EPA Research in Tennessee

EPA researchers are working hard to protect communities across the nation. Learn about some of the work EPA researchers are doing in Tennessee.

• Response to Ricin Contamination
• Understanding Air Pollution
• Stream Monitoring Network
• Sourcing Urban Soil Contaminants to Improve Cleanup
• Helping Community Drinking Water Systems Find Cost-Effective Solutions to Treatment Challenges

For more EPA work, see EPA in Tennessee.

Response to Ricin Contamination

Ricin is a deadly biological toxin that is easily produced from castor beans, making it one of the most worrisome biological threat agents. In response to an increase in ricin incidents, including an incident in Tennessee, EPA researchers in the Office of Research and Development developed innovative solutions that led to significantly shortened response times and decreased costs and resources required for ricin incidents. This work provided the federal government with important new capabilities for helping states and local communities respond to ricin incidents.

Understanding Air Pollution

During the summer of 2013, some 60 atmospheric scientists converged in Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina to study everything they could about the physical and chemical interactions of many pollutants in the atmosphere. This collaborative field project, supported by EPA, NOAA, and the National Science Foundation, generated more than 111 published papers, providing a wealth of data and findings that have been made available to the public and an improved understanding of aerosol processes in the southeastern U.S. Read Understanding Air Pollution in the Southeastern United States.

Stream Monitoring Network

EPA's Office of Research and Development is working with EPA regions, states (including TN Department of Environment & Conservation), Tribes, river basin commissions and other entities to establish Regional Monitoring Networks for freshwater wadeable streams. The objectives are to collect long-term biological, thermal, hydrologic, physical habitat and water chemistry data to document baseline conditions across sites and detect long-term changes. This data can be used for many purposes, including informing water quality and biological criteria development and setting protection planning priorities, refining lists of biological, thermal and hydrologic indicators, and detecting trends in commonly used water quality and biological indicators. 

Sourcing Urban Soil Contaminants to Improve Cleanup

Identifying the source of soil contaminants is vital to decision-making during an environmental cleanup. That's why EPA scientists partnered with several southeastern states, including Tennessee, to figure out how urban background contaminants differ from industrial waste at urban sites. Read Sourcing Urban Soil Contaminants to Improve Cleanup.

Helping Community Drinking Water Systems Find Cost-Effective Solutions to Treatment Challenges

Emerging contaminants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are challenging to drinking water systems across the country. Effective treatment for emerging contaminants can be unknown, difficult, and extremely costly. Working with the state of Tennessee, EPA researchers are providing technical assistance to a medium-sized community water system with PFAS concerns to help them identify optimal, cost-effective treatment methods and optimize the long-term operation of their chosen technology. These efforts will also be used to develop best practices and performance and cost estimate tools so water utilities across the country can make informed treatment and operational choices. Read Technical Assistance for Treatment Options to Remove Emerging Contaminants.