material to be included in the Clearinghouse database;
· Complete development of the Web interface for the database that will allow public access in an easy, searchable format;
· Review and address copyright issues related to making documents in the database accessible by the general public; and
· Identify key beneficiaries of the Clearinghouse and its content and develop and implement a publication strategy for the Clearinghouse.
Project II: Research on Presence and Fate of Mixtures of Micropollutants
The report documenting the accomplishments and changes to the project will be addressed regarding each phase of the project.
Results Project II:
Phase I: Evaluate the presence of target micropollutants present in groundwater recharged through wastewater reclamation at a Lubbock Land Application Site
Phase 1a: Sample collection at the Lubbock Wastewater Reclamation Plant
Samples were collected quarterly from the Lubbock Wastewater Reclamation Plant (December 2008; March 2009; June 2009) and analyzed for estrogens (17β‐estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), estriol (E3), and 17α‐ethinylestradiol), triclosan, ibuprofen, and ciprofloxacin. Table 1a.1 contains the wastewater micropollutant data, whereas Table 1a.2 contains the sludge micropollutant data.
Phase 1b: Sample collection at the Lubbock Land Application Site
Samples were collected quarterly from the Lubbock Land Application Site (March 2009; June 2009) and analyzed for estrogens (17β‐estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), estriol (E3), and 17α‐ethinylestradiol), triclosan and ibuprofen. Table 1b.1 contains the groundwater micropollutant data.
Phase II: Ascertain the quantity of micropollutants present in the soil at the wastewater application site
Soil sample collection was conducted in conjunction with the groundwater collection. Table 2.1 contains the soil samples micropollutant analysis.
Table 1a.1 Micropollutant Analysis Results of Wastewater
Table 1a.2 Micropollutant Analysis Results of Sludge
Table 1b.1. Micropollutant Analysis Results of Groundwater
Table 2.1 Micropollutant Analysis of Soils
Phase III: Estimate the role of biotransformation and sorption of micropollutants to soil on the fate of micropollutants at the study site by conducting bottle studies
This work is in progress and there is no data to present.
Key Personnel
Drs. Todd Anderson and Audra Morse are overseeing project performance and completion. The
graduate student working on the project is Adcharee (Fa) Karnjanapiboonwong.
Planned Activity for the Next Reporting Period
During the next project period, we will continue to sample at the Lubbock Wastewater Reclamation Plant and the Lubbock Land Application site. Although the planned project duration was 1.5 years, money has been conserved so that additional samples may be collected and analyzed from our study sites and financial resources will provide support for the graduate student for a total of 2 years.
Table 1 summarizes the sample collection during each phase of the project. Note that all samples will be analyzed for the micropollutants to be studied in this project (17ß‐estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), estriol (E3), and 17α‐ethinylestradiol); ciprofloxacin; ibuprofen and triclosan).
Table 4. Project Phases and Sample Collection Summary
Project III: Analysis of Alternative Strategies for Addressing the Presence and Effects of Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products in Water Systems
Results Project III:
Phase I: Information Compilation
Phase II: Evaluation
Phase III: Presentation of Conclusions and Recommendations
Project III is highly dependent on information generated in Projects I and II. Accordingly, to date, no substantive work was conducted on any of the phases for Project III.
Key Personnel
Just prior to the end of the fiscal year, Professor Bill Jeffrey, who was supposed to commence working on Project III this past summer, resigned from Texas Tech University and has relocated to California. Following discussion with and approval from EPA, Dr. George William Sherk has been hired as a Consultant to coordinate and work on Project III beginning in September 2009.
Statement on Quality Assurance Requirements
No work has been completed on Project III to date.
Planned Activity for the Next Reporting Period
Dr. George William Sherk, who was hired to replace Professor Bill Jeffrey, will begin working on Project III in September 2009. This will entail a meeting with all participants involved in Projects I and II to develop a research strategy, a review of the material and documents contained in the database generated under Project I, and a review of the results to date of the information generated in Project II. Thereafter, Dr. Sherk will conduct his research in accordance with the developed research strategy and in coordination with the PI, Professor Eckstein
Journal Articles on this Report : 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 9 publications | 7 publications in selected types | All 6 journal articles |
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Karnjanapiboonwong A, Morse AN, Maul JD, Anderson TA. Sorption of estrogens, triclosan, and caffeine in a sandy loam and a silt loam soil. Journal of Soils and Sediments 2010;10(7):1300-1307. |
EM833085 (2008) EM833085 (2009) EM833085 (Final) |
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Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.