What Are the Stages of Contaminated Area Management?

Contaminated Area Management (CAM) is defined as a set of measures taken with the purpose of minimizing the risks arising from contaminated areas to both the population and the environment. This process must be carried out in stages.

See below the stages of Contaminated Area Management and understand the purpose of each one.

Preliminary Assessment

The Preliminary Assessment stage aims to characterize past and current activities, identify source areas and potential contamination sources, and guide the execution of the subsequent stages of the Contaminated Area Management process.

At the end of the study, when the site is classified as an Area with Potential Contamination (AP), an Initial Conceptual Model (ICM 1) will be developed, identifying possible contamination sources for the preparation of the Confirmatory Investigation Plan, proposing investigation methodologies for each identified source area.

Confirmatory Investigation

The Confirmatory Investigation stage aims to confirm or deny the existence of contamination in the assessed area through the investigation of all potential sources identified during the Preliminary Assessment stage.

The study area may be classified as a Contaminated Area Under Investigation (CAI) if one or more conditions established in Decree No. 59,263/2013, Article 28, are identified after the Confirmatory Investigation stage.

Detailed Investigation

The Detailed Investigation stage aims to define the concentrations of contaminants of concern identified during the Confirmatory Investigation stage and characterize the physical environment where the Contaminated Area Under Investigation (CAI) is located.

For this purpose, investigations are conducted to three-dimensionally define the limits of contamination plumes, quantify the masses of chemical substances of concern considering their different phases, characterize the transport of chemical substances of concern in different hydrostratigraphic units, and collect exposure scenario data for the Risk Assessment stage.

Human Health Risk Assessment

The Human Health Risk Assessment aims to evaluate whether local receptors are exposed or potentially exposed to chemical substances of concern present in the contaminated area in order to determine the need for implementing intervention measures.

The Risk Assessment will calculate the Maximum Acceptable Concentrations (MAC) for the study area, taking into account the characteristics of the area and the contaminants present. These concentrations will then be compared with the data obtained through the investigations carried out.

Intervention Plan

The Intervention Plan is a technical document that includes the actions to be taken by the Legal Responsible Party after the study area has been classified as a Contaminated Area with Confirmed Risk (CACR) through the Human Health Risk Assessment study.

The purpose of the Intervention Plan is to eliminate the risks to which receptors may be exposed or potentially exposed due to site contamination. Depending on the risk scenario, intervention measures may include emergency actions, institutional controls, engineering controls, or remediation measures.

Environmental Remediation

Environmental Remediation is an intervention measure aimed at rehabilitating a contaminated area through the application of techniques designed to remove, contain, or reduce contaminant concentrations present at the site.

Remediation is necessary when the concentrations of identified contaminants may pose risks to local human and/or ecological receptors.

Thus, environmental remediation consists of a set of techniques focused on removing the contamination source and reducing contamination in aquifer matrices (soil, groundwater, and vapors) to environmentally acceptable levels.

CETESB Board Decision No. 38 of 2017 establishes guidelines for the stages of Contaminated Area Management and specifies the information that must be included in each study, representing a major contribution to the environmental sector.

Follow us on social media to stay informed about everything related to the environmental field.