EXAMS Release Notes

This model is distributed by EPA as a legacy model, but no user support is available from EPA.

Version: 2.98.04.06 (Maintenance Release)

Corrections & Improvements to Prior Versions

  • This release corrects minor syntactic bugs detected by the latest version of the Lahey compiler.
  • Exposure concentrations exceeding 0.5 solubility or 10uM in dissolved phases are now reported via a warning message rather than as a fatal error. When used via coupling to the PRZM model, a practice within the user community was observed of increasing nominal solubility rather than decreasing external inputs and manually scaling exposure outputs. This change in EXAMS' behavior was made because scaling of PRZM application rates is impracticable, and altering the nominal solubility can have collateral effects on other aspects of chemical kinetics and transport.
  • This release corrects minor bugs in the deletion of results files and in execution controls when EXAMS detects errors very early in the simulation. It also enforces production of EXAMS' basic report file (report.xms), because some of the file deletion routines rely on its presence to initiate the results file cleanup process.

Version: 2.98.04.03 (Maintenance Release)

Corrections & Improvements to Prior Versions

  • This release adds metabolic study temperatures as an explicit parameter. Previous releases assumed either 20 or 25 degrees C as the base temperature from which Q10 adjustments for environmental temperatures were to be made. Version 2.98.04.03 introduces parameters QTBTW and QTBTS to allow detailed specification of the temperatures at which metabolic studies have been conducted. These parameters are initially set to 25 degrees C.
  • Repaired minor errors in operation of SET command specifications. EXAMS expects parameter names to be either exact or with some lower-case letter substitutions. Some recent variables inadvertently required lower-case inputs while not allowing for upper-case alternatives. This requirement has been removed to facilitate EXAMS' use in batch processing environments.

Version: 2.98.04.02 (Maintenance Release)

Corrections & Improvements to Prior Versions

  • This release does not produce a set of default output files. See "outfil" control variable in the User Guide for details.
  • Repaired minor errors in:
    • Data transfer between Adams and Gear integrators.
    • Output file management.
    • File closures when exiting.

Version: 2.98.04

Corrections & Improvements to Prior Versions

  • Updated and included EXAMS model system and user support documentation files (refer to sub-directory/folder README): README.TXT, RELEASE.TXT, and ABSTRACT.TXT.
  • Created WinZip(c) Self-Extractor program (Install_EXAMS.EXE) to install the EXAMS model system and all support files.
  • Included new executable task image file EXAMS.EXE. The EXAMS model system is designed for the Intel family of microcomputers or compatible systems running under Windows 95/98/NT/2000 operating systems. Properly configured, this model system and its support files and programs can be executed under a Windows 95/98/NT/2000 operating system DOS console or window.
  • Included updated application user's manual "Exposure Analysis Modeling System (EXAMS): User Manual and System Documentation" EPA/600/R-00/081 file EXAMREVF.PDF. This document is an Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) file.
  • Included updated unformatted direct access data- and help-file EXAMS.DAF.
  • Included updated output data file TESTOUT.XMS to test installation of EXAMS model.
  • Summary of major scientific/application and/or operational changes: As of Monday, 31 March 2003. Time 18:15:00:
    • EcoRisk files modified at request of EPA/OPP/EFED to include the "instantaneous peak value", i.e., the value generated by event loadings, which may include run-off events transferred from the PRZM program or drift from aerial spray operations. These values are higher than the 24-hour average values, but not significantly so. For example, given an initial pulse of 1.0 mg/L, with a half-life of 2 days, the Mode 3 daily average is 0.854 mg/L. Further testing with Exams' Mode 2 gave a peak of 0.8485 when the same load arrives over 12 hours, and a peak of 0.9888 when the same load arrives over 4 hours. Thus, carrying the pulse peak as the overall (annual) peak concentration is not an unreasonable approximation to potential event dynamics.
  • Summary of major scientific/application and/or operational changes: As of Monday, 12 June 2002. Time 09:19:00:
    • Variable "outfil" added to control production of output files.
    • Newly available output files include reach- or compartment-oriented exposure (EcoTox) and annual maximum (EcoRisk) files.
    • Added new user-specifiable exposure event durations (up to 5), controlled by new variable "EventD".
    • When reading meteorological data files (.met or .dvf) the station latitude, longitude, and elevation are acquired from an internal database.
    • Cloud cover (CLOUD) and relative humidity (RHUM) are read from .dvf met files.

