Characterizing soils for hazardous waste site assessments

This paper provides a review and justification of the minimum data needed to characterize soils for hazardous waste site assessments and to comply with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). Scientists and managers within the regulatory agency and the liable party need to know what are the important soil characteristics needed to make decisions about risk assessment, what areas need remediation and what remediation options are available. If all parties involved in characterizing a hazardous waste site can agree on the required soils data set prior to starting a site investigation, data can be collected in a more efficient and less costly manner. Having the proper data will aid in reaching decisions on how to address concerns at, and close-out, hazardous waste sites.This paper was prepared to address two specific concerns related to soil characterization for CERCLA remedial response. The first concern is the applicability of traditional soil classification methods to CERCLA soil characterization. The second is the identification of soil characterization data type required for CERCLA risk assessment and analysis of remedial alternatives. These concerns are related, in that the Data Quality Objective (DQO) process addresses both. The DQO process was developed in part to assist CERCLA decision-makers in identifying the data types, data quality, and data quantity required to support decisions that must be made during the remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) process. Data Quality Objectives for Remedial Response Activities: Development Process (US EPA, 1987a) is a guidebook on developing DQOs. This process as it relates to CERCLA soil characterization is discussed in the Data Quality Objective Section of this paper.     

The relevance of speciation in the remediation of soils and sediments contaminated by metallic elements--an overview and examples from Central Scotland, UK

The environmental impact of metallic contaminants in soils and sediments is dependent both on the chemical speciation of the metal and the response of the matrix to biological and physicochemical conditions. These factors are responsible for the mobilisation of the metal from the solid into the aquatic phase and hence transport within the immediate vicinity, impacting on the rate of dispersal, dilution, uptake and transfer into living systems. The impact of changing environmental conditions on the contaminant inventory can be to enhance or moderate these phenomena, with subsequent consequences for the broader risk assessment of the contaminants. Remediation of metallic contaminants can only be brought about by their removal from the site or by establishing conditions which favour their retention in the solid phase. A wide range of in situ and ex situ approaches are available and a summary overview is presented. The examples show assessment at both the field and laboratory scale and demonstrate an equally wide range of success in achieving remediation targets. This can be attributed to limitations in ensuring that the desired conditions for the initial removal or immobilisation process are met and maintained over a suitable period of time. Three areas are reviewed which include: the transport and release of metallic contaminants in estuarine sediments and the assessment of their potential to impact on biota; terrestrial contamination systems involving the release of chromium from waste ore contaminating urban environments; the response of metal-contaminated wastes to changing environmental conditions and the impact of natural bioremediation. The focus of the discussion is to highlight the generation of reliable speciation information and the problems associated with impact and risk assessment. Particular issues of concern are the laboratory to field scale evaluation of contaminant behaviour and the approach used to assess the reliability of remediation options. In conclusion, part of a recent initiative in risk assessment and the development of pilot scale experimental systems to study long-term behaviour are addressed as future goals to fill gaps in current research.     

Ecological Risk Assessment of Abandoned Shrimp Ponds in Southern Thailand

The potential ecological risks associated with contaminants from 15 abandoned shrimp ponds in southern Thailand were assessed at the screening level. Shrimp ponds reported as out of production for more than 2 years were selected as sampling sites. The assessment endpoint was identified as the protection of aquatic life from hazard of multiple agents or stressors in water or sediment from the ponds. The measurement endpoints were amount of toxic phytoplankton species, Yellow Head Viruses, SEMB viruses, oxytetracycline, cadmium, copper, and manganese. Data from field measurements and laboratory analyses obtained primarily from April to June 2003 were used in the risk analysis. The results showed that insignificant amounts of stressors were present, except for the metals. So, only concentration values of the metals were used in the calculation of hazard quotients (HQ) for risk characterization. The highest potential ecological risk characterized by the highest HQ value observed for each metal was 19 for manganese, 4.3 for cadmium, and 1.8 for copper. These findings indicated a need for further ecological risk assessment at a more detailed level to focus on the bioavailability and effects of metals from abandoned shrimp farms, with manganese the highest priority.     

