Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Protection Agency (protection + agency)
Kinds of Protection Agency Selected AbstractsThe role of organizational capabilities in cleaner technology adoption: an analysis of the response of the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in Ireland to IPC licensing regulationsENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 6 2006Rachel M. Hilliard Abstract In introducing integrated pollution control licensing, regulators hope to achieve economic advantages as well as environmental benefits. The licensing is used as a vehicle for encouraging firms to adopt cleaner technology, potentially allowing firms to achieve economic advantages through process efficiencies and reduced environmental control costs. In Ireland, the regulatory approach has been to require firms to make managerial changes in the belief that this is a necessary precursor to the take-up of new technology. This paper examines how the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector has responded to environmental regulations that require cleaner technology adoption and managerial changes. Quantitative indicators are developed using data reported to the Irish Environmental Protection Agency. Analysis shows that firms were differentially able to implement both cleaner technology and the mandated managerial processes. The implications for policy are that regulatory instruments designed to stimulate cleaner technology may not be sufficient to promote change in firms, given that the influence of these instruments is mediated by the role of firm-specific, experience-based organizational capabilities. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Swedish Guidelines for Strategic Environmental Assessment for EU Structural FundsENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2002Berit Balfors This paper examines the Swedish Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) guidelines as developed by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency for applications made to the EU Structural Funds for financial assistance for regional development plans and programmes. These guidelines aim to increase the integration of environmental concerns in the programming process by promoting the application of environmental-objective-led SEA. The issues of screening for sustainability and environmental integration through objective-led SEA are addressed. The guidelines are considered as a positive development, which has potential for furthering the application of SEA in regional planning in Sweden. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [source] Dissolved fraction of standard laboratory cladoceran food alters toxicity of waterborne silver to Ceriodaphnia dubia,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2008Jason M. Kolts Abstract The biotic ligand model (BLM) for the acute toxicity of cationic metals to aquatic organisms incorporates the toxicity-modifying effects of dissolved organic matter (DOM), but the default parameterization (i.e., assuming 10% of DOM is humic acid) does not differentiate DOM from different sources. We exposed a cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia dubia) to Ag in the presence of DOM from filtered YCT (standard yeast,Cerophyll®,trout chow food recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] for cladocerans), from the Suwannee River (GA, USA; relatively little anthropogenic input), and from the Desjardins Canal in Hamilton (ON, Canada; receives treated municipal wastewater effluent). In all three treatments, the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration was 2 mg/L (the concentration following addition of YCT slurry at the U.S. EPA,recommended volume ratio). The average 48-h median effects concentration (EC50) ratios for dissolved Ag in the presence and absence of DOM [i.e., (EC50 with DOM)/(EC50 without DOM)] were as follows: Suwannee River, 1.6; Desjardins Canal, 2.2; and YCT filtrate, 26.8. Therefore, YCT filtrate provided much more protection against Ag toxicity than that provided by DOM from the surface waters. The major spectral characteristic that differentiated YCT filtrate from the other two types of DOM was a strong tryptophan peak in the excitation,emission matrix for YCT. These results have important implications for interpreting Ag toxicity tests in which organisms are fed YCT, and they suggest BLM-calculated toxicity predictions might be improved by incorporating specific chemical constituents or surrogate indices of DOM. Another component of the protective effect against Ag toxicity, however, might be that the dissolved fraction of YCT served as an energy and/or nutrient source for C. dubia. [source] Chronic toxicity of lead to three freshwater invertebrates,Brachionus calyciflorus, Chironomus tentans, and Lymnaea stagnalisENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2006Martin Grosell Abstract Chronic lead (Pb) toxicity tests with Brachionus calyciflorus, Chironomus tentans, and Lymnaea stagnalis were performed in artificial freshwaters. The no-observable-effect concentration (NOEC), lowest-observable-effect concentration (LOEC), and calculated 20% effect concentration (EC20) for the rotifer B. calyciflorus were 194, 284, and 125 ,g dissolved Pb/L, respectively. The midge C. tentans was less sensitive, with NOEC and LOEC of 109 and 497 ,g dissolved Pb/L, respectively, and the snail L. stagnalis exhibited extreme sensitivity, evident by NOEC, LOEC, and EC20 of 12, 16, and <4 ,g dissolved Pb/L, respectively. Our findings are presented in the context of other reports on chronic Pb toxicity in freshwater organisms. The L. stagnalis results are in agreement with a previous report on pulmonate snails and should be viewed in the context of current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) hardness adjusted water quality criteria of 8 ,g Pb/L. The present findings and earlier reports indicate that freshwater pulmonate snails may not be protected by current regulatory standards. Measurements of whole-snail Na+ and Ca2+ concentrations following chronic Pb exposure revealed that Na+ homeostasis is disturbed by Pb exposure in juvenile snails in a complicated pattern, suggesting two physiological modes of action depending on the Pb exposure concentration. Substantially reduced growth in the snails that exhibit very high Ca2+ requirements may be related to reduced Ca2+ uptake and thereby reduced shell formation. [source] An evaluation of logistic regression models for predicting amphipod toxicity from sediment chemistryENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 10 2005Jeffrey D. Wetherington Abstract An empirical screening level approach was developed to assess the probability of toxicity to benthic organisms associated with contaminated sediment exposure. The study was based on simple logistic