BrownfieldsBrownfieldsHealth Risks & RemediationHealth Risks & Remediation

Diogo CadimaDiogo CadimaTopic ‘A’Topic ‘A’

Term ProjectTerm ProjectCET 413CET 413

BrownfieldsBrownfields

• Abandoned, idled, or under-Abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and used industrial and commercial facilities where commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or is complicated by real or perceived environmental perceived environmental contaminationscontaminations

• Contain presence, or Contain presence, or potential presence of potential presence of hazardous substances, hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants.pollutants, or contaminants.

Definition of a BrownfieldDefinition of a Brownfield

BrownfieldsBrownfields

• Often abandoned and Often abandoned and overlooked by developers overlooked by developers in the pastin the past– High development costsHigh development costs– Possible future long term Possible future long term

health riskshealth risks

• New Jersey Contains 28% New Jersey Contains 28% of nation’s Brownfield of nation’s Brownfield propertiesproperties

Definition of a BrownfieldDefinition of a Brownfield

BrownfieldsBrownfields

• Recent Interest in BrownfieldsRecent Interest in Brownfields– Lack of open land in recent Lack of open land in recent

years has made it more years has made it more common practice for developers common practice for developers to build and develop to build and develop BrownfieldsBrownfields

– High costs of land and High costs of land and constructionconstruction

• Health Effects of Developing Health Effects of Developing BrownfieldsBrownfields– Developers often disregard Developers often disregard

possible health riskspossible health risks– Could lead to serious health Could lead to serious health

problemsproblems

Developing BrownfieldsDeveloping Brownfields

1.1. Identifying and assessing contaminated landIdentifying and assessing contaminated land

2.2. Analyze health risks involved in developing Analyze health risks involved in developing and living on brownfieldsand living on brownfields

3.3. Long and Short term health risks of Long and Short term health risks of exposure to toxic contaminantsexposure to toxic contaminants

4.4. Assessing important steps to remediationAssessing important steps to remediation

5.5. Setting and discussing important steps to Setting and discussing important steps to correct problem at handcorrect problem at hand

BrownfieldsBrownfields

Outline of ReportOutline of Report

• Vital in order to sustain Vital in order to sustain increased quality of life and increased quality of life and conservation of ecosystemsconservation of ecosystems

• Contaminated land needs to Contaminated land needs to be controlled and preventedbe controlled and prevented

• Various areas of Various areas of contaminated land have contaminated land have been identified and been identified and remediated in recent yearsremediated in recent years

BrownfieldsBrownfields

Identifying contaminated landIdentifying contaminated land

BrownfieldsBrownfields

• Performed to decide whether or Performed to decide whether or not a site poses any potential not a site poses any potential risks to human health or the risks to human health or the environmentenvironment

• Typically done in systematic Typically done in systematic phases which allow for stepped phases which allow for stepped decision making based on the decision making based on the level of information for each level of information for each phasephase

• Three phases of assessment:Three phases of assessment:1.1. Phase 1a - Hazard identificationPhase 1a - Hazard identification2.2. Phase 1b - Collecting and analyzing Phase 1b - Collecting and analyzing

quantitative informationquantitative information3.3. Phase 2 - Risk assessmentPhase 2 - Risk assessment

Assessing contaminated landAssessing contaminated land

• Develop a conceptual model for a contaminated land which Develop a conceptual model for a contaminated land which is to be developedis to be developed

• Model will describe the important sources and pathways for Model will describe the important sources and pathways for the site and make preliminary assessments of their the site and make preliminary assessments of their importanceimportance

• Model should include:Model should include:– Description of siteDescription of site– Possible sources of contaminationPossible sources of contamination– Likely concentrations of contaminationLikely concentrations of contamination– Possible receptors of contaminationPossible receptors of contamination

BrownfieldsBrownfieldsAssessing contaminated landAssessing contaminated land - Phase 1a - Phase 1a

• Test conceptual model created in phase 1a in order to Test conceptual model created in phase 1a in order to discover the extent of the source of contaminationdiscover the extent of the source of contamination

• Determine possible method of contaminationDetermine possible method of contamination

• Model should include:Model should include:– Summary of uncertaintiesSummary of uncertainties– Survey of propertySurvey of property– Site delineationSite delineation– List of sources and locationsList of sources and locations– Contamination samples and dataContamination samples and data– ConclusionsConclusions

BrownfieldsBrownfieldsAssessing contaminated landAssessing contaminated land - Phase 1b - Phase 1b

• Analyze all data collected from conceptual models in Analyze all data collected from conceptual models in phases 1a and 1bphases 1a and 1b

• Assess human and environmental risk involvedAssess human and environmental risk involved

• Creating of risk estimation based on data collected and Creating of risk estimation based on data collected and evaluate the clean-up work requiredevaluate the clean-up work required

• Clean-up procedure implementedClean-up procedure implemented

BrownfieldsBrownfieldsAssessing contaminated landAssessing contaminated land - Phase 2 - Phase 2

