Risk assessment

Sites must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis: Just measuring concentrations and making an assessment on the basis of set limits is not enough.

A differentiated evaluation of the environmental hazard (risk assessment) is geared to the following main criteria:

  • Pollutant potential - how dangerous are the pollutants and in what quantities are they present?
  • Release potential - How fast, how far and in what quantities will the pollutants be released and transported?
  • Exposure and importance of natural resources (water, soil, air) - Can the pollutants reach natural resources at all? And how great is the extent of any potential damage?
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These three main criteria can be visualised in a three-dimensional model. The volume of the cube, which extends to all three axes, represents the dimension of the risk to the environment. Frequently, however, polluted or contaminated sites actually often turn out to be "cocktail of pollutants".
The hazard associated with such sites can thus only be estimated. A residual risk and with it a certain degree of uncertainty remains.

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Last modification 07.07.2021

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