regression models (LRMs) of matching sediment chemistry and toxicity data retrieved from a large database of field-collected sediment samples contaminated with multiple chemicals. Three decisions were made to simplify the application of LRMs to sediment samples contaminated with multiple chemicals. First, percent mortality information associated with each sediment sample was condensed into a dichotomous response (i.e., toxic or nontoxic). Second, each LRM assumed that toxicity was attributable to a single contaminant. Third, individual contaminants present at low concentrations were excluded from toxic sediment samples. Based on an analysis of the National Sediment Inventory database, the LRM approach classified 55% of nontoxic sediments as toxic (i.e., false-positives). Because this approach has been used to assess the probability of benthic toxicity as reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the resultant estimates of potential toxicity convey a misleading impression of the increased hazard that sediments pose to the health of aquatic organisms at many sites in the United States. This could result in important resources needlessly being diverted from truly contaminated sites to evaluate and possibly remediate sediments at uncontaminated sites. [source] Use of laboratory toxicity tests with bivalve and echinoderm embryos to evaluate the bioavailability of copper in San Diego Bay, California, USAENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2005Gunther Rosen Abstract Copper concentrations in parts of San Diego Bay (CA, USA) exceed ambient water quality criteria (WQC; currently 3.1 ,g/L dissolved, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [U.S. EPA]). In order to better understand the bioavailability of copper to water-column organisms in the bay, toxicity tests were performed with copper added to surface water collected from various sites in the estuary over a three-year period. The species and endpoints used, bivalve and echinoderm embryo-larval development, are among the most sensitive in the U.S. EPA's national toxicity dataset, which is used to derive WQC. No toxicity was observed in ambient bay water samples, as indicated by high proportions of normally developed larvae in control treatments, averaging 93 ± 5% across all sites and all sampling events. Median effects concentrations (EC50), obtained by copper spiking of ambient water samples, ranged from 1.7 to 3.4 times lower at sites located near the mouth compared to sites near the back of the bay. These data indicate a gradient in complexation capacity increasing from the mouth to the back of the bay, which is consistent with similar trends in dissolved organic carbon and total suspended solids. For the bay as a whole, estimates for total recoverable and dissolved water-effect ratios (WER) ranged from 2.07 to 2.27 and 1.54 to 1.67, respectively. Water-effect ratios of this magnitude suggest that adoption of a somewhat higher site-specific WQC for San Diego Bay still would achieve the level of protection that is intended by the WQC guidelines. [source] Quantitative structure-activity relationships for predicting potential ecological hazard of organic chemicals for use in regulatory risk assessmentsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2003Mike H. I. Comber Abstract The use of quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) for deriving the predicted no-effect concentration of discrete organic chemicals for the purposes of conducting a regulatory risk assessment in Europe and the United States is described. In the United States, under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the TSCA Interagency Testing Committee and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) use SARs to estimate the hazards of existing and new chemicals. Within the Existing Substances Regulation in Europe, QSARs may be used for data evaluation, test strategy indications, and the identification and filling of data gaps. To illustrate where and when QSARs may be useful and when their use is more problematic, an example, methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), is given and the predicted and experimental data are compared. Improvements needed for new QSARs and tools for developing and using QSARs are discussed. [source] Response of macroinvertebrates to copper and zinc in a stream mesocosmENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 9 2002Christopher W Hickey Abstract Metal pollution of streams and rivers is recognized as one of the major concerns for management of freshwaters. Macroinvertebrate communities were established within 12 artificial streams and exposed to three replicated concentrations of a metals mixture (copper and zinc) for 34 d. The cumulative criterion units (CCU = ,[metals]/hardness-adjusted U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [U.S. EPA] 1996 chronic criterion value) of total metals in the low, medium, and high treatments were 2.4, 5.9, and 18 CCUs. Zinc comprised approximately 75% of the CCUs in each of the treatments. Effects on taxa richness and the number of taxa in the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) were moderate at the high exposure concentration (,23% and ,26% respectively, p < 0.05). All of the five major mayfly species showed near extinction, whereas four of the seven caddisflies showed stimulation (up to +121%) and three were reduced (up to ,76%). Redundancy analysis for this metal gradient indicated that 94% of the variance in community structure was explained by three quantitative variables: total mayfly abundance, a mollusk (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) abundance, and the number of EPT individuals, indicating that multiple indices do provide improved predictors of metal stress. Most species showed a threshold response relationship, whereas some community indicators showed apparent hormetic responses (e.g., number of mayfly taxa, total taxa, and number of EPT taxa). Model concentration-response relationships with generalized linear models were used to provide threshold of 20% effective concentration values for species and community metrics. Threshold effect values ranged upwards of 1.4 CCUs, indicating that U.S.EPA chronic criteria would be protective of species and community responses. [source] Implication of polymer toxicity in a municipal wastewater effluentENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2000Carolyn D. Rowland Abstract The use of cationic polymers as flocculants and coagulant aids to control suspended solid levels in the water and wastewater treatment industry is widespread in most developed countries. Today, the most frequently used clarification polymers, polyacrylamides, are often proprietary, and little information exists on the ecological impacts of these products. Following standard