Options Appraisal Flashcards
What are the 4 primary types of remediation?
Physical
Biological
Chemical
Civil Engineering
Why are contaminants harder to remove from fine-grained soils?
Electrostatics mean that contaminants bond more readily to fine particles
What are the 3 most significant factors when choosing initial options?
Type of contaminant
Acceptable outcome
Location of treatment
How is a conceptual site model used in options appraisal?
Potential options are mapped onto the CSM with indications of how they will break pollutant linkges
How is a decision matrix constructed and used?
Create and explain decision criteria
Weight criteria based on their relative importance
Score each option based on its performance in the criteria
Sum the weighted scores and compare
What does it mean for an option to be sustainable?
It is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable
How can a conceptual site model be changed during options appraisal?
The CSM can be reduced if certain features of it are thought to be insignificant
What regulations affect the selection of options?
WHO safe levels of contaminants
SEPA safe levels
Regulations around handling of radioactive material
Protection status of the site and adjacent land
What should always be included in an options appraisal?
Managed Attenuation/ Doing Nothing
In what 2 ways can contaminants be inhaled?
As gaseous vapours
As disturbed fine dust
Why are gas exposures a risk for houses with basements?
The pressure difference in the basement can draw gases in
What are the conditions for aquifers being considered ‘receptors of note’?
They are already notably polluted
They are used for water abstraction
What should be included in the strategy of a potential option?
The means by which it will be carried out consistently
What is Bioaugmentation?
Moving microbes of proven efficacy on one site to another site with similar contaminants
Why is biostimulation preferred to bioaugmentation?
It is preferred to use microbes which are already present at a site over importing microbes
Why is enrichment a proof of natural attenuation?
C13 carbon reacts slower than C12 carbon, so an increase in the ratio of C13 to C12 shows that the carbon is reacting to more stable forms
How is verification structured?
In 2 stages: The plan, carried out before remediation, and the report, carried out after
Aside from proving the efficacy of a treatment, what can verification help with?
Identifying cost savings
Demonstrating the sustainability of the techniques