Multi-criteria decision analysis with probabilistic risk assessment for the management of contaminated ground water

Traditionally, environmental decision analysis in subsurface contamination scenarios is performed using cost–benefit analysis. In this paper, we discuss some of the limitations associated with cost–benefit analysis, especially its definition of risk, its definition of cost of risk, and its poor ability to communicate risk-related information. This paper presents an integrated approach for management of contaminated ground water resources using health risk assessment and economic analysis through a multi-criteria decision analysis framework. The methodology introduces several important concepts and definitions in decision analysis related to subsurface contamination. These are the trade-off between population risk and individual risk, the trade-off between the residual risk and the cost of risk reduction, and cost-effectiveness as a justification for remediation. The proposed decision analysis framework integrates probabilistic health risk assessment into a comprehensive, yet simple, cost-based multi-criteria decision analysis framework. The methodology focuses on developing decision criteria that provide insight into the common questions of the decision-maker that involve a number of remedial alternatives. The paper then explores three potential approaches for alternative ranking, a structured explicit decision analysis, a heuristic approach of importance of the order of criteria, and a fuzzy logic approach based on fuzzy dominance and similarity analysis. Using formal alternative ranking procedures, the methodology seeks to present a structured decision analysis framework that can be applied consistently across many different and complex remediation settings. A simple numerical example is presented to demonstrate the proposed methodology. The results showed the importance of using an integrated approach for decision-making considering both costs and risks. Future work should focus on the application of the methodology to a variety of complex field conditions to better evaluate the proposed methodology.     

基于综合环境风险的砷污染场地优控筛选方法

污染场地的优控筛选是国家和地区污染场地管理的关键环节,有利于提高污染场地修复的高效性和经济性。研究以污染源强、污染途径脆弱性和受体敏感性作为筛选的主要因素,构建了基于综合环境风险的优控重金属污染场地筛选方法。通过调查某市15个砷渣污染场地,利用综合环境风险指数法分析区域不同污染场地的危害程度,据此推算不同污染场地危害 程度大小次序,并设置不同情景进行敏感性分析,从而筛选出某市优控砷渣污染场地名单。结果表明:污染场地H15和H12在不同权重情景下均处于高危害程度水平,为优控污染场地；H2在多数情景下危害程度较高,确定为备选优控污染场地。     

Development and Application of Computer Simulation Tools for Ecological Risk Assessment

Based on a review of available models for ecological risk estimation, most are site-specific and their applications are limited. However, general models, which can be easily adapted to other sites, remain few, in addition, they are simple and associated with significant uncertainties. In this paper, an approach is introduced for an ecological risk assessment (ERA) model that can be modified for site-specific conditions. Using computer simulation as a screening tool for ecological risk assessment can assist environmental managers and policy decision-makers in the planning and implementation of potentially highly focused assessments and remediation, should the ERA dictate the need. The model was integrated with a Windows-based interface and interactive database management system (DBMS) as a user-friendly software package. In addition, based on trophic sources, a food web has been integrated into the framework of the DBMS. In an effort to evaluate the model, a case study was implemented to characterize the effects on an ecosystem of replacing electroplated chromium coatings with sputtered tantalum at U.S. Army Yuma and Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Potential exposure pathways included ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption for terrestrial animals; root and foliar uptake for plants; and direct absorption for aquatic species. Overall, results showed that the most significant exposure resulted from molybdenum and hexavalent chromium, which posed higher risks to select aquatic and terrestrial species at both sites. On the other hand, tantalum (with vanadium as the surrogate) resulted in the least risk to all receptors within the studied areas. A sensitivity analysis demonstrated that soil-water distribution coefficients have a significant impact on the results. Based on the results, neither molybdenum nor chromium are recommended as a coating in gun barrels, and further study would be essential to address any affected firing range area. Tantalum is recommended for use, although for those species receiving a slight adverse risk, field investigations that include receptor sampling maybe necessary once soil/sediment and water sampling validates projected concentrations.     

国内外优先评估化学品筛选方法与清单概述

优先评估化学品名录对推进有毒有害化学品的管控、保护环境和人类健康具有重要意义。综述了国内外优先评估化学品筛选方法的发展、原则和步骤,总结了筛选评估流程中重点关注的多种危害特性,比较了各国优先评估化学品名录及其在各国/组织的禁止/限制情况,并分析其在我国的生产状况。结果表明,各国家/组织共筛选出1 146种优先评估化学品,有239种在至少2个国家/组织中被列为优先评估化学物质,有208种在我国生产使用,但其中164种尚未列入我国优控化学品名录,可作为下一步风险评估的对象。邻苯二甲酸二（2-乙基己基）酯（DEHP）被所有国家/组织列为优先关注化学品,接下来应严格管控塑料制品中的DEHP,或寻找合适的替代物。研究可为我国优先评估化学品的筛选与环境管理提供参考。     

