During the first 3-1/2 years of the present five-year grant period (i.e., October, 1987, to the present), Project I.2 concentrated on methods for analyzing volatile and semivolatile toxicants in air samples, and application of the methods to the characterization of various effluents at or near sources and downward from them. During the renewal period, we will continue these efforts and will expand on the more promising methods and their applications. These methods include superficial fluid extraction (SFE) of air sampling media, and its interfacing with mutagen bioassay, immunoassay, and GC or GC-MS analysis. New directions for SFE will involve programmed extraction for fractionating mixtures and interfacing with other bioassays, including those using fish. Another promising line of study involved measuring flux using both aerodynamic and chamber methods, which will be continued with the addition of laboratory micro-chambers as field simulators, and in situ field flux analyses with a new FT-IR system. The remaining line to be continued-quantifying downwind distributions and their effects using fog sampling and indicator metabolites in humans-will be expanded to include marker chemicals indicative of toxic waste sites, combustion sources, vehicular exhaust, and other sources, and by interfacing with an ongoing project using wild sentinel animals as indicators of exposure and air quality. An expanded theme through all components of the project will be to determine the biological significance of airborne residues, by focusing on methods which can accommodate biological assay and by strengthened collaborations with other Superfund investigators having assessment capabilities. Specific objectives include the following: I. Develop methods for sampling and analyzing vapors of toxicants in the air overlying and downwind from waste sites. II. Develop methods for determining volatilization flux of chemicals from soil and water. III. Determine toxic residue content of ambient air, rainwater, and fogwater samples collected near waste disposal sites.
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