EPA Biosolids Program Update Rick Stevens Office of

EPA Biosolids Program Update Rick Stevens Office of Water Michigan Water Environment Association Bay city, MI February 21, 2008

Office of Water Management & Operations Staff Water Policy Staff Communications Team Office of the Assistant Administrator American Indian Environmental Office Assistant Administrator, Benjamin Grumbles Resources Management Staff Office of Ground Water & Drinking Water Security Division Senior Policy Advisor Office of Science & Technology Director, Ephraim S. King Deputy Dir, Suzanne Rudzinski Engineering & Analysis Division Director, Mary T. Smith Drinking Water Protection Division Health & Ecological Criteria Division Director, Edward Ohanian Standards & Risk Management Division Standards & Health Protection Division Director, Denise Keehner Office of Wastewater Management Office of Wetlands, Oceans & Watersheds Municipal Support Division Assessment & Watershed Protection Division Water Permits Division Oceans & Coastal Protection Division Wetlands Division 2

Program Areas Health & Ecological Criteria Division …applying science & technology to protect water quality • Water Quality Criteria • Drinking and recreational waters • Nutrients / Sediment • Biosolids • Emerging Contaminants

Emerging Contaminants in Water* PFOA Nanomaterial s Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products Pesticides Pathogens Prions Endocrine Disrupting Compounds PBDEs *Not an exhaustive list. 4

Estimating the Universe of ECs Chemicals CAS Registry* …applying science & technology to protect water quality Ø 31 million organic and inorganic substances Ø Updated daily with ~4000 new substance records *American Chemical Society’s Chemical Abstracts Service

Estimating the Universe of ECs Pathogens Known – Viruses • Hepatitis • Adenovirus 12 • Norovirus – Bacteria • Salmonella spp. (to include S. enterica) • Escherichia coli • Enterococcus spp. • Campylobacter spp. – Parasites • Giardia • Cryptosporidium Emerging …applying science & technology to protect water quality – E. coli strains: • Escherichia coli O 157: H 7 [enterohemorrhagic/Shiga-toxin producing; EHEC or STEC] • Antibiotic-resistant (focus on vancomycin- and methicillin-) – Analogous Salmonella typhimurium strains 6

Emerging Contaminants (ECs) What are they? EU Definition: – – – …applying science & technology to protect water quality New chemicals produced to offer improvements in industry, agriculture, medicine, and common conveniences. New reasons for concern for existing contaminants. New capabilities enabling improved examination of contaminants. 7

What’s in a Name What to call these ‘compounds’ without negatively branding them as “worry” or “concern” …applying science & technology to protect water quality § Emerging Contaminants of Concern § Emerging Substances of Concern § Compounds of Potential Concern § Pollutants of Potential Concern § Compounds of Emerging Concern § Emerging Contaminants § Microconstituents 8

Biosolids Micro/Trace Constituents The Latest Hype? “Even with respect to their environmental impacts, the trace amounts released to the environment from biosolids land application are insignificant…” …applying science & technology to protect water quality Source: Viewpoint in a November/December 2006 WEF Newsletter 9

So Why the Interest? • • • ECs illustrate the connection of individuals’ activities with their environment A large number of chemicals are getting into the environment with known and unknown concentrations and effects Detection of these chemicals is likely to increase – Analytical methods are developed – Look • …applying science & technology to protect water quality • Numerous reports of intersex fish and other species have triggered Congressional and public interest No evidence of adverse human health effects 10

Key Biosolids Issues To ensure that Part 503 standards are protective • The US population is expected to double in 72 years • What to do with increased volume of residuals • 55% current production is land-applied • …applying science & technology to protect water quality 11

Key Biosolids Issues • • <1% of nearly 470 million acres of agricultural land US is essentially self supportive in food production…indications of potential concern o o • • …applying science & technology to protect water quality • Reaching food-production capacity Loss of arable land population increase Biosolids helps replenish OM, nutrients, buffer p. H Less a nuisance and more a resource Must first address the technical, regulatory and communication challenges 12

Current knowledge and future concerns …applying science & technology to protect water quality • Are biosolids a human health or environmental concern? • Do we understand all the risks? • Do we have all the needed risk assessment tools? • Do we fully understand how well treatment of biosolids eliminates health and environmental risks? 13

EPA’s Biosolids Action Plan • In setting priority actions, we considered certain questions: o o o • …applying science & technology to protect water quality Would the action provide a link for detecting and quantifying pollutants Would the action help ensure protectiveness of Part 503 Would the action address scientific and policy complexities posed by land application We also considered input form a variety of sources o o o NAS recommendations Public comments / WERF Research Summit EPA priorities 14

EPA’s Biosolids Action Plan Three categories / objectives …applying science & technology to protect water quality 1. Advancing our understanding of science, technology, and risks 2. Ensuring implementation of laws and regulations 3. Communicating the best available information related to public fears and perceptions 15

