42 research outputs found
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Field Analytical Technology Verification: The ETV Site Characterization Program
Innovative field characterization and monitoring technologies are often slow to be adopted by the environmental engineering/consulting community because of concerns that their performance has not been proven by an independent testing body, and/or they have not received the EPA`s blessing on a regional or national level. The purpose of the EPA Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Site Characterization Pilot, a joint effort between EPA and DOE, is to accelerate the acceptance of technologies that reduce the cost and increase the speed of environmental clean-up and monitoring. Technology verifications that have been completed or are underway include: in situ technologies for the characterization of sub-surface hydrocarbon plumes, field-portable GC/MS systems, field-portable X-ray fluorescence analyzers, soil sampling technologies, field-portable PCB analyzers, analyzers for VOC analysis at the wellhead, and decision support software systems to aid site sample collection and contaminant plume definition. The verification process follows a somewhat generic pathway. A user-community need is identified, the vendor community is canvassed, and relevant, interested companies are selected. A demonstration plan is prepared by the verification organization and circulated to participants prior to the field activities. Field trials are normally held at two geologically or environmentally different sites and typically require one week at each site. Samples (soil, soil gas, water, surface wipe etc.) provided to the vendor at the demonstration include site-specific samples and standards or performance evaluation samples. Sample splits are sent to a pre-selected laboratory for analysis using a reference method. Laboratory data are used for comparison with field technology results during the data analysis phase of the demonstration
Macrofauna edĂĄfica em estĂĄdios sucessionais de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual e pastagem mista em Pinheiral (RJ): Rio de Janeiro State
FraçÔes oxidåveis do carbono orgùnico total e macrofauna edåfica em sistema de integração lavoura-pecuåria
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Field Technologies for the Measurement of PCBs
The collaborative effort between the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Department of Energy (DOE), and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) represents a viable team to administer, plan, execute, and report on demonstrations of commercially available field characterization and monitoring technologies. This effort is part of the EPA`s Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program. One of the overriding goals of this effort is to develop regulatory-accepted and cost effective alternatives to conventional fixed laboratory analyses through the identification and evaluation of innovative, field technologies. A technology demonstration of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) field analytical techniques will occur during July 22 through 30, 1997. The demonstration will be conducted at a DOE site (ORNL) where there is a substantial repository of PCB-contaminated materials from multiple DOE sites. Technology developers with PCB monitoring instrumentation will be evaluated. These instruments will include field portable gas chromatographs with surface acoustic wave and electron capture detectors, and field analysis kits, such as immunoassay and ion specific electrode kits. These instruments are suitable for the quantification of PCBs in a variety of matrices. Soil and surface samples will be evaluated during the demonstration. The demonstration will focus on the current DOE-Oak Ridge analytical needs to support Toxic Substance and Control Act (TSCA) decisions, while allowing developers to showcase the features of their technologies
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Field technology evaluations in EPA`s Environmental Technology Verification (ETC) Program
The performance evaluation of innovative environmental technologies is an integral part of the US Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA) mission. The Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program was created by the Agency to facilitate the deployment of innovative technologies through performance verification and information dissemination. The goal of the ETV Program is to further environmental protection by substantially accelerating the acceptance and use of improved and cost-effective technologies by providing independent and credible assessments of environmental technologies. This report will overview ORNL`s verification activities, including evaluation of polychlorinated biphenyl field analytical techniques, decision support software, and field extraction technologies
Determination of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in restaurant and tavern workers in one US city
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Personal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in workplace and away from work settings: A 16 city case study
A large study of personal exposure of non-smokers to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been conducted in 16 cities in the United States. Individual participants wear two personal sampling pumps, one each at work and away-from-work. Samples of breathing zone air are collected, and subsequently analyzed for both particle phase and gas phase markers of ETS, including respirable suspended particulate matter (RSP), UV-absorbing and fluorescing particulate matter, solanesol, nicotine, 3-ethenyl pyridine, and myosmine. In addition, prior- and post-exposure saliva samples are collected, in order that smoking status may be determined using salivary cotinine. Participants are segregated into a 2{times}2 factorial study design: smoking and non-smoking homes and workplaces. A comparison of the demographic distribution of the sample population with that of the United States indicates that the sample population is more female and of higher socioeconomic status. The data indicates that median 8-hour or 16-hour exposure levels are considerably lower than those which would be extrapolated from short duration area measurements. Median exposure levels of nicotine, 3-ethenyl pyridine, and RSP were 0.034, 0.029, and 23 {mu}g/m{sup 3} respectively in non-smoking workplaces, vs. 0.21, 0.16, and 23 {mu}g/m{sup 3} in workplaces where smoking was observed. Median 16-hour exposure levels for these same components away from work where subjects observed tobacco products in use were 0.36, 0.25, and 23 {mu}g/m{sup 3}, compared with 0.024, 0.019, and 15 {mu}g/m{sup 3} when no tobacco products were observed
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Application of Multisorbent Traps to Characterization and Quantification of Workplace Exposure Source Terms
Multisorbent traps have been used for several years to characterize complex atmospheres. Only more recently have multisorbent traps been used for quantitative analysis. The traps provide an effective method for retaining a wide range of airborne Organic contaminants, since these carbonaceous sorbents are relatively hydrophobic, have large surface areas, do not have active functional groups, and have fewer chemical artifacts than other sorbents. Multisorbent traps, which are 76 mm in length and have a 6 mm outside diameter, contain sequentially loaded beds of Carbotrap C, Carbotrap, and Carbosieve SIII, similar to a commercially available trap. The injection port of a gas chromatograph is configured for thermal desorption analysis of the traps via an in-house modification. Currently, multisorbent traps are being used to sample the headspace of underground storage tanks at the Department of Energy`s Hanford site, in Richland, Washington. The analyses are performed by flame ionization or mass spectrometric detection. Target organic analytes include C{sub 6} to C{sub 13} alkanes, nitriles, alkyl ketones, dibutyl butyl phosphonate and tributyl phosphate. Pre-analytical holding times or practical reporting times for many target analytes are at least 84 days under either refrigerated or ambient conditions. Traps are fabricated, conditioned, and spiked with three surrogate standards in the vapor phase prior to shipment to the site. Recovery of the surrogates from the multisorbent traps serve as a statistical process control. Source concentrations of Hanford underground storage tank headspaces range from 0.96 mg/m{sup 3} to 1200 mg/m{sup 3}