Risk-Based Approach to Petroleum Hydrocarbon Remediation.

The risk-based approach utilizes tools developed under the BTEX, Intrinsic Remediation natural attenuation, Bioslurper, and Bioventing Initiatives of the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence Technology Transfer Division AFCEEERT to construct a risk-based cost-effective approach to the cleanup of petroleum contaminated sites. The AFCEE Remediation Matrix Enclosure 1 identifies natural attenuation as the first remediation alternative for soil and ground water contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. The intrinsic remediation natural attenuation alternative requires a scientifically defensible risk assessment based on contaminant sources, pathways, and receptors. For fuel contaminated sites, the first step is to determine contaminants of interest. For the ground water pathway usually considered most important by regulators, this will normally be the most soluble, mobile, and toxic compounds, namely benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and o, m, p, xylene BTEX.