Summary of Select Biosolids Activities Current • • …applying science & technology to protect water quality • Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey – includes 100 PPCPs Analytical techniques for virus and helmith Reactivation / sudden increase Incident tracking and rapid response Quantitative microbial risk assessment Antimicrobial resistance and HGT Wastewater modeling for predicting pollutant concentrations Biennial review cycles 2003 2005 and 2007 16

Risk-Based Standards HEI/RME Scenario Ag Land-Application Exposure-Risk Model

14 - Pathway Risk Assessment HUMAN GROUND WATER AIR 13 HUMAN WATER 12 SOIL BIOTA PLANT 1 2 Soil + Biosolids DUST 11 SOIL 10 BIOTA 14 GARDENER 4 PLANT 5 9 P L A N T 3 CHILD 8 7 A N I M A L 6 PLANT A N I M A L ANIMAL HUMAN

Summary of Select Biosolids Activities • • • …applying science & technology to protect water quality • • • Needed Research effective pathogen destruction or appropriate indicators and pathogens Do Part 503 operational standards work Analytical capabilities for a host of pathogens and other pollutants Pathogen uptake by plants Global warming issues Appropriate measures of biosolids stability Complex or aggregate mixtures Biennial Review cycles 2009, 2011… Promulgate Part 503 rule changes Better understanding of odor generation & control Aggressively encourage and implement EMS Develop better risk communication tools 19

Communication Challenge Voluntary vs. Involuntary The public sees voluntary risk differently than involuntary risk Voluntary …applying science & technology to protect water quality § Ingestion § Bathing § Use § Disposal Involuntary: finding them in our environment in trace amounts 20

Communication Challenge We All Contribute Behavior: – – Ingest / use Excretion Bathing Disposal vo lun tar y May make their way into soil and water: – – – …applying science & technology to protect water quality – Wastewater vo Biosolids lea lunta inv ding ry Irrigation olu to nta ry Effluent 21

Focusing on Source Control …applying science & technology to protect water quality Courtesy of CH 2 M Hill 22

Key Message Focus on Source Control Everyone contributes Clear linkages between individual behaviors and the presence of trace constituents We all should strive to minimize the amount of material we introduce into the water environment Think about product choices and source control …applying science & technology to protect water quality 23

White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Prescription Drug Abuse Guidance 24

Key Message Strategic Risk Communication We need better expertise in communicating complex technical material to citizens • Process of scientific methods and strategies • Someone verse in ‘best practice’ SRC: o o o …applying science & technology to protect water quality Up on the research literature Analysis of information needs Empirical evaluation of SRC impacts SRC success is satisfaction of the people involved that they have been adequately informed within the limits of available knowledge, and their needs are met. 25

What have we been doing since NAS report (issued 2002) Ø Ø Ø …applying science & technology to protect water quality No documented evidence to indicate that Part 503 has failed to protect public health However, additional scientific work is needed to reduce persistent uncertainty about the potential for adverse health effects from exposure to biosolids ~60 recommendations The Agency: Developed an Action Plan: Ø 14 projects 10. 5 completed 3. 5 ongoing NAS / NRC Report, July 2002

Field Study • The application and study at the Piedmont Research Station in Salisbury, NC commenced at a time of the year that is typical for the application of biosolids using routine agronomic practices • This research was not designed to investigate health-related incidents and therefore does not constitute a health effects research study • Measured air emissions, biosolids, and related environmental and other conditions associated with the test application • The goal of this research study was to investigate air and soil sampling methods and approaches and to optimize them if necessary in order to develop a protocol 27

…applying science & technology to protect water quality 28

Exposure Measurements Workshop Abstract Ø The final Agency response to the NRC report was published in the Federal Register in 2003 One of these projects was to conduct a Biosolids Exposure Measurement Workshop This workshop was held March 16 -17, 2006, Cincinnati, OH. This document is a summary of the workshop. Ø Ø Ø – – – …applying science & technology to protect water quality It describes presentations given by 16 experts It concludes with a list of research needs In the long-run, the goal of this workshop is to help enable the Agency to better assess the risk associated with the land application of biosolids. 29

Just completed report …applying science & technology to protect water quality 30

PPCP Inventory Development Sought to look at PPCP research conducted in the U. S. • – – Will aid EPA’s regulatory or guidance development activities • – – – …applying science & technology to protect water quality • What chemicals have researchers tested for? Where? (location, media) What analytical methods were used? What concentrations did they find? Drinking/recreational water regulations Use and disposal of sewage sludge Ambient aquatic life criteria Will significantly expand EPA’s existing PPCP scientific inventory 31

Preliminary Findings PPCP Inventory • 1537 Samples • 176 PPCP • 14 Media Types …applying science & technology to protect water quality 32