Monitoring water quality in Sydney Harbour using blue mussels during remediation of the Sydney Tar Ponds,Nova Scotia,Canada

Using mussels as monitoring tools we measured water quality in Sydney Harbour during a large scale, multi-year remediation project of the Sydney Tar Ponds (STPs); one of Canada's most contaminated sites. Chemical contaminants were measured in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) in Sydney Harbour, which were used as monitoring tools to assess the spatio-temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); metals (As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) and lipid content during baseline and 3 years of remediation. The overall spatio-temporal distribution of chemicals in mussels was also compared to contaminants in other marine indicators (e.g., sediment, water and crab tissue). Measured metal concentrations in mussels showed some minor temporal variability (4 years), but these did not appear to be directly related to remediation activities, with the highest concentrations of As, Hg and Zn measured at reference stations. Most measured contaminants showed stable or potentially decreasing concentrations during the study, except Pb and Zn. Individual PAH compounds were mostly undetected during baseline and remediation, except for fluoranthene and pyrene. Concentrations of fluoranthene in mussels and deep water samples were moderately related. Generally, PCBs were undetected (<0.05 μg g^?1), except during year 2 remediation at some near-field stations. Contaminants measured during this study were at much lower concentrations than previously reported in other studies of mussels in Sydney Harbour and eastern Canada. This is likely due to the ongoing natural recovery of Sydney Harbour and to a lesser extent because of the environmental mitigation protection measures implemented during remediation activities at the STPs. The lack of detection of most individual PAHs and PCBs, plus relatively low bio-accumulation of metals observed during baseline and remediation attest to the effectiveness of using mussels as monitoring tools for environmental quality.     

Chlorophyll derivatives for pest and disease control: Are they safe?

Chlorophyll derivatives are getting widespread acceptance among the researchers as natural photosensitizers for photodynamic control of pests and disease vectors; however, rare attention has been given to evaluation of their toxicity to non-target organisms in the environment. This perspective article highlights that chlorophyll derivatives may not be as safe as believed and can possibly pose risk to non-target organisms in the environment. We invite the attention of environmental biologists, particularly ecotoxicologists, to contribute their role in making the application of chlorophyll derivatives more environmentally friendly and publicly acceptable.     

Sensitive Parameters In Predicting Exposure Contaminants Concentration In A Risk Assessment Process

A sensitivity analysis (SA) was conducted on the analytical models considered in the risk-based corrective-action (RBCA) methodology of risk analysis, as developed by the American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM), to predict a contaminant‘s concentration in the affected medium at the point of human exposure. These models are of interest because evaluations regarding the best approach to contaminated site remediation are shifting toward increased use of risk-based decision, and the ASTM RBCA methodology represents the most effective and internationally widely used standardized guide for risk assessment process. This paper identifies key physical and chemical parameters that need additional precision and accuracy consideration in order to reduce uncertainty in models prediction, thereby saving time, money and engineering effort in the data collection process. SA was performed applying a variance-based method to organic contaminants migration models with reference to soil-to-groundwater leaching ingestion exposure scenario. Results indicate that model output strongly depends on the organic-carbon partition coefficient, organic-carbon content, net infiltration, Darcy velocity, source-receptor distance, and first-order decay constant.     

Assessment of soil screening levels due to ingestion and dermal absorption of chrysene and benzo[k]fluoranthene and appropriate remediation method for Dorson Abad

For years, the Dorson Abad region has been extremely polluted by Tehran Oil Refinery due to leaking from its underground pipelines, storage tanks, and evaporation ponds. To assess the concentrations of hazardous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds, soil samples were collected from the grounds at and adjacent to a polluted stream located in the study area. The samples were then analyzed, and the results revealed that 12 of the 16 USEPA PAHs were noticeably present in the soil, which, among them, benzo[k]fluoranthene and chrysene had the highest concentrations with averages of 357.17 and 173.38 mg/kg, respectively. A comparison of the obtained concentrations with the soil screening levels indicated that both benzo[k]fluoranthene and chrysene concentrations were substantially higher than EPA screening level values, signifying the necessity of soil remediation for these contaminants in the area. Techniques such as soil washing/flushing, high temperature thermal desorption, and solidification/stabilization were investigated for treatment of the contaminated soil; solidification/stabilization is recommended as an applicable and cost-effective remediation method for Dorson Abad due to the size of the region, relatively low cost of the binder (cement), and low volatility of benzo[k]fluoranthene and chrysene.     

