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View by Research Area Water Protection Indoor and Outdoor Decontamination   2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 2009 Integration of Water Quality and Public Health Data to Improve Detection of Drinking Water Contamination – In order to develop an early warning system for an intentional or unintentional drinking water contamination event, EPA is collaborating with water utilities and public health agencies to gather, share, and analyze multiple types of data. Read more Award-winning Ultrafiltration Device Used to Aid in the Detection of Microorganisms in Drinking Water – The possibility of terrorists or criminals intentionally contaminating drinking water with pathogenic microorganisms is a significant public health concern. This concern has given rise to the need to rapidly and effectively sample water to detect small concentrations of potentially dangerous microorganisms. Read more Exposure Guidelines Used to Aid in the Selection of Analytical Methods – EPA has identified more than 100 chemical and radiological constituents that are considered homeland security threat contaminants. Within minutes to hours after being released, many of these contaminants can convert to other hazardous contaminants, known as transformation by-products. Read more Decision Support Tools for Managing Homeland Security Event Generated Waste and Debris – Handling, transporting, treating, and disposing of the large volumes of waste from wild fires, floods and other natural disasters presents unique challenges: likewise with waste from industrial chemical spills, terrorist attacks using biological, chemical or radiological agents, and animal disease outbreaks. Read more Protocols for All Hazards Receipt Facilities – Public safety and law enforcement officials are often required to determine whether suspicious materials pose a risk to the public or the environment. Qualified personnel should screen such materials in the field to determine whether special handling and transportation is required; however, laboratories sometimes receive samples without knowing whether adequate field screening was performed. Read more Technology Performance Summary for Chemical Detection Instruments – All Hazards Receipt Facilities (AHRFs) were developed to prescreen for chemical, radiochemical, and explosive hazards in samples collected during suspected terrorist attacks. Read more Top of page 2008 Fumigant Technologies Used to Inactivate Biological Agents on Indoor Materials – EPA evaluates homeland security related technologies that will help protect human health and the environment from the adverse impacts of terrorist acts. Radiological attacks may require massive evacuation to protect human health and greatly interfere with economic and business activities. Read more Removing Radiological Contamination From Concrete Using Strippable Coatings – EPA evaluates homeland security related technologies that will help protect human health and the environment from the adverse impacts of terrorist acts. Radiological attacks may require massive evacuation to protect human health and greatly interfere with economic and business activities. Read more Determining the Impacts of Decontamination Technologies on Building Materials – EPA, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center (ECBC), investigated decontamination technologies for restoring public buildings to a usable state after a terrorist contamination event. Read more Detecting Biological Contaminants in Water, Using Rapid Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Technologies – In the past, people in the United States have largely taken for granted the convenience of potable municipal water. However, the threat of intentional contamination of our water supplies is becoming a concern because of a rise in the number of terrorist acts around the world. Read more Detecting Contamination Events in Water Distribution Systems, Using Multi-Parameter Sensors – Sensor units can be deployed at multiple locations in water distribution systems and collect general water quality data that can be transmitted to various locations, including remote locations, thereby giving water utilities access to real-time or near real-time data from their overall system. Read more Detecting Chemical Agents and Pesticides in Water, Using Enzymatic Test Kits – There is much interest in technologies that can be used to detect a contamination event as well as dispel or confirm the credibility of a threat. Such technologies include enzymatic test kits, which are generally designed to be handheld and portable. Read more Detecting Biological Contaminants in Water, Using Immunoassay Technologies – Immunoassay tests that can be used to determine the presence of biotoxins and pathogens in water. The immunoassay devices are based on immunological interactions during which specific antibodies react with contaminants, or antigens, to produce a response indicating the presence of the contaminant. Read more Environmental Factors and Material Type Impact the Persistence of Ricin and Vaccinia – EPA is investigating the persistence (attenuation) of biological organisms and toxins on indoor building materials under various temperature and relative humidity conditions consistent with those achieved using heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Read more EPA Recognized for Research on Reducing Risks to Drinking Water Systems – On February 7, 2008, the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS® of Hanover, MD) announced that a TEVA Research project is one of six finalists vying for this year’s prestigious Franz Edelman Award. The project is called “Reducing Security Risks in American Drinking Water Systems.” Read more Gasification Technology Used in Biomass Removal – The disposal of contaminated animal carcasses in response to foreign animal disease outbreaks is an event- and site-specific operation that can have significant environmental impacts. For certain diseases, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza or foot-and-mouth disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends on‑site disposal in order to avoid the spread of disease. Read more Top of page 2007 Threat Ensemble Vulnerability Assessment: CANARY, Event