Abstract
The DSS-ERAMANIA is a decision support system implementing a site-specific Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) procedure and supporting the experts and the decision makers in the assessment of contaminated soils. It was developed according to a Triad approach, where the results provided by a set of measurement endpoints are evaluated and integrated to support the assessment and characterization of ecosystem impairment (i.e. assessment endpoint) caused by the soil contamination. In the Triad approach, the measurement endpoints refer to three Lines Of Evidence (LOE): environmental chemistry, ecotoxicology and ecology, whose integration should pragmatically reduce the uncertainty in the risk estimation. For the DSS, a framework including three subsequent investigation levels (i.e. tiers) was implemented, that enables the completion of the risk assessment once the provided answer is unequivocal as characterized by a relatively small uncertainty, ensuring at the same time an adequate financial investment. The DSS includes two modules: “Comparative Tables” and “Integrated Ecological Risk Indexes”, both based on Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). Module 1 (“Comparative Tables”) aims at comparing the different measurement endpoints belonging to each LOE (i.e. bioavailability tools, toxicity tests and ecological observations) to guide the expert/decision maker in the choice of the suitable set of tests to be applied to the case study for each tier of investigation. Module 2 (“Integrated Ecological Risk Indexes”) provides qualitative and quantitative tools allowing the assessment of terrestrial ecosystem impairment (i.e. the impairment occurring on biodiversity and functional diversity of the terrestrial ecosystem) by integrating complementary information obtained by the application of the measurement endpoints selected in the first module. The two modules were implemented in a software application and validated using the Acna di Cengio contaminated site (located in Savona province, Italy). The objectives, functionalities and structure of the DSS-ERAMANIA will be presented and the main outcomes of the DSS application to the case study will be discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Angelini P, Fenoglio S, Isaia M, Jacomini C, Migliorini M, Morisi A. Tecniche di biomonitoraggio del suolo. ISBN 88-7479-003-1. ARPA Piemonte-CEDAP; 2002. p. 106. [In Italian].
ANPA (Agenzia Nazionale per la Protezione dell’Ambiente). Guida tecnica sui metodi di analisi per il suolo e i siti contaminati – Utilizzo di indicatori biologici ed ecotossicologici. RTI CNT_TES 1/2004; 2004. [In Italian].
Aten CF, Gupta SK. On heavy metals in soil; rationalization of extractions by dilute salt solutions, comparison of the extracted concentrations with uptake by ryegrass and lettuce, and the possible influence of pyrophosphate on plant uptake. Sci Total Environ 1996;178(1–3): 45–53.
Berta G, Fusconi A, Trotta A, Scannerini S. Morphogenetic modifications induced by the mycorrhizal fungus Glomus strani E3 on the root system of Allium porrum L.. New Phytol 1990;114: 207–215.
Burton Jr. GA, Chapman PM, Smith EP. Weight-of-evidence approaches for assessing ecosystem impairment. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 2002;8: 1657–1673.
CARACAS. Risk Assessment for Contaminated Sites in Europe. Final Publication. Vol. 1-Scientific Basis. LQM Press, Nottingham, UK; 1998.
Cesaro P, Volante A, Massa N, Bona E, Lingua G, Berta G. Phytotoxicity Test to be Used in Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Polluted Soils. XVII International Botanical Congress, Vienna, 17–23 July; 2005.
Chapman PM, McDonald BG, Lawrence GS. Weight of evidence frameworks for sediment quality (and other) assessment. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 2002;8: 1489–1516.
CLARINET. Proceeding of the CLARINET Workshop on Ecological Risk Assessment for Contaminated Sites. April 17–19, 2001, Nunspeet, NL; 2001.
CLARINET. Sustainable Management of Contaminated Land: An Overview. A Report from the Contaminated Land Rehabilitation Network for Environmental Technologies; 2002a. p. 128.
CLARINET. Review of Decision Support Tools for Contaminated Land Management, and Their Use in Europe. A Report from the Contaminated Land Rehabilitation Network for Environmental Technologies; 2002b. p. 180.