U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) whole effluent toxicity testing (WET) protocols, effluent toxicity can be detected via organism response, yet methods to positively characterize cationic polymers in effluents are not provided in U.S. EPA Phase I toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) protocols. Implication of cationic polymer toxicity in a municipal wastewater effluent was achieved through a series of Ceriodaphnia dubia toxicity testing with toxicant elimination steps that included extensive effluent characterization and effluent manipulation. Key in the identification was a discrepancy in effluent toxicity with respect to the type of container in which the effluents were stored. All effluent toxicity was lost within 48 h of storage in plastic containers, while on the contrary, effluent toxicity persisted in glass-contained samples for up to 4 weeks of 4°C storage. A weight-of-evidence approach suggested that the cationic polyacrilamide polymer, Hyperfloc®, was the primary source of acute toxicity in the effluent. Removal of this polymer significantly reduced effluent toxicity. This study suggests that cationic polymer-related toxicity might not be detected if effluent samples are stored in plastic containers. [source] Ecological research in the office of research and development at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: An overview of new directions,,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2000Rick A. Linthurst Abstract In virtually every major environmental act, Congress has required that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) ensure not only that the air be safe to breathe, the water safe to drink, and the food supply free of contamination, but also that the environment be protected. In response, the U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) has established research to improve ecosystem risk assessment and management, identifying it as one of the highest priority research areas for investment over the next 10 years. The research is intended to provide environmental managers with new tools and flexible guidance that reflect a holistic environmental management perspective of science and that can be applied both to common and unique problems. In keeping with its responsibility to provide the U.S. EPA with science that supports a dynamic changing regulatory agenda, the ORD has set the goal of its Ecological Research Program to "provide the scientific understanding required to measure, model, maintain and/or restore, at multiple scales, the integrity and sustainability of ecosystems now, and in the future." In the context of this program, ecological integrity is defined in relative terms as the maintenance of ecosystem structure and function characteristic of a reference condition deemed appropriate for its use by society, and sustainability is defined as the ability of an ecosystem to maintain relative ecological integrity into the future. Therefore, the research program will emphasize relative risk and consider the impact of multiple stressors, at multiple scales and at multiple levels of biological organization. The program will also shift from chemical to biological and physical stressors to a far greater extent than in the past. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the U.S. EPA's changing ecological research program. [source] Semiparametric M -quantile regression for estimating the proportion of acidic lakes in 8-digit HUCs of the Northeastern USENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 7 2008Monica Pratesi Abstract Between 1991 and 1995, the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program of the US Environmental Protection Agency conducted a survey of lakes in the Northeastern states of the US to determine the ecological condition of these waters. Here, to this end, we want to obtain estimates of the proportion of lakes at (high) risk of acidification or acidified already for each 8-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC) within the region of interest. Sample sizes for the 113 HUCs are very small and 27 HUCs are not even observed. Therefore, small area estimation techniques should be invoked for the estimation of the distribution function of acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) for each HUC. The procedure is based on a semiparametric M -quantile regression model in which ANC depends on elevation and the year of the survey linearly, and on the geographical position of the lake through an unknown smooth bivariate function estimated by low-rank thin plate splines. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A class of nonseparable and nonstationary spatial temporal covariance functionsENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 5 2008Montserrat Fuentes Abstract Spectral methods are powerful tools to study and model the dependency structure of spatial temporal processes. However, standard spectral approaches as well as geostatistical methods assume separability and stationarity of the covariance function; these can be very unrealistic assumptions in many settings. In this work, we introduce a general and flexible parametric class of spatial temporal covariance models, that allows for lack of stationarity and separability by using a spectral representation of the process. This new class of covariance models has a unique parameter that indicates the strength of the interaction between the spatial and temporal components; it has the separable covariance model as a particular case. We introduce an application with ambient ozone air pollution data provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Analyzing weather effects on airborne particulate matter with HGLMENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 7 2003Yoon Dong Lee Abstract Particulate matter is one of the six constituent air pollutants regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In analyzing such data, Bayesian hierarchical models have often been used. In this article we propose the use of hierarchical generalized linear models, which use likelihood inference and have well developed model-checking procedures. Comparisons are made between analyses from hierarchical generalized linear models and Daniels et al.'s (2001) Bayesian models. Model-checking procedure indicates that Daniels et al.'s model can be improved by use of the log-transformation of wind speed and precipitation covariates. