Status: ongoing project (2001-2003)

Type of project: RTD

Project duration: 36 months ( IETU participation - 20 months )

The aim of the project is to combine and integrate new and existing methods in order to provide standard guidelines for efficient risk assessment of contamination profiles in urban areas. The guidelines will be based on combining various measurement methods within geophysics, geochemistry and hydrogeology, as well as data processing with GIS, geo-statistics and modelling. Measurement methods will be focused on in-situ screening including both the existing and the new methods that will be developed and tested against quantity and quality criteria established in the evaluation plan.

The guidelines will be established in the form of a decision support software system. This will be a valuable tool for city planners, decision-makers, landowners, investors and stakeholders. The guidelines will be used to improve site characterization and risk assessment, to optimise the land use and to minimize time and cost for investigation, redevelopment and remediation. They will provide a new approach to revitalization of urban areas.

• Cost reduction of contaminated site investigation by 50%

• Acceleration of risk assessment by 80% (short-term objective)

• Redevelopment on brownfields by 60% (long-term objective)

• Less pressure on green land (long-term objective)

• Increase of industrial and business activities and employment (long-term objective).

IETU will be responsible for a human health risk assessment module (HRA), designed as a part of the NORISC standard guidelines, in the form of a software system.

The module offers a uniform procedure integrated with a selection of the best investigation methodology. It will follow the site investigation and provide decision-makers, investors, city planners and stakeholders with information on potential risk to humans, posed by contaminated sites.

The HRA procedure will be adjusted to site-specific circumstances, including different land use scenarios and different types of contaminants.

Site-specific human health risk assessment procedure encompasses baseline risk assessment, including development of site data set, exposure assessment under the developed land use scenarios, toxicity assessment and risk characterization, as well as development of health-based preliminary remedial goals for soil and groundwater.

The HRA software module will generate information on the level and spatial distribution of human health risks at a given site. Risk assessment results will be visualized to assist decision-making and communication between different groups of stakeholders.

• additional input for a harmonized European urban contaminated site investigation, assessment and revitalization strategy

• basis for selecting an appropriate remediation/revitalisation option at a given site

• element of strategy for designing and conducting remediation/revitalization of contaminated sites

• decision support tool for contaminated site management.