Organic and inorganic diffuse contamination in urban soils: the case of Torino (Italy)

Soils in urban parks are useful tracers of diffuse contamination and could represent a potential health risk for citizens. Soils in the parks of Torino, Italy, were sampled and analysed for a broad range of organic and inorganic contaminants. Concentrations of potentially toxic elements, PAHs, PCBs and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans were often above national legislation limits, and higher than surrounding rural areas or than other cities. Mean concentrations were 233 mg kg(-1) for Cr, 164 mg kg(-1) for Ni, 124 mg kg(-1) for Pb and 170 mg kg(-1) for Zn. Other inorganic contaminants such as Cd, As, and Hg showed high concentrations in some soils. Organic contaminants were also found to be enriched in the sampled parks (e.g. maximum concentrations of PCDDs/DFs and PCBs were 12.6 ng kg(-1) and 0.310 mg kg(-1), respectively). Data from this study reveal an important enrichment of parks for some contaminants, reflecting the intensity of phenomena of diffuse contamination. Historical parks presented the highest degree of contamination, suggesting that the age of soils rather than their proximity to sources of emissions is a key factor in determining soil contamination. Data obtained in this study could be of help in the investigation and remediation practices of urban contaminated sites within large cities.     

Effects of selected soil properties on phytoremediation applicability for heavy-metal-contaminated soils in the Apulia region, Southern Italy

Phytoremediation is a well-known promising alternative to conventional approaches used for the remediation of diffused and moderated contaminated soils. The evaluation of the accumulation, availability, and interactions of heavy metals in soil is a priority objective for the possible use of phytoremediation techniques such as phytoextraction and phytostabilization. The soils used in this work were collected from a number of sites inside a protected area in the Apulia region (Southern Italy), which were contaminated by various heavy metals originated from the disposal of wastes of different sources of origin. Soils examined contained Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in amounts exceeding the critical limits imposed by EU and Italian laws. However, the alkaline conditions, high organic matter content, and silty to silty loamy texture of soils examined would suggest a reduced availability of heavy metals to plants. Due to the high total content but the low available fraction of heavy metals analyzed, especially Cr, phytoextraction appears not to be a promising remediation approach in the sites examined, whereas phytostabilization appears to be the best technique for metal decontamination in the studied areas.     

Soil criteria to protect terrestrial wildlife and open-range livestock from metal toxicity at mining sites

Thousands of hard rock mines exist in the western USA and in other parts of the world as a result of historic and current gold, silver, lead, and mercury mining. Many of these sites in the USA are on public lands. Typical mine waste associated with these sites are tailings and waste rock dumps that may be used by wildlife and open-range livestock. This report provides wildlife screening criteria levels for metals in soil and mine waste to evaluate risk and to determine the need for site-specific risk assessment, remediation, or a change in management practices. The screening levels are calculated from toxicity reference values based on maximum tolerable levels of metals in feed, on soil and plant ingestion rates, and on soil to plant uptake factors for a variety of receptors. The metals chosen for this report are common toxic metals found at mining sites: arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc. The resulting soil screening values are well above those developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The difference in values was mainly a result of using toxicity reference values that were more specific to the receptors addressed rather than the most sensitive receptor.     

Post-remediation evaluation of a LNAPL site using electrical resistivity imaging

Present understanding of the earth's subsurface is most often derived from samples at discrete points (wells) and interpolations or models that interpret the space between these points. Electrical resistivity imaging techniques have produced an improved capability to map contaminants (especially NAPLs--NonAqueous Phase Liquids) away from traditional wells using actual field data. Electrical resistivity image data, confirmed by drilling, have demonstrated that LNAPL (Light NAPL--less dense than water, such as gasoline) contaminants exist outside of a delineated and remediated area in Golden, Oklahoma. The data also demonstrate that LNAPL exists between monitoring and remediation wells which indicate low contaminant levels when sampled. Additionally, the electrical images provided the drilling location with the highest concentration of hydrocarbon ever found on the site, even after two phases of remediation work had been performed, although the sampling protocols varied. The results indicate that current methods of post-remediation site characterization are inadequate for complete site characterization.     