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Evaluation of water quality using acceptance sampling by variablesENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 4 2003Eric P. Smith Abstract Under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, states must identify water segments where loads of pollutants are violating numeric water quality standards. Consequences of misidentification are quite important. A decision that water quality is impaired initiates the total maximum daily load or TMDL planning requirement. Falsely concluding that a water segment is impaired results in unnecessary TMDL planning and pollution control implementation costs. On the other hand, falsely concluding that a segment is not impaired may pose a risk to human health or to the services of the aquatic environment. Because of the consequences, a method is desired that minimizes or controls the error rates. The most commonly applied approach is to use the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s raw score approach in which a stream segment is listed as impaired when greater than 10 per cent of the measurements of water quality conditions exceed a numeric criteria. An alternative to the EPA approach is the binomial test that the proportion exceeding the standard is 0.10 or less. This approach uses the number of samples exceeding the criteria as a test statistic along with the binomial distribution for evaluation and estimation of error rates. Both approaches treat measurements as binary; the values either exceed or do not exceed the standard. An alternative approach is to use the actual numerical values to evaluate standard. This method is referred to as variables acceptance sampling in quality control literature. The methods are compared on the basis of error rates. If certain assumptions are met then the variables acceptance method is superior in the sense that the variables acceptance method requires smaller sample sizes to achieve the same error rates as the raw score method or the binomial method. Issues associated with potential problems with environmental measurements and adjustments for their effects are discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Regulation of Injected Ground Water TracersGROUND WATER, Issue 4 2000Skelly A. Holmbeck-Pelham Ground water tracer tests are routinely performed to estimate aquifer flow and transport properties, including the determination of well capture zones, hydrogeologic parameters, and contaminant travel times. Investigators may be unaware of tracer test reporting requirements and may fail to notify their regulatory agency prior to conducting tracer tests. The injection of tracers falls under the jurisdiction of the federal Underground Injection Control (UIC) program, which regulates the introduction of substances into underground sources of drinking water as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The UIC program is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and by states with EPA-approved programs. The federal UIC program requires that tracer tests must not endanger underground sources of drinking water, and all tracer tests must be reported prior to injection. We contacted the UIC program administrator for every state in early 1997. Some states report having more stringent requirements, while some states do not meet minimum federal requirements. Although the primary responsibility for ground water tracer selection and use rests on the investigator, national guidance is required to assure compliance with the UIC program. To assist investigators, we present acceptable tracers that have been identified by two states, Nevada and South Carolina, that require no further regulatory review. [source] Refined avian risk assessment for aldicarb in the United StatesINTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2010Dwayne RJ Moore Abstract Aldicarb was recently reviewed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for re-registration eligibility. In this paper, we describe a refined avian risk assessment for aldicarb that was conducted to build upon the screening-level methods used by USEPA. The goal of the refined ERA was to characterize and understand better the risks posed by aldicarb to birds in areas where the pesticide is applied. Aldicarb is a systemic insecticide sold in granular form under the trade name Temik®. It is applied directly to soil and is used to control mites, nematodes, and aphids on a variety of crops (e.g., cotton, potatoes, peanuts). Consumption of grit is necessary for proper digestion in many bird species, particularly for granivores and insectivores. Thus, aldicarb granules may be mistaken for grit by birds. The Granular Pesticide Avian Risk Assessment Model (GranPARAM) is described in a companion paper and was used to estimate the probability and magnitude of effects to flocks of birds that frequent aldicarb-treated fields. One hundred thirty-five exposure scenarios were modeled that together include a range of bird species, crops, application methods and rates, and regions in the United States. The results indicated that, even for the most sensitive bird species, the risks associated with the agricultural use of granular aldicarb are negligible to low. There are several reasons for the limited risk: 1) the Temik formulation includes a gypsum core and a graphite coating and is black in color, all of which have been shown to be unattractive to birds, and 2) the pesticide is applied subsurface and rapidly dissolves following contact with water. The fact that no bird kill incidents involving appropriate label uses of aldicarb have been conclusively documented in the United States over its 38 years of use supports the results of this refined risk assessment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2010; 6:83,101. © 2009 SETAC [source] Evaluation of effluent toxicity as an indicator of aquatic life condition in effluent-dominated streams: A pilot studyINTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2008Jerry Diamond Abstract The types and quality of data needed to determine relationships between chronic whole effluent toxicity (WET) test results and in-stream biological condition were evaluated using information collected over a 1.5-y period from 6 different sites across the United States. A data-quality-objectives approach was used that included several proposed measurement quality objectives (MQOs) that specified desired precision, bias, and sensitivity of methods used. The 6 facilities used in this study (4 eastern and 2 western United States) all had design effluent concentrations >60% of the stream flow. In addition to at least quarterly chronic Ceriodaphnia dubia, Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow), and Selenastrum capricornutum (green algae) WET tests, other tests were conducted to address MQOs, including splits, duplicates, and blind positive and negative controls. Macroinvertebrate, fish, and periphyton bioassessments were conducted at multiple locations upstream and downstream of each facility. The test acceptance criteria of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) were met for most WET tests; however, this study demonstrated the need to incorporate other MQOs (minimum and maximum percent significant