Integrating Risk Assessment and Design for Sustainable Remediation: Wichita, Kansas

摘要

The city of Wichita, Kansas, faced a significant environmental challenge when chlorinated solvents in groundwater, primarily perchloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) and their degradation products, were found to pose a significant risk to human health. Given the large areal extent of groundwater contamination and high hydraulic conductivities, one aspect of groundwater restoration involved a pump-andtreat system using air stripping to remove volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), with subsequent venting to atmosphere. The city’s vision was to use this treatment system as a focus for environmental education and a showcase for “remediation” in action. Since this vision involved inviting the public to the air stripper located in a public park and across the street from a residential area, the city invested considerable effort in integrating human health risk assessment into the design of the remediation system.