• Delineate chemical composition and particle 

 size and conduct toxicity screening for select- 

 ed pollutants. 



• Characterize sulfur oxide and oxidant interac- 

 tion in the Southern California area. 



• Evaluate health consequences of conversion 

 from fuel oil to coal in selected electric power 

 generating plants. 



• Develop short-term exposure data for sulfur 

 oxides, nitrogen oxides, oxidants, and select- 

 ed particulates. 



Five-year plan. The five-year plan research effort 

 is slated to: 



• Reassess exposure-response data for criteria 

 and other pollutants collected from the com- 

 munity health environmental survey system 

 (CHESS). 



• Develop better exposure-response functions 

 for estimating health risks of criteria pollu- 

 tants, sulfate, and nitrate aerosols. 



• Determine the significance of potentially dan- 

 gerous trace substances, hazardous materials, 

 and unsuspected toxic substances to man. 



• Identify the interactions in health elTects of 

 criteria and noncriteria pollutants. 



• Describe interactive effects of multiple envi- 

 ronment stress factors. 



• Evaluate adverse health risks associated with 

 indoor pollutants. 



Toxic Substances 



The purpose of lbs toxic substances work is to 

 assess toxicity of inorganic and organic contami- 

 nants that reach people in a number of ways. The 

 current research evaluated — through use of animal 

 testing — health effects of fibrous amphiboles, lead 

 and the pesticide baygon, cadmium, organic pollu- 

 tants as influenced by trace metals, and dioxin and 

 dibenzofuran. This work supports the air and wa- 

 ter health effects research as well and anticipates 

 legislation on toxic substances control. 



FY 1977 plan. Under the FY 1977 plan, there 

 will be reports on: 



• Toxicity of fibrous amphiboles considered as 

 carcinogens and cof actors. 



• The combined effects of certain trace metals 

 and certain pesticides on the rate of metabo- 

 lism of aminopyrene and antipyrene in rats. 



Five-year plan. This plan calls for: 



• A report on carcinogenicity and toxicity of 

 fibrous amphiboles. 



• Development of biochemical methods to 

 screen organic and inorganic pollutants for 

 specific biological activity potentially haz- 

 ardous to human health. 



Correlating health effects with total human expo- 

 sure to harmful substances. Eong-term integrated 

 exposure assessment and retrospective epidemio- 

 logical research to evaluate associations between 

 the occurrence of cancer and other chronic diseas- 

 es and environmental pollution, including develop- 

 ment of capability for exposure assessment con- 

 cepts, is an ongoing research program concerning 

 toxic substances. 



Biological monitoring and tissue archiving to es- 

 tablish baseline levels. The cooperative program 

 with the National Bureau of Standards on a design 

 and feasibility study of a tissue bank has been ex- 

 tended into a pilot National Tissue Bank for long- 

 term archiving of human tissue. 



Response of ecosystems to multiple en- 

 vironmental stresses. To meet Agency long-term 

 requirements for ecosystems research and assess- 

 ment of the environmental impact of pollutants in 

 aquatic systems, research is ongoing and will be 

 supplemented to: (1) Develop methods to improve 

 measurement of organism and ecosystem level 

 effect of pollution stress, and develop and improve 

 methods to determine ecosystem response parame- 

 ters; and (2) determine the ecosystem response and 

 develop predictive capability to describe the im- 

 pact of single and complex stresses including nu- 

 trients, pesticides, disinfectants, complex industri- 

 al wastes, and hydrocarbons from single spill 

 events, point source long-term discharges, and 

 nonpoint source drainage basin inputs. New initia- 

 tives in the development of complex effluent ef- 

 fects will include development and testing of mi- 

 crocosms at discharge sites. 



Identification and characterization of environmen- 

 tal processes and systems and resulting exposure 

 analysis. Research to identify, characterize, and 

 quantify significant environmental transport and 

 fate processes is both anticipatory and long-range. 

 It provides scientific bases for the development of 

 predictive exposure assessment methodologies for 

 existing organic and inorganic chemicals and nu- 

 trients and for new chemicals prior to their mass 

 production and release into the environment. 



Water Quality Models 



Comprehensive basin water quality models with 

 point and nonpoint source inputs, socioeconomic 

 implications, and energy conservation inputs will 

 be provided in research applications reports, scien- 

 tific papers, and problems reports, including model 

 user manuals and card decks as well as hands-on 

 demonstration, technical assistance, and feedback. 

 Research application and problem-oriented reports 

 include an analysis of the environmental applica- 

 bility and limitation of available information. 



ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 179 



