In the aspect of “review and amending the contents and mechanism of assessment and analysis on the human health risk of soil and groundwater polluted sites”, this project analyzed the health risk assessment reports collected from 4 selected polluted sites, and to enhance the assessment and analysis methods, and to prepare the instruction of report writing based on the analysis of findings from the reports of these 4 sites. The main weaknesses found from the case studies on these reference sites were lack of acknowledge about the applicability of the human health risk assessment and assessment tiers, which were needed to be strengthened, and the most of the report’s formats weren’t complied with the relevant guidelines issued by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Regarding the parameter database, this project collected and compiled the health risk assessment parameters and their updating methods from United States of America, England, European Union, Australia and Japan, analyzed these parameters, procedures and characteristics for updating the parameter databases, to provide as references to the framework of updating parameter.
Besides, a screening mechanism based on the “sensitivity ratio” and “risk percentage” of various exposure pathways was set up to determine the updating priority of 53 parameters in the current risk assessment methods, and to derive the first priority parameter group for updating and localization. This project updated 15 items of the first priority parameter group which included first and second categories of parameters. These 15 items of parameters include 6 items of geological, hydrological and climate parameters, 8 items of exposure factors and the fraction of contaminant volatilised.
This project also conducted 4 discussing meetings respectively for the establishment of human health risk assessment parameter, the amendment of human health risk assessment methods, the principled specifications for elimination of exposure pathways, and the direction for promotion human health risk assessment system.
Regarding the enhancement of system functions of the human health risk assessment computer program for the soil and groundwater polluted sites, the project cooperated the amendment of risk assessment method and the requirements of the EPA to renewed the computer program’s function, added functions of recording procedural review and substantial review, as well as the additional calculation function of exposure path of breathing the vaporized pollutants from water caused by the “Groundwater Used Outdoor”.
For proposing the monitoring, management and review mechanism of human health risk assessment for the soil and groundwater polluted sites, this project collected domestic cases and foreign relevant data, proposed the amendment of reviewing mechanism, and suggested an adjustable deadline for the submitting of health risk assessment report depending on the pollution degree of the site. Besides, the relevant chapters and contents of the “Reference Manual on the Review of Assessment of Health Risk Affected by the Soil and Groundwater Polluted Sites” were amended. In order to enhance the management of polluted sites, this project also provided recommendations on the follow up monitoring and management mechanism of the polluted sites based on the current status on the implementation of human health risk assessment.
For the promotion and implementation of human health risk assessment system, this project had collected various opinions and enquiries raised by relevant entities and compiled them into a “Q&A and Evaluation and Judgment Database”, and assisted in making the evaluation and judgment of the enquires for the reference of the EPA and other local environmental protection entities.
