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Assessing Exposure to Waterborne Pathogens
Citation:
HAUCHMAN, F. S. Assessing Exposure to Waterborne Pathogens. EM: AIR AND WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION'S MAGAZINE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS. Air & Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA, (July 2008):30-32, (2008).
Impact/Purpose:
National Exposure Research Laboratory′s (NERL′s) Atmospheric Modeling Division (AMD) conducts research in support of EPA′s mission to protect human health and the environment. AMD′s research program is engaged in developing and evaluating predictive atmospheric models on all spatial and temporal scales for forecasting the Nation′s air quality and for assessing changes in air quality and air pollutant exposures, as affected by changes in ecosystem management and regulatory decisions. AMD is responsible for providing a sound scientific and technical basis for regulatory policies based on air quality models to improve ambient air quality. The models developed by AMD are being used by EPA, NOAA, and the air pollution community in understanding and forecasting not only the magnitude of the air pollution problem, but also in developing emission control policies and regulations for air quality improvements.
Description:
In the U.S, and other developed countries, application of the multi-barrier approach for protecting and treating water supplies has led to the virtual elimination of waterborne threats such as cholera and typhoid. Nevertheless, illnesses associated with contaminated drinking water and recreational water continue to be reported. The actual number of cases of waterborne diseases is likely to be higher than the reported values due to a number of factors, such as the passive nature to the waterborne disease surveillance system in the U.S. and the difficulty in attributing illnesses to waterborne exposures.