Laboratory Information:
National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory
109 T.W. Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Website: http://www.epa.gov/nheerl/
Agency/Department: Environmental Protection Agency
Region: Southeast
FLC Laboratory Representative:
Ms. Frances Richards
Phone: 919-541-3453
Fax: 919-541-2581
Email: richards.frances@epa.gov
Background/History of the Laboratory:
The United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) functions as both a
scientific and regulatory agency of the United States.
Research conducted under the EPA's Office of Research and
Development (ORD) provides the basis for the formulation of
environmental policies and programs. ORD's National
Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, with
its headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C., plays a
vital role in the scientific research mission at EPA. The
National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory
is the Agency's focal point for scientific research on
the effects of contaminants and environmental stressors on
human health and ecosystem integrity. Its research mission
and goals help the Agency to identify and understand the
processes that affect our health and environment, and helps
the Agency to evaluate the risks that pollution poses to
humans and ecosystems. The impact of NHEERL's efforts can
be felt far beyond the EPA, by enabling state and local
governments to implement effective environmental programs,
assisting industry in setting and achieving environmental
goals, and collaborating with international governments and
organizations on issues of environmental importance. In
addition to its own internal research focus, the Laboratory
fosters cooperative research projects with academic and other
scientific institutions which compliment the objectives of
the EPA, while ensuring that the Agency receives the benefit
of the highest quality peer-reviewed science. NHEERL conducts
a multi disciplinary research program that strives to reduce
the uncertainties inherent in assessing risk. These
uncertainties vary in scope from fundamental scientific
questions requiring sustained, long-term research strategies
to Congressionally-mandated investigations that demand an
immediate response. Accordingly, NHEERL balances long-term
and short-term research objectives, combining elements of
both basic and applied sciences to provide a unique blend of
research capabilities.
Mission of the Laboratory:
NHEERL is the
focal point for toxicological, clinical, epidemiological,
ecological, and biogeographic research within the
Environmental Protection Agency. To improve the scientific
underpinnings of EPA's risk assessments and regulatory
policy decisions, NHEERL scientists create and apply:
biological assays and toxicologic assessment methods;
predictive pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic models; ecosystem
function theory; and advanced extrapolation methods. In
addition to its intramural research, the NHEERL fosters
cooperative research projects with academic and other
scientific institutions to complement NHEERL mission-oriented
efforts as well as to insure that the Agency has the benefit
of the highest quality peer-reviewed science. Long- term
research components define and characterize toxicological
hazards, quantify dose response and other important
cause-effect relationships, and assess the integrity and
sustainability of ecosystems. In addition, NHEERL scientists
serve as scientific advisors/reviewers in providing technical
assistance to Program Offices, Regions, States, Tribes, other
ORD national laboratories, senior Agency managers, Agency
workgroups, and interagency task forces. NHEERL also provides
national and international leadership in identifying and
resolving important human and ecological issues and by
influencing the research planning/priorities of other
research organizations. NHEERL's mission embraces three
objectives. Pursuit of these objectives enable NHEERL to
secure and expand its position as a premier environmental
research institution: perform human health and ecological
effects research of the highest scientific quality in support
of the risk assessment needs of the Agency; demonstrate
leadership in identifying, studying, and resolving important
environmental health and ecological effects issues and in
establishing the environmental research agenda; and provide
scientific and technical assistance to EPA Program and
Regional Offices and to local, state, regional, national, and
international governments and organizations.
Facilities:
Technology Transfer Mechanisms:
- Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs)
- Technical Assistance
Technology Areas of Expertise:
- Human health risk
- Children's health
- Clean/safe water
- Contaminated sediments
- Particulate matter
- Predicting Effects
- Predicting Residues
- Quality environmental information
- Reducing global risks
- Resuspension
- Safe communities
- Safe land
- Sound science
- Environmental stressors on human health
