Application of risk assessment in determination of soil remediation targets

Risk Control Values and Remediation Goals for Benzo[a]pyrene in Contaminated Sites: Sectoral Characteristics, Temporal Trends, and Empirical Implications

“…Many previous studies have addressed conservatism in decision values. , Overly conservative decision values will greatly increase the cost and difficulty of site remediation. Such values also affect the sustainability of decision-making and the effectiveness of the implementation of remedial measures. ,, Differences in site- and soil-specific conditions, industrial layout, and production processes of industrial and mining enterprises among regions result in the formulation of NSSLs and LSSLs with the characteristics of localization and diversity . SSLs at most sites were directly selected to guide remediation, with minimum (0.20 mg/kg) and maximum (0.55 mg/kg) SSLs typically adopted.…”

“…Worldwide, conservatism in site remediation decisions is prevalent when managing contaminated soils. ,, Decision-making may be distorted if background contamination, detection limits of analytical methods, and soil properties, such as nutrient and water availability, are not considered. , Such distortion can lead to unnecessary excavation and remediation, with adverse economic and environmental consequences. For example, the full amount of semivolatile organic compounds in soil is not completely absorbed by humans .…”

“…14,15 Therefore, the formulation and optimiza-tion of remediation goals (RGs) is the premise and foundation of effective contaminated site management to ensure the safety and sustainability of remedial activities. 16 RGs specify allowable thresholds of soil pollutants that can effectively protect people who use a site and may be exposed to site soil. RGs are typically derived using the results of health risk assessment (HRA).…”

“…Globally, a vast expanse of contaminated sites has stimulated remediation to mitigate serious threats to the environment and human health. , Therefore, the formulation and optimization of remediation goals (RGs) is the premise and foundation of effective contaminated site management to ensure the safety and sustainability of remedial activities . RGs specify allowable thresholds of soil pollutants that can effectively protect people who use a site and may be exposed to site soil.…”

Relevance of charge interactions for contaminant transport in heterogeneous formations: a stochastic analysis

“…In subsurface hydrology, low permeability media, aquitards, and clay-rich formations have historically received less attention compared to the permeable porous media, partly because it was traditionally believed that such media are inaccessible for contaminants due to their low hydraulic conductivity. An emerging number of studies have investigated contaminant transport in low-permeability settings, highlighting the importance of diffusioncontrolled mass exchange mechanisms between high and low permeability zones (e.g., Ball et al 1997;Gusawa and Freyberg 2000;LaBolle and Fogg 2001;Liu et al 2004;Sale et al 2008;Zhan et al 2009;Marble et al 2010;Chapman et al 2012;Parker and Kim 2015;Yang et al 2015;2017;Adamson et al 2016;Falta and Wang 2017;Tatti et al 2018;Zhang et al 2020;Rosenberg et al 2023). Yet, our understanding of chemical transport processes through low permeability media is far from complete because the effects of electrostatic processes, driven by charged surfaces, have rarely been studied for field-scale contaminant transport problems.…”