State of the Science: Case Study Examples of Applications in Exposure Assessment, Fate and Transport Modeling, and Sensitivity Analysis in the RCRA Hazardous Waste Listing Program. C. Bertrand, B. Daiss, A. Johnson, D. Layland, and Z. Saleem, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Risk assessments to support hazardous waste listing determinations typically are technically complex in design since they must capture industry-wide variability in waste management practices, exposure scenarios, and environmental settings. These assessments ultimately must produce quantitative statements of risk capable of withstanding intense legal scrutiny. The uniqueness of these types of assessments lends itself to the development and incorporation of many analytical techniques that can be considered state of the science for regulatory development. Through the use of case studies, this presentation will illustrate several novel approaches to evaluating risk. Specifically, case studies will be used to present our innovative application of techniques for developing statistical distributions of waste management, environmental, and exposure parameters needed to generate cumulative probability functions of predicted risks; applying Monte Carlo methodologies for determining how children’s health may be differentially impacted by contaminant exposure; predicting the release of contaminants from waste management units and their ultimate fate and transport through direct and indirect pathways in the environment; and designing complex sensitivity analyses to understand the statistical correlation between Agency waste management and exposure assumptions versus risk assessment results.
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