New incentives to recover value from wastes have increased the opportunities for re-use in the environment. Relevant parties need to quantify and provide adequate mitigation for the environmental risks relevant to each re-use scenario. Manufacturers need to consider the risks from all stages of a product’s life cycle. Risk assessments are also needed to support planning applications, during the design and development stage, or for after- care and long term environmental compliance. The development of the conceptual model supporting the assessment would consider scientifically based framework and concepts such as the Source – Pathway - Receptor or Drivers - Pressures - States - Impacts - Responses which are fundamental in understanding case specific issues.
WRc has expertise in the assessment of risks to receptors which include air, surface water, groundwater, plant, animal and human health and has teams experienced in land quality, hydrogeology, human health, waste characterisation and management.
WRc’s services include:
- Assessment of environmental impacts and agronomic benefits from the application of organic wastes to land
- Qualitative and quantitative risk assessment (human, plant and animal health and the wider environment)
- Hydrogeological conceptual modelling (MODFLOW, R&D P20, ConSim, LandSim and bespoke spreadsheet models)
- Quantitative microbial risk assessment
- Odour and bioaerosol monitoring
- Field trials to support bioremediation or energy from biomass
- Environmental compliance monitoring