Thursday, March 10, 2011

New Robot Screening System Released To Predict Chemical Effects

Several federal agencies have unveiled a new robot screening system that will test 10,000 different chemicals for potential toxicity, including chemicals found in industrial and consumer products, food additives and drugs. The robot system, which is located at the National Institutes of Health Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC), was purchased as part of the Tox21 collaboration established in 2008 between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences National Toxicology Program, and NCGC, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010. Tox21 merges existing research, funding and testing tools to develop ways to more effectively predict how chemicals will affect human health and the environment.

Tox21 has already been used to screen more than 2,500 chemicals for potential toxicity using robots and other innovative chemical screening technologies, including different types of oil spill dispersants used during the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Environmental Review and Environmental Impact Assessment.

Caltha Environmental Review Website

Friday, March 4, 2011

New Contaminants Proposed For SDWA Monitoring

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing 30 currently unregulated contaminants for monitoring in water systems. Under the authority Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), EPA currently regulates more than 90 contaminants in drinking water. The SDWA requires that EPA identify up to 30 unregulated contaminants for monitoring every five years. This current proposal is the third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation and includes requirements to monitor for two viruses and 28 chemical contaminants that could be present in drinking water and do not currently have health-based standards.

EPA is requesting public comment on the proposed list of 30 contaminants until May 2, 2011. Following the comment period, EPA will consider input and finalize the list in 2012, with sampling to be conducted from 2013 to 2015. Sampling will take place at all systems serving more than 10,000 people and at a representative sampling of systems serving less than 10,000 people.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Environmental Review and Environmental Impact Assessment.

Caltha Environmental Review Website