Version: 2.98.03

Corrections & Improvements to Prior Versions

  • Updated and included EXAMS model system and user support documentation files (refer to sub-directory/folder README): README.TXT, RELEASE.TXT, ABSTRACT.TXT, RESPONSE.TXT, and YEAR2000.TXT.
  • Created WinZip(c) Self-Extractor installation script file and program (Install_EXAMS.EXE) to install the EXAMS model system and all support files. Created WinZip(c) Self-Extractor installation script file and program (EXAMSDOC.EXE) to install the EXAMS User's Guide as an Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) file.
  • Included new executable task image file EXAMS.EXE. The EXAMS model system is designed for the Intel family of microcomputers or compatible systems running under Windows 95/98/NT/2000 operating systems. Properly configured, this model system and its support files and programs can be executed under a Windows 95/98/NT/2000 operating system DOS console or window.
  • Included updated application users' manual "Exposure Analysis Modeling System (EXAMS): User Manual and System Documentation" EPA/600/R-00/081 file EXAMREVD.PDF. This document is available as Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) file within the DOCUMENT sub-directory/folder.
  • Included updated unformatted direct access data- and help-file EXAMS.DAF.
  • Included updated output data file TESTOUT.XMS to test installation of EXAMS model.
  • Summary of major scientific/application and/or operational changes: As of Monday, 18 June 2001. Time 10:34:00:
    • Files "update.txt" and "release.txt" combined.
    • Calculation of transmission of solar radiation through the atmosphere updated based on validation studies.
    • Minor bug repaired in pulse loading data management routines.
    • Aquatic aerobic and anaerobic metabolic half-lives added to input chemistry.
    • Exams now accepts command line arguments to specify the names of input command, system response, and error message files.

Version: 2.98.02

Corrections & Improvements to Prior Versions

  • Created WinZip(c) Self-Extractor installation script file and program (Update_EXAMSv29802.EXE) to install the EXAMS model system and support files.
  • Created new executable file EXAMS.EXE.
  • Application revisions to the EXAMS model system, version 2.98.02, are included in the file UPDATE.TXT (EXAMS Model System Update Notes). This document is available as an ASCII text (non-binary) file in the README sub-directory/folder.
  • Included application users' manual "Exposure Analysis Modeling System (EXAMS): User Manual and System Documentation" EPA/600/R-00/081. This document is available as Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) file (EXAMREVC.PDF) within the DOCUMENT sub-directory/folder.
  • Summary of major scientific/application and/or operational changes: As of Monday, 05 March 2001. Time 12:31:00:
    • revised hierarchical evaluation of partitioning data to give user entries of sediment partition coefficients (KPS) primacy.
    • revision to remove the restriction of 100 environmental segments and 5 chemicals for analysis scenarios.

Version: 2.98.01

Corrections & Improvements to Prior Versions

  • Updated EXAMS model system and user support documentation files (refer to subdirectory README)README.TXT RELEASE.TXT, UPDATE.TXT, ABSTRACT.TXT, RESPONSE.TXT, and YEAR2000.TXT.
  • Created WinZip(c) Self-Extractor installation script file and program (Install_EXAMS.EXE) to install the EXAMS model system and all support files. Created WinZip(c) Self-Extractor installation script file and program (EXAMSDOC.EXE) to install the EXAMS User's Guide as an Adobe(*) Acrobat(*) Portable Document Format (PDF) file.
  • Updated test input file (TEST.EXA) and output data file TESTOUT.XMS to test installation of EXAMS model.
  • The EXAMS model system is designed for the Intel family of microcomputers or compatible systems running under Windows 95/98/NT/2000 operating systems. Properly configured, this model system and its support files and programs can be executed under a Windows 95/98/NT/2000 operating system DOS console or window.
  • Included new:
    • executable task image file EXAMS.EXE that allows space for five simultaneous chemicals (or one chemical and two degradation products, etc.), and environmental models of up to 100 segments
    • documentation (user's manual) file EXAMREVB.PDF
    • unformatted direct access data- and help-file EXAMS.DAF with space for 25 chemical data sets, ten environmental data sets, five external chemical load series, and five product chemistries.
    • global database of total column ozone (OZONE.DAF) from the TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) flown on the Nimbus-7 spacecraft.
  • Application revisions to the EXAMS model system, version 2.98.01, in UPDATE.TXT (EXAMS Model System Update Notes). This document is available as an ASCII file in the README subdirectory. Refer to file README.TXT in the README subdirectory for further information on the storage format and, print and view requirements for this file.
  • Included application user's manual "Exposure Analysis Modeling System (EXAMS): User Manual and System Documentation" EPA/600/R-00/081. This document is available as Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) file (EXAMREVB.PDF) within the DOCUMENT subdirectory.
  • Summary of major scientific, application and operational changes: treatment of DOC complexation revised based on review of literature, new algorithm for generation of singlet oxygen, file-transfer interface for meteorology files also used by PRZM, and included, in file "ozone.dat", a world-wide geographically referenced stratospheric ozone data set derived from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer flown on the Nimbus-7 spacecraft.

Version: 2.97.5

Corrections & Improvements to Prior Versions

  • Updated EXAMS model system and user support documentation files (refer to subdirectory README) READ.ME, RELEASE.TXT, UPDATE.TXT, ABSTRACT.TXT, and RESPONSE.TXT
  • Modified INSTALIT/MediaBuilder code and logic for product version description (.PVD) and installation (.INF) script files.
  • Included test output data file within the OUT_TEST subdirectory to test installation of the EXAMS model.
  • Included EXAMS run time support programs and files EXAMS.BAT and EXAMOPEN.SCR.
  • Application revisions to the EXAMS model system, version 2.97.5, are included in UPDATE.TXT. This document is available as an ASCII text file in the README subdirectory. Refer to file READ.ME in the README subdirectory for further information on the storage format and, print and view requirements of this file.
  • Included application user's manual "EXPOSURE ANALYSIS MODELING SYSTEM (EXAMS II), User's Guide for Version 2.97". This document is available as a WordPerfect document within file EXAMS.WPD, as an ANSI text document within file EXAMS.TXT, and as an ASCII text document within file EXAMS.ASC, with all files stored within the DOCUMENT subdirectory. Refer to file READ.ME in the README subdirectory for further information on the storage format and hardware and software and, print and view requirements of the user's manual files.
  • Summary of scientific, application, and operational changes:
    • Implemented FORTRAN source code changes transparent to the user.
    • Included file-transfer interface to the PRZM3 terrestrial model.
    • Included file-transfer interface to the FGETS bioaccumulation model.
    • Completed implementation of EXAMS in FORTRAN 90.

Version: 2.96

Corrections & Improvements to Prior Versions

  • Implemented numerous FORTRAN source code changes to correct minor errors and problems that occurred during program execution.
  • Modified EXAMS program to include file-transfer interfaces to the PRZM terrestrial model and the FGETS bioaccumulation model and to allow space for five simultaneous chemicals (or one chemical and two degradation products, etc.), and environmental models of up to 100 segments.
  • Replaced EXAMS version 2.94 unformatted direct access data- and help-file EXAMDAF.DAT with file EXAMSDAF.TPL that includes space for 25 chemical data sets, 10 environmental data sets, five external chemical load series, and five product chemistries. The file EXAMSDAF.TPL is a read-only file that is protected from over write by the DOS ATTRIB +R command. This file is automatically copied to the file EXAMS.DAF and write protected by the installation program.
  • Included new test input and output data files TEST.EXA and REPORT.XMS to test the installation of the EXAMS program and support files and programs.
  • Updated the following EXAMS model system user support documentation files READ.ME, RELEASE.TXT, UPDATE.TXT, ABSTRACT.TXT, and RESPONSE.TXT
  • Updated INSTALIT/MediaBuilder code and logic for product version description (.PVD) and installation (.INF) script files.
  • Recompiled and relinked executable task image program file for the EXAMS model, version 2.96, using Lahey FORTRAN 32-bit, protected mode compiler and Phar-lap linker.
  • Included new executable task image file, XEXAMSX.EXE, and updated run time support programs and files, including the unformatted, direct access data and help template file EXAMSDAF.TLP.
  • Updated the welcome screen file EXAMOPEN.SCR.
  • Updated DOS batch command files for the execution of the UTILITY program for building a new data and help EXAMS run time support file, NEWDAF.BAT, to include the input response file SETUP.INP, and the execution of the EXAMS model (EXAMS.BAT).
  • Updated Lahey FORTRAN MAKE utility files MAKEFILE.UTL for the UTILITY program and MAKEFILE.EXA for the EXAMS model codes.
  • Included new DOS batch command files to assemble FORTRAN source code and make files for the UTILITY program and EXAMS model codes for proper compile and link execution by make files, ASSEMUTL.BAT, ASSEMEXA.BAT.
  • Included new file, in postscript format, that contains the User's Guide for EXAMS II Version 2.96 (EXAMS.PS).

Version: 2.941

Corrections & Improvements to Prior Versions

  • Composed and added the following EXAMS model system user support documentation files READ.ME, RELEASE.TXT, UPDATE.TXT, ABSTRACT.TXT, FILELIST.TXT, and RESPONSE.TXT
  • Composed INSTALIT/MediaBuilder code and logic for product version description PVD and installation INF script files.
  • Recompiled and relinked executable task image program files for the UTILITY program and EXAMS model using Lahey FORTRAN 32-bit, protected mode compiler and Phar-lap linker.
  • Included new executable task image files UTILITY.EXE and XEXAMSX.EXE, and all updated run time support programs and files, including the unformatted, direct access data and help file EXAMDAF.DAT.
  • Added the welcome screen file EXAMOPEN.SCR.
  • Coded new DOS batch execution command files for the UTILITY program that builds new data and help EXAMS run time support files, NEWDAF.DAT, and the execution of the EXAMS model (EXAMS.BAT).
  • Added two Lahey FORTRAN MAKE utility files, MAKEFILE (UTILCODE) and MAKEFILE (EXAMCODE).

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