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Emerging Pollutants Workshop
August 11-14, 2003
Region 5 Offices, Chicago, Illinois
The Region/ORD Emerging Pollutants Workshop was held in the Region 5 Office in Chicago from August 11-14, 2003. A total of about 120 people attended including representatives from all 10 Regions, ORD, several EPA Program Offices, and invited outside guests. The workshop presented data and information on (1) the less-discussed emerging issues (e.g., disposal of electronic components, platinum group metals in sediments, bisphenol A), (2) more visible emerging issues (e.g., brominated flame retardants, hormones, pharmaceuticals, alkyl phenols, radium in oil piping, PFOA/PFOS, phthalate esters, (3) re-emergent issues (asbestos returning in new forms - taconite, vermiculite), and (4) a look into the future (genomics and nanotechnology). There were break out and plenary discussions around the future risks, knowledge gaps, and pollution prevention/risk reduction options for each of the pollutants. Janet Raloff, a journalist for Science News, offered her perspectives on some of the key issues presented at the workshop and provided advice for how EPA scientists and managers can work more effectively with the media. Follow-up activities will include an effort to further develop a process for identifying and prioritizing emerging pollutants and getting potential priority problems onto the agenda for Agency action.
Workshop Report (PDF, 117pp., 782KB, About PDF)
Monday August 11, 2003
10:00 AM Registration Opens
| 1:00 |
Welcome: Bharat Mathur, Deputy Regional Administrator U.S. EPA Region 5 |
|
ORD/Regional Workshops Paul Gilman, Assistant Administrator Office of Research and Development U.S. EPA Agency Science Advisor |
|
| 1:20 |
Introduction to this Emerging Pollutants Workshop David Macarus, US EPA Region 5 /Regional Science Liaison to ORD Chair, Workshop Planning Group |
| Moderator for the Day: Brad Schultz, U.S. EPA Region 5 | |
| 1:30 |
Case Study: Triclosan: One Example of
How Emerging Pollutants Came to Our Attention Steve Reimer, EPA Region 10 |
Perfluoro Octane Compounds in the Environment |
|
| 1:45 | PFOS Toxicity Studies
Christopher Lau, US EPA/ORD/RTP |
| 2:15 | PFOA Toxicity
Studies John Cicmanec, US EPA/ORD/NRMRL-Cincinnati |
| 2:40 | Risk Information
Update Jennifer Seed, US EPA/OPPTS |
| 2:55 | Program Office
Update Barbara Leczynski, US EPA/OPPTS Questions from audience |
| 3:10 | Break |
Toxic chemicals resulting from the disposal of electronic equipment |
|
| 3:20 | Potential to
leach Timothy Townsend, University of Florida |
| 3:50 | Combustion Issues
Eric Stewart, ORD/NRMRL/RTP |
| 4:20 | Round Table: Timothy Townsend, Eric Stewart,
Jason Swift (EPA-Region 5 RCRA Program) 1. Risks quantifiable? 2. Research needs? 3. Risk management options? |
| 4:40 | Review of Tuesday's program |
| 4:45 | Adjourn for the day |
Tuesday August 12, 2003
Brominated Flame Retardants
| 8:30 | Welcome & Introduction Edwin (Ted) Smith, US EPA GLNPO |
| 8:45 | Overview of BFRs Leif Magnuson, P2 Coordinator, US EPA Region 9 |
Environmental Presence and Known Sources |
|
| 9:15 | Human Health Ron Hites, Indiana University |
| 9:45 | Environmental Mehran Alaee, Environment Canada |
| 10:15 | Break |
| 10:30 | Toxicology / Risk Analysis
Status Linda Birnbaum, US EPA/ORD/NHEERL |
| 11:00 | The VCCEP Program: Consultation re penta, octa, and decabromo
diphenyl ethers Jennifer Seed, OPPTS |