Treatment technologies for PAH-contaminated sites: a critical review

To reduce environmental and human health risks of contaminated sites, having a comprehensive knowledge about the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) removal processes is crucial. PAHs are contaminants which are highly recognized to pose threats to humans, animals, and plants. PAHs are hydrophobic and own two or more benzene rings, and hence are resistant to structural degradation. There are various techniques which have been developed to treat PAH-contaminated soil. Four distinct processes to remove PAHs in the contaminated soil, thought to be more effective techniques, are presented in this review: soil washing, chemical oxidation, electrokinetic, phytoremediation. In a surfactant-aided washing process, a removal rate of 90% was reported. Compost-amended phytoremediation treatment presented 58–99% removal of pyrene from the soil in 90 days. Chemical oxidation method was able to reach complete conversion for some PAHs. In electrokinetic treatment, researchers have achieved reliable results in removal of some specific PAHs. Researchers’ innovations in novel studies and advantages/disadvantages of the techniques are also investigated throughout the paper. Finally, it should be noted that an exclusive method or a combination of methods by themselves are not the key to be employed for remediation of every contaminated site but the field characteristics are also essential in selection of the most appropriate decontamination technique(s). The remedy for selection criteria is based on PAH concentrations, site characteristics, costs, shortcomings, and advantages.     

Monitoring effects of remediation on natural sediment recovery in Sydney Harbour, Nova Scotia

Chemical contaminants were assessed in Sydney Harbour, Nova Scotia during pre-remediation (baseline) and 3 years of remediation of a former coking and steel facility after nearly a century of operation and historical pollution into the Sydney Tar Ponds (STP). Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls, metals, and inorganic parameters measured in sediments and total suspended solids in seawater indicate that the overall spatial distribution pattern of historical contaminants remains unchanged, although at much lower concentrations than previously reported due to natural sediment recovery, despite remediation activities. Measured sediment deposition rates in bottom-moored traps during baseline were low (0.4–0.8 cm?year^?1), but during dredging operations required for construction of new port facilities in the inner Sydney Harbour, sedimentation rates were equivalent to 26–128 cm year^?1. Measurements of sediment chemical contaminants confirmed that natural recovery rates of Sydney Harbour sediments were in broad agreement with predicted concentrations, or in some cases, lower than originally predicted despite remediation activities at the STP site. Overall, most measured contaminants in sediments showed little temporal variability (4 years), except for the detection of significant increases in total PAH concentrations during the onset of remediation monitoring compared to baseline. This slight increase represents only a short-term interruption in the overall natural recovery of sediments in Sydney Harbour, which were enhanced due to the positive impacts of large-scale dredging of less contaminated outer harbor sediments which were discharged into a confined disposal area located in the inner harbor.     

A method for screening for the risk of chronic effects of surface water pollution

The article describes a method for screening for the risk of chronic surface water pollution which was developed at the T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute. The approach, which is based on exotoxicological analyses, can be classed as a rapid method of assessment. The degree of risk of chronic effects surface water pollution is determined from an evaluation of two major parameters—toxicity and genotoxicity. As the method utilizes relative simple procedures for sample collection, pretreatment of the sample, chemical analyses, bioassays and results assessment, this approach is suitable for widespread practical use. Extensive utilization of this approach for assessing river basins in the Czech Republic has proved its suitability for a more sophisticated detection of the biological impact of surface water pollution. This is documented in the article where the method is used in a study of the Bílina River, and in the overview of the results of the risk assessment of chronic effects of surface water pollution in selected sections of three international river basins in the Czech Republic.     

Risk assessment of soils contaminated by mercury mining, Northern Spain

Analytical results of soil samples taken in three different mercury mining sites in Northern Spain are studied to assess the potential adverse health effects of the exposure to trace elements associated with the mining process. Doses contacted through ingestion and inhalation and the dose absorbed through the skin were calculated using USEPA's exposure parameters and the US Department of Energy's toxicity values. The results of the risk assessment indicate that the highest risk is associated with ingestion of soil particles and that the trace element of major concern is arsenic, the exposure to which results in a high cancer risk value for all the sites ranging from 3.3 × 10(-5) to 3.6 × 10(-3), well above the 1 × 10(-5) probability level deemed unacceptable by most regulatory agencies. Regarding non-cancer effects, exposure to polluted soils yields an aggregate hazard index above the threshold value of 1 for all three sites, with As and Hg as the main contributors. Risk assessment has proven to be a very useful tool to identify the contaminants and exposure pathways of most concern in the soils from metal mining sites, as well as to categorize them in terms of action priority to ensure fitness for use.