Initial screening of contaminated land: A comparison of U.S. and
Swedish methods
Bergius, K., Öberg, T.
Environmental Management 39, 226-234 (2007)
Abstract
Preliminary surveys are used to prioritize between contaminated sites to select
those to be investigated more thoroughly. The data-gathering steps are almost
identical between countries; however, the assessment procedures differ
significantly. In this study, we have investigated 21 contaminated sites
assessed as belonging to the high-risk or the very high-risk class using the
Swedish Methods for Inventories of Contaminated Sites (MICS). We then applied
the US Preliminary Assessment (PA) method to the same sites and compared the
results and conclusions from the two screening procedures. In both cases, all
sites were recommended for further investigation and the two approaches seem to
corroborate one another; however, the PA assessment scores and the preliminary
MICS classifications did not correlate. The results obtained with the PA method
were easier to explain than the final MICS classification. The PA method also
seems more transparent and easier to standardize, although objections could be
made regarding the weighting scheme, because the outcome in this study was
entirely dependent on the surface exposure pathway. However, to examine this in
greater detail, it is necessary to include sites with less contamination: The
importance of preliminary surveys in the overall risk management process gives a
strong motivation for such an evaluation. Generally, the lack of research and
scientific support for the various assessment procedures in use suggests that
there is a need for method development, standardization, and validation.
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