Detection Software – Anomalous water quality results can indicate the onset of a contamination incident. For this reason, water utilities must be able to rapidly and accurately identify such results in water distribution systems. Read more Microbial Risk Assessment Compendium of Methods – EPA has created a report entitled the “Compendium of Prior and Current Risk Assessment Methods” to accelerate risk assessment, which in turn supports rapid response. The compendium contains an extensive compilation of literature and data derived from biological risk assessment methods employed by various industries, such as food safety, drinking water, and public health. Read more Threat Ensemble Vulnerability Assessment: Sensor Placement Software – Water distribution networks deliver drinking water to consumers through systems of pipes, valves, pumps, and tanks. Within these systems, sensors that can detect contaminants can be placed at various locations, such as fire stations, schools, hospitals, public buildings, publicly owned infrastructure, and even private homes. Read more Securing Buildings Against Chemical and Biological Agents – CBAs are easy for terrorists to use in an attack because only a small amount of material is needed to incapacitate, seriously injure, or kill building occupants. CBAs can be easily deposited within the building itself or at an air intake, window, or door. Buildings of any size may be targets for a terrorist attack. Read more | Watch the videos Building Decontamination Alternatives Report  – EPA has published a building decontamination alternatives report, which provides information on how to effectively decontaminate buildings that are contaminated with chemical or biological (CB) warfare agents or toxic industrial compounds. Read more Analytical Methods for Chemical Warfare Agent Degradation Products – Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) have been used in the past to incapacitate and kill, and their potential use in a homeland security incident is a concern. Many CWAs don’t persist in the environment but quickly degrade into other harmful substances. Read more Threat Ensemble Vulnerability Assessment: Tucson Water Study – TEVA-SPOT software can be used to determine the number and location of sensors that are needed to support a contamination warning system. The location of online sensors can be optimized to help achieve such a system’s primary goal: to detect contamination incidents in time to mitigate public health and economic consequences. Read more EPANET Extended to Include Multi-Species Modeling – The U.S. EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) Water Infrastructure Protection Division (WIPD), headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, conducts and coordinates research to improve the security of drinking water and wastewater treatment, distribution, and sources. Read more Support for Environmental Rapid Risk Assessment (SERRA) – EPA is developing the Support for Environmental Rapid Risk Assessment (SERRA) database to accelerate the risk assessment process and to support emergency response. Because it contains an extensive compilation of scientific information designed to assist in managing, cleaning up, and mitigating hazards in the aftermath of a terrorist event, SERRA is also referred to as a “knowledge base”. Read more Building Retrofits to Protect Against Airborne Chemical and Biological Releases – A new report provides owners, managers, engineers, and other decision makers with information about various building retrofit options that will improve building protection against airborne hazards. Read more Chemical Wipe Sampling – The collection of surface contaminants, referred to as “wipe sampling,” is an important technique for government agencies and the private sector to estimate contamination on a variety of surfaces, including those in buildings, homes, outdoor areas, and hands. Read more Message Mapping – Message mapping is a science-based risk communication tool that enables members of the emergency response and environmental protection communities to quickly and concisely deliver the most pertinent information about an emergency. EPA has produced a new 40-minute video on message mapping, as well as a report that deals specifically with water utility message maps. Read more | Message Mapping Video (WMV) (41:16 min, 87.8 MB) Spray-Applied Sporicidal Decontamination Technology Evaluation – As part of EPA’s Office of Research and Development, the National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) rigorously tests technologies against a wide range of performance characteristics, requirements, and specifications under the Technology Testing and Evaluation Program (TTEP). Read more Sampling Radiochemical Analytes – A radiological sampling procedure is now available to environmental sampling teams assisting the EPA with characterizing, remediating, and determining the final status of a site following a radiological contamination event. Read more Animal Disease and Agro-Terrorism – EPA is conducting several projects concerning foreign animal disease (FAD) pathogens, agricultural terrorism, and agriculture disaster management. These projects will help define EPA’s supporting role in the agricultural emergency response efforts led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Read more Top of page 2006 Workshops on Site Decon, Cleanup, and Associated Issues – EPA conducted two workshops on decontamination, cleanup, and associated issues for sites contaminated with chemical, biological, or radiological (CBR) materials. EPA organized the workshops to provide a forum for fellow researchers and stakeholders to exchange information, share research results and experience, and foster collaboration. Read more Online Water Quality Monitoring – EPA is tasked with protection of water infrastructure in Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 7 (2003), Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization, and Protection. In addition, HSPD 9 (2004), Defense of United States Agriculture and Food requires ensuring public water quality through surveillance and monitoring programs. Read more Using Hydrogen Peroxide to Decontaminate Indoor Surfaces – Bacterial endospores can survive in the environment for an extended time, and