BrownfieldsBrownfieldsHealth RisksHealth Risks - Humans - Humans

• Contaminants in Brownfields could come in contact with humans thru:Contaminants in Brownfields could come in contact with humans thru:– Contaminated soil in parks and in backyards of homesContaminated soil in parks and in backyards of homes– Contaminated drinking waterContaminated drinking water– Inhalation of Vaporized contaminantsInhalation of Vaporized contaminants

• Chromium, pesticides and herbicides are carcinogenic to humansChromium, pesticides and herbicides are carcinogenic to humans

• Lead is extremely hazardous to children and can cause brain and Lead is extremely hazardous to children and can cause brain and nervous damagenervous damage

• Benzene can be associated with leukemiaBenzene can be associated with leukemia

• Mercury and cyclodienes often lead to kidney damage and liver Mercury and cyclodienes often lead to kidney damage and liver toxicitytoxicity

BrownfieldsBrownfieldsHealth RisksHealth Risks - Ecosystems - Ecosystems

• Could also effect our ecosystem thru micro organisms Could also effect our ecosystem thru micro organisms which live off the soil by ingesting toxic chemicals and which live off the soil by ingesting toxic chemicals and affecting the food chainaffecting the food chain

• Example:Example:– Chickens ingesting moderate levels of contamination from soil Chickens ingesting moderate levels of contamination from soil

leading to weakened egg shells and increased chick mortalityleading to weakened egg shells and increased chick mortality

• Contaminated soil has also affected agriculture by altering Contaminated soil has also affected agriculture by altering plan metabolism leading to reduced crop yieldsplan metabolism leading to reduced crop yields

BrownfieldsBrownfields

• Actions or procedures taken to Actions or procedures taken to environmentally clean-up environmentally clean-up contaminated land in order to contaminated land in order to restore it to it’s original conditionrestore it to it’s original condition

• Has become standard policy in Has become standard policy in various countries to require various countries to require remediation of contaminated land.remediation of contaminated land.

• Two essential methods of Two essential methods of remediationremediation– ContainmentContainment– TreatmentTreatment

RemediationRemediation

BrownfieldsBrownfields

• Purpose is to confine contaminants in Purpose is to confine contaminants in order to prevent their contact with order to prevent their contact with humans and the ecosystemhumans and the ecosystem

• Can be achieved by:Can be achieved by:– Properly containing the contaminants on Properly containing the contaminants on

sitesite– On site treatmentOn site treatment– Temporary storageTemporary storage

• Method most often chosen by Method most often chosen by developers due to low costsdevelopers due to low costs

• Very risky procedure because of high Very risky procedure because of high possibility that contaminants may possibility that contaminants may leakleak

RemediationRemediation - Containment - Containment

BrownfieldsBrownfields

• Permanently restore land to its Permanently restore land to its original conditionoriginal condition

• Most ecological method of dealing Most ecological method of dealing with contaminated landwith contaminated land

• Three most commonly used Three most commonly used methods of treatment are:methods of treatment are:– Thermal treatmentsThermal treatments– Thermal desorptionThermal desorption– ExtractionExtraction– BioremediationBioremediation

RemediationRemediation - Treatment - Treatment

BrownfieldsBrownfields

• Thermal Treatments:Thermal Treatments:– Involves incinerating contaminated soil to destroy organic compoundsInvolves incinerating contaminated soil to destroy organic compounds– Prohibited in some locations due to potential of combustion by-products Prohibited in some locations due to potential of combustion by-products

such as dioxinssuch as dioxins

• Thermal Desorption:Thermal Desorption:– Uses heat to remove contaminants from soil and then uses condensation Uses heat to remove contaminants from soil and then uses condensation

to capture the contaminants for disposalto capture the contaminants for disposal– Widely used as it does not produce dangerous by-productsWidely used as it does not produce dangerous by-products– Not as effective as incinerationNot as effective as incineration

• Extraction:Extraction:– Physical removal of contaminated soil or water from a site to a separate Physical removal of contaminated soil or water from a site to a separate

location to either confine it or treat itlocation to either confine it or treat it

• Bioremediation:Bioremediation:– Uses microbial treatments to remediate toxic contaminationUses microbial treatments to remediate toxic contamination– Uses microorganisms, fungi, green plants or their enzymes to return the Uses microorganisms, fungi, green plants or their enzymes to return the

environment altered by contaminants to its original condition environment altered by contaminants to its original condition

RemediationRemediation - Treatment Methods - Treatment Methods

BrownfieldsBrownfieldsRemediationRemediation - Thermal Desorption - Thermal Desorption

BrownfieldsBrownfieldsRemediationRemediation - Bioremediation - Bioremediation

BrownfieldsBrownfieldsConclusionsConclusions

• Federal, state and local governments will continue to invest Federal, state and local governments will continue to invest billions of dollars to help environmentally clean-up billions of dollars to help environmentally clean-up contaminated sitescontaminated sites

• More investment and dedication will lead to better controls More investment and dedication will lead to better controls over possible future contaminations and improved methods of over possible future contaminations and improved methods of treatmenttreatment

““With the help of every human together with the various levels With the help of every human together with the various levels of government, man-kind can continue to make important of government, man-kind can continue to make important

strides to correct a problem which it created”strides to correct a problem which it created”