Critto A, Torresan S, Semenzin E, Giove S, Mesman M, Schouten AJ, Rutgers M, Marcomini A. Development of a site-specific Ecological Risk Assessment: Part I: A multi-criteria based system for the selection of ecotoxicological tests and ecological observations. Sci Tot Env 2007;379: 16–33.
Dondero F, Jonsson H, Rebelo M, Pesce G, Berti E, Pons G, Viarengo A. Cellular responses to environmental contaminants in amoebic cells of the slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum. Comp Physiol Biochem 2006;143(2): 150–157.
ECOFRAME. Ecological Committee on FIFRA Risk Assessment Methods: ECOFRAM Terrestrial Draft Report; 1999.
Fusconi A, Repetto O, Bona E, Massa N, Gallo C, Dumas-Gaudot E, Berta G. Effects of cadmium on meristem activity and nucleus ploidy in roots of Pisum sativum L. cv Frisson seedlings. Env Exp Bot 2006;58: 253–260.
Gardi C, Tomaselli M, Parisi V, Petraglia A, Santini C. Soil quality indicators and biodiversity in northern Italian permanent grasslands. Eur J Soil Biol 2002;38: 103–110.
Gorny M, Grum L. Methods in Soil Zoology. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; 1993.
Hooker JE, Berta G, Lingua G, Fusconi A, Sgorbati S. Quantification of AMF-induced modifications to root system architecture and longevity. In: Varma A, editor, Mycorrhyzal Manual. Springer–Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, Germany; 1998. pp. 515–531.
IDEAS. Quarta relazione (da Giugno 2004 a Dicembre 2004) del progetto di ricerca ERA-MANIA. Final report of the ERA-MANIA project. Centre IDEAS. Venice: Ca’ Foscari University; 2004. pp. 144–166. [In Italian].
INIA – Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y tecnologia Agraria y alimentaria, Desarrollo de criterios para la caracterizacion de suelos contaminados y para determinar umbrales para la proteccion de los ecosistemas. Madrid, Espana; 2000.
Kiker GA, Bridges TS, Varghese A, Seager TP, Linkov I. Application of multicriteria decision analysis in environmental decision making. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2005;1(2): 95–108.
Lingua G, Fusconi A, Berta G. The nucleus of differentiated root plant cells: modifications induced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Eur J Histochem 2001a;45: 9–20.
Lingua G, D'Agostino G, Fusconi A, Berta G. Nuclear changes in pathogen-infected tomato roots. Eur J Histochem 2001b;45: 21–30.
Long ER, Chapman PM. A sediment quality triad: measures of sediment contamination, toxicity and infaunal community composition in Puget Sound Mar Poll Bull 1985;16: 405–415.
Magurran AE. Ecological Diversity and Its Measurement. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NY; 1988. p. 179.
OECD guideline for testing of chemicals n. 207. Earthworm, Acute Toxicity Tests; 1984.
Parisi V. La qualità biologica del suolo. Un metodo basato sui microartropodi. Acta naturalia de L'Ateneo Parmense 2001;37: 97–106. [In Italian].
Pereira AG, Quintana SC. From technocratic to participatory decision support systems: Responding to the new governance initiatives. J Geogr Inf Decision Anal 2002;6: 95–107.
Petruzzelli G, Lubrano L, Giovannini G, Lucchesi S, Cervelli S. Distribution and behaviour of heavy metals in soils following different clean up procedures. In: Arendt F et al., editors, Contaminated Soil. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht; 1993. pp. 545–546.
Rutgers M, Den Besten P. Approach to legislation in a global context, B. The Netherlands perspective – soils and sediments. In: Thompson KC, Wadhia K. and Loibner AP, editors, Environmental Toxicity Testing. Blackwell Publishing CRC Press, Oxford; 2005. pp. 269–289.
Semenzin E, Critto A, Carlon C, Rutgers M, Marcomini A. Development of a site-specific Ecological Risk Assessment: Part II: A multi-criteria based system for the selection of bioavailability assessment tools. Sci Tot Env 2007;379: 34–45.
Semenzin E, Critto A, Rutgers M, Marcomini A. Integration of bioavailability, ecology and ecotoxicology by three lines of evidence into ecological risk indexes for contaminated soil assessment. Sci Tot Env 2008a;389: 71–86.
Semenzin E, Critto A, Rutgers M, Marcomini A. Ecosystem impairment evaluation on biodiversity and functional diversity for contaminated soil assessment. Submitted to Integr Environ Assess Manag 2008b.
Siller D, Blodgett C, Cziganyik N, Omeroglu G. Factors involved in urban regeneration: remediation and redevelopment of contaminated urban sites – a comparison of France and the Netherlands. In: Proceeding of CABERNET 2005: The International Conference on Managing Urban Land. Compiled by Oliver L, Millar K, Grimski D, Ferber U, Nathanail CP. Land Quality Press, Nottingham; 2004. ISBN 0-9547474-1-0.
Suter II GW, Efroymson RA, Sample BE, Jones DS. Ecological Risk Assessment for Contaminated Sites. Lewis, Boca Raton, FL; 2000.
UK-EA. Ecological Risk Assessment: A Public Consultation on a Framework and Methods for Assessing Harm to Ecosystems from Contaminants in Soil; 2003. www.environment-agency.gov.uk.
UNICHIM 1651. Determinazione dell’inibizione della germinazione e allungamento radicale in Cucumis sativus L. (Cetriolo), Lepidium sativum L. (Crescione), Sorghum saccharatum Moench (Sorgo) – saggio di tossicità cronica breve; 2003. [In Italian].
UNIPMN (Università del Piemonte Orientale). Progetto per la realizzazione di un centro di eccellenza riguardante monitoraggio e bonifica dei siti inquinati. Rapporto finale realizzato nell’ambito delle attvità di ricerca finanziate dal Commissario delegato per la bonifica dell’ACNA di Cengio, Alessandria, Italy; 2004. [In Italian].
US EPA – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Guidelines for ecological risk assessment. EPA/630/R-95/002F. Risk Assessment Forum, Washington, DC; 1998.
Vincke P. Multicriteria Decision-Aid. Wiley & Sons, Chickester, UK; 1992.
VROM. Soil Policy Letter. Circular BWL/2003 096 250, Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, The Hague, The Netherlands; 2003. Download: international.vrom.nl/docs/internationaal/7178menarev_1.pdf.
Acknowledgment
This work and the ERA-MANIA project were funded by the Italian Government Commissary for the rehabilitation of the Bormida Valley and were developed by University of Venice, Ca’ Foscari, Interdepartmental Centre for Sustainable Development (IDEAS) in collaboration with Italian National Environmental Protection Agency (APAT), Dutch National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) and Consortium Venezia Ricerche (CVR).
We specially thank Claudio Carlon, Miranda Mesman and Ton Schouten for their contribution to the ERA-MANIA project. We also thank Prof. Silvio Giove for developing the MCDA procedures of the DSS-ERAMANIA, Stefano Silvoni for the implementation of the software “DSS-ERAMANIA Module 1: Comparative Tables” and Stefania Gottardo for her technical support.
We are grateful to the Steering Committee members (Trudie Crommentujin, Bona Piera Griselli, John Jensen, Giuseppe Marella, Cristina Menta, Nick Pacini, Gianniantonio Petruzzelli, Eugenio Piovano, Milagros Vega and Aldo Viarengo) for the helpful discussions during the testing phase of both Module 1 and 2 developments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Semenzin, E., Critto, A., Rutgers, M., Marcomini, A. (2009). DSS-ERAMANIA: Decision Support System for Site-Specific Ecological Risk Assessment of Contaminated Sites. In: Marcomini, A., Suter II, G., Critto, A. (eds) Decision Support Systems for Risk-Based Management of Contaminated Sites. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09722-0_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09722-0_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-09721-3
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-09722-0
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)