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What We Found So Far PPCP Inventory • • …applying science & technology to protect water quality • Analytical methods are highly variable Many found at ppt-ppb levels in the environment Locations are often vague or missing Results aren’t always presented as single values, but as a range or average, or in a graph One chemical can have many names, and they aren’t always easy to find 34

Alternate names for Triclosan • • 2, 4, 4’-Trichloro-2’hydroxydiphenyl ether 2'-hydroxy-2, 4, 4'trichlorodiphenyl ether 2'-hydroxy-2, 4, 4'-trichlorophenyl ether 5 -chloro-2 -(2, 4 dichlorophenoxy)phenol Cloxifenolum Irgasan CH 3635 Irgasan DP 300 • • trichloro-2'hydroxydiphenylether CH 3635 Microban DP-300 Lexol 300 Ster-Zac Cloxifenolum Biofresh 35

PPCP Inventory Next Steps • Gather and compile data needed for human health and ecological risk assessment – – • • • …applying science & technology to protect water quality Physical chemical property data Fate and transport data Bioaccumulation factors Human health benchmarks Consistent effort needed to keep up with publication rate PPCP/EC resource Invaluable input to decision processes – – – WQC DWS Biosolids 36

Better models Nutrients: Evaluating alternative approaches to model effects of nitrite oxidation in predicting concentrations Pathogen Risk: Develop quantitative microbial risk assessment options for assessing pathogen risks following exposure to land-applied biosolids Exposure: Develop/improve wastewater modeling options to estimate pollutant concentrations in biosolids …applying science & technology to protect water quality Bioassay: Evaluate available methods for applying screening approaches (e. g. , the WET test or reasonable facsimile thereof) for biosolids residual toxicity in effluents or sewage sludge Aggregate or mixed stressors: Utilize similar modes of action or chemistry to determine population and community effects 37

Better methods Chemicals in the environment • • Non-standardized methods Sometimes we don’t know More compounds in use • • Identify Prioritize § 100 PPCPs Fecal coliform (i. e. , 1680 and 1681) Salmonella spp. (i. e. , 1682) New holding time study Existing methods § § § Methods needed …applying science & technology to protect water quality § § § Viruses Ascaris (viable helminth ova) Plenty 38

Targeted National Biosolids Survey Why: • Response to the 2002 NRC report • Addressed a target list of pollutants identified in 2003 • Expanded the original survey scope to include semivolatiles, inorganic ions, PPDEs, and PPCPs Randomly selected POTWs • 84 samples collected • 74 facilities 39

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What about Certain Maximums? Calcium at 311, 000 mg/kg was from Class A sludge produced by advanced alkaline stabilization with subsequent drying. The alkaline stabilization process involves addition of large amounts of lime (calcium carbonate) to the material. Iron at 299, 000 mg/kg and elemental phosphorus at 118, 000 mg/kg occurred in the sample: • The facility adds ferric chloride during its wastewater treatment process • This treatment step results in high levels of iron and phosphorus …applying science & technology to protect water quality Silver at 856 mg/kg occurred in a sludge sample from a POTW that employs a “complete mix activated sludge process” • Could not easily ascertain source • Incineration 45

Comparison of Survey Maximums 46

Comparison of Mean Concentrations Dry Wt Metal 2006 - 1988 - 40 -City 2007 1989 Survey TNSSS 2003 Region 8 Data Arsenic (ug/kg) 7. 0 9. 9 6. 7 6. 0 Cadmium (mg/kg) 2. 7 6. 9 69 3. 0 Chromium (mg/kg) 83. 6 119 429 21. 7 Copper (mg/kg) 569 742 602 509 Lead (mg/kg) 79. 8 134 369 47. 5 Mercury (mg/kg) 1. 3 5. 22 2. 8 1. 4 Molybdenum 17 9. 4 17. 7 12. 0 Nickel (mg/kg) 53. 1 42. 7 135 16. 5 Selenium (mg/kg) 7. 2 5. 16 7. 3 9. 0 1029 1, 202 1, 594 650 (mg/kg) Zinc (mg/kg) 47

Summary • Have: little bits of activity ongoing in quite a lot of areas • Fact: we believe that Part 503 is protective, but much remains unknown • Need: focused Research in a few key areas to reduce our vulnerability in a few key areas o Treatment efficacy o Pathogen survival and natural attenuation o Pathogen emergence mechanisms o Pathogen uptake in plants • Why: • To ensure public health and environmental safety of …applying science & technology to protect water quality biosolids land application • To provide sound biosolids management options, as well as information about these options to the public 48

Quit treating biosolids like crap Rick Stevens U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water Office of Science and Technology Health and Ecological Criteria Division Washington, D. C. …applying science & technology to protect water quality 202 -566 -1135 stevens. rick@epa. gov