%0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Final Review of the Study on Supplemental Treatment Approaches of Low-Activity Waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation: Review #4 %@ 978-0-309-67288-7 %D 2020 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25710/final-review-of-the-study-on-supplemental-treatment-approaches-of-low-activity-waste-at-the-hanford-nuclear-reservation %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25710/final-review-of-the-study-on-supplemental-treatment-approaches-of-low-activity-waste-at-the-hanford-nuclear-reservation %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Conflict and Security Issues %P 130 %X The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management is responsible for managing and cleaning up the waste and contamination at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, the nation's biggest and most complex nuclear cleanup challenge. At the site, 177 underground tanks collectively contain about 211 million liters of waste that includes high-activity and low-activity materials. At the request of Congress, Final Review of the Study on Supplemental Treatment Approaches of Low-Activity Waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation: Review #4 focuses on approaches for treatment and disposal of the supplemental portion of the low-activity waste from the tanks. This review report discusses developments since the publication of Review #3 and provides a summary of public comments on the third committee review report. The authoring committee then shares their views on these comments and whether they change any of the findings or recommendations in the third review report. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Using 21st Century Science to Improve Risk-Related Evaluations %@ 978-0-309-45348-6 %D 2017 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24635/using-21st-century-science-to-improve-risk-related-evaluations %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24635/using-21st-century-science-to-improve-risk-related-evaluations %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 200 %X Over the last decade, several large-scale United States and international programs have been initiated to incorporate advances in molecular and cellular biology, -omics technologies, analytical methods, bioinformatics, and computational tools and methods into the field of toxicology. Similar efforts are being pursued in the field of exposure science with the goals of obtaining more accurate and complete exposure data on individuals and populations for thousands of chemicals over the lifespan; predicting exposures from use data and chemical-property information; and translating exposures between test systems and humans. Using 21st Century Science to Improve Risk-Related Evaluations makes recommendations for integrating new scientific approaches into risk-based evaluations. This study considers the scientific advances that have occurred following the publication of the NRC reports Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy and Exposure Science in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy. Given the various ongoing lines of investigation and new data streams that have emerged, this publication proposes how best to integrate and use the emerging results in evaluating chemical risk. Using 21st Century Science to Improve Risk-Related Evaluations considers whether a new paradigm is needed for data validation, how to integrate the divergent data streams, how uncertainty might need to be characterized, and how best to communicate the new approaches so that they are understandable to various stakeholders. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Environmental Chemicals, the Human Microbiome, and Health Risk: A Research Strategy %@ 978-0-309-46869-5 %D 2018 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24960/environmental-chemicals-the-human-microbiome-and-health-risk-a-research %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24960/environmental-chemicals-the-human-microbiome-and-health-risk-a-research %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 122 %X A great number of diverse microorganisms inhabit the human body and are collectively referred to as the human microbiome. Until recently, the role of the human microbiome in maintaining human health was not fully appreciated. Today, however, research is beginning to elucidate associations between perturbations in the human microbiome and human disease and the factors that might be responsible for the perturbations. Studies have indicated that the human microbiome could be affected by environmental chemicals or could modulate exposure to environmental chemicals. Environmental Chemicals, the Human Microbiome, and Health Risk presents a research strategy to improve our understanding of the interactions between environmental chemicals and the human microbiome and the implications of those interactions for human health risk. This report identifies barriers to such research and opportunities for collaboration, highlights key aspects of the human microbiome and its relation to health, describes potential interactions between environmental chemicals and the human microbiome, reviews the risk-assessment framework and reasons for incorporating chemical–microbiome interactions. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Gaseous Carbon Waste Streams Utilization: Status and Research Needs %@ 978-0-309-48336-0 %D 2019 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25232/gaseous-carbon-waste-streams-utilization-status-and-research-needs %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25232/gaseous-carbon-waste-streams-utilization-status-and-research-needs %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 256 %X In the quest to mitigate the buildup of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere, researchers and policymakers have increasingly turned their attention to techniques for capturing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, either from the locations where they are emitted or directly from the atmosphere. Once captured, these gases can be stored or put to use. While both carbon storage and carbon utilization have costs, utilization offers the opportunity to recover some of the cost and even generate economic value. While current carbon utilization projects operate at a relatively small scale, some estimates suggest the market for waste carbon-derived products could grow to hundreds of billions of dollars within a few decades, utilizing several thousand teragrams of waste carbon gases per year. Gaseous Carbon Waste Streams Utilization: Status and Research Needs assesses research and development needs relevant to understanding and improving the commercial viability of waste carbon utilization technologies and defines a research agenda to address key challenges. The report is intended to help inform decision making surrounding the development and deployment of waste carbon utilization technologies under a variety of circumstances, whether motivated by a goal to improve processes for making carbon-based products, to generate revenue, or to achieve environmental goals. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T The Future of Atmospheric Chemistry Research: Remembering Yesterday, Understanding Today, Anticipating Tomorrow %@ 978-0-309-44565-8 %D 2016 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23573/the-future-of-atmospheric-chemistry-research-remembering-yesterday-understanding-today %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23573/the-future-of-atmospheric-chemistry-research-remembering-yesterday-understanding-today %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 226 %X Our world is changing at an accelerating rate. The global human population has grown from 6.1 billion to 7.1 billion in the last 15 years and is projected to reach 11.2 billion by the end of the century. The distribution of humans across the globe has also shifted, with more than 50 percent of the global population now living in urban areas, compared to 29 percent in 1950. Along with these trends, increasing energy demands, expanding industrial activities, and intensification of agricultural activities worldwide have in turn led to changes in emissions that have altered the composition of the atmosphere. These changes have led to major challenges for society, including deleterious impacts on climate, human and ecosystem health. Climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing society today. Air pollution is a major threat to human health, as one out of eight deaths globally is caused by air pollution. And, future food production and global food security are vulnerable to both global change and air pollution. Atmospheric chemistry research is a key part of understanding and responding to these challenges. The Future of Atmospheric Chemistry Research: Remembering Yesterday, Understanding Today, Anticipating Tomorrow summarizes the rationale and need for supporting a comprehensive U.S. research program in atmospheric chemistry; comments on the broad trends in laboratory, field, satellite, and modeling studies of atmospheric chemistry; determines the priority areas of research for advancing the basic science of atmospheric chemistry; and identifies the highest priority needs for improvements in the research infrastructure to address those priority research topics. This report describes the scientific advances over the past decade in six core areas of atmospheric chemistry: emissions, chemical transformation, oxidants, atmospheric dynamics and circulation, aerosol particles and clouds, and biogeochemical cycles and deposition. This material was developed for the NSF's Atmospheric Chemistry Program; however, the findings will be of interest to other agencies and programs that support atmospheric chemistry research. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %E Betts, Kellyn %E Hodgson, Andrea %T Advances in Causal Understanding for Human Health Risk-Based Decision-Making: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief %D 2018 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25004/advances-in-causal-understanding-for-human-health-risk-based-decision-making %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25004/advances-in-causal-understanding-for-human-health-risk-based-decision-making %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 12 %X Scientific tools and capabilities to examine relationships between environmental exposure and health outcomes have advanced and will continue to evolve. Researchers are using various tools, technologies, frameworks, and approaches to enhance our understanding of how data from the latest molecular and bioinformatic approaches can support causal frameworks for regulatory decisions. For this reason, on March 6-7, 2017, the National Academies' Standing Committee on Emerging Science for Environmental Health Decisions, held a 2-day workshop to explore advances in causal understanding for human health risk-based decision-making. The workshop aimed to explore different causal inference models, how they were conceived and are applied, new frameworks and tools for determining causality, and ultimately discussed gaps, challenges, and opportunities for integrating new data streams for determining causality. This workshop brought together environmental health researchers, toxicologists, statisticians, social scientists, epidemiologists, business and consumer representatives, science policy experts, and professionals from other fields who utilize different data streams for establishing causality in complex systems to discuss the topics outlined above. This Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief summarizes the discussions that took place at the workshop. