Risk analysis
The main objective of the risk analysis is to assess the potential risks of an environmental burden to the human health and/or the quality of ecosystems. Human health or environmental risks generally result from contamination of soil, water, air, foodstuffs, building constructions etc. by organic and/or inorganic substances eventually by microbial or other specific contamination. Based on this analysis target parameters of the rehabilitation measures are recommended.
Risk analysis may also include evaluation of the alternative rehabilitation measures and their economic and social demands.
The process of the risk analysis consists of the following steps:
- Detailed field survey focused mainly on the level and extent of contamination (including geological, hydrogeological and geochemical investigation)
- Risk Identification (survey works, evaluation of data on the contamination, for each specific site and the endangered population, literature search, etc.)
- Quantification of the exposure (calculation of exposure doses according to the realistic site specific exposure scenarios)
- Characterisation of risks (comparison with the tolerable risks, interpretation of overall risks and recommendation of the protection measures)
- Main treatment aims proposal (limits for identified pollutants that exceed tolerable concentrations are proposed)
DEKONTA offers elaboration of the risk analyses according to the current recommended Methodological instructions of the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic (that stem from US EPA methodology for Risk Assessment evaluation). Evaluation of risk analysis offered by DEKONTA also includes negotiation of the risk assessment outcomes with the respective public health and environmental protection authorities.