Nanotechnology Grants Research and other NanoActivities at EPA Barbara Karn, PhD US Environmental Protection Agency Off

1. Nanotechnology Grants Research and other NanoActivities at EPA Barbara Karn, PhD US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development National Center for Environmental Research Monday, November 18, 2002 US Department of Agriculture

2. EPA's Mission: Protect human health and safeguard the natural environment — air, water, land — upon which life depends.

3. EPA Organization and Goals EPA's 10 Strategic Goals: • Clean Air • Clean and Safe Water • Safe Food • Preventing Pollution and Reducing Risk in Communities, homes, Workplaces and Ecosystems • Better Waste Management and Restoration of Contaminated Waste Sites • Reduction of Global and Cross Border Environmental Risks • Expansion of Americans’ Right-to-Know • Sound Science, Improved Understanding of Environmental Risk and Innovation to Address Environmental Problems • A Credible Deterrent to Pollution and Greater Compliance with the Law • Effective Management

4. The National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) • ORD provides the leadership in science and conducts most of EPA’s research and development • NCER is one of two Centers that, together with three National Laboratories, comprise the Office of Research and Development • NCER is ORD’s extramural research arm • ORD’s research budget is approx. $550 million, with $100 million for competitive extramural grants and fellowships (STAR) • ORD in cooperation with other EPA offices selects topics for research in the STAR program

5. STAR Program • Established in 1995 as part of the overall reorganization of ORD • Mission: include this country’s universities and non-profit centers in EPA’s research program and to ensure the best possible quality of science in areas of highest risk and greatest importance to the Agency • Award about $100 million annually • Manage about 1000 active research grants and fellowships • Each year: receive 3000-3500 grant applications; make about 300 new STAR awards

6. NCER’s Extramural Programs Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Targeted Research Grants through Requests for ApplicationsRFAs-Directed specifically towards national environmental science needs as related to the mission of EPA: Topics selected to complement in-house research program Exploratory/Futures Grants-General Solicitation in broad areas related to mission of the Agency----NANOTECHNOLOGY Joint Solicitations with other Agencies -Topics complement partner’s in-house research program Competed Centers Earmarked Centers Hazardous Substance Research Centers EPSCoR Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Contracts

7. Environmental Challenges for the 21st Century… Maintaining and Improving Soil, Water, and Air Quality “Asian Brown Cloud”, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) • Emissions of Airborne Gaseous and Particulate Matter • Oil and Chemical Spills • Abandoned Industrial and Mining Sites Pesticide and Fertilizer Runoff

8. …and the Promising Role of Nanotechnology Pollution Prevention Treatment/ Remediation • Improve environmental technologies (treatment, remediation, sensing) • Improve manufacturing processes (efficiency, waste reduction) • Dematerialization Sensors

9. The scale of things 1 nm = 10-9 m

10. EPA Nanotechnology Activities Environmental Applications ? ? • First RFA • Synthesis and Processing; • Characterization and Manipulation; • Modeling and Simulation; • Device and System Concepts ? EPA Grantees’ workshop, August 28-29, 2002 ? ? Third RFA Health Effects of Manufactured Nanomaterials SBIR Nanomaterials and Clean Technologies Applications and Implications Implications • ACS Symposium-March 2003; • AIChE sessions Nov. 2003 • Interagency Environmental Conference-Summer 2003 • Second RFA • Environmentally Benign Manufacturing and Processing; • Remediation/Treatment; • Sensors; • Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology Building a Green Nanotech Community- ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIENCE

11. 1st Nano RFA Opened January, 2001; Closed June, 2001 82 Proposals Received 16 Grantees supported $5.8 M for 3-year research grants, averaging over $370.7K

12. Example EPA STAR Research Sensors Nanostructured microcantilever for sensing single microbe Catalytic Nanostructures • Transition metal carbide and oxycarbide nanoparticles for exhaust gas treatement. • Replace use of expensive Pt-group metals Ismat Shah, U Delaware A microcantilever (made from nanoparticles) is used to detect and manipulate nanosized biological contaminants. Applicable for miniaturization of detection technology Wan Y. Shih, Drexel University

13. Sensors Molecular electronics Nanoscale electrodes on a silicon chip used to detect a few metal ions without preconcentration. Suitable for on-site detection of ultratrace levels of heavy metal ions including radioactive Nongjian Tao, Arizona State Heavy Metals Nanostructured porous silicon with nanowire coatings used for realtime, remote and industiral process control of specified heavy metals William Trogler, UC San Diego Nanowire sensor for explosives Cross-sectional electron micrograph of luminescent porous silicon.

14. Treatment/Remediation Photocatalysts • Ag/Au@TiO2 nanoparticles for remediation of environmental pollutants in water. • Uses energy of visible sunlight for photochemical reaction. George Chumanov, Clemson University • Bioderived nanosized catalysts • Chemical degradation processes in soil or water. Daniel Strongin, Temple U

15. Treatment/Remediation Reductive dechlorination of organic pollutants in water or soil using nanosize FeS clusters immobilized in dendrimer nanostructures Mamadou Diallo, Howard U Membrane and Polymer-Based Nanostructures Utilization of a non-toxic polymer to bind heavy metals like arsenic in water or soil Wilfred Chen, UC Riverside Heavy-metal binding Dechlorination Nanoparticles immobilized in membrane for treatment of hazardous organics in water. Use may lead to miniaturization of dechlorination reactor systems. Dibakar Bhattacharyya, U Kentucky

16. Green Synthesis of Nanoparticles Exploring how to stabilize nanoparticles without harmful additives (make “bare" nanoparticles) that would pollute water, and soil. Darrell Velegol, Penn State “Sense and Shoot” Multifunctionality Green Catalysis • Green selective oxidation reactions in cation-exchanged zeolites • NOx emission abatement • Decomposition of organic contaminants water or air. Sarah Larsen, U Iowa Composite carbon nanotube/magnetic nanoparticle structures that can both detect and treat contaminants in water or air Wolfgang Sigmund, U Florida

17. Opened: February 13, 2002 - Closed: July 1, 2002 Over 130 applications Fall peer review with awards early 2003 2nd--2002 solicitation 3rd--2003 solicitation Beginning writing; expect RFA in April/May 2003 Health Effects of Manufactured Nanomaterials

18. NANOTECH GRANTEES’ CONFERENCE AUGUST 28/29,2002 Proceedings available soon

19. EPA/USDA areas for coordination and cooperation: Monitoring/Sensing: Safe food, Runoff, Land/soil, Water bodies Treatment/remediation: Feedlots, Agricultural products, Ponds, Drinking water Pollution Prevention: Agribusiness, Agricultural chemical use, Renewable feedstocks

20. Contact us: WWW.EPA.GOV/NCER Barbara Karn karn.barbara@epa.gov