TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Changing Climate: Report of the Carbon Dioxide Assessment Committee DO - 10.17226/18714 PY - 1983 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18714/changing-climate-report-of-the-carbon-dioxide-assessment-committee PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - KW - Environment and Environmental Studies ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Twelfth Interim Report of the Subcommittee on Acute Exposure Guideline Levels SN - DO - 10.17226/11224 PY - 2005 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11224/twelfth-interim-report-of-the-subcommittee-on-acute-exposure-guideline-levels PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Extremely hazardous substances (EHSs), as defined in the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, can be released accidentally as a result of chemical spills, industrial explosions, fires, or accidents involving railroad cars or trucks used in transporting these substances, or intentionally through terrorist activities. It is also feasible that these substance can be released by improper storage and/or handling. Workers and residents in communities surrounding industrial facilities where EHSs are manufactured, used, or stored and in communities along the nation’s railways and highways are potentially at risk of being exposed to airborne EHSs during accidental and intentional releases. This report provides technical guidance on establishing community Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGLs) for certain hazardous chemicals. It reviews the scientific validity of AEGLs developed by the national Advisory Committee on Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Hazardous Substances, identifies research priorities, and identifies guidance issues that may require modification or further development based on the toxicological database for the chemicals reviewed. This twelfth interim report offers recommendations for improving AEGLs for the following 15 chemicals: toluene, xylenes, ammonia, bromine, aniline, methyl ethyl ketone, hydrazine, iron pentacarbonyl, phosphine, chlorine, trifluoride, ethyleneimine, propyleneimine, allyl alcohol, ethylene oxide, and nickel carbonyl. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Superfund and Mining Megasites: Lessons from the Coeur d'Alene River Basin SN - DO - 10.17226/11359 PY - 2005 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11359/superfund-and-mining-megasites-lessons-from-the-coeur-dalene-river PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - For more than 100 years, the Coeur d’ Alene River Basin has been known as "The Silver Valley" for being one of the most productive silver, lead, and zinc mining areas in the United States. Over time, high levels of metals (including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and zinc) were discovered in the local environment and elevated blood lead levels were found in children in communities near the metal-refining and smelter complex. In 1983, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed a 21-square mile mining area in northern Idaho as a Superfund site. EPA extended those boundaries in 1998 to include areas throughout the 1500-square mile area Coeur d'Alene River Basin project area. Under Superfund, EPA has developed a plan to clean up the contaminated area that will cost an estimated $359 million over 3 decades--and this effort is only the first step in the cleanup process. Superfund and Mining Megasites: Lessons from Coeur d'Alene River Basin evaluates the issues and concerns that have been raised regarding EPA’s decisions about cleaning up the area. The scientific and technical practices used by EPA to make decisions about human health risks at the Coeur d'Alene River Basin Superfund site are generally sound; however, there are substantial concerns regarding environmental protection decisions, particularly dealing with the effectiveness of long-term plans. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine AU - National Research Council TI - BioWatch PCR Assays: Building Confidence, Ensuring Reliability: Abbreviated Version SN - DO - 10.17226/21658 PY - 2015 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21658/biowatch-pcr-assays-building-confidence-ensuring-reliability-abbreviated-version PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - BioWatch is an air monitoring system deployed in jurisdictions around the country with the goal of detecting the presence of certain high risk pathogenic microorganisms. It relies on a network of federal and nonfederal collaborative relationships to be successful, and is one part of a larger array of disease surveillance, intelligence-gathering, and biomonitoring activities in support of public safety and health. The assays used in the BioWatch system to detect the presence of pathogens in collected samples rely on the technique of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to sensitively and specifically amplify target nucleic acid sequences. BioWatch PCR Assays evaluates and provides guidance on appropriate standards for the validation and verification of PCR tests and assays in order to ensure that adequate performance data are available to public health and other key decision makers with a sufficient confidence level to facilitate the public health response to a BioWatch Actionable Response. This report discusses principles of performance standards, reviews information from several existing guidance documents and standards that might be applicable to BioWatch, and discusses assay testing efforts that have occurred or are ongoing. BioWatch PCR Assays provides recommendations on general principles and approaches for a performance standard and validation framework to meet BioWatch's mission. The report also considers how developments in technology, particularly in multiplex PCR and next-generation sequencing, can contribute to the ability of the BioWatch program to meet current and future challenges. This report has been determined to contain information exempt from disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552(b). Section 15 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act provides that the National Academies shall make its final report available to the public unless the National Academies determines that the report would disclose matters described in one or more of the exemption provisions under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In such case, the National Academies "shall make public an abbreviated version of the report that does not disclose those matters." This unrestricted, abbreviated version of the report represents, in so far as possible, the committee's findings, recommendations, and other substantive material without disclosing materials described in 5 U.S.C. 552(b). ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Radioactive Sources: Applications and Alternative Technologies SN - DO - 10.17226/26121 PY - 2021 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26121/radioactive-sources-applications-and-alternative-technologies PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Radioactive Sources: Applications and Alternative Technologies assesses the status of medical, research, sterilization, and other commercial applications of radioactive sources and alternative (nonradioisotopic) technologies in the United States and internationally. Focusing on Category 1, 2, and 3 sources, this report reviews the current state of these sources by application and reviews the current state of existing technologies on the market or under development that are or could be used to replace radioisotopic technologies in those applications. Radioactive Sources will support existing and future activities under the National Nuclear Security Administration Office of Radiological Security program to reduce the use of high-risk radiological materials in commercial applications. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Chemicals: Volume 15 SN - DO - 10.17226/18449 PY - 2013 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18449/acute-exposure-guideline-levels-for-selected-airborne-chemicals-volume-15 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Chemicals, Volume 15 identifies, reviews, and interprets relevant toxicologic and other scientific data for ethyl mercaptan, methyl mercaptan, phenyl mercaptan, tert-octyl mercaptan, lewisite, methyl isothiocyanate, and selected monoisocyanates in order to develop acute exposure guideline levels (AEGLs) for these high-priority, acutely toxic chemicals. AEGLs represent threshold exposure limits (exposure levels below which adverse health effects are not likely to occur) for the general public and are applicable to emergency exposures ranging from 10 minutes (min) to 8 h. Three level—AEGL-1, AEGL-2, and AEGL-3—are developed for each of five exposure periods (10 min, 30 min, 1 h, 4 h, and 8 h) and are distinguished by varying degrees of severity of toxic effects. This report will inform planning, response, and prevention in the community, the workplace, transportation, the military, and the remediation of Superfund sites. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - The Gulf Research Program Annual Report 2017 DO - 10.17226/25223 PY - 2018 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25223/the-gulf-research-program-annual-report-2017 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Each year, the Gulf Research Program (GRP) produces an annual report to summarize how funds were used. These reports review accomplishments, highlight activities, and, over time, will assess metrics to determine how the program is progressing in accomplishing its goals. The 2017 annual report is the fourth report in this series. The GRP is an independent, science-based program founded in 2013. Through grants, fellowships, and other activities, it seeks to enhance oil system safety and the protection of human health and the environment in the Gulf of Mexico region and other areas along the U.S. outer continental shelf with offshore oil and gas operations. This report captures key developments and successes in 2017. The GRP continues to build on its past work and seeks to learn, think about, and plan for how and where it can have the greatest cumulative and lasting impacts. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Colorado River Ecology and Dam Management: Proceedings of a Symposium May 24-25, 1990 Santa Fe, New Mexico SN - DO - 10.17226/1832 PY - 1991 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1832/colorado-river-ecology-and-dam-management-proceedings-of-a-symposium PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - This book contains 11 papers that review the extant information about the Colorado River from an ecosystem perspective and serve as the basis for discussion of the use of ecosystem/earth science information for river management and dam operations. It also contains a synopsis of the committee's findings and recommendations to the Bureau of Reclamation as the agency seeks to change its direction to the management of natural resources. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Assessment of Exposure-Response Functions for Rocket-Emission Toxicants SN - DO - 10.17226/6205 PY - 1998 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6205/assessment-of-exposure-response-functions-for-rocket-emission-toxicants PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - The U.S. Air Force is developing a model to assist commanders in determining when it is safe to launch rocket vehicles. The model estimates the possible number and types of adverse health effects for people who might be exposed to the ground cloud created by rocket exhaust during a normal launch or during an aborted launch that results in a rocket being destroyed near the ground. Assessment of Exposure-Response Functions for Rocket-Emmission Toxicants evaluates the model and the data used for three rocket emission toxicants: hydrogen chloride, nitrogen dioxide, and nitric acid. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council AU - National Academy of Engineering TI - Urbanization, Energy, and Air Pollution in China: The Challenges Ahead: Proceedings of a Symposium SN - DO - 10.17226/11192 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11192/urbanization-energy-and-air-pollution-in-china-the-challenges-ahead PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Energy and Energy Conservation KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - In October 2003, a group of experts met in Beijing under the auspices of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Engineering (NAE)/National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies to continue a dialogue and eventually chart a rational course of energy use in China. This collection of papers is intended to introduce the reader to the complicated problems of urban air pollution and energy choices in China. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Review of Studies of Possible Toxic Effects from Past Environmental Contamination at Fort Detrick: A Letter Report SN - DO - 10.17226/13375 PY - 2012 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13375/review-of-studies-of-possible-toxic-effects-from-past-environmental-contamination-at-fort-detrick PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Health and Medicine ER - TY - BOOK TI - Review of the Prince William Sound, Alaska, Risk Assessment Study DO - 10.17226/6126 PY - 1998 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6126/review-of-the-prince-william-sound-alaska-risk-assessment-study PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences KW - Environment and Environmental Studies ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Research Opportunities for Deactivating and Decommissioning Department of Energy Facilities SN - DO - 10.17226/10184 PY - 2001 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10184/research-opportunities-for-deactivating-and-decommissioning-department-of-energy-facilities PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - When the Cold War abruptly ended, DOE halted most nuclear materials production. In 1995, Congress chartered DOE's Environmental Management Science Program (EMSP) to bring the nation's scientific infrastructure to bear on EM's most difficult, long-term cleanup challenges. The EMSP provides grants to investigators in industry, national laboratories, and universities to undertake research that may help address these cleanup challenges. On several occasions the EMSP has asked the National Academies for advice on developing its research agenda. This report resulted from a 15-month study by an Academies committee on long-term research needs for deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) at DOE sites. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites: Assessing the Effectiveness SN - DO - 10.17226/11968 PY - 2007 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11968/sediment-dredging-at-superfund-megasites-assessing-the-effectiveness PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Earth Sciences AB - Some of the nation's estuaries, lakes and other water bodies contain contaminated sediments that can adversely affect fish and wildlife and may then find their way into people's diets. Dredging is one of the few options available for attempting to clean up contaminated sediments, but it can uncover and re-suspend buried contaminants, creating additional exposures for wildlife and people. At the request of Congress, EPA asked the National Research Council (NRC) to evaluate dredging as a cleanup technique. The book finds that, based on a review of available evidence, dredging's ability to decrease environmental and health risks is still an open question. Analysis of pre-dredging and post-dredging at about 20 sites found a wide range of outcomes in terms of surface sediment concentrations of contaminants: some sites showed increases, some no change, and some decreases in concentrations. Evaluating the potential long-term benefits of dredging will require that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency step up monitoring activities before, during and after individual cleanups to determine whether it is working there and what combinations of techniques are most effective. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Setting Priorities for Drinking Water Contaminants SN - DO - 10.17226/6294 PY - 1999 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6294/setting-priorities-for-drinking-water-contaminants PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Earth Sciences AB - The provision of safe drinking water has been an important factor in the improvement of the health status of U.S. communities since the turn of the last century. Nonetheless, outbreaks of waterborne disease and incidences of chemical contamination of drinking water continue to occur. Setting Priorities for Drinking Water Contaminants recommends a new process for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to use in deciding which potential drinking water contaminants should be regulated in public water supplies to provide the greatest protection against waterborne illnesses. The book covers chemical and microbiological contaminants and includes a historical review of past approaches to setting priorities for drinking water contaminants and other environmental pollutants. It emphasizes the need for expert judgment in this process and for a conservative approach that considers public health protection as the first priority. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Sciences TI - Growing Populations, Changing Landscapes: Studies from India, China, and the United States SN - DO - 10.17226/10144 PY - 2001 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10144/growing-populations-changing-landscapes-studies-from-india-china-and-the PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - As the world’s population exceeds an incredible 6 billion people, governments—and scientists—everywhere are concerned about the prospects for sustainable development. The science academies of the three most populous countries have joined forces in an unprecedented effort to understand the linkage between population growth and land-use change, and its implications for the future. By examining six sites ranging from agricultural to intensely urban to areas in transition, the multinational study panel asks how population growth and consumption directly cause land-use change, and explore the general nature of the forces driving the transformations. Growing Populations, Changing Landscapes explains how disparate government policies with unintended consequences and globalization effects that link local land-use changes to consumption patterns and labor policies in distant countries can be far more influential than simple numerical population increases. Recognizing the importance of these linkages can be a significant step toward more effective environmental management. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - A Risk-Management Strategy for PCB-Contaminated Sediments SN - DO - 10.17226/10041 PY - 2001 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10041/a-risk-management-strategy-for-pcb-contaminated-sediments PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Earth Sciences AB - This book provides a risk-based framework for developing and implementing strategies to manage PCB-contaminated sediments at sites around the country. The framework has seven stages, beginning with problem definition, continuing through assessment of risks and management options, and ending with an evaluation of the success of the management strategy. At the center of the framework is continuous and active involvement of all affected parties--particularly communities--in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the management strategy. A Risk-Management Strategy for PCB-Contaminated Sediments emphasizes the need to consider all risks at a contaminated site, not just human health and ecological effects, but also the social, cultural, and economic impacts. Given the controversy that has arisen at many PCB-contaminated sites, this book provides a consistent, yet flexible, approach for dealing with the many issues associated with assessing and managing the risks at Superfund and other contaminated sites. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Intentional Human Dosing Studies for EPA Regulatory Purposes: Scientific and Ethical Issues SN - DO - 10.17226/10927 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10927/intentional-human-dosing-studies-for-epa-regulatory-purposes-scientific-and PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Policy for Science and Technology AB - The EPA commissioned The National Academies to provide advice on the vexing question of whether and, if so, under what circumstances EPA should accept and consider intentional human dosing studies conducted by companies or other sources outside the agency (so-called third parties) to gather evidence relating to the risks of a chemical or the conditions under which exposure to it could be judged safe. This report recommends that such studies be conducted and used for regulatory purposes only if all of several strict conditions are met, including the following: The study is necessary and scientifically valid, meaning that it addresses an important regulatory question that can't be answered with animal studies or nondosing human studies; The societal benefits of the study outweigh any anticipated risks to participants. At no time, even when benefits beyond improved regulation exist, can a human dosing study be justified that is anticipated to cause lasting harm to study participants; and All recognized ethical standards and procedures for protecting the interests of study participants are observed. In addition, EPA should establish a Human Studies Review Board (HSRB) to evaluate all human dosing studies–both at the beginning and upon completion of the experiments–if they are carried out with the intent of affecting the agency's policy-making. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Alicja Breymeyer A2 - Reginald Noble TI - Biodiversity Conservation in Transboundary Protected Areas SN - DO - 10.17226/5370 PY - 1996 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5370/biodiversity-conservation-in-transboundary-protected-areas PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Recognizing the increasing rate of species loss on a global scale and that neither pollution nor ecosystems respects political boundaries, cooperation on many different levels is required to conserve biodiversity. This volume uses four protected areas that Poland shares with its neighbors as case studies to explore opportunities to integrate science and management in transboundary protected areas in Central Europe for the conservation of biodiversity. Specific topics include biodiversity conservation theories and strategies, problems of wildlife management, and impacts of tourism and recreational use on protected areas. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Sea-Level Change SN - DO - 10.17226/1345 PY - 1990 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1345/sea-level-change PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Sea-level rise may be one of the consequences of global warming. To understand changes in sea level caused by the "greenhouse effect," we must understand the factors that have caused the sea level to fluctuate significantly throughout history. This new volume explores current views among scientists on the causes and mechanisms of sea-level change. The authors examine measurement programs and make recommendations aimed at improving our understanding of the factors that affect sea level. It will be welcomed by scientists, engineers, and policymakers concerned about "greenhouse" issues and sea-level change, the environmental community, researchers, and students. ER -