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Toward Identifying the Next Generation of Superfund and Hazardous Waste Site Contaminants
- Source :
- Environmental Health Perspectives
- Publication Year :
- 2011
- Publisher :
- Environmental Health Perspectives, 2011.
-
Abstract
- Background This commentary evolved from a workshop sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences titled “Superfund Contaminants: The Next Generation” held in Tucson, Arizona, in August 2009. All the authors were workshop participants. Objectives Our aim was to initiate a dynamic, adaptable process for identifying contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) that are likely to be found in future hazardous waste sites, and to identify the gaps in primary research that cause uncertainty in determining future hazardous waste site contaminants. Discussion Superfund-relevant CECs can be characterized by specific attributes: They are persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic, occur in large quantities, and have localized accumulation with a likelihood of exposure. Although still under development and incompletely applied, methods to quantify these attributes can assist in winnowing down the list of candidates from the universe of potential CECs. Unfortunately, significant research gaps exist in detection and quantification, environmental fate and transport, health and risk assessment, and site exploration and remediation for CECs. Addressing these gaps is prerequisite to a preventive approach to generating and managing hazardous waste sites. Conclusions A need exists for a carefully considered and orchestrated expansion of programmatic and research efforts to identify, evaluate, and manage CECs of hazardous waste site relevance, including developing an evolving list of priority CECs, intensifying the identification and monitoring of likely sites of present or future accumulation of CECs, and implementing efforts that focus on a holistic approach to prevention.
- Subjects :
- Hazardous Waste
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
0207 environmental engineering
02 engineering and technology
010501 environmental sciences
Superfund
Risk Assessment
01 natural sciences
12. Responsible consumption
emerging contaminant
Hazardous waste
Environmental monitoring
United States Environmental Protection Agency
020701 environmental engineering
hazardous waste site
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Waste management
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Contamination
United States
Refuse Disposal
13. Climate action
Environmental chemistry
Sustainability
cardiovascular system
Commentary
contaminants of emerging concern
Environmental science
Environmental Pollutants
Environmental Monitoring
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15529924 and 00916765
- Volume :
- 119
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Environmental Health Perspectives
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....2093aac77733766b8e213fd0177866c5
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1002497