March 10, 1985

New York City's Off-Track-Betting Corporation recently tried out a new high-payout wager: The Big Apple Double Exacta, in which a bettor had to pick finishers at both Aqueduct and Roosevelt Raceway. Harry McCabe, president of O.T.B., noted that ''for the first time in the history of racing, so far as I know,'' the trotting (Roosevelt) and thoroughbred (Aqueduct) establishments cooperated.

The threat from toxic waste that faces the nation is much more serious and will be much more costly to resolve than the Government has estimated, two Congressional research agencies have concluded. One report, released today by the Office of Technology Assessment, found that there were more than 10,000 disposal sites for hazardous waste around the country that would require cleanup on a priority basis to protect public health. This is substantially more such sites than the maximum of 2,500 the Environmental Protection Agency has estimated will have to be placed on its ''national priority list.'' Such sites contain toxic chemicals, metals or other hazardous substances such as radioactive materials.

CONFUSION about physicians' legal responsibility - and liability - when patients request not to be resuscitated appears to be the central concern prompting area hospitals to form committees on ''bioethics.'' The absence of Federal or state legislation that clearly defines terms and sufficiently protects physicians from latter civil or criminal suits in ''do-not- resuscitate'' cases has led in the past to what one physician describes as ''surreptitious'' ways of communicating and documenting such orders - an issue the new committees want to address. ''This is, of course, not a new problem,'' said Dr. Jerry Edelman, chief of medicine at United Hospital in Port Chester, where an ad hoc ''do not resuscitate committee'' was recently formed. ''The problem has been with us God knows how long - I guess since the first person had to make a decision about what to do.'' The reason it is now of growing concern, Dr. Edelman said, is that while the public has come to accept ''do not resuscitate'' as a legitimate choice for terminally ill patients, physicians often hesitate to comply. There are two reasons for this reluctance, he said.

TWO explosions killed at least 85 people in Shiite Moslem areas of Lebanon last week, igniting an angry reaction that included threats against Americans. Washington took the situation seriously.

IT was early January, and the County Board of Legislators was holding the first meeting of its 1985 session. ''Mr. Chairman?'' Anthony J. Giambruno, the Board's clerk, asked aloud, requesting the last of 17 roll-call votes on a procedural matter. But there was no reply. After waiting an appropriate length of time, Mr. Giambruno turned in his seat and looked up at the man newly installed at the large desk at the raised platform at the front of the legislative chambers. ''Ed,'' he whispered. ''That's you!''