variability cannot be reduced through in-depth research, but rather better described
and understood. For example, by scaling up population samples, it is possible to
more accurately grasp the changes in body weight with gender and age.
4.1.2 Prevailing Models
The health risk assessment of contaminated sites is a complex task that requires
some site parameters, exposure parameters and ecotoxicological parameters. In
order to simplify the process, some models have been developed abroad, such as
CLEA (UK), CETOX (Denmark), CSOIL (Netherlands), CalTOX (US), UMS
(Germany), EUSES (EU), and RBCA (US). Although all these models consider the
hazard of pollutants in the environment to human health through the food chain,
only the RBCA model is commonly used for the health risk assessment of
groundwater contamination sites (Cui 2012; Liu et al. 2013; Li et al. 2008).
In recent years, with the increasing emphasis on the environmental quality of soil
and groundwater, some Chinese scholars have conducted studies on the health risk
assessment of contaminated soil and groundwater. Among them, the Chen
Mengyu-led research team of the Site remediation Center, Nanjing Institute of Soil
Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has independently developed the Health
and Environmental Risk Assessment Software for Contaminated Sites (HERA)
model, the first of its kind in China, which meets the urgent needs of China's
environmental remediation industry for contaminated sites.
The RBCA and HERA models adopt the same technical framework for the
health risk assessment of groundwater contamination sites: hazard identification
(e.g. site investigation, data acquisition and integration, assessment), exposure
assessment, toxicity assessment, and risk characterization.
4.1.2.1 RBCA Model
The RBCA model is developed by Groundwater Services Inc. (GSI) according to
the ASTM Standard Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Actions. It can be used to set
risk-based SLs and target levels (TLs) for soils, in addition to risk analysis of
contaminated sites. Given this, the model has seen wide application in various US
states, European countries, Chinese Taiwan, as well as Canada, Australia and
Finland. In China, Chen Honghan et al. and Yu Hongwei et al. conducted relatively
complete health risk assessment for contaminated sites respectively. The RBCA
model adopts a three-tier approach to assessment. Tier-I assesses the point of
exposure exactly above the point of pollution sources, assuming the receptor
exposed to pollutants is in situ at the point of contamination. It involves large-scale
use of empirically conservative values for parameters required for the assessment,
such as soil, groundwater, air and pollutant characteristics. Tier II assesses the
actual point of exposure in the zone affected by pollution. Where the point of
4.1 Health Risk Assessment of Typical Groundwater Contamination Sites
75
and understood. For example, by scaling up population samples, it is possible to
more accurately grasp the changes in body weight with gender and age.
4.1.2 Prevailing Models
The health risk assessment of contaminated sites is a complex task that requires
some site parameters, exposure parameters and ecotoxicological parameters. In
order to simplify the process, some models have been developed abroad, such as
CLEA (UK), CETOX (Denmark), CSOIL (Netherlands), CalTOX (US), UMS
(Germany), EUSES (EU), and RBCA (US). Although all these models consider the
hazard of pollutants in the environment to human health through the food chain,
only the RBCA model is commonly used for the health risk assessment of
groundwater contamination sites (Cui 2012; Liu et al. 2013; Li et al. 2008).
In recent years, with the increasing emphasis on the environmental quality of soil
and groundwater, some Chinese scholars have conducted studies on the health risk
assessment of contaminated soil and groundwater. Among them, the Chen
Mengyu-led research team of the Site remediation Center, Nanjing Institute of Soil
Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has independently developed the Health
and Environmental Risk Assessment Software for Contaminated Sites (HERA)
model, the first of its kind in China, which meets the urgent needs of China's
environmental remediation industry for contaminated sites.
The RBCA and HERA models adopt the same technical framework for the
health risk assessment of groundwater contamination sites: hazard identification
(e.g. site investigation, data acquisition and integration, assessment), exposure
assessment, toxicity assessment, and risk characterization.
4.1.2.1 RBCA Model
The RBCA model is developed by Groundwater Services Inc. (GSI) according to
the ASTM Standard Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Actions. It can be used to set
risk-based SLs and target levels (TLs) for soils, in addition to risk analysis of
contaminated sites. Given this, the model has seen wide application in various US
states, European countries, Chinese Taiwan, as well as Canada, Australia and
Finland. In China, Chen Honghan et al. and Yu Hongwei et al. conducted relatively
complete health risk assessment for contaminated sites respectively. The RBCA
model adopts a three-tier approach to assessment. Tier-I assesses the point of
exposure exactly above the point of pollution sources, assuming the receptor
exposed to pollutants is in situ at the point of contamination. It involves large-scale
use of empirically conservative values for parameters required for the assessment,
such as soil, groundwater, air and pollutant characteristics. Tier II assesses the
actual point of exposure in the zone affected by pollution. Where the point of
4.1 Health Risk Assessment of Typical Groundwater Contamination Sites
75