Renewable Resources Journal 1 ABOUT RNRF
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RENERENEWWABLEABLE RESOURRESOURCESCES JOURNALJOURNAL ® VOLUME 23 NUMBER 4 WINTER 2005 CONTENTS News and Announcements ......................................................................... 3 Articles: “Emerging” Chemicals as Pollutants in the Environment: a 21st Century Perspective................................................................... 6 Christian G. Daughton Meetings, Workshops & Symposia.......................................................... 24 International News................................................................................... 29 WWW.RNRF.ORG Winter 2005 renewable Resources Journal 1 ABOUT RNRF Purposes Programs The Renewable Natural Resources Foundation (RNRF) RNRF conducts national meetings, congressional forums, was incorporated in Washington, D.C., in 1972, as a non- public-policy round tables and briefings, and international profit, public, tax-exempt, operating foundation. It was es- outreach activities. It also conducts an annual awards pro- tablished to: gram to recognize outstanding per- sonal, project and journalistic achieve- MEMBER • Advance sciences and public edu- ORGANIZATIONS ments. More information about cation in renewable natural re- RNRF’s programs is available at sources; American www.rnrf.org. • Promote the application of sound Fisheries Society Renewable Resources Journal, first scientific practices in managing American published in 1982, promotes commu- and conserving renewable natural Geophysical Union nication among RNRF’s represented resources; disciplines. The journal is provided to • Foster coordination and coopera- American the governing bodies of RNRF mem- tion among professional, scientific Meteorological Society ber organizations, members of the U.S. and educational organizations hav- American Society of Congress and committee staffs with ju- ing leadership responsibilities for Civil Engineers risdiction over natural resources, fed- renewable natural resources; eral agencies, and universities. Tables and American Society of of contents of all volumes of the jour- • Develop a Renewable Natural Re- Landscape Architects nal are available at RNRF’s web site. sources Center. American Water Resources Association Center Development The foundation represents a unique, united endeavor by outdoor scientists Estuarine The Renewable Natural Resources to cooperate in assessing our renew- Research Federation Center is being developed as an office able resources requirements and formu- International Society and environmental center for RNRF’s lating public policy alternatives. of Arboriculture members and other nonprofit organi- zations. The Center is located on a 35- Membership Society for acre site in Bethesda, Maryland, where Range Management lawns and forested buffers provide an RNRF’s members are professional, Society of Environmental exceptional work environment. The site scientific and educational organiza- Toxicology and Chemistry is the former family estate of Dr. Gil- tions interested in sustaining the bert H. Grosvenor, of the National Geo- world’s renewable natural resources. Society of graphic Society. The foundation is governed by a board Wood Science and Technology The master site plan for the Center of directors comprised of a represen- Soil and Water contemplates additional construction— tative from each member organization. Conservation Society including a 16,500 square foot confer- The directors also may elect “public ence and common-services facility. interest members” of the board. Board Universities Council Organizations may either lease or pur- members are listed on the back cover on Water Resources chase their offices. The Center cur- of the journal. Individuals may become The Wildlife Society rently has approximately 52,500 square Associates for an annual contribution feet of office space. of $50 or more. 2 renewable Resources Journal Winter 2005 “Emerging” Chemicals as Pollutants in the Environment: a 21st Century Perspective Christian G. Daughton Editor's Note—Pesticides, pharma- RNRF’s upcoming Congress on Assess- taminants are regulated under interna- ceuticals, industrial chemicals, ing and Mitigating Environmental Im- tional, federal, and state programs, nanoparticles, and personal care prod- pacts of Emerging Contaminants, these represent but a minuscule frac- ucts are being detected increasingly scheduled for December 1-2, 2005, in tion of the universe of chemicals that throughout the environment. These sub- Washington, D.C. occur in the environment as a result of stances are being detected in tissues both natural processes and human ac- of humans, terrestrial animals, amphib- Abstract tivities. This array of chemical pollut- ians, and fish. We believe that a basic ants (or