Proposal and application of a regional methodology of comparative risk assessment for potentially contaminated sites. Issue 27 (6th December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Marzocchini, Manrico; Tatàno, Fabio; Moretti, Michela Simona; Antinori, Caterina; Orilisi, Stefano
• Is Part Of: Environmental technology. Volume 40:Issue 27(2019)
• Page Start: 3578
• Page End: 3592
• Publication Date: 2019-12-06
• Subjects: Case-study sites -- comparative risk assessment -- methodology -- overall site score algorithm -- potentially contaminated sites; Environmental engineering -- Periodicals; Environmental protection -- Periodicals; 628.05
• DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2018.1481890
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-3330

Abstract

ABSTRACT: A possible approach for determining soil and groundwater quality criteria for contaminated sites is the comparative risk assessment. Originating from but not limited to Italian interest in a decentralised (regional) implementation of comparative risk assessment, this paper first addresses the proposal of an original methodology called CORIANREG-M, which was created with initial attention to the context of potentially contaminated sites in the Marche Region (Central Italy). To deepen the technical-scientific knowledge and applicability of the comparative risk assessment, the following characteristics of the CORIANREG-M methodology appear to be relevant: the simplified but logical assumption of three categories of factors (source and transfer/transport of potential contamination, and impacted receptors) within each exposure pathway; the adaptation to quality and quantity of data that are available or derivable at the given scale of concern; the attention to a reliable but unsophisticated modelling; the achievement of a conceptual linkage to the absolute risk assessment approach; and the potential for easy updating and/or refining of the methodology. Further, the application of the CORIANREG-M methodology to some case-study sites located in the Marche Region indicated the following: a positive correlation can be expected between air and direct contact pathway scores, as well as between individual pathway scores and the overall site scores based on a root-mean-square algorithm; the exposure pathway, which presents the highest variability of scores, tends to be dominant at sites with the highest computed overall site scores; and the adoption of a root-mean-square algorithm can be expected to emphasise the overall site scoring. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: