PARENT SESSION
WA8 - Urbanization Impacts & Issues
Chair: Diamond, Miriam1, 1 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, CANADA
Co-chair: Van Metre, Peter2, 2 8027 Exchange Drive, Austin, TX, USA
8:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Wednesday, 20 November 2002
Room Ballroom C
(563) Application of a Source-Specific Screening-level Ecological Risk Assessment Model to an Urban Environment.
Archbold, Josephine*,1, Diamond, Miriam1, Monabbati, Mehran1, 1 University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CANADA
ABSTRACT- A screening-level ecological risk assessment model was developed to support evaluations of the ecological risk associated with exposure to contaminants. This method employs a multi-media fate and transport model coupled with exposure and ecological risk assessment modules. The unique features of this risk assessment tool are its applicability to SOCs and metals, its generality to most aquatic and terrestrial receptors, and its linkage to a geographic information system (GIS, ArcView) that allows the use and display of spatially referenced data and risk characterization. MUM, a multimedia fate and transport model customized for urban areas, is a fugacity/aquivalence-based multimedia model that estimates the fate of SOCs and metals in both fully and partially urbanized areas. The model considers 13 environmental compartments, including snow pack to allow modeling of locations with seasonally snow-covered landscapes. The model can be run in steady-state and time-dependent modes to allow seasonal variations in climate and landscape parameters. Landscape parameters are inputted via a link with ArcView GIS. From these estimated concentrations, the exposure module calculates a receptor′s daily contaminant exposure due to exposure to air, water, soil, sediment and diet. The risk associated with the estimated exposure is assessed using literature-derived toxicity values. The model and its utility to integrate science and management goals are illustrated using the case-study of Minneapolis/St.Paul Twin City area and contaminants emitted from the transportation sector.
Key words: risk, ecological, exposure , modelling