Research & Development

• Models
• Methods
• Databases

EPA develops methods to assist with environmental decision making. A selected list of methods is provided.

Search for more methods in the Science Inventory.

Methods:

• Chemical Process Simulation for Waste Reduction: WAR Algorithm - EPA research is under way to develop methodologies that will help reduce the adverse effects of chemical waste on the environment while minimizing the cost of chemical processing. The goal is to minimize the potential environmental impact for a process instead of minimizing the amount of waste generated by a process. Users can emphasize or de-emphasize different hazards as needed for particular applications. For example, an operation in an area suffering from smog may emphasize air pollution effects, while an operation where workers are routinely exposed to chemicals may emphasize human health effects.
  
  
• Computer-Aided Chemical Process Design Methodologies for Pollution Reduction - This method is used to develop computer optimization and simulation methodologies for the design of economical chemical manufacturing processes. These computer tools help to minimize the potential adverse effects of pollution while keeping capital and operating costs from increasing.
  
  
• Cost Analysis of Indoor Air Control Techniques: Methodology for Cost-Effective Selection of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Control Options - This methodology can be used by indoor air quality diagnosticians, architects, engineers, building owners and operators, and the scientific community for preliminary comparison of the cost‑effectiveness of alternative indoor air quality control measures for commercial or institutional building. It addresses improved ventiliation, air cleaners, and source management options.
  
  
• Forum on Environmental Measurements (FEM) - Environmental monitoring is a critical component of Agency decision making. It is the data gathered when conducting such studies that forms the basis for the decisions that we make. The quality of the decisions are directly related to the quality of the information that we gather. Measurement science, therefore, is the cornerstone of environmental monitoring.
  
  
• Exposure Research Methods - This page contains links to biological, microbiological, and chemical methods.
  
  
• Environmental Test Methods and Guidelines - This page includes methods and guidelines for air, water, pesticides and toxic substances, and solid waste.
  
  
• Industrial Ecology — Hierarchical Process Design - EPA is developing a hierarchical process design method for creating conceptual designs of chemical processes. In this process, the designer incorporates more detail as designs progress. At each level of the hierarchy, the designer evaluates the economics of a process so that uneconomical processes can be dropped as early as possible. The designer evaluates the environmental effects of a process in parallel with the economics so that environmental concerns can be examined early in development.