Risk analysis for a contaminated site in north of Naples (Italy)

Exposure and risk assessment of environmental pollution deriving from releases of chemicals is a compulsory step for the remediation of contaminated sites. A site-specific risk assessment provides a systematic approach to characterise the nature and magnitude of the risks associated with the environmental health hazards, helping to determine the transport of contaminants due to natural processes and, consequently, the areas involved and the specific goals to reduce the exposure to hazardous substances. In this work, the assessment of the exposure and risk related to some pollutants detected into a contaminated site in north of Naples (Italy) is presented. A preliminary detailed characterization highlighted the presence of several heavy metals and organic compounds both into soil and groundwater. Health and environment risks for each pollutant were screened. Results showed that risks related to arsenic and benzo(a) pyrene are the highest in the area compared to the benchmarks screenings for water and soil