| 11:05 | Introduction to Afternoon Roundtable Discussion Leif Magnuson, US EPA Region 9 |
| 11:15 | Round Table Discussion: BFR Panel |
| 12:15 | Lunch |
| Afternoon Moderator : Michael Mikulka, U.S. EPA Region 5 | |
| 1:30 | Bisphenol A and Phthalate
Esters: Potential Sources of Resin Components in the Everyday
Environments of Preschool Children Marsha Morgan, EPA/ORD/RTP/NERL |
| 2:15 | Radium in Oil and Gas Piping
and Production Facilities Loren Setlow, EPA Office of Air and Radiation |
| 2:45 | Break |
| 3:00 | Exposures to Thallium and
to Platinum Group Metals Frank Anscombe, EPA Region 5 |
| 3:20 | Break Out Groups Meet: Additional suggestions on where
we go from here Group A – PFOS/PFOA and BFRs Group B – Bis-A and Phthalates Group C – Electronics Disposal Group D – Radium, platinum and thallium |
| 4:15 | Break Out Groups Report Out |
| 4:45 | Adjourn for the day |
| 6:00 | Meet at local restaurant for refreshments, dinner, networking and relaxed conversation |
Wednesday August 13, 2003
Moderator: Robert Pepin, U.S. EPA Region 5
| 8:30 | Asbestos and Related
Durable fibers: Too Ubiquitous, Too Persistent, Too complex
to Put Health Risks to Rest? Phil Cook, US EPA/ORD/NHEERL/Duluth, MN |
| 9:30 | Pharmaceuticals and Personal
Care Products in the Environment - Introduction and Overview Christian Daughton, EPA/ORD/NERL/Las Vegas |
| 10:15 | Break |
| 10:30 | Environmental Monitoring for Chemicals in Waters Michael J. Focazio, U.S. Geological Survey |
| 11:15 | Veterinary Pharmaceuticals John Cicmanec, ORD/NRMRL/Cincinnati |
| 12:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00 | Assessing the Environmental
Risk of Substances Under the US Food and Drug Act Charles Eirkson, FDA |
Endocrine Disrupting Pollutants in Effluent Dominated Streams |
|
| Moderator: Dennis Wesolowski, US EPA Region 5 | |
| 1:45 | A Regional Case Study of Alkyl
phenol & ethoxylates Peter Howe, EPA Region 5 |
| 2:10 | Field Observations of the Contributions
of Alkyl Phenols on Fish Endocrine Disruption Cliff Rice, USDA and Dr. Carys Mitchelmore, University of Maryland |
| 2:40 | Effects of Waste Water Treatment
Effluents on Fish Endocrine disruption Larry Barber, USGS |
| 3:10 | Break |
| 3:25 | Aquatic Toxicity, Estrogenicity & Treatability of Nonyl Phenol & Ethoxylates in Waste Water Effluents Charles Staples, Assessment Technologies, Inc. |
| 3:45 | Break out Groups Meet: 1. Is it reasonable to expect increased risks over time
for human health and the environment? |
| 4:30 | Break Out Groups Report Out |
| 4:45 | Adjourn for the day. Prearranged entertainment/social event |
Thursday August 14, 2003
Objectives of the final session: Dan Hopkins, Toxic Reduction Team Manager, U.S. EPA Region 5
| 8:40 | Biotechnology:
The Promise, Potential Risks, and How Can We Find Out! John Glaser, EPA/ORD/NRMRL-Cincinnati |
| 9:25 | Environmental Futures: Nano
Technology and Genomics Coming Over the Horizon Gerardo (Pasky) Pascual, ORD/OSP Environmental Workgroup |
| 10:10 | Break |
| 10:25 | Wrap up Round Table of Speakers to address: Processes for identifying chemicals for focus Are there realistic opportunities to address the data gaps? Do we still need Champions to move issues forward? Are outside pressures necessary to move issues forward? |
| 11:30 | Feed Back from Environmental Journalist: Janet Raloff, Science
News How an outsider perceives these efforts: This Workshop Action within the Government Agencies A personal perspective |
| 12:00 | Conference Closes |