EPA Research Updates
To help address the impacts of wildfires on health and the environment, EPA researchers are examining long-term patterns in water quality after wildfires. An important first step is to establish baseline conditions by monitoring water quality before rains wash ash and sediment into the rivers. EPA began a field program in Oregon to sample the chemical composition of streams and rivers that drain fire-impacted watersheds and compare them with similar streams not affected by the fires.
After the events of September 11, 2001, government leaders were determined to prepare for and respond to potential future attacks. EPA established the National Homeland Security Research Center so that EPA’s scientific and technical expertise could be used by the nation to prepare for, respond to, and recover from potential chemical, biological, or radiological attacks. Read about the last twenty years of EPA's homeland security research.
In south central Oklahoma, where water and rainfall can be scarce, the Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer is a critical water source. For decades, EPA scientists in Ada, Oklahoma, have been working with federal, tribal, state, and academic partners to understand the impacts of human activities on the aquifer’s water quality and quantity.
Protect Your Groundwater Day on September 7 is an annual observance established to highlight the responsible development, management, and use of groundwater. Read about over 50 years of groundwater research from our Ada, Oklahoma lab.
EPA awarded over $7 million in funding to ten research projects that will address interventions and communication strategies to reduce exposure and the associated health risks from wildland fire smoke. Grantees will conduct research to understand what actions might be effective for reducing ambient and indoor exposures to wildland fire smoke and how best to communicate these actions to various groups.
EPA scientists provided technical support to Chemical Insights Research Institute Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) for safety testing of a popular do-it-yourself (DIY) air cleaner used to remove indoor smoke during wildfires. The cleaners are made by attaching a furnace filter to a box fan. The results, released by UL in a report and news release, found no observable fire hazards or human burn risks during testing. Learn more about the study and safety tips for using DIY air cleaners.
Meet Our Researchers
Meet EPA Scientist Randall R. Ross, Ph.D.
EPA hydrologist Dr. Randall Ross studies the impacts of enhanced aquifer recharge on groundwater quality and quantity using hydrogeologic, geophysical and geochemical methods. Learn more about his work.
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