News
features MTBE—To What Extent Will Past Releases Contaminate Community Water Supply Wells? • 210A • The widely used gasoline additive MTBE has b e e n found in grounda n d surface waters and poses a threat to the nation's c o m m u n i t y water supply wells. Richard Johnson, James Pankow, David Bender, Curtis Price, and John Zogorski make the case for an improved understanding of factors affecting the magnitude of the problem.
Managing China's Water Resources • 218A Although it has the fourth largest water resource in the world, nearly half of China's cities face water shortages. Maria Burke discusses the challenging water resource m a n a g e m e n t issues the nation will need to address as its e c o n o m y strengthens.
What Fate for Brominated Fire Retardants? • 222A Concern is m o u n t i n g over the widespread distribution a n d environm e n t a l effects of p o l y b r o m i n a t e d diphenyl ether flame retardants. Rebecca Renner describes their occurrence, m a n a g e m e n t , a n d actions being considered to address potential e n v i r o n m e n t a l a n d health impacts.
• This article is also available at http://pubs.acs.org under "Hot Articles".
1 9 4 A • MAY 1, 2000 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / NEWS
Romanian gold mine spill spotlights missing environmental controls • 202A European Union lawmakers are taking stock of environmental hotspots and proposing measures to plug gaping holes in the regulation of the hardrock mining industry following a mine collapse that sent tons of cyanide and heavy metals into neighboring countries.
Natural attenuation's popularity ahead of the science, NRC concludes • 203A Remediators, and especially EPA, are applying natural attenuation far too often, according to a report from the National Research Council. In many cases, its use is approved for contaminants that are active research topics.
U.K. "Superfund" program now in play • 204A A new regulatory regime to clean up England's contaminated land requires local authorities to identify the original polluter, who must agree to a locally developed cleanup plan and pay for the remediation costs.
Ethanol producers reap the rewards of MTBE troubles • 205A
Fuel industry analysts agree that in the next two to four years, ethanol production could expand to fill the nation's reformulated gasoline needs.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY May 1, 2000 • Vol. 34, No. 9
Research at a Glance
Departments
New events through July 2000
Air pollutants, analysis, 1821 Alkenes, reactions, 1702 Analine, soil, 1687 Antarctica, pollution, 1659 Bacteria, characterization, 1694 Bacteria, complexes, 1715 Butyltin, blood, 1877,1879 CCI4, degradation, 1751 Chlorination, byproducts, 1721 Chloroorganics, kinetics, 1794 Chloroorganics, mammals, 1615 Colloids, clarification, 1806 DDT, photodegradation, 1663 Disinfection byproducts, 1813 Ducks, contaminants, 1856 Ethoxylates, biodegradation, 1737 Fuels, weathering, 1671 Humic substance, analysis, 1636 Kraft pulp liquors, 1742 Landfill, toxicity, 1642 Mercury, sediments, 1871 Metals, phytoextraction, 1778 Nitrobenzene, degradation, 1758 PAHs, sediments, 1729 Particulates, speciation, 1653 PCBs, herring gulls, 1609 PCBs, mass balance, 1833 Perchlorate, analysis, 1862 POPs, model, 1842 Sediments, contaminants, 1620 Sludge, incineration, 1772 Soil, toxicity, 1865 Solvents, treatment, 1784 Strontium, analysis, 1679 Styrene, biofiltration, 1764 SVOCs, properties, 1707 Textile dyes, degradation, 1747 Toxaphene, contamination, 1851 Toxaphene, wetland, 1627
Classifieds • 231A
The table of contents of research papers in this issue begins on page 197A.
Comment • 200A Globalization and other changes
Accounting for biodiversity • 205A
A new National Research Council report says human activities are driving the extinction of between one-third and twothirds of all species, and it calls for immediate action to account for the full economic costs of resource exploitation.
Aiding the business of climate change • 206A A new Internet tool launched in March helps businesses assess their sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The reality that only a dozen companies have completed corporate-wide greenhouse gas inventories attests to the importance of providing seemingly basic information.
Technology Solutions • 221A Green building's clean air could help set indoor standards
EPA Watch • 208A Pressure to set controversial arsenic standard increases • White House vows to remove MTBE from gasoline supplies • Guidance aimed at updating tests for waterborne diseases
Research Watch • 227A PCBs and diet • Toxicity of landfill leachate
Online/In Print • 229A Web sites and new books
Meeting Calendar • 230A
Environmental career opportunities • Advertiser index
Web site launch cools public support for U.K. chemical manufacturers • 207A Activists launch a new Web site listing emissions from Britain's "filthiest factories" to drum up support for a government-sponsored air pollution inventory.
Cover: Jim Pankow and co-workers suggest that widespread MTBE contamination poses a substantial threat to community water supply wells across the nation. (Artwork by Hamid Ghanadan) 34(9) 193A-232A/1609-1880 ISSN 0013 936X
MAY 1, 2000 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / NEWS • 1 9 5 A
