Measurement of Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) in Finfish and Shellfish Harvested from Commencement Bay, Washington
Marcia L. Bailey, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10, 1200 Sixth Ave., Suite 900, Seattle, WA 98101,Tel: 206-553-0684, Fax: 206-553-0119, Email: bailey.Marcia@epa.gov
Michael Hiatt, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Exposure Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 93478, Las Vegas, NV 89193-3478, Tel: 702-798-2381, Fax: 702-798-2381, Email: hiatt.mike@epa.gov
Dave Terpening, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10, 1200 Sixth Ave., Suite 900 , Seattle , WA 98101 , Tel: 206-553-6905, Fax: 206-553-0119, Email: terpening.dave@epa.gov
Jean Zodrow, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10, 1200 Sixth Ave., Suite 900 , Seattle , WA 98101 , Tel: 206-553-1302, Fax: 206-553-0119, Email: zodrow.jean@epa.gov

To determine whether VOCs were present in fish and shellfish in a contaminated area of Commencement Bay in Tacoma , Washington , EPA collaborated with the Washington Department of Ecology in its efforts to develop a RCRA Corrective Action Environmental Indicator Determination for Human Health Exposure for the former Occidental Chemical Corporation facility.  The significant potential exposure pathway was consumption of seafood, so measurement of facility-related chemicals in fish and shellfish was needed.  The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife provided EPA with 23 resident demersal finfish and crab harvested from an area affected by releases of VOCs from Occidental through groundwater discharge.  The contaminants of interest were PCE, TCE, vinyl chloride and hexachlorobutadiene.

Specimens were stored at –20 degrees C at EPA’s Manchester Laboratory.  After partial thawing, filet and liver samples were obtained from each fish as individual samples.  Hepatopancreas samples were obtained from each crab, as were leg/claw tissue samples.  Iced tissue samples and blanks were shipped to EPA’s National Exposure Research Laboratory in Las Vegas, where they were analyzed using SW-846 Method 8261A, Volatile Organic Compounds by Vacuum Distillation in Combination with Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry /Mass Spectrometry.  While vinyl chloride was not detected in any of the samples, at least one of the other compounds of interest was detected in all tissue samples.  PCE, TCE and hexachlorobutadiene were detected in 90%, 83% and 40% of tissue samples, respectively.   Hepatopancreas samples showed consistent and highest VOC concentrations, the highest being 80 ug/kg PCE. 

This study, while limited, demonstrates that the common assumption that VOCs will not be present in fish or shellfish tissue where VOCs have been released to surface waters is not necessarily true.  Because local anadromous species, particularly salmon, were not included in this study, this remains a data gap.

Bahamas Environmental Risk Assessment and Cleanup (BERC) Initiative:  Development of Simplistic Analytical Methods and Tools for Ecological Risk Assessment and Remediation of Source Pollutants
Craig A. Bowe, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, College of The Bahamas, Nassau, New Providence Island, The Bahamas, Tel: 242-352-3101, Fax: 242-352-3101, Email: cbowe_8@yahoo.com  

Environmental hazards and pollutants play a major role in the development of health affects in adults and in children.  This is especially a difficult problem in the developing world where the educational level of the citizens and residents are well below the standards set in industrial societies.  The program will help to alleviate the pollution caused by industry to the affected communities and will establish a permanent educational facility to train local residents and increase public awareness of adverse affects of chemical involvement in addition to providing current, plausible and practical solutions to the problems faced in a specific region.  Countries across the globe use organic and inorganic substances that may have unintended adverse impacts and create a potential public safety risk. Only about 25 of the world's more than 180 countries routinely perform risk assessments by comparing measured toxicity to estimated exposure. In the developing markets of Latin America and the Caribbean, countries would benefit greatly from having the capacity to quickly perform a scientifically valid, economically feasible ecological risk assessment.  The project will develop ecological assessment methods and tools based on simplistic economical methods establishing developing country models of relative (comparative) risk assessment. Detection and identification of organic source pollutants in water estuaries and commercial areas of coastal communities.  The project will also develop CE analytical methods as detection systems of toxicants in the aquatic environment.  In order to address remediation concerns that arise from the chemical assessment of the coastal communities in the Caribbean the synthesis of polymer silica composite adsorbent materials via solid phase synthesis will also be performed.  Polymeric materials will include composites comprised of clay, polysiloxane, and silica-based materials in the production of detection adsorbents for the remediation of source pollutants.

