The Effect on Ecological Systems of Remediation to Protect Human Health
Joanna Burger, PhD
The author is with the Division of Life Sciences, Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation, and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscat-away, NJ.
FIGURE 1——Schematic of degradation caused by any stressor, natural recovery that occurs in the absence of additional stressors, and the degradation that can follow physical remediation. Note. The trajectory of recovery depends on the degree of physical degradation, the amount and kind of remediation, and the amount and kind of restoration.
FIGURE 2——Schematic of recovery following physical remediation (e.g., soil removal, capping), which depends on the kinds and type of physical and biological restoration.
FIGURE 3——Differences between risk reduction that is possible for humans and ecological receptors following chemical, radiological, physical, or biological stresses.
FIGURE 4——Health risk to workers, the public, and ecosystems following a stressor event and remediation, which is usually undertaken to reduce the risk to public health but may greatly increase the risk to ecosystems. Note. The dashed vertical line indicates the end of remediation.
