TOPIC OF CONCERN - Household & Hazarous Waste
Our Involvement | Research | Other Resources
Our Involvement
Superfund Basic Research Program
Scientists at the University of Washington's Superfund Basic Research Program are refining methods that use trees and bacteria to clean up toxic waste, and studying how exposure to chemicals that commonly occur at Superfund waste sites, such as mercury and trichloroethylene, may affect humans and wildlife.
The program, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, is a collaboration between our department and the UW departments of Civil Engineering, Biochemistry, Forestry, and Epidemiology.
Hazardous Waste Training
The department's continuing education program provides courses for federal, state and local agency personnel and other professionals engaged in handling and managing hazardous substances. The program also works with local agencies to coordinate their responses to hazardous materials incidents.
The 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations (HAZWOPER) class trains workers for jobs at hazardous waste sites. Other courses include hazardous materials transportation, process safety management, and sampling for hazardous materials.
These and other courses are listed.
Institute for Risk Assessment and Risk Communication
For more than 20 years, our faculty has taught a multidisciplinary risk assessment course, which was the first of its kind in the United States. In 1997, this course became the foundation of our department's Risk Emphasis certificate program.
Our Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication (IRARC) is committed to improving public health through research that strengthens the scientific methods used in risk assessment and risk communication. IRARC conducts molecular and cellular laboratory research, develops mechanistic models of toxicity, and translates findings into effective education and intervention programs. Website
Faculty
- Tom Burbacher
- Harvey Checkoway
- Elaine Faustman
- Richard Gleason
- David A. Kalman
- John Kissel
- Charles D. (Chuck) Treser
- James Woods
Courses
- ENV H 440 Water, Wastewater and Health
- ENV H 445 Solid Waste Management
- ENV H 446 Hazardous Waste Management
- ENV H 512 Waste Management, Recycling, and Pollution Control
- ENV H 545 Water, Wastewater and Health
- Continuing Education courses including:
- Certified Hazardous Materials Managers National Overview
- Annual Hazardous Waste Refreshers
- Hazardous Materials Incidents: Improving Interagency Response
- OSHA 2015, Hazardous Materials
Services
- Community Outreach and Education Program
- Environmental Health Voices Listserv (to subscribe please e-mail listproc@u.washington.edu with the following message in the first line of the body: subscribe ehvoices (your e-mail))
News Coverage
Training on the Edge — In Alaska. Environmental Health News Spring/Summer 2005
Basic Research & Superfund, Environmental Health News Spring/Summer 2002
Sixth grade science class: Chat on cleaning toxic waste with trees
Research Papers
Judd NL, Drew CH, Acharya C, Mitchell TA, Donatuto JL, Burns GW, Burbacher TM, Faustman EM. Marine Resources for Future Generations. Framing scientific analyses for risk management of environmental hazards by communities: case studies with seafood safety issues. Environ Health Perspect. 2005; 113(11):1502-1508.
Judd NL, Griffith WC, Faustman EM. Consideration of cultural and lifestyle factors in defining susceptible populations for environmental disease. Toxicology. 2004; 198(1-3):121-33.
Judd NL, Griffith WC, Faustman EM. Contribution of PCB Exposure from fish consumption to total dioxin-like dietary exposure. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2004; 40(2)-125-135.
Judd NL, Karr JR, Griffith WC, Faustman EM. Challenges in defining background levels for human and ecological risk assessments. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 2003; (7):1623-1632.
