US EPA

Development of Chemical Methods to Assess the Bioavailability of Arsenic in Contaminated Media

EPA Grant Number: R825410
Title: Development of Chemical Methods to Assess the Bioavailability of Arsenic in Contaminated Media
Investigators: Basta, Nicholas T. , Casteel, Stan W. , Rodriguez, Robin R.
Institution: Oklahoma State University - Main Campus , University of Missouri - Columbia
Current Institution: Oklahoma State University , University of Missouri - Columbia
EPA Project Officer: Stelz, Bill
Project Period: November 1, 1996 through October 31, 1999 (Extended to October 31, 2000)
Project Amount: $431,677
RFA: Environmental Fate and Treatment of Toxics and Hazardous Wastes (1996) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Land and Waste Management , Safer Chemicals

Description:

Soil ingestion from incidental hand-to-mouth activity by children is an important issue in assessing public health risks associated with exposure to As-contaminated soils and media. Risk from enteric bioavailability of As is difficult to assess because As exists in many geochemical forms (e.g., oxides, sulfides) and physical forms (flue dust, slag, tailings, waste ore) at hazardous waste sites contaminated by mining or smelting of ore. The purpose of the proposed research is to determine the ability of chemical methods (chemical speciation, in-vitro gastrointestinal) to provide a reasonable estimate of As bioavailability in contaminated media and provide rapid and inexpensive information to characterize risk at Superfund sites. In this study, As measured by chemical methods (chemical speciation and in-vitro gastrointestinal methods) will be compared with As uptake by immature pigs for contaminated media (soil and slag) collected from a mining, milling, and smelter site.

Benefits expected from the proposed research include inexpensive methodologies to obtain site-specific bioavailability thereby lowering the degree of uncertainty in risk assessment. Rapid, inexpensive testing methods will provide scientifically derived data to select appropriate remedies at these sites which are cost-effective and protective of human health and the environment. An accurate site-specific bioavailability method may be a useful tool to evaluate the effectiveness of remediation technologies and determine remediation endpoints.

Publications and Presentations:

Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 20 publications for this project

Journal Articles:

Journal Articles have been submitted on this project: View all 1 journal articles for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

RFA, Health, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Water, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Bioavailability, Contaminated Sediments, Environmental Chemistry, Arsenic, Chemistry, Epidemiology, Fate & Transport, Risk Assessments, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Children's Health, genetic susceptability, contaminated mines, fate, fate and transport, health effects, ingestion, risk assessment, soil ingestion, contaminant transport, human health effects, risk characterization, soil sediment, Superfund sites, dermal contact, sediment transport, transport contaminants, chemical speciation, contaminated sediment, adverse human health affects, chemical contaminants, children, kinetic studies, soils, hazardous waste, chronic health effects, human exposure, toxicity, superfund site, animal research, arsenic mobility, environmental toxicant, mobility, arsenic exposure, ecology assessment models, hazardous waste sites, exposure assessment

Progress and Final Reports:

1997 Progress Report
1998 Progress Report
1999 Progress Report
2000 Progress Report
Final Report