are resistant to a wide variety of treatments such as heat, desiccation, radiation, pressure, and chemicals. As potential bacterial spore decontaminants, ultraviolet light, γ-irradiation, wet/dry heat, ozone, aqueous solutions and mixtures, gels, and gases have been evaluated. Read more Improving Security at Water Facilities – To improve security at the nation’s water utilities, the EPA established a cooperative agreement with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), which partnered with the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF), to develop guidance and voluntary design standards. Read more Modeling the Health Effects of Harmful Agents – Among EPA’s homeland security concerns is the possibility of terrorist events involving toxic chemicals whose health effects are not well known. Several EPA research projects are investigating how the risks associated with these chemicals can be estimated. Read more Disposal of Building Decontamination Residue – After terrorists use chemical or biological agents to attack buildings, transportation hubs, or other structures, cleanup and restoration activities can generate significant amounts of building decontamination residue (BDR). This BDR consists primarily of porous materials from inside the building. Read more Thermal Destruction of Building Material Contaminants – The program includes three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics modeling with matrix-bound agent destruction kinetics, bench-scale experiments to determine agent destruction kinetics while the agent is bound on various matrices, and pilot-scale experiments to scale-up the bench-scale experiments to a more practical scale. Read more Pilot-Scale Incinerator Destruction of Bacillus anthracis Surrogates – Building decontamination after a biological warfare agent (such as Bacillus anthracis) release may produce substantial building decontamination residue (BDR). This BDR would consist of materials such as ceiling tile, carpet, wallboard, concrete, and wood. Read more Medical Waste Incineration of Microbiological Organisms – Many interior building materials will require disposal after a terrorist attack with a biological weapon such as anthrax (B. anthracis). Although contaminated materials are usually decontaminated before removal, officials may decide to remove the materials without first fumigating them. Read more Fuel Comparison: Coal Only and Carpet Co-Fire – EPA, Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and Georgia Institute of Technology School of Chemical and Bio-Molecular Engineering, co-sponsored by Lehigh Cement Company and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), performed a collaborative test program on the feasibility of using cement kilns to destroy post-consumer carpet. Read more Biological Inactivation Efficiency of HVAC In-Duct Ultraviolet Light Devices – One potential method of terrorism is the intentional introduction of biological warfare agents (BWAs) into the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems of target structures in order to distribute pathogens. Read more Water Sector Security Workshops – During 2005, EPA, in cooperation with the Water Environment Federation® (WEF®), hosted three Water Sector Security workshops, involving drinking water and wastewater utility operators and other key stakeholders. Read more Tools for Managing Water Quality – The nation’s water utilities treat nearly 34 billion gallons of water every day, using an assortment of treatment methods to remove contaminants from drinking water before it enters the distribution system. The quality of water can still be affected within the distribution system, however, in ways that pose risks to public health. Read more EPA’s QSAR/VFAR Workshop – The health risk assessment process, as defined by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS, 1983), includes four components: hazard identification, dose-response or toxicity assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. Read more Thermal Treatment of Building Decontamination Residue – The building decontamination residues (BDRs) destined for disposal may be parts of a structure or its contents, or waste from the decontamination process. One way to deal with these BDRs is to incinerate them in combustion facilities; another is to use autoclaving with steam to disinfect them. Read more Point-of-Use/Point-of-Entry Treatment Devices – Point-of-use (POU) and point-of-entry (POE) water treatment devices are cited in the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Water Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan as a topic requiring further research. Read more Shelter-in-Place Guidelines Enhance Protection Potential – An ongoing EPA study has confirmed the usefulness of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) guidelines for preparing in-house shelters as protection against airborne biological, chemical, or radioactive hazards. The DHS guidelines recommend that people create in-place shelters in their homes by using an interior room with few or no windows and sealing openings with plastic sheeting and duct tape. Read more Anthrax Surrogates Used in Chlorine Inactivation Study – EPA is responsible for protecting drinking water systems and sources. In carrying out these responsibilities, EPA conducted research on the use of nonvirulent surrogates for Bacillus anthracis in inactivation studies involving chlorination. Read more Top of page 2005 The State of the Science in Monitoring Drinking Water Quality – “Technologies and Techniques for Early Warning Systems to Monitor and Evaluate Drinking Water Quality: A State-of-the-Art Review” evaluates the existing sensors, monitoring technologies, and other products that can detect contaminants in drinking water distribution systems. Read more National Water Security Risk Communication Symposium – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted a 2-day symposium about communicating risks to drinking and waste water systems on May 20-21, 2004, in San Francisco, California. The symposium provided an opportunity to inform key water security stakeholder groups about the state-of-the-art in crisis risk communication; a forum to share effective risk communication strategies, best practices, tools, and existing