difference and performance on blind samples) to ensure accurate interpretation of effluent toxicity. More false positives, higher toxicity, and more "failed" (noncompliant) tests were observed using no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) as compared to the IC25 endpoint (concentration causing ,25% decrease in organism response compared to controls). Algae tests often indicated the most effluent toxicity in this study; however, this test was most susceptible to false positives and high interlaboratory variability. Overall, WET test results exhibited few relationships with bioassessment results even when accounting for actual effluent dilution. In general, neither frequency of WET noncompliance nor magnitude of toxicity in tests were significantly related to differences in biological condition upstream and downstream of a discharge. Periphyton assessments were most able to discriminate small changes downstream of the effluent, followed by macroinvertebrates and fish. Although sampling methods were robust, more replicate samples collected upstream and downstream of each facility were needed to increase detection power. In general, macroinvertebrate and periphyton assessments together appeared to be sufficient to address project objectives. [source] Review of issues concerning the use of reproductive inhibitors, with particular emphasis on resolving human-wildlife conflicts in North AmericaINTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2010Kathleen A. FAGERSTONE Abstract This manuscript provides an overview of past wildlife contraception efforts and discusses the current state of research. Two fertility control agents, an avian reproductive inhibitor containing the active ingredient nicarbazin and an immunocontraceptive vaccine, have received regulatory approval with the Environmental Protection Agency and are commercially available in the USA. OvoControl G Contraceptive Bait for Canada Geese and Ovo Control for pigeons are delivered as oral baits. An injectable immunocontraceptive vaccine (GonaCon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine) was registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for use in female white-tailed deer in September 2009. An injectable product (GonaCon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine) is registered for use in female white-tailed deer. Both products are labeled for use in urban/suburban areas where these species are overabundant. Several other compounds are currently being tested for use in wildlife in the USA, Europe, Australia and New Zealand that could have promise in the future. The development and use of reproductive inhibitors for resolving human,wildlife conflicts will depend on a number of factors, including meeting the requirements of regulatory agencies for use in the environment and on the biological and economical feasibility of their use. Use will also be dependent on health and safety issues and on public acceptance of the techniques. [source] Cumulative effects of in utero administration of mixtures of reproductive toxicants that disrupt common target tissues via diverse mechanisms of toxicityINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANDROLOGY, Issue 2 2010C. V. Rider Summary Although risk assessments are typically conducted on a chemical-by-chemical basis, the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act required the US Environmental Protection Agency to consider cumulative risk of chemicals that act via a common mechanism of toxicity. To this end, we are conducting studies with mixtures of chemicals to elucidate mechanisms of joint action at the systemic level with the goal of providing a framework for assessing the cumulative effects of reproductive toxicants. Previous mixture studies conducted with antiandrogenic chemicals are reviewed briefly and two new studies are described. In all binary mixture studies, rats were dosed during pregnancy with chemicals, singly or in pairs, at dosage levels equivalent to approximately one-half of the ED50 for hypospadias or epididymal agenesis. The binary mixtures included androgen receptor (AR) antagonists (vinclozolin plus procymidone), phthalate esters [di(n-butyl) phthalate (DBP) plus benzyl n-butyl phthalate (BBP) and diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) plus DBP], a phthalate ester plus an AR antagonist (DBP plus procymidone), a mixed mechanism androgen signalling disruptor (linuron) plus BBP, and two chemicals which disrupt epididymal differentiation through entirely different toxicity pathways: DBP (AR pathway) plus 2,3,7,8 TCDD (AhR pathway). We also conducted multi-component mixture studies combining several ,antiandrogens'. In the first study, seven chemicals (four pesticides and three phthalates) that elicit antiandrogenic effects at two different sites in the androgen signalling pathway (i.e. AR antagonist or inhibition of androgen synthesis) were combined. In the second study, three additional phthalates were added to make a 10 chemical mixture. In both the binary mixture studies and the multi-component mixture studies, chemicals that targeted male reproductive tract development displayed cumulative effects that exceeded predictions based on a response-addition model and most often were in accordance with predictions based on dose-addition models. In summary, our results indicate that compounds that act by disparate mechanisms of toxicity to disrupt the dynamic interactions among the interconnected signalling pathways in differentiating tissues produce cumulative dose-additive effects, regardless of the mechanism or mode of action of the individual mixture component. [source] In vitro stability of triclosan in dentifrice under simulated use conditionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE, Issue 5 2007Z. Hao Synopsis Triclosan has been formulated into a dentifrice at a 0.3% level to enhance the antibacterial function of the dentifrice, to improve oral health and to decrease the daily malodor inside the mouth cavity. The hypothesis that chloroform may be generated from triclosan when contacted with chlorinated drinking water has challenged our guarantee of safe use of triclosan in oral care products, especially in Colgate Total® toothpaste. Currently, there was no available analytical method to detect chloroform levels under the use conditions expected during daily tooth brushing. To fill this gap and to continue guaranteeing that our customers can safely use Colgate Total® toothpaste products, a gas chromatography,single ion monitoring,mass spectrometry method for detecting chloroform in artificial saliva media has been developed. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation are about 41 and 130 ppb, respectively. This LOD level is lower than the current Environmental Protection Agency trihalomethanes contamination limit, which is required for our daily drink water. Our in vitro study indicated that Colgate Total® does not form detectable chloroform levels (41 ppb) over the range of expected consumer-brushing times while using normal chlorinated drinking water. Résumé Un dentifrice contenant une concentration de 0.3% de Triclosan a été formulé dans le but de renforcer les propriétés antibactériennes du produit, d'améliorer l'hygiène buccale et de diminuer les mauvaises odeurs quotidiennes de la cavité buccale. L'hypothèse que du chloroforme peut se former à partir du Triclosan au contact de l'eau douce chlorée jette un doute sur la garantie de sécurité d'utilisation du Triclosan dans les produits oraux, en particulier dans la pâte dentifrice Colgate Total®. On ne dispose actuellement d'aucune méthode analytique permettant de détecter le chloroforme dans des conditions habituelles d'utilisation qui correspondent au brossage quotidien des dents. Pour y remédier et pour continuer à garantir à nos clients la sécurité d'utilisation de la pâte dentifrice Colgate Total®, une méthode GC-SIM-MS capable de détecter le chloroforme dans une salive artificielle a été développée. La limite de détection (LOD) et la limite de quantification (LOQ) sont respectivement d'environ de 41 et 130 ppb. Cette valeur de LOD est inférieure à la limite de contamination en trihalométhane requise pour l'eau douce journalière par l'Environnemental Protection Agency (EPA). Notre étude in vitro montre que Colgate Total® ne génère pas de chloroforme à une concentration détectable (41 ppb) pendant la durée requise d'un brossage avec l'utilisation d'eau potable chlorée. [source] Covalently linked immunomagnetic separation/adenosine triphosphate technique (Cov-IMS/ATP) enables rapid, in-field detection and quantification of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. in freshwater and marine environmentsJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010C.M. Lee Abstract Aims:, Developing a rapid method for detection of faecal pollution is among the critical goals set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency in its revision of water quality criteria. The purpose of this study is to devise and test covalently linked antibody,bead complexes for faecal indicator bacteria (FIB), specifically Escherichia coli or Enterococcus spp., in measuring water quality in freshwater and marine systems. Methods and Results:, Covalently linked complexes were 58,89% more robust than antibody,bead complexes used in previous studies. Freshwater and marine water samples analysed using covalently linked immunomagnetic separation/adenosine triphosphate quantification technique (Cov-IMS/ATP) and culture-based methods yielded good correlations for E. coli (R = 0·87) and Enterococcus spp. (R = 0·94), with method detection limits below EPA recreational water quality health standards for single standard exceedances (E. coli, 38 cells per 100 ml; Enterococcus spp. , 25 cells per 100 ml). Cov-IMS/ATP correctly classified 87% of E. coli and 94% of Enterococcus spp. samples based on these water quality standards. Cov-IMS/ATP was also used as a field method to rapidly distinguish differential loading of E. coli between two stream channels to their confluence. Conclusions:, Cov-IMS/ATP is a robust, in-field detection method for determining water quality of both fresh and marine water systems as well as differential loading of FIB from two converging channels. Significance and Impact of the Study:, To our knowledge, this is the first work to present a viable rapid, in-field assay for measuring FIB concentrations in marine water environments. Cov-IMS/ATP is a potential alternative detection method, particularly in areas with limited laboratory support and resources, because of its increased economy and portability. [source] Developmental toxicity evaluation of inhaled tertiary amyl methyl ether in mice and ratsJOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Frank Welsch Abstract This evaluation was part of a much more comprehensive testing program to characterize the mammalian toxicity potential of the gasoline oxygenator additive tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME), and was initiated upon a regulatory agency mandate. A developmental toxicity hazard identi,cation study was conducted by TAME vapor inhalation exposure in two pregnant rodent species. Timed-pregnant CD®(Sprague-Dawley) rats and CD-1® mice, 25 animals per group, inhaled TAME vapors containing 0, 250, 1500 or 3500 ppm for 6 h a day on gestational days 6,16 (mice) or 6,19 (rats). The developmental toxicity hazard potential was evaluated following the study design draft guidelines and end points proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Based on maternal body weight changes during pregnancy, the no-observable-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was 250 ppm for maternal toxicity in rats and 1500 ppm for developmental toxicity in rats using the criterion of near-term fetal body weights. In mice, more profound developmental toxicity was present than in rats, at both 1500 and 3500 ppm. At the highest concentration, mouse litters revealed more late fetal deaths, signi,cantly reduced fetal body weights per litter and increased incidences of cleft palate (classi,ed as an external malformation), as well as enlarged lateral ventricles of the cerebrum (a visceral variation). At 1500 ppm, mouse fetuses also exhibited an increased incidence of cleft palate and the dam body weights were reduced. Therefore, the NOAEL for the mouse maternal and developmental toxicity was 250 ppm under the conditions of this study. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Distribution of endosulfan in water, sediment and fish from Warri river, Niger delta, NigeriaAFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye Abstract This article presents the first attempt to quantify the levels and distribution pattern of endosulfan, an organochlorine pesticide in surface water, sediment and fish (Chrysichthys furcatus and Tilapia zilli). The samples were collected from three stations (Ovwian, Ekakpamre and Ovu) of Warri River in the western Niger Delta of Nigeria in 2006 during the dry and wet seasons (January,August). A total of 96 samples made up of 24 samples each for water, sediment and fish were analysed in this study. The pesticide levels were analysed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC model CECIL 1010) to elucidate its distribution in various environmental compartments. The ranges of concentrations of the pesticide in the matrices were: 0.01,9.23 ,g/l (water), 0.06,11.98 ,g/gdw (sediment), 0.01,15.06 ,g/gdw (Chrysichthys furcatus) and 0.01,1.80 ,g/gdw (Tilapia zilli). From this result, decreasing order of occurrence of the pesticide is as follows: fish > sediment > water. The concentrations observed in fish (Chrysichthys furcatus) were higher than the levels observed in sediment and water suggesting bioaccumulation of the pesticide by the fish. Spatial variations occurred with downstream stations having statistically higher concentrations in all matrices at P < 0.05. Seasonal variations occurred with higher concentrations in dry season for water and sediment only, while the fish species had higher concentrations in the wet season. The observed values of endosulfan were above the ecological bench marks (0.02 ,g/l) recommended by Nigeria Environmental Protection Agency and European Union. They were also relatively higher than those in previous studies on the Nigerian environment, an observation that calls for regular monitoring of the Niger Delta water bodies. Résumé Cet article présente le premier essai de quantifier les teneurs et le schéma de distribution de l'endosulfan, un pesticide organochloré, dans l'eau de surface, les sédiments et les poissons (Chrysichthys furcatus et Tilapia zilli). Les échantillons ont été récoltés en 2006 dans trois stations (Ovwian, Ekakpamre et Ovu) de la rivière Warri, dans le delta occidental du Niger, au Nigeria, pendant les saisons des pluies et sèche (janvier et août). Un total de 96 échantillons furent prélevés et analysés, à savoir 24 échantillons pour l'eau, pour les sédiments et pour les deux espèces de poissons. La teneur en pesticide a été analysée par la chromatographie en phase liquide à haute performance (HPLC modèle Cecil 1010) pour connaître sa distribution dans les différents compartiments environnementaux. La concentration du pesticide dans les matrices était de 0,01,9,23 ,g/l (eau), 0.06,11.98 ,g/gMS (sédiment), 0,01,15,06 ,g/gMS (Chrysichthys furcatus) et 0,01,1,80 ,g/gMS (Tilapia zilli). De ces résultats, nous pouvons dire que l'ordre d'occurrence du pesticide est le suivant: poissons > sédiment >eau. Les concentrations observées chez le poisson Chrysichthys furcatusétaient plus élevées que celles des sédiments et de l'eau, ce qui suggère une bio-accumulation du pesticide dans le poisson. Il y avait aussi des variations spatiales: les stations situées en aval avaient des concentrations statistiquement plus grandes dans toutes les matrices àP < 0,05. Il y avait des variations saisonnières, et les concentrations étaient plus élevées en saison sèche pour l'eau et les sédiments seulement, alors que les deux espèces de poissons présentaient une teneur plus élevée en saison des pluies. Les teneurs en endosulfan constatées étaient plus élevées que les normes écologiques (0,02 ,g/l) recommandées par l'Agence de protection environnementale du Nigeria et par l'Union européenne. Elles étaient aussi relativement plus élevées que celles décelées lors d'études antérieures de l'environnement au Nigeria, observation qui appelle à un suivi régulier des étendues d'eau du delta du Niger. [source] Colston E. Warne Lecture: Is It Time for Another Round of Consumer Protection?JOURNAL OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, Issue 1 2010The Lessons of Twentieth-Century U.S. History The first year of Barack Obama's presidency has returned consumer issues to center stage, with several contentious struggles over consumer protection. This moment can be viewed as a fourth wave of the twentieth-century consumer movement, and a comparison with the first three waves (during the Progressive Era, the New Deal, and the 1960s,1970s) offers instructive insights. In particular, the contemporary battle over the Consumer Financial Protection Agency bears striking similarities to the failed campaign for a Consumer Protection Agency in the 1970s. [source] An Evaluation of Qualitative Indexes of Physical Habitat Applied to Agricultural Streams in Ten U.S. States,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 4 2010Robert M. Hughes Hughes, Robert M., Alan T. Herlihy, and Philip R. Kaufmann, 2010. An Evaluation of Qualitative Indexes of Physical Habitat Applied to Agricultural Streams in Ten U.S. States. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(4): 792-806. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00455.x Abstract:, Assessment of stream physical habitat condition is important for evaluating stream quality globally. However, the diversity of metrics and methods for assessing physical habitat condition confounds comparisons among practitioners. We surveyed 51 previously sampled stream sites (0.0-6.3 m wide) located in regions of row-crop agriculture in Oregon, California, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia to evaluate the comparability of four indexes of physical habitat condition relative to each other. We also compared the indexes to previously calculated indexes of fish and macroinvertebrate condition. The physical habitat indexes included the Stream Visual Assessment Protocol Version 2 of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the qualitative habitat evaluation index of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the rapid bioassessment protocol of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and a qualitative physical habitat index based on USEPA quantitative physical habitat measurements. All four indexes were highly correlated with each other, but low-to-moderately correlated with biotic index scores for fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages. Moderately high correlations occurred between some macroinvertebrate biotic index scores and quantitative metrics. We conclude that additional research is needed to increase the predictive and diagnostic capabilities of qualitative physical habitat indexes. [source] Comparison of Three Pebble Count Protocols (EMAP, PIBO, and SFT) in Two Mountain Gravel-Bed Streams,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 5 2009Kristin Bunte Abstract:, Although the term "pebble count" is in widespread use, there is no standardized methodology used for the field application of this procedure. Each pebble count analysis is the product of several methodological choices, any of which are capable of influencing the final result. Because there are virtually countless variations on pebble count protocols, the question of how their results differ when applied to the same study reach is becoming increasingly important. This study compared three pebble count protocols: the reach-averaged Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) protocol named after the EMAP developed by the Environmental Protection Agency, the habitat-unit specific U.S. Forest Service's PACFISH/INFISH Biological Opinion (PIBO) Effectiveness Monitoring Program protocol, and a data-intensive method developed by the authors named Sampling Frame and Template (SFT). When applied to the same study reaches, particle-size distributions varied among the three pebble count protocols because of differences in sample locations within a stream reach