Comparative risk analysis of land disposal and treatment

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6254886

Karam, J G; Tilly, J; Bailey, S; Males, E

A comparative risk assessment model was developed to estimate human health risks at the national level from land disposal and/or treatment of hazardous wastes. For a given characterized waste management practice, this model: simulates steady-state chemical releases to the environment (accidental and continuous); models the fate and transport of released chemicals in air, ground water, and surface water; and assesses the risks to human health from exposure to these chemicals. The model accounts for the variability in geographical location of waste management facilities by using stochastically distributed environmental and population parameters in accordance with the most pertinent nationwide data. Environmental parameters affect the chemical's transport in the three environmental media and include: meteorological conditions, ground-water velocity, aquifer porosity, and surface water flow. To develop frequency distributions of the environmental and population parameters, various data sources are used, including sources of information on 364 Part A incinerator facilities and 117 RCRA Subtitle C landfills. Using a Monte Carlo simulation to cover all possible combinations of environmental and population settings, the model generates two kinds of outputs: distributions of number of persons affected (population risk) and risk to the msot exposed individual (MEI risk); and constituent of concern and medium of concern for each of the two types of risks. Results from the model are presented for a halogenated organic waste and a metal waste. The relative riskiness of land disposal and treatment technologies is determined based on a comparison of the counter-cumulative risk distributions (population risk as well as MEI risk) associated with these practices, and not on a comparison of the mean risks alone.

• OSTI ID: 6254886
• Report Number(s): CONF-870323-
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320305* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Industrial Waste Management
320604 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EMISSION
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GROUND WATER
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INCINERATORS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RISK ASSESSMENT
SANITARY LANDFILLS
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
SURFACE WATERS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WATER