Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
2,4-dichlorophenol, trichloromethane and pentachlorophenol, mainly originating
from the upper soil layers, in 7671 groundwater samples collected from 1115
screens from the Danish National Groundwater Monitoring Program. Groundwater
as a protection target has a special status, since groundwater is part of the soil
as defined in the framework of this topic. Moreover, the groundwater is both a
protection target and a means of transport ( pathway ) for contaminant migration.
The relevant process with regard to the determination and often evaluation of
risks is called Groundwater-related Risk Assessment in this topic. Swartjes and
Grima ( Chapter 17 of this topic) give an overview of Groundwater-related Risk
Assessment, considering groundwater both as a protection target and as a means
of transport (pathway) of contaminants. The subsequent chapters (see Chapter 18
by Mallants et al., this topic; and Chapter 19 by Rolle et al., this topic) describe
Groundwater-related Risk Assessment in more detail, that is, leaching of con-
taminants from soil into the groundwater and transport within the groundwater,
respectively.
Finally, another important protection target is Food Safety . Generally speaking,
this includes two different types of protection targets, namely, crops and animal
products (meat, milk and eggs). An example is found in Yang et al. ( 2004 ), who
evaluated the uptake of lead from soil into rice and meat, around a lead/zinc mine
in Lechang, Guangdong Province, in China. The relevant process with regard to
the determination and often evaluation of risks is called Food Safety-related Risk
Assessment in this topic. Specific elements with regard to Food Safety-related Risk
Assessment, in particular to consumption of vegetables, are included in Mclaughlin
et al. ( Chapter 8 of this topic), Trapp and Legind ( Chapter 9 of this topic) and Elert
et al. ( Chapter 11 of this topic). The last chapter also includes a description of risk
through consumption of animal products.
In addition to the protection targets, the level of protection also needs to be
defined. The combination of protection target and protection level is often referred
to as the 'endpoint'.
The selection of appropriate protection targets and the level of protection in regu-
latory frameworks is primarily a policy decision. However, since the significance of
protection targets and the levels of protection are often difficult to understand, policy
decisions as to protection targets need to be supported by the scientific community.
1.1.4.4 Land Use
An important factor that affects both the risks and the degree to which those risks are
evaluated, is the land use (often called: function ) at a contaminated site. Generally
speaking, the term land use applies to different categories that cover the main activ-
ity that is taking place on the site. Familiar land uses are Residential land use ,
Industrial land use , Recreational land use, Children's playgrounds, Infrastructural
land use , Agricultural land use and Nature reserves . Since sites with a similar land
use can be used in quite different ways, the categorisation of land uses gives only a
rough impression of the activities that are taking place at the site and the intensity
of these activities. Therefore, land uses are sometimes subdivided, for example
Search WWH ::




Custom Search