Clean Air, Water & Land
Clean air, water, and land are fundamental to sustaining ecosystems, supporting human health, fostering biodiversity, and ensuring economic prosperity. Abt Global is at the forefront of sustainable solutions, shaping quality standards, regulations, and policies that protect human health and the environment. We design cutting-edge tools and models that monitor greenhouse gas emissions and help quantify public health effects from air pollution. We are leaders in methane mitigation, developing solutions at the nexus of solid waste, methane, and health. We have extensive experience with evaluating water quality impacts and addressing contamination caused by chemical compounds like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the federal, state, and community level. We are champions of a circular economy approach to solid waste management. Our multidisciplinary expertise in data analysis, regulatory support, toxicology, policy development, and environmental and human health informs tailored sustainable solutions for our clients that address immediate environmental challenges and foster a healthier and more prosperous future for communities worldwide.
Expertise
- Emission Inventories and Control Strategies
- Water Quality Assessments
- Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
- Mitigation of Methane and Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
- Solid Waste Management
Clients Include
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Department of Interior
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs
Our Work
The COBRA tool, which allows users to estimate the monetized health benefits from reductions in air pollution emissions at the county level
Data visualization, data analysis, communications and regulatory development support for EPA's Toxics Release Inventory
Data analytics, foundational communication strategies, and data visualization for EPA’s low emissions power sector program, including the eGRID tool
Investigation of the complex effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on the environment and human health
Technical assistance to the EPA to outline approaches to inform a health-based benchmark for lead in drinking water
Free Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool (SWEET) to model methane emissions reductions from the waste sector
Our Experts
Insights
Breathless: Climate Change, Infectious Disease, and Indoor Air Quality
To reduce greenhouse gases, we need air-tight buildings. To reduce transmission of diseases we need better circulation. In this podcast we discuss the balance.
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Analysis
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was launched to reduce carbon pollution in 10 states in the Northeast: Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Delaware, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey. In this first carbon…
Development of a Conceptual Drinking Water Supply Plan for Minnesota’s East Metro Area Affected by PFAS Contamination in Groundwater
In 2018, the State of Minnesota reached a settlement with the 3M Company regarding contamination of groundwater with PFAS chemicals manufactured by 3M. Under the settlement, the 3M Company provided $850 million to the state, the bulk of which will be…
Fully Accounting for Air Emissions with Massachusetts’ Cumulative Impact Analysis Approach
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed sweeping legislation to address climate issues and protect environmental justice (EJ) populations. That legislation requires the state, with input from stakeholders, to develop a cumulative impact analysis (CIA…
Supporting the Development of the National Emissions Inventory
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Emission Inventory and Analysis Group (EIAG) produces the National Emission Inventory (NEI), a comprehensive estimate of air pollutant emissions. States need these data to evaluate emissions trends and to…
ATSDR Toxicological Profiles
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) wants to better understand the characteristics of chemicals with a range of potential health effects—including cancer, endocrine, neurological, hematological, hepatic, and renal—found on the…
Spotlight On: Environmental Toxicology
Our toxicologists design, implement, conduct and manage a wide range of laboratory and field-based bioassays, investigations and other tests to fill key data gaps andincrease our understandingof the adverse effects of chemicals, mixtures, and other stressors on numerous organisms, including bacteria, algae, invertebrates, fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Spotlight On: PFAS, Environmental Contamination, and Health
Abt has extensive experience investigating and addressing the complex effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment and on human health.
National Flood Risk Characterization Tool
Climate change is producing extreme volatility in weather events. 100-year floods occur with alarming regularity. That produces challenges for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has too few dollars for all the needed projects. What the Corps needs…
The Vulnerabilities of Water Systems to Climate Change in the Philippines
USAID released its climate-resilient development (CRD) framework in March 2014 to ensure consideration of climate issues in development decision-making. The goals included reducing climate vulnerabilities and improving development outcomes. The framework…
Bayesian Estimation of Human Population Toxicokinetics of PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS and PFNA from Studies of Contaminated Drinking Water
Abt experts co-authored a study explaining how stakeholders—including individual citizens—can better estimate PFAS blood levels from water concentrations.
New Study Finds Massive Benefit in Reducing Lead Exposure in the Adult Population
A new study from Abt finds that lead exposure is a wider-ranging threat to adults than previously understood.