A Method of Developing Risk-based Cleanup Target Levels at Petroleum Release Sites in Korea
Gyeo-Bung Kim, Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health & Environment, Yongmeori 2gil 18(Juam dong 1), Gwacgeon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 427-070, Korea, Tel: +82 2 570 3390, Fax: +82 2 570 3394, Email: kimgb78@naver.com
Seok-Won Eom, Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health & Environment, Yongmeori 2gil 18(Juam dong 1), Gwacgeon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 427-070, Korea, Tel: +82 2 570 3221, Fax: +82 2 570 3394, Email: sweom@seoul.go.kr
Seoung-Gu Ahn, The University of Seoul, Siripdae-gil 13(Jeonnong-dong 90), Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-743, Korea Tel: +82 2 2210 2432, Fax: +82 2 2244 2245, Email: asknp@uos.ac.kr

The approach to development in risk-based screening level was considered in the total petroleum hydrocarbon, which is used when the world's several countries and institutions cleanup petroleum-contaminated soil. The purpose of this study was to complement, improve, and then present the approach to development in the risk-based evaluation and the cleanup goals through fractionation in hydrocarbon, which was suggested mainly by America 's TPHCWG(Total Petroleum Criteria Working Group), in line with Korea 's real situation.

Regarding the technical finding, which was suggested in this study, as for TPH in soil or ground water contaminated due to petroleum, first, it can be used as the development tool of risk-based screening level and site-specific target level. Second, it can be used as the cost-effective risk-based evaluation tool by very simplifying the modeling framework. Third, it can be applied usefully as basic data when trying to establish risk-based regulatory criteria and preliminary remediation goal in diverse environmental media.

Chemical Concentration Trends and Amphibian Observations in Freshwater Wetlands Impacted by Coal Combustion Byproducts
Allison Nightingale, AMEC Earth and Environmental, 2 Robbins Rd., Westford, MA 01886, USA, Tel: 978-692-9090, Fax: 978-692-6633, Email: allison.nightingale@amec.com
Joseph Robb, AMEC Earth and Environmental, 2 Robbins Rd., Westford, MA 01886, USA, Tel: 978-692-9090, Fax: 978-692-6633, Email: joe.robb@amec.com  

Historic and current operations of a coal burning electrical generating station located in northwest Indiana have resulted in the release of coal combustion byproducts to on-site soil and groundwater.  Groundwater from the facility migrates off-site and seasonally discharges to freshwater wetlands located within a national park.  As part of an evaluation of potential impacts to ecological receptors in the national park wetlands, a springtime field reconnaissance was performed to determine if amphibian habitat is present, and if so, to document whether amphibian populations were successfully breeding.  The amphibian survey utilized a daytime visual encounter methodology to count observations of calling and the number of adults, juveniles, larvae, and/or egg masses.  Nine consecutive weeks of survey were conducted at 14 surface water pools downgradient of the facility and three background locations during the period from April 4, 2007 to May 31, 2007.  Surface water samples were collected at each observation location during the weeks of April 17 and May 16, 2007 for analysis of metals and other water quality parameters.  An evaluation of the analytical results and field observations indicates there may not be a relationship between concentrations of metals in surface water that exceed ecological risk-based screening values and the frequency of amphibian observations.  No relationship appears to exist between other characteristics of the survey locations, such as the temperature, pH and concentration of dissolved oxygen in surface water.  On the other hand, the size of the pool appears to be related to the frequency of amphibian observations.  Locations with small pools (less than 1,000 ft2) were much more likely to show many amphibian observations, and locations with large pools were more likely to show few amphibian observations. Overall, the results indicate that amphibians are present in and successfully utilize the national park wetland areas as breeding grounds. 