occupational hazards) might understanding of existing and poten- Defying comprehension is the com- at first seem large, but it pales com- tial threats posed by these substances plexity of the chemical sea that sur- pared with the universe of known has become prerequisite knowledge for rounds, sustains, and constitutes all life. chemicals, and would become insig- natural resources managers, profes- From this sea, never-ending challenges nificant if compared with those chemi- sionals in related disciplines, and those are faced by organisms striving to de- cals yet-to-be identified, waiting to be in government whose decisions affect fend against those multitudes of chemi- synthesized, and that are just now monitoring and regulatory activities. cals that cause cellular stress or harm. “emerging.” A key assumption is im- Thus, we have dedicated this issue of Biological mechanisms have evolved plicit in the limited and selective lists the Renewable Resources Journal to an for maintaining organism homeostasis or menus of chemicals targeted by expansive overview of the extent and during contact with these harmful sub- regulations—namely that these are in- nature of challenges we face. The next stances. Most of these chemical stres- deed the chemicals responsible for the issue of our journal will extend the ex- sors have long existed or are produced most significant share of risk to eco- amination by presenting findings and by myriads of human activities. How- logical integrity, economic impair- recommendations stemming from ever, for those chemicals that are rela- ment, and human health. Given the tively new to the world, the mecha- myriads of other chemicals that are nisms for homeostasis maintenance are ignored or escape notice by regulatory Daughton is chief, Environmental not necessarily adequate. Chemicals processes, a multitude of questions can Chemistry Branch, U.S. Environmen- for which organisms have had the least be posed regarding society’s relation- tal Protection Agency. This article has time to adapt are those that only re- ship with chemical pollutants, particu- been subjected to peer review. The cently have emerged as environmental larly with respect to whether a more United States Environmental Protec- contaminants. holistic understanding of risk might be tion Agency through its Office of Re- Essentially limitless combinations of required. With the immense size of the search and Development funded and a very small set of atomic elements can chemical universe, this is a daunting managed the research described here. yield a seemingly infinite number of challenge. How would we know when It has been subjected to the agency’s unique chemicals—a universe known we have narrowed the chemical uni- administrative review and approved for as “chemical space.” Although thou- verse to the most significant hazards publication as an EPA document. sands of chemical pollutants or con- worthy of our attention? Not necessar- 6 renewable Resources Journal Winter 2005 ily will the continued emergence of and its ramifications. More emphasis elucidated but which have long been new pollutants pose the biggest chal- needs to be placed on non-regulated present. There are a number of differ- lenge. A larger unknown might be the pollutants, especially those considered ent perspectives from which to view the occurrence of myriads of chemicals to be “emerging.” Over the last few many dimensions of “emerging” that remain hidden from our view. Per- years, the appellation “emerging” has (Daughton, comp. 2005a). One ex- haps more daunting will be gaining a been applied to chemical pollutants ample is that of PPCPs (pharmaceuti- better understanding of the unantici- with such frequency that its meaning cals and personal care products; see pated ways in which these substances is becoming confused. In reality, those Daughton, comp. 2005b), which in- can interact with the environment and pollutants that are truly “emerging” clude many substances that long have the creation of a new paradigm for their (for example, those that have just been present in the environment but management or stewardship. Adding gained entry to the environment be- whose presence and significance only yet additional challenge is the emerg- cause they are new to commerce) are now are beginning to be elucidated. ing realization that society is averse to sometimes confused with those whose “Emerging” also sometimes is intended exposure to certain chemicals, even in environmental presence just has been not to refer to the pollutant itself, but the absence of any hazard, simply be- cause these chemicals occur where they Table 1. Some Groupings of Chemical Pollutants. are not expected or desired—the chemical equivalent of “weeds.” Confusion results from their intersections and acronyms. Outlined in this paper is a sampling