Research Project Summaries

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The research project summary is a 3-5 page document providing a brief, general overview of the project.

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Browsing Research Project Summaries by Date "2003-05"

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    Ambient Levels of Metals in New Jersey Soils: Research Project Summary
    (Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Technology, 2003-05) Sanders, Paul F.
    Between 1996 and 2001, three studies were conducted to determine the ambient levels of extractable metals in New Jersey soils. These studies were conducted to gather information to support the development of soil cleanup criteria, which cannot be set below ambient levels. A total of 248 soil samples were taken from the urban Piedmont region, the urban Coastal Plain region, and rural regions of the Valley and Ridge, Highlands, and Coastal Plain provinces. Local or point sources of contamination were avoided by the use of Geographic Information System databases and by following sample location guidelines in the field. Surface soil samples (0-6”) were analyzed for acid-extractable Target Analyte List (TAL) metals using USEPA SW-846 methods that are normally used to conduct initial investigations at hazardous waste sites. With one exception, median and 90th percentile concentrations of all metals were below current soil cleanup criteria. The exception was the 90th percentile arsenic concentration from the urban Piedmont study, which slightly exceeded the arsenic criterion. Otherwise, only certain individual samples contained metal concentrations above current criteria. A single rural soil sample yielded a beryllium concentration slightly above the corresponding criterion. For the urban Coastal Plain study, three of the 91 samples contained levels of arsenic above the current criterion. The urban Piedmont study yielded eight samples out of 67 where levels of arsenic or lead exceeded the criteria.
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    Communicating Status and Trends in Environmental Quality : Reactions of Legislative Staff, Reporters, Activists, and Citizens: Research Project Summary
    (Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Technology, 2003-05) Johnson, Branden B.; Chess, Caron; Gibson, Ginger
    When agencies wish to communicate the status or trend in an environmental condition (for example, whether ozone levels currently exceed the federal ambient standard; whether ozone levels have been declining in the past 20 years), they often use quantitative information, particularly in the form of a chart or graph. This research project explored how various audiences would react to visual presentations of status and trend measures across a variety of environmental topics (air quality, drinking water quality, endangered species, etc.). The general reaction was positive, although people attentive to government (legislative staff, reporters, activists) were more skeptical about the information than were ordinary citizens. Making status and trend presentations understandable and accurate can be a problem, and many citizens made the error of inferring local environmental conditions from measures that used statewide data only.
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    Cultural Uses of Mercury in New Jersey: Research Project Summary
    (Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Technology, 2003-05) Stern, Alan H.; Gochfeld, Michael; Riley, Donna; Newby, Alison; Leal, Tomas; Garetano, Gary
    This study has two components: 1. Interviews with practitioners of Santeria and related practices 2. Survey of air mercury levels in buildings located in Hudson County. Twenty-two Santeria “priests” (i.e., Santeros), practitioners and/or botanica owners in Hudson County, NJ, were interviewed to determine their knowledge and use of mercury. Of the 21 interviewed, 17 used mercury in some form. All the interviewees, however, denied recommending or endorsing sprinkling of mercury or recommending that clients use mercury on their own. This, however, does not preclude independent, or more cultural uses of mercury by individuals. While initial indications pointed toward Caribbean and/or AfroCuban mercury-related practices, seven of those using mercury in rituals were from Mexico, Central America, or South America. In addition, anecdotal information from interviewees suggests that informal practices with mercury may specifically be part of Dominican cultural practices. Measurements of mercury concentration in air were obtained in the hallways of 34, and in the entrance vestibules of an additional 33 multi-family apartment buildings in Union City and West New York (Hudson County), NJ, using a highly sensitive Lumex portable mercury analyzer. Comparison buildings in Montclair, NJ, were also analyzed. In Hudson County the maximum building hallway concentration (as a possible indicator of mercury use in apartments) was significantly greater than the mean outdoor concentration in 38% of the surveyed buildings. In two buildings the maximum hallway concentration exceeded the U.S.EPA’s Reference Concentration (RfC) guideline of 300 ng/m3 although levels were significantly decreased on subsequent visits. Elevated hallway levels appear to result from specific apartments. These results suggest higher concentrations of mercury vapor in apartments. These results are consistent with intentional mercury use inside at least some of the buildings surveyed, but may also be consistent with recent data on indoor background levels resulting from historic spills.
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    Emergency Room Visits and Hospital Admissions of Asthmatics in NJ as an Indicator of Ozone Exposure: Research Project Summary
    (Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Technology, 2003-05) Stern, Alan H.; Weisel, Clifford P.; Cody, Ronald
    The goal of air pollution reduction strategies in NJ is not merely to achieve regulatory compliance, but also to protect the public health of its citizens. It is therefore important to evaluate progress in ozone reduction by examining the extent to which health effects associated with ozone are being reduced. Previous studies have established an association between atmospheric ozone concentrations and severe asthma symptoms (those resulting in emergency room (ER) visits or hospital admissions for asthma). Daily ER visit and hospital admissions data for asthma are compared to NJ maximum daily 8-hour ozone concentrations while also accounting for daily temperature, pollen, and spore data to determine the extent of association between ozone and asthma and to investigate possible trends in ozone-related asthma for the period 1995-1999. During this period no consistent trend is evident. In some years, ozone accounted for 1-10% of ER visits or hospital admissions for asthma. In some years, however, no significant association was observed. A statistical model incorporating data for all years during this period indicates a significant association between ER visits for asthma and the previous 24 hour maximum 8-hour ozone concentrations, and between hospital admissions for asthma, and previous 24, and 48 hour maximum 8-hour ozone concentrations. In both cases ozone accounted for about 1% of ER visits or hospital admissions for asthma. These data further suggest the existence of a threshold for severe asthma symptoms related to ozone in NJ in the range of 60-80 ppb. The upper end of this range is consistent with the current USEPA 8-hour ozone standard. These results suggest that, in general, current ozone levels in NJ are close to the threshold for detecting an association with severe asthma symptoms. Continued reductions in ozone levels can further reduce the remaining associations. Further prospective and retrospective analysis can clarify the nature of the ozone-asthma relationship in NJ and can help determine when ozone levels are sufficiently low to eliminate all detectable associations.
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    Perceived Impacts of Fish Consumption Advisories on the Recreational Fishing Boat Industry in New Jersey: Research Project Summary
    (Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Technology, 2003-05) Johnson, Branden B.; Burger, Joanna; Shukla, Sheila; Gochfeld, Michael
    Captains of New Jersey party and charter fishing boats were interviewed about fish consumption advisories, to address a charge to the New Jersey Mercury Task Force to identify economic impacts of such advisories. Overall, boat captains identified advisories as a moderate influence on their business, less important than market forces and fish management regulations, and those who thought it was a strong factor were not more likely to specialize in species subject to mercury or PCB advisories than were other captains. Boat captains had a mix of correct and incorrect views about fish consumption advisories, which may affect the advisory knowledge of many salt-water recreational anglers. Education directed at party and charter boat captains could be important in educating salt-water anglers about fish consumption advisories.