About EPA

About the National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL): Systems Exposure Division (SED)

What We Do

The Systems Exposure Division (SED) integrates exposure data, tools, methods and models to assess cumulative exposures to humans and ecosystems. This assessment uses systems-based approaches to organize current knowledge, simulate potential futures and synthesize results. SED translates information into decision-making frameworks that integrate human and ecological, multimedia, socio-economic and cumulative risk considerations to improve human well-being and the sustainability of the built and natural environment. The holistic view on exposure science and its linkage to sustainable solutions emphasizes cross-divisional and laboratory integration. SED scientists:

  • Incorporate exposure science data into broader sustainability assessment tools to inform decisions that can mitigate or prevent adverse health and ecological impacts;
  • Measure and model ecological exposures at various scales to describe and mitigate adverse impacts on key ecosystem components and processes;
  • Address ecological exposure questions and systems management problems influenced by human-driven factors like climate change and landscape modification;
  • Design tools and approaches to simulate the dynamics of natural systems and built infrastructure in future scenarios; and
  • Address modeling problems that cross media, involve interacting exposure pathways, or affect multiple receptors

Programs and projects managed by the Systems Exposure Division (SED):

Organization

Jay Garland, Director