title: Toward identifying the next generation of superfund and hazardous waste site contaminants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This commentary evolved from a workshop sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences titled "Superfund Contaminants: The Next Generation" held in Tucson, Arizona, in August 2009. All the authors were workshop participants.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to initiate a dynamic, adaptable process for identifying contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) that are likely to be found in future hazardous waste sites, and to identify the gaps in primary research that cause uncertainty in determining future hazardous waste site contaminants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Superfund-relevant CECs can be characterized by specific attributes: They are persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic, occur in large quantities, and have localized accumulation with a likelihood of exposure. Although still under development and incompletely applied, methods to quantify these attributes can assist in winnowing down the list of candidates from the universe of potential CECs. Unfortunately, significant research gaps exist in detection and quantification, environmental fate and transport, health and risk assessment, and site exploration and remediation for CECs. Addressing these gaps is prerequisite to a preventive approach to generating and managing hazardous waste sites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A need exists for a carefully considered and orchestrated expansion of programmatic and research efforts to identify, evaluate, and manage CECs of hazardous waste site relevance, including developing an evolving list of priority CECs, intensifying the identification and monitoring of likely sites of present or future accumulation of CECs, and implementing efforts that focus on a holistic approach to prevention.
authors.affiliation: Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA. wela@engr.arizona.edu
authors.forename: Wendell P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Ela
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Sedlak
authors.forename: Morton A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Barlaz
authors.forename: Heather F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Derek C G
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Muir
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Swackhamer
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: P Lee
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: Edward T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Furlong
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Giesy
authors.forename: Rolf U
authors.initials: RU
authors.lastname: Halden
authors.forename: Tala
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Ronald A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hites
authors.forename: Keri C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hornbuckle
authors.forename: Philip H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Luthy
authors.forename: Anita K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: A Eduardo
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Sáez
authors.forename: Frederick S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Vom Saal
authors.forename: Chris D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Vulpe
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Wiesner
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D006256:Hazardous Waste / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006256:Hazardous Waste