HUDSON-DELAWARE REGIONAL CHAPTER
24^th ANNUAL MEETING
May 8-9, 2008
Seton Hall University
South Orange, NJ

Short Course Abstracts

Nanomaterials: Use, Risk and Regulation
John K. Schupner and Laurie R. Gneiding, AMEC Earth & Environmental Somerset, NJ

In early 2007 the United Nations reported that nanotechnology would grow to account for 14% of the worldwide market by the year 2014, or $2.6 trillion in U.S. dollars.  Nano-sized chemicals have changes in basic material properties due to the dominance of quantum effects at the nanometer size. They can have increased physical strength and chemical reactivity due to increased relative surface area per unit mass.  The novel properties of nanomaterials offer revolutionary means to optimize a variety of products, including electronics, textiles, paintings and coatings, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products.  In the environmental realm, nanomaterials are being applied to improve energy efficiency, reduce and treat waste, and to clean-up previously contaminated environmental media.  Nanomaterials include a wide diversity of material types and variations within types.  There are many uncertainties regarding the potential risks associated with nanoparticles.  The models and paradigms typically used to predict environmental behavior and effects of conventional chemicals are not entirely adequate.  The development and use of the technology has progressed rapidly, but environmental regulations have been slow to adapt.  This course introduces the properties and uses of nanomaterials, reviews the potential human health and ecological risks, and presents an overview of current stewardship and regulatory initiatives.

Course Description for Presentation on Environmental Ethics
Judith Stark Ph.D., Seton Hall University

How can ethical principles and frameworks be used to address environmental issues today?  In this presentation Dr. Judith Stark will discuss some of the ethical theories that are being used to address current challenges and problems in environmental studies.  One central distinction pertinent to the discussion is that between the theories that place human beings at the center of ethical considerations (anthropocentric theories) and those that argue for the inherent value of nature.  How we think about these and other relevant distinctions affects the ways we develop policies and attempt to resolve specific environmental problems.

Dammed Estuaries:  Implications for Flow, Sediment Transport and Risk Analysis
Peter Brussock, Environmental Liability Management, Inc.

The Dammed Estuaries short course will review the fundamentals of the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of large river estuaries in the mid-Atlantic region.  Changes in the basic patterns of conditions will then be evaluated in relation to urbanization with particular consideration of the impacts of the placement of dams at or near the head of tide.  The role of regional planning decisions, such as dam building and management practices, on landscapes and ecosystem mosaics will be discussed.  Implications for environmental site characterizations of estuaries and risk analysis will also be considered and discussed with the participants.

FUGAWEB: A Probabilistic Fate and Effects Model for Emerging Contaminants
J. Lyndall¹, M. Bock², T. Barber¹, and D. Lauren³
ENVIRON International, 1) Burton, OH; 2) Portland, ME; and 3) Philadelphia, PA.

Many emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are introduced into the environment by disposal down household drains to be conveyed to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).  Effluents from WWTPs can introduce any residual contaminants into the aquatic system.  Sludge from WWTPs can be processed into biosolids to be applied to terrestrial systems.  Watershed-wide risk assessments can be conducted using fugacity modeling to evaluate the potential exposure of emerging contaminants in WWTP effluent and biosolids and facilitate aquatic and terrestrial risk assessment. 

 A fugacity and bioaccumulation model, FUGAWEB, was developed to predict deterministic and probabilistic exposures under various environmental conditions. FUGAWEB is based on multiple models currently available as free ware.  These are the Sewage Treatment Plant model (STP; Clark et al. 1995), the EQC model (Mackay et al. 1996), the AQUAWEB bioaccumulation and foodweb model (Arnot and Gobas 2004), and the Biosolids-Amended Soil Level 4 model (BASL4; Hughes et al. 2005).  The FUGAWEB model consists of six major compartments: (1) discharge of chemical into system; (2) removal during wastewater treatment; (3) loading to system via effluent or land-applied biosolids; (4) fugacity modeling of transport and fate; (5) bioaccumulation modeling, and (6) wildlife intake modeling.  The compartments are linked sequentially and together describe the movement of a chemical of interest into the aquatic and terrestrial systems.

Using this model, direct and indirect exposures (e.g., foodweb) can be estimated using basic physico-chemical parameters, particular characteristics of the WWTP, and characteristics of the ecological system and receptors.  Data are fit to particular distributions using Crystal Ball^©.  FUGAWEB is then run as a Monte Carlo simulation with 10,000 or more iterations.  The resultant predicted concentrations are more robust than conventional point estimate analyses because the probabilistic approach accounts for variability and uncertainty in each of the input parameters. 

The predicted exposure concentrations of the chemical of interest, can be compared to measured (e.g., toxicity studies) or estimated (e.g., QSAR) effects concentrations for ecological receptors (e.g., fish, earthworms) to estimate potential risk from direct exposure to water or soil.  Additionally, the estimated dietary doses to wildlife and avian receptors can be  compared to toxicity reference values (TRVs) derived from the primary or proprietary literature to determine risk from bioaccumulation.

This workshop will discuss: (1) a conceptual site model for PPCP introduction to the environment, (2) fugacity modeling using FUGAWEB, (3) the bases for the input parameters and distributions, and (4) an example with a generic chemical of interest.

Trace Analysis of Drugs from Aqueous Samples Using GC/MS
Nicholas Snow, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University

Trace analysis of drugs from aqueous samples such as water supplies is receiving increasing interest from environmental scientists.  For small drugs including many common over the counter, prescription and illegal compounds, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is the analytical technique of choice.  In this short course, the basic principles of drug analysis from water-based samples using GC/MS will be discussed and demonstrated in the laboratory.  Analytical work flow and instrumentation capabilities and limitations will be discussed.  Common and novel extraction techniques, including headspace, liquid-liquid, solid phase and solid phase micro-extraction will be demonstrated.

Field trip: Water quality monitoring of small, urban streams
Carolyn Bentivegna Ph.D., Seton Hall University

Faculty and students at Seton Hall have been developing a water quality and benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring program in local streams.  The long term goal is to establish a volunteer program with the Village of South Orange, NJ.  This course will begin by presenting data collected so far on two distinct streams: one that flows through the center of the Village, which is designed to collect stormwater, and one that flows through South Mountain Reservation, which is less modified and intended to be esthetically pleasing.  Seasonal and rainstorm data show typical effects of urbanization on surface water including nutrient spikes and changes in hardness.  After the introduction to the two rivers, a tour will be given, and participants will have the opportunity to run some chemical analyses streamside. 

We look forward to seeing you! If you have any questions about the meeting, please feel free to contact the meeting co-chairs Ron MacGillivray or Peter Brussock.