Science Inventory

Next >>

PFAS are ubiquitous, persistent, and bioaccumulate in the environment. Thermal treatment methods are currently applied to a variety of PFAS-containing materials, including sewage sludge and granular activated carbon (GAC), but may not be sufficient to fully mineralize organic flu...

PFAS are ubiquitous, persistent, and bioaccumulate in the environment. Thermal treatment methods are currently applied to a variety of PFAS-containing materials, including sewage sludge and granular activated carbon (GAC), but may not be sufficient to fully mineralize organic flu...

Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment and present potential adverse effects on human and environmental health. EPA's Office of Research and Development is interested in developing sampling and analytical methods for microplastic detection, investigating their effects on...

This study characterized Bacillus globigii (BG) as a Bacillus anthracis Sterne (BAS) surrogate for wastewater treatment-related studies of UV inactivation, adsorption onto powdered activated carbon (PAC), and bioaerosol emission. The inactivation of BG was faster than that of BAS...

Consideration of PFAS precursors is necessary in order to close the gap between targeted PFAS analysis and a comprehensive quantification of total PFAS. However, current understanding is limited, and there are many misconceptions and questions: where are PFAS precursors found? Ar...

Phosphorus causes nutrient pollution in lentic water systems, which act as a reservoir of phosphorus since it is stored within the sediments of these waterbodies. The effects of phosphorus pollution include harmful algal bloom events, hypoxia of waterbodies, and impairment of dri...

Should biosolids be contaminated with an intentional malicious release or natural outbreak of Bacillus anthracis spores, a water resource recovery facility (WRRF) may need to consider if their treatment processes can sufficiently inactivate this pathogen. Three methods commonly e...

Propranolol is a heavily prescribed, nonspecific beta-adrenoceptor (bAR) antagonist frequently found in wastewater effluents, prompting concern over its potential to adversely affect exposed organisms. In the present study, the transcriptional responses of 4, 5, and 6 days postfe...

Protein processing operations include animal slaughtering, meat and poultry product production, and/or rendering of byproducts. These facilities utilize large volumes of water for hair/hide/feather removal, carcass washing, chilling, trimming and cutting, cooking, and cleaning/sa...

Assessing the fate of PFAS in the environment requires improved analytical methodologies to quantify a greater variety of PFAS and application of these methods to investigate their occurrence in complex sample matrices. PFAS precursors are a compound class of emerging concern tha...

This presentation will cover the exposure pathways of PFAS with particular emphasis on biosolids and landfills.   Temporal and Spatial Assessment of PFAS in Wastewater Treatment- Project designed to:  Develop a better understanding of the temporal variability of PF...

Assessing the fate of PFAS in the environment requires improved analytical methodologies to quantify a greater variety of PFAS and application of these methods to investigate their occurrence in complex sample matrices. PFAS precursors are a compound class of emerging concern tha...

Poster presentation to the PFAS Research Workshop "Science for a Changing World", hosted by Office of Research and Development (ORD) Office of the Science Advisor, Policy, and Engagement (OSAPE) and Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER) ...

Onsite non-potable water systems (ONWS) collect and treat local source waters for non-potable end uses such as toilet flushing and irrigation. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) has been used to set pathogen log10-reduction targets (LRTs) for ONWS to achieve the risk b...

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that have been in use since the 1940s in a wide array of consumer products. PFAS are persistent in the environment and bioaccumulate. Thermal treatment methods are currently applied to a variety of mater...

This sub-product provides an overview on our work with novel technologies to separate and destroy PFAS in residual waste streams (e.g., incinerator scrubber water, reverse osmosis retentate). This presentation focuses on a stepwise process where adsorbents first separate PFAS and...

Radioactive fallout could have debilitating effects on drinking water and wastewater systems. At least some drinking water system operators have plans to mitigate the effects of a contaminated water source, but most, if not all, wastewater operators have no such plans.  Both...

This presentation covers updates as of March 2024 regarding EPA methods for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as well as ongoing method development work within EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD). EPA Methods 1633 and 1621 were finalized on January 31, 2024. Fut...

This research investigated the in-situ decay rates of four human wastewater-associated markers (Bacteroides HF183 (HF183), Lechnospiraceae Lachno3 (Lachno3), cross-assembling phage (crAssphage), pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) and three enteric viruses (human aden...

This study investigated the decay rates of wastewater-associated markers and enteric viruses in laboratory microcosms mimicking estuarine water environments in temperate Sydney, NSW, Australia using qPCR and RT-qPCR assays. The results demonstrated the reduction in concentrations...

US EPA has previously published a decision support tool (River Basin Export Reduction Optimization Support Tool, RBEROST) populated with data for the Upper Connecticut River Basin to allow stakeholders to determine the least-cost management strategies to meet nitrogen and phospho...

Plastic pollution is ubiquitous worldwide. Smaller pieces of plastic (<5 mm) denominated as microplastics (MPs) are of particular concern because they can be easily transported throughout the environment. As they travel, MPs can adsorb chemicals or nutrients, and develop a biofil...

The analysis of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) has been an ongoing priority due to their potential for adverse effects on environmental and human health. Wastewater is a source for many CECs, and surface waters that receive wastewater discharge often serve as source wate...

The Pawcatuck River flows through Westerly, Rhode Island before discharging into Little Narragansett Bay. The Pawcatuck River has a long history of pollution associated with textile and dye manufacturing due to historic mill operations along the riverbank. Operations at the Bradf...

The extent to which chemicals bioaccumulate in aquatic and terrestrial organisms represents a fundamental consideration for chemicals management efforts intended to protect public health and the environment from pollution and waste. Many chemicals, including most pharmaceuticals ...