Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory Photo image area measures 2 H x 6.93 W and can be masked by a collage strip of one, two or three images. The photo image area is located 3.19 from left and 3.81 from top of page. Each image used in collage should be reduced or cropped to a maximum of 2 high, stroked with a 1.5 pt white frame and positioned edge-to-edge with accompanying images. Disaster Exposure: The Four Rs Daniel A. Vallero, Ph.D. National Exposure Research Laboratory U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 1 Risk Assessment: Risk assessment* is a process where information is analyzed to determine if an environmental hazard might cause harm to exposed persons and ecosystems. Many decisions are made based on risk at various stages of a disaster: rescue, recovery, re-entry and re-habitation. * Risk Assessment in the Federal Government (National Research Council, 1983)

Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 2 In exposure, time is of the essence… Short-term exposures can be accompanied by chronic effects….

Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 3 Time & Quality of Information to Protect Public and First Responders Vary by Stage: R escue R ecovery R e-entry R e-habitation E xposure T ime

Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 4 Rescue Lesson learned: ORD part of overall team to protect public health Portable, state of the art equipment and expertise provided to first responders Research focus needs immediacy…. –Same tools often applied, but at higher levels of detection and more immediate reporting Crime scene, forensics and rescue efforts have primacy Responder protection is also crucial Proper respirators and personal protection –EPA takes respirator use very seriously…. Protocols Very different from environmental exposures –e.g. levels of dioxins and benzene to protect firefighters with PPE much higher than a person without protection exposed for 30 years

Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 5 Recovery –Somewhat more time to consider potential public exposures… … but still working under first responder teams Logging data and retrospectively conducting analyses Different quality assurance needs, but still not the typical research design –Crime scene forensics still ongoing (defer to law enforcement), but more deliberate In WTC, evidence moved to Staten Island –Adaptation to FEMA and other management actions Coordination among EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA and response agencies. Examples: –Water & wastewater treatment plant assessment –Separation of hazardous wastes

Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 6 Re-Entry –Even more time (longer exposures) Closer to typical research protocol, but must support local/state agencies –Benchmarks are crucial Understandable Allows for risk comparisons Helps distinguish reported concentrations from reasonable exposures –EPA has protocols, but need to be tailored to each emergency Start with applicable and relevant standards Go to risk-based approach Last resort: Occupational scenarios (e.g. OSHA PAL) Then adapt Characterize background….

Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 7 Re-habitation –Longest potential exposures Closest to typical metrics (e.g. lifetime average daily dose) –Conservative approaches are challenged People and businesses want to get back to normal Need solid reasons for denying this… –Benchmarks Rely on State and Local to start the process Technical approach –Background –Detection limits –Technical practicality, etc….. Remediate to health standard or best estimate of what background was prior to accident, or….? –E.g. by proxy (may not know what it was, but use general urban background)

Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 8 Some Key Milestones EPA has learned numerous lessons and has been improving emergency response, by : –Assessing and remediating indoor contamination caused by building collapse or other environmental disaster. National Homeland Security Research Center developing subchronic health-based exposure advisory levels for the general public called Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs). –PALs address exposure durations of one day, 30 days, and two years for chemical contaminants detected in air or drinking water. –EPA has developed PALs for over 20 chemicals –Equates to over 360 separate values : three exposure durations, for three levels of severity and for two environmental media. Continuing effort with the National Research Council's Committee on Toxicology to develop Acute Exposure Guidance Levels (AEGLs). –Emergency response standards applicable to the general public. –3 levels of severity and for the durations of 10 minute, 30 minute, one hour, 4 hour and 8 hour exposures. PALs being developed for benchmarks to bridge the gap between acute exposure durations covered by the AEGLs & the chronic lifetime exposures covered by inhalation RfCs & oral RfDs.

Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 9 Some Key Milestones (Contd) –Developed a method to assess risk from exposures to contaminated building surfaces. Will be incorporated into upcoming revision of the Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund, Part E, Dermal Risk Assessment –Continually developing & refining scenario-driven disaster response plans on national & regional level. Inter-agency working groups, sponsored by EPA and DHS, have developed restoration plans for large transportation infrastructures. Produced universal templates to support generic disaster preparedness plans for various scenarios. Supporting several inter-agency working groups developing uniform validated sampling plans, analytical methods and quality assurance protocols to support timely cleanup and restoration of infrastructures after disaster events.

Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 10 Bottom Line Exposure is critical to each phase of emergency response…. R escue R ecovery R e-entry R e-habitation E xposure T ime

Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory 11 Disclaimer Although this work was reviewed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and approved for publication, it may not necessarily reflect official Agency policy. The EPAs Office of Research and Development partially performed and funded the research described here. It is intended for internal EPA use. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory Photo image area measures 2 H x 6.93 W and can be masked by a collage strip of one, two or three images. The photo image area is located 3.19 from left and 3.81 from top of page. Each image used in collage should be reduced or cropped to a maximum of 2 high, stroked with a 1.5 pt white frame and positioned edge-to-edge with accompanying images. Contact me: