Ecologic/Human Health

Ecologic/Human Health

AquAeTer was retained by this client to plan and conduct an ecologic and human health risk assessment for an Affected Property Assessment Report (APAR) in accordance with Texas Risk Reduction Program (TRRP) requirements. The purpose of the study was to measure concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and arsenic in stream sediment deposits impacted by creosote releases from wood treating facilities over the past 100 years. AquAeTer designed and implemented a comprehensive program of creek sediment sampling, spanning nearly two miles of urban area creeks, to evaluate the potential risk to human and environmental receptors, and devise appropriate responses to identified risk conditions.

The study concluded that risk to human receptors was minimal, and that risk to environmental receptors, though minimal, merited further consideration. This study was done in cooperation with the trustees of the Natural Resource Damages Assessment team (NRDA) made up of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Texas Park Services, the Texas Fish and Wildlife Service, the Texas Land Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the USEPA.

AquAeTer provided the following services to its client for this sampling and reporting project:

  • Development of APA work plan
  • Presentation of work plan to TCEQ
  • Creek channel geometry measurements
  • Creek sediment sampling (collected >250 individual samples within a five-day period)
  • Coordination of sample analyses and data quality validation
  • Assessment of risk to human receptors
  • Assessment of risk to aquatic biological receptors
  • Risk evaluation by TCEQ & USEPA criteria
  • Presentation of results to TCEQ
  • TRRP Affected Property Assessment Reporting
  • Development of responses to identified impacts