Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Risk assessment paradigm
Indentification of hazard and Problem definition
Assessment
endpoints
Knowledge
Conditions
Exposure assessment
(Dose-)Effect assessment
Risk Characterization
Risk management
Fig. 14.1
The Risk Assessment paradigm: Exposure Assessment and Effect Assessment are used
together to get insights in risks. Different methods can be applied, and those are usually organized
in a tiered scheme. SSDs are the key Effect Assessment method addressed in this chapter
This is because most of the research groups that have been exploring uses of SSDs
beyond the “older” use of standard setting are Dutch. Though the set of examples is
thus biased, we think we can help readers to imagine how SSDs can be used to solve
their own Risk Management problems. The “newer” uses of SSDs appears versatile
and a useful help in Risk Management of (slightly) contaminated soils.
14.2 Soil Protection Motives and Impacts of Non-Protection
14.2.1 Protecting Living Soil - Motives
Soils are vital entities for human welfare, as described in Swartjes et al. (
Chapter 10
of this topic). And soils, to the contrary, are not dead. Vital soils perform a range of
functions (called Ecosystem Services), ranging from global biogeochemical cycles
(e.g., as carbon sinks) to prevention of flooding by regional water retention and food
production. Almost all these functions require a huge and diverse community of soil
organisms. Vital soils - in short - are vital for both man and nature, and enable the
sustainable use of their services by mankind.
Thus, vital soils - full of living entities like bacteria, fungi, nematodes, mites,
springtails, and earthworms - are generally considered worthy of protection. And, as
a specific aspect of environmental protection, soil is a functionally “slow” and prac-
tically immobile compartment, as compared to the aquatic and air compartments.
Impacts of stressors like contaminants often appear slowly, and often disappear
equally slowly. Moreover, soil contamination is relatively immobile and confined to
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