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U.S. Department of Energy
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Ecological risk screening assessment for a terrestrial habitat at a California Superfund site

Conference ·
OSTI ID:230882
; ;  [1]
  1. Kleinfelder, Inc., Sacramento, CA (United States)
An ecological risk screening assessment was performed for a disturbed annual grassland habitat at the Sacramento Army Depot in Sacramento, California. The ecological risk screening assessment was conducted according to California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal-EPA) and United States EPA (US EPA) guidelines for conducting ecological risk assessments at Superfund sites. The main objective of the ecological risk screening assessment was to qualitatively evaluate the potential adverse effects of hazardous waste on representative floral and faunal receptors at the Depot. Soil contaminants at the site included metals, organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and volatile organic chemicals. The habitat assessment was conducted during different seasons over a period of three years. Surveys for rare, endangered, threatened, or candidate species were conducted during the habitat assessment. Receptors included representative floral, avian, mammalian, amphibian, and invertebrate species that were observed or expected to occur on the Depot. Chemical exposures were estimated by calculating the potential daily intakes (doses) or cumulative tissue concentrations of chemicals in the receptors. Risks were estimated by comparing the daily intakes or cumulative tissue concentrations to toxicity criteria such as No Observed Adverse Effect Levels (NOAELs) or Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Levels (LOAELs). The results of the ecological risk screening assessment indicated that baseline (no remedial action) concentrations of several contaminants could result in daily doses or tissue concentrations greater than the NOAELs/LOAELs in at least one of the receptors at the Depot. Under remediated conditions, however, it is unlikely that daily doses or tissue concentrations would exceed the NOAELs/LOAELs. The ecological risk screening assessment was reviewed and approved (with editions) by the US EPA and the Cal-EPA.
OSTI ID:
230882
Report Number(s):
CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English