projects; and an opportunity to gather information and advice to support activities in developing and implementing successful risk communication strategies, tools, and plans. Read more Planning for Decontamination Wastewater: A Guide for Utilities – The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), through a cooperative agreement with EPA, has created this guide to increase the level of awareness within the water sector and provide guidance on how to ensure that wastewater infrastructure is protected in the event of a terrorist attack. Read more Threat Ensemble Vulnerability Assessment (TEVA) Computational Framework – EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC), Water Infrastructure Protection Division (WIPD), headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, conducts and coordinates research to improve the security of drinking water and wastewater treatment systems. Read more HazMat Response Pilot Study Underway – EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC), Threat and Consequence Assessment Division (TCAD), headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, is responsible for developing risk assessment and risk communication information and tools. Read more Workshop on Decontamination, Cleanup, and Associated Issues for Sites Contaminated With Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Materials – The Decontamination and Consequence Management Division (DCMD) of EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) held its first “Workshop on Decontamination, Cleanup, and Associated Issues for Sites Contaminated With Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Materials” at the International Trade Center Building in Washington, D.C., February 23–25, 2005. Read more Progress Report for the Water Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan – Since the events of September 11, 2001, improving the security of our nation’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure has become a top priority. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plays a critical role in this effort as the federal agency lead for water security. In March 2004, EPA released the peer-reviewed Water Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan (Action Plan), which identified important issues for the drinking water and wastewater industries, outlined research and technical support needs to address those issues, and presented a list of projects to be undertaken in response to the identified needs. Read more Destruction of Spores on Building Decontamination Residue in a Commercial Autoclave – In the event of a terrorist attack in which biological weapons such as anthrax are used to contaminate a building, much of the porous material in the building will be shipped for disposal after decontamination activities. This material is collectively termed “building decontamination residue” (BDR). Read more Early Warning Systems for Contaminant Detection in Drinking Water Systems – The attacks of September 11, 2001, and recent events involving the identification of water system vulnerabilities have elevated concerns about intentional threats to the nation’s water systems. In response to these concerns, EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC), Water Infrastructure Protection Division (WIPD), headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, has implemented a three-phase program to test and evaluate early warning systems for drinking water infrastructures. Read more EPA Explores Building Decontamination Alternatives – In September 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) within the Agency’s Office of Research and Development (ORD). As one of the elements within NHSRC, the Safe Buildings Team has, as a key part of its responsibilities, engineering and economic analysis of alternative technologies and approaches for decontaminating buildings following an attack using chemical and biological (CB) agents. Read more EPA Releases Guide for Water Utilities – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) has published Security Information Collaboratives: A Guide for Water Utilities. The purpose of the guide is to inform drinking water and wastewater utilities, and others, about the benefits of establishing collaborative arrangements with other organizations to share information on water security. Read more Emissions from Combustion of Post-Consumer Carpet in a Cement Kiln – The NHSRC, in collaboration with other government, academic, and private organizations, conducted a series of investigations on issues related to combustion of Building Decontamination Residues, such as carpeting. Read more Top of page 2004 EPA’s Role in Water Security Research – Water — every drop of it — is a precious natural resource that Americans once enjoyed with little thought to potential tampering by terrorists or others. Today, however, U. S. citizens are increasingly aware of threats of harm to our homeland. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the delivery of anthrax-contaminated letters later that year have taught us to anticipate that other such threats are possible. Terrorist threats are targeted not just at individuals, but also at the country’s vital institutions and infrastructure, including drinking water and wastewater systems. Read more EPA Holds Workshop on the Transport and Disposal of Contaminated Wastes – A recent report follows a collaborative effort initiated by the “Homeland Security Workshop on Transport and Disposal of Wastes from Facilities Contaminated with Chemical or Biological Agents.” Read more Top of page 2003 Cincinnati Takes Role in Homeland Security: Labs Protect Water Supply – One of the most important battles in the war against terrorism won't be fought in the caves of Afghanistan. Instead, a behind-the-scenes battle to better protect the U.S. drinking water supply from terrorist attack will be fought in Cincinnati - by more than 80 scientists in the labs of a modernistic federal building in Corryville.  Read more Top of page You will need media player to play these videos if your computer does not already include one. Depending on your computer, you can download free players from various places. One example is Windows Media Player® .

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