and along a transect, in particle selection, and particle-size determination. The EMAP protocol yielded considerably finer, and the PIBO protocol considerably coarser distributions than the SFT protocol in the pool-riffle study streams, suggesting that the data cannot be used interchangeably. Approximately half of the difference was due to sampling at different areas within the study reach (i.e., wetted width, riffles, and bankfull width) and at different locations within a transect. The other half was attributed to using different methods for particle selection from the bed, particle-size determination, and the use of wide, nonstandard size classes. Most of the differences in sampling outcomes could be eliminated by using simple field tools, by collecting a larger sample size, and by systematically sampling the entire bankfull channel and all geomorphic units within the reach. [source] Mercury Accumulation in Periphyton of Eight River Ecosystems,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 4 2007Amanda H. Bell Abstract:, In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency studied total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in periphyton at eight rivers in the United States in coordination with a larger USGS study on mercury cycling in rivers. Periphyton samples were collected using trace element clean techniques and NAWQA sampling protocols in spring and fall from targeted habitats (streambed surface-sediment, cobble, or woody snags) at each river site. A positive correlation was observed between concentrations of THg and MeHg in periphyton (r2 = 0.88, in log-log space). Mean MeHg and THg concentrations in surface-sediment periphyton were significantly higher (1,333 ng/m2 for MeHg and 53,980 ng/m2 for THg) than cobble (64 ng/m2 for MeHg and 1,192 ng/m2 for THg) or woody snag (71 ng/m2 for MeHg and 1,089 ng/m2 for THg) periphyton. Concentrations of THg in surface-sediment periphyton had a strong positive correlation with concentrations of THg in sediment (dry weight). The ratio of MeHg:THg in surface-sediment periphyton increased with the ratio of MeHg:THg in sediment. These data suggest periphyton may play a key role in mercury bioaccumulation in river ecosystems. [source] Developing Nutrient Criteria for Streams: An Evaluation of the Frequency Distribution Method,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 2 2007Michael W. Suplee Abstract:, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends two statistical methods to States and Tribes for developing nutrient criteria. One establishes a criterion as the 75th percentile of a reference-population frequency distribution, the other uses the 25th percentile of a general-population distribution; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggests either method results in similar criteria. To evaluate each method, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MT DEQ) assembled data from STORET and other sources to create a nutrient general population. MT DEQ's reference-stream project provided reference population data. Data were partitioned by ecoregions, and by seasons (winter, runoff, and growing) defined for the project. For each ecoregion and season, nutrient concentrations at the 75th percentile of the reference population were matched to their corresponding concentrations in the general population. Additionally, nutrient concentrations from five regional scientific studies were matched to their corresponding reference population concentrations; each study linked nutrients to impacts on water uses. Reference-to-general population matches were highly variable between ecoregions, as nutrients at the 75th percentile of reference corresponded to percentiles ranging from the 4th to the 97th of the general population. In contrast, case studies-to-reference matches were more consistent, matching on average to the 86th percentile of reference, with a coefficient of variation of 13%. [source] Recent developments in operational flood forecasting in England, Wales and ScotlandMETEOROLOGICAL APPLICATIONS, Issue 1 2009Micha Werner Abstract This paper discusses developments in the last five to six years in the provision of operational flood forecasting in England, Wales, and Scotland. Before the formation of the Environment Agency (EA) in England and Wales and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), flood forecasting capabilities were fragmented. Just over a decade ago both organisations received governmental mandates for the provision of flood forecasting and warning nationally, and have as a result in recent years established systems providing national coverage: the National Flood Forecasting System, and Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) Scotland. These have facilitated a rapid expansion of catchments for which forecasts are provided, and the common framework used has enabled a more rapid introduction of scientific advances in forecasting techniques. This paper gives an overview of some of these recent developments, as well as providing an outlook to further developments to be undertaken in the near future. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Sunlight robbery: A critique of public health policy on vitamin D in the UKMOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH (FORMERLY NAHRUNG/FOOD), Issue 8 2010Oliver GillieArticle first published online: 28 JUN 2010 Abstract The British Isles have a very cloudy climate and as a result receive fewer hours of clear sunlight than most other industrial regions. The majority of people in these islands have low blood levels of vitamin D [25(OH)D] all year round. Few food products are fortified with vitamin D in the UK and the government does not recommend any vitamin D supplement for most adults in the UK. Diseases associated with vitamin D insufficiency such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes (types 1 and 2) and multiple sclerosis are more frequent in the UK, and particularly in Scotland, than in many other European countries and some, such as multiple sclerosis and diabetes (types 1 and 2), are increasing in incidence. Present knowledge suggests that the risk of some chronic diseases could be reduced if vitamin D intake or sun exposure of the population were increased. Yet policy and public health recommendations of the UK government and its agencies (e.g. the Health Protection Agency, the Food Standards Agency) and of Cancer Research UK have failed to take full account of established and putative benefits of vitamin D and/or sunshine. The epidemic of chronic disease in the UK, which is associated with and caused at least in part by vitamin D insufficiency, has not been adequately recognized by these agencies, and too often measures taken by them have been misguided, inappropriate or ineffective. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||