A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Comparison of risk assessments for housing on contaminated sites
Decommissioned industrial lands are now being redeveloped in Canadian cities for a variety of purposes. Prior to reoccupation, they are cleaned up to standards set by provincial authorities. Most provinces use generic soil criteria for such cleanups but are now also permitting site specific risk assessments as an alternative. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the federal housing department, initiated research to look at the variability of site specific risk assessments for residential land use of contaminated sites. Consultants for CMHC created a hypothetical case study where detached housing was to be sited on soils with residual heavy metals in surface soils, and vinyl chloride and benzene in the native sand underlying the foundation. Details provided were equivalent to a phase two site assessment. Nine site assessors were selected across Canada to do a screening level risk assessment based using this data. The resultant risk assessments exhibited wide variability in terms of exposure, dose, and health risk, both carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic. The difference in transport modelling of vapours and dust explained much of the divergence, but the nine consultants showed variation in all factors, including toxicity reference values. Consequently, risk management and business decisions should be made with caution and appreciation of the limitations of screening level risk assessments. The variation of more definitive, detailed risk assessments has not been tested.
Comparison of risk assessments for housing on contaminated sites
Decommissioned industrial lands are now being redeveloped in Canadian cities for a variety of purposes. Prior to reoccupation, they are cleaned up to standards set by provincial authorities. Most provinces use generic soil criteria for such cleanups but are now also permitting site specific risk assessments as an alternative. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the federal housing department, initiated research to look at the variability of site specific risk assessments for residential land use of contaminated sites. Consultants for CMHC created a hypothetical case study where detached housing was to be sited on soils with residual heavy metals in surface soils, and vinyl chloride and benzene in the native sand underlying the foundation. Details provided were equivalent to a phase two site assessment. Nine site assessors were selected across Canada to do a screening level risk assessment based using this data. The resultant risk assessments exhibited wide variability in terms of exposure, dose, and health risk, both carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic. The difference in transport modelling of vapours and dust explained much of the divergence, but the nine consultants showed variation in all factors, including toxicity reference values. Consequently, risk management and business decisions should be made with caution and appreciation of the limitations of screening level risk assessments. The variation of more definitive, detailed risk assessments has not been tested.
Comparison of risk assessments for housing on contaminated sites
Fugler, D. (author) / Rankin, M. (author)
1998
Seiten
Conference paper
English
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