Characterizing possible exposures residents may have near a waste disposal superfund site

Superfund Site Chemical Exposure Risk Assessment and Analyses

Our client wanted to determine what potential exposures residents near a waste disposal superfund site might face. They reached out to our Health Sciences Advisory team to help.

Our scientists reviewed and analyzed the historical fate and transport of persistent contaminants in sediment and water around the site. We then utilized ArcGIS, historical documentation, site data, and engineering principles to prepare a geospatial mass balance of contaminants present at the site, along with calculation of the mass of contaminants originally disposed of at the site.

We used these estimates to understand the mass of contaminants potentially released to nearby sediments and water available for uptake by biota. Next, we performed a human health risk assessment to characterize exposures to residents who consumed biota caught near the site. We also determined the contribution of site releases versus those from other non-site sources.

Once complete, our analyses demonstrated that the contaminants remained in place at the disposal site and that widespread non-site related emissions in the heavily industrialized region contributed significantly to the chemical concentration levels of interest detected in the area.