Cost Benefit Analysis for Risk Management by Uncertainty Reduction:  The Use of Site Specific Studies to Reduce Uncertainty in PRG Development
John Schaffer, Tetra Tech EC Inc., 1000 The American Road, Morris Plains, NJ 07950, Tel:  973-630-8530, Fax: 973-630-8025, Email: John.Schaffer@tteci.com

The objective of ecological risk assessment includes the identification of assessment endpoints at risk, identification of contaminants that warrant consideration in the feasibility study and the basis for development of clean-up goals.  Where screening level ecological risk assessments rely upon generic models of bioaccumulation and trophic level transfer, an element of redundant conservatism and high associated uncertainty can result in significant bias toward an overly conservative clean-up goal in the baseline ERA when such models are applied.  These models were meant to be used as part of a screening level study and not necessarily for carry over into the baseline ecological risk assessment.  Application of these screening models in a risk based approach for preliminary remedial goal (PRG) development typically results in an overly conservative clean-up goal.  This conservativeness can result in the remedial impacts exceeding the potential risks posed to the ecological community present.  Risk managers are faced with the consideration of a clean-up goal that is both protective of the resource but also balances the effects of remediation impacts to the risk posed to resource and the associated uncertainty considered in the derivation of PRGs.  The baseline ecological risk assessment’s use is that of a refinement process for reducing overall uncertainty and assist with risk management.  A comparison between the application of an empirical approach based upon default assumptions, a generic model and a site specific model for earthworm bioaccumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was assessed to compare the overall effect of each approach on a potential PRG and remedial outcomes.  Site specific studies evaluated both bioaccumulation potential and bioavailability in the soils present and provided the basis for assessing exposure to representative wildlife receptors.  Investment in site-specific studies can assist in refining PRGs for the FS phase of the project through minimization of redundant conservatism.

Toxicological Considerations, Microbial Issues and Health Risks Related to Field Application of Poultry Waste
Christopher M. Teaf, Center for Biomedical & Toxicological Research, Florida State University, 2035 E. Dirac Dr., Tallahassee, FL, 32310, Tel: 850-644-5524, Fax: 850-574-6704, Email: cteaf@fsu.edu
Roger L. Olsen, Camp Dresser & McKee, 1331 17th St., Denver, CO, 80202, Tel: 303-298-1311, FAX: 303-293-8236, email: olsenrl@cdm.com
J. Berton Fisher, Lithochimeia, 110 W. 7th St. , Tulsa , OK , 74119 , Tel: 918-382-9775, Fax: 918-382-9444, Email: bfisher@lithochim.com
Valerie J. Harwood, Department of Biology, SCA 110, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL,  33620, Tel (813) 974-1524 , FAX (813) 974-3263 , Email: vharwood@cas.usf.edu
Michele M. Garber, Hazardous Substance & Waste Management Research, Inc., 2976 Wellington Circle West , Tallahassee , FL , 32309 , Tel: 850-681-6894, Fax: 850-906-9777, Email: mgarber@hswmr.com

Use of poultry “litter” and manure as fertilizer for agricultural purposes has been conducted broadly, with little attention paid to issues of long-term effects on soil, surface water, or groundwater.  While the environment may have capacity to sequester some substances, there is an upper limit for this capacity, after which local and regional impacts occur.  Those impacts include potential exposure to metals, chemicals, microorganisms, and water pollution associated with phosphorus, nitrogen and other nutrients.  These nutrients cause or exacerbate eutrophication of water bodies, with substantial effects on recreation, drinking water, and ecological receptors.  Poultry production in the Illinois River Watershed  (IRW) was over 150 million in 2002, and has risen dramatically in the region since the 1940’s.  The IRW in NE Oklahoma and NW Arkansas has been the subject of long-term study since the early 1990’s.  Documented environmental problems include: elevated levels of bacteria and indicator organisms in surface water and groundwater (e.g., E. coli, fecal coliforms, Enterococci); high phosphorus concentrations in waters/sediments of the IRW, its tributaries, and Lake Tenkiller; high seasonal algal growth in surface waters, including cyanobacteria (“toxic blue-green algae”); and, formation of high trihalomethane and/or other disinfection byproduct levels in distribution systems drawing raw water from the IRW.  Research efforts have identified linkages between microbiological/chemical contaminants at edge-of-field locations versus substances detected at high levels downstream.  Techniques such as Principal Component Analysis and Microbial Source Tracking have established links between land applied poultry waste and IRW environmental impacts .  Recommendations are being developed to address IRW regional water impacts, effects on recreational uses, and ecological considerations.  (Note: This abstract presents work and conclusions performed in conjunction with a pending legal case brought by the State of Oklahoma against a number of poultry integrators.  Several of the authors have been retained to serve as expert witnesses by the State of Oklahoma .) 

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