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %E Johnson, Anne %T Toward a Future of Environmental Health Sciences: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief %D 2022 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26639/toward-a-future-of-environmental-health-sciences-proceedings-of-a %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26639/toward-a-future-of-environmental-health-sciences-proceedings-of-a %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 12 %X What could the future of environmental health sciences hold, and what steps might be taken now to guide the field's trajectory? To envision a future research enterprise that integrates environmental health sciences, biomedical science, prevention research, and disease-specific research across the continuum from fundamental discovery research through the application of this research to population health, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a workshop titled Towards a Future of Environmental Health Sciences on April 26-27, 2022. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop. %0 Book %A National Research Council %E Betts, Kellyn %E Sawyer, Keegan %T Modeling the Health Risks of Climate Change: Workshop Summary %@ 978-0-309-37098-1 %D 2015 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21705/modeling-the-health-risks-of-climate-change-workshop-summary %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21705/modeling-the-health-risks-of-climate-change-workshop-summary %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 49 %X Climate change poses risks to human health and well-being through shifting weather patterns, increases in frequency and intensity of heat waves and other extreme weather events, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and other environmental effects. Those risks occur against a backdrop of changing socioeconomic conditions, medical technology, population demographics, environmental conditions, and other factors that are important in determining health. Models of health risks that reflect how health determinants and climate changes vary in time and space are needed so that we can inform adaptation efforts and reduce or prevent adverse health effects. Robust health risk models could also help to inform national and international discussions about climate policies and the economic consequences of action and inaction. Interest in resolving some of the challenges facing health effects modelers and health scientists led the National Research Council's Standing Committee on Emerging Science for Environmental Health Decisions to hold a workshop on November 3-4, 2014, in Washington, DC, to explore new approaches to modeling the human health risks of climate change. Throughout the workshop, the discussions highlighted examples of current application of models, research gaps, lessons learned, and potential next steps to improve modeling of health risks associated with climate change. Modeling the Health Risks of Climate Change summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Why Indoor Chemistry Matters %@ 978-0-309-08399-7 %D 2022 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26228/why-indoor-chemistry-matters %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26228/why-indoor-chemistry-matters %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Math, Chemistry, and Physics %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 190 %X People spend the vast majority of their time inside their homes and other indoor environments where they are exposed to a wide range of chemicals from building materials, furnishings, occupants, cooking, consumer products, and other sources. Despite research to date, very little is known about how exposures to indoor chemicals across complex chemical phases and pathways affect human health. The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased public awareness of indoor environments and shed light on the many outstanding questions about how best to manage chemicals indoors. This report identifies gaps in current research and understanding of indoor chemistry and new approaches that can be applied to measure, manage, and limit chemical exposures. Why Indoor Chemistry Matters calls for further research about the chemical transformations that can occur indoors, pathways and timing of indoor chemical exposure, and the cumulative and long-term impacts of exposure on human health. Research priorities should consider factors that contribute to measurable environmental health disparities that affect vulnerable populations, such as the age, location, and condition of buildings that can alter exposures to indoor chemicals. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Improving Characterization of Anthropogenic Methane Emissions in the United States %@ 978-0-309-47050-6 %D 2018 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24987/improving-characterization-of-anthropogenic-methane-emissions-in-the-united-states %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24987/improving-characterization-of-anthropogenic-methane-emissions-in-the-united-states %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 250 %X Understanding, quantifying, and tracking atmospheric methane and emissions is essential for addressing concerns and informing decisions that affect the climate, economy, and human health and safety. Atmospheric methane is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) that contributes to global warming. While carbon dioxide is by far the dominant cause of the rise in global average temperatures, methane also plays a significant role because it absorbs more energy per unit mass than carbon dioxide does, giving it a disproportionately large effect on global radiative forcing. In addition to contributing to climate change, methane also affects human health as a precursor to ozone pollution in the lower atmosphere. Improving Characterization of Anthropogenic Methane Emissions in the United States summarizes the current state of understanding of methane emissions sources and the measurement approaches and evaluates opportunities for methodological and inventory development improvements. This report will inform future research agendas of various U.S. agencies, including NOAA, the EPA, the DOE, NASA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Monitoring and Sampling Approaches to Assess Underground Coal Mine Dust Exposures %@ 978-0-309-47601-0 %D 2018 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25111/monitoring-and-sampling-approaches-to-assess-underground-coal-mine-dust-exposures %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25111/monitoring-and-sampling-approaches-to-assess-underground-coal-mine-dust-exposures %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Health and Medicine %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 168 %X Coal remains one of the principal sources of energy for the United States, and the nation has been a world leader in coal production for more than 100 years. According to U.S. Energy Information Administration projections to 2050, coal is expected to be an important energy resource for the United States. Additionally, metallurgical coal used in steel production remains an important national commodity. However, coal production, like all other conventional mining activities, creates dust in the workplace. Respirable coal mine dust (RCMD) comprises the size fraction of airborne particles in underground mines that can be inhaled by miners and deposited in the distal airways and gas-exchange region of the lung. Occupational exposure to RCMD has long been associated with lung diseases common to the coal mining industry, including coal workers' pneumoconiosis, also known as "black lung disease." Monitoring and Sampling Approaches to Assess Underground Coal Mine Dust Exposures compares the monitoring technologies and sampling protocols currently used or required by the United States, and in similarly industrialized countries for the control of RCMD exposure in underground coal mines. This report assesses the effects of rock dust mixtures and their application on RCMD measurements, and the efficacy of current monitoring technologies and sampling approaches. It also offers science-based conclusions regarding optimal monitoring and sampling strategies to aid mine operators' decision making related to reducing RCMD exposure to miners in underground coal mines. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Management of Legionella in Water Systems %@ 978-0-309-49947-7 %D 2020 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25474/management-of-legionella-in-water-systems %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25474/management-of-legionella-in-water-systems %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Health and Medicine %K Earth Sciences %P 290 %X Legionnaires' disease, a pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacterium, is the leading cause of reported waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States. Legionella occur naturally in water from many different environmental sources, but grow rapidly in the warm, stagnant conditions that can be found in engineered water systems such as cooling towers, building plumbing, and hot tubs. Humans are primarily exposed to Legionella through inhalation of contaminated aerosols into the respiratory system. Legionnaires' disease can be fatal, with between 3 and 33 percent of Legionella infections leading to death, and studies show the incidence of Legionnaires' disease in the United States increased five-fold from 2000 to 2017. Management of Legionella in Water Systems reviews the state of science on Legionella contamination of water systems, specifically the ecology and diagnosis. This report explores the process of transmission via water systems, quantification, prevention and control, and policy and training issues that affect the incidence of Legionnaires' disease. It also analyzes existing knowledge gaps and recommends research priorities moving forward. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Global Change Research Needs and Opportunities for 2022-2031 %@ 978-0-309-26134-0 %D 2021 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26055/global-change-research-needs-and-opportunities-for-2022-2031 %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26055/global-change-research-needs-and-opportunities-for-2022-2031 %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Behavioral and Social Sciences %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 122 %X The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is a collection of 13 Federal entities charged by law to assist the United States and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change. Global Change Research Needs and Opportunities for 2022-2031 advises the USGCRP on how best to meet its mandate in light of climate change impacts happening today and projected into the future. This report identifies critical climate change risks, research needed to support decision-making relevant to managing these risks, and opportunities for the USGCRP's participating agencies and other partners to advance these research priorities over the next decade. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Genomic Epidemiology Data Infrastructure Needs for SARS-CoV-2: Modernizing Pandemic Response Strategies %@ 978-0-309-68091-2 %D 2020 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25879/genomic-epidemiology-data-infrastructure-needs-for-sars-cov-2-modernizing %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25879/genomic-epidemiology-data-infrastructure-needs-for-sars-cov-2-modernizing %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Health and Medicine %P 110 %X In December 2019, new cases of severe pneumonia were first detected in Wuhan, China, and the cause was determined to be a novel beta coronavirus related to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus that emerged from a bat reservoir in 2002. Within six months, this new virus—SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)—has spread worldwide, infecting at least 10 million people with an estimated 500,000 deaths. COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, was declared a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a pandemic on March 11, 2020. To date, there is no approved effective treatment or vaccine for COVID-19, and it continues to spread in many countries. Genomic Epidemiology Data Infrastructure Needs for SARS-CoV-2: Modernizing Pandemic Response Strategies lays out a framework to define and describe the data needs for a system to track and correlate viral genome sequences with clinical and epidemiological data. Such a system would help ensure the integration of data on viral evolution with detection, diagnostic, and countermeasure efforts. This report also explores data collection mechanisms to ensure a representative global sample set of all relevant extant sequences and considers challenges and opportunities for coordination across existing domestic, global, and regional data sources. %0 Book %A National Academy of Engineering %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century: Addressing Grand Challenges %@ 978-0-309-47655-3 %D 2019 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25121/environmental-engineering-for-the-21st-century-addressing-grand-challenges %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25121/environmental-engineering-for-the-21st-century-addressing-grand-challenges %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %K Earth Sciences %P 124 %X Environmental engineers support the well-being of people and the planet in areas where the two intersect. Over the decades the field has improved countless lives through innovative systems for delivering water, treating waste, and preventing and remediating pollution in air, water, and soil. These achievements are a testament to the multidisciplinary, pragmatic, systems-oriented approach that characterizes environmental engineering. Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century: Addressing Grand Challenges outlines the crucial role for environmental engineers in this period of dramatic growth and change. The report identifies five pressing challenges of the 21st century that environmental engineers are uniquely poised to help advance: sustainably supply food, water, and energy; curb climate change and adapt to its impacts; design a future without pollution and waste; create efficient, healthy, resilient cities; and foster informed decisions and actions. %0 Book %A National Academy of Engineering %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Microbiomes of the Built Environment: A Research Agenda for Indoor Microbiology, Human Health, and Buildings %@ 978-0-309-44980-9 %D 2017 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23647/microbiomes-of-the-built-environment-a-research-agenda-for-indoor %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23647/microbiomes-of-the-built-environment-a-research-agenda-for-indoor %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Biology and Life Sciences %K Engineering and Technology %P 317 %X People's desire to understand the environments in which they live is a natural one. People spend most of their time in spaces and structures designed, built, and managed by humans, and it is estimated that people in developed countries now spend 90 percent of their lives indoors. As people move from homes to workplaces, traveling in cars and on transit systems, microorganisms are continually with and around them. The human-associated microbes that are shed, along with the human behaviors that affect their transport and removal, make significant contributions to the diversity of the indoor microbiome. The characteristics of "healthy" indoor environments cannot yet be defined, nor do microbial, clinical, and building researchers yet understand how to modify features of indoor environments—such as building ventilation systems and the chemistry of building materials—in ways that would have predictable impacts on microbial communities to promote health and prevent disease. The factors that affect the environments within buildings, the ways in which building characteristics influence the composition and function of indoor microbial communities, and the ways in which these microbial communities relate to human health and well-being are extraordinarily complex and can be explored only as a dynamic, interconnected ecosystem by engaging the fields of microbial biology and ecology, chemistry, building science, and human physiology. This report reviews what is known about the intersection of these disciplines, and how new tools may facilitate advances in understanding the ecosystem of built environments, indoor microbiomes, and effects on human health and well-being. It offers a research agenda to generate the information needed so that stakeholders with an interest in understanding the impacts of built environments will be able to make more informed decisions.