Spatial Analysis and Decision Assistance SADA

Ecological Risk Assessment

SADA supports a EPA approaches to ecological risk assessment in a number of key areas. When SADA is installed, it is accompanied by a substantial ecological benchmark database that can be used in tabular and spatial point screenings, risk maps, dose maps, uncertainty modeling, and decision support in determining the area of concerns or for locating new places for additional sampling. Ecological benchmarks found in the database cover over 100 contaminants for surface water, sediment, and soil. In addition, exposure modeling for 19 terrestrial species (birds and mammals) is available. Users can modify the EPA default exposure parameters for the risk models where available. The following image shows in red those places where SADA can support EPA's 8 step process for ecological risk.

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The benchmark datagbase is in Microsoft Access and users may modify, delete, or add values as necessary prior to using with SADA. SADA provides an import wizard that allows users to compare and match contaminants in their assessment with those found in the benchmark database. All relevant information is then pulled from the database into the SADA file. Once the ecological risk model has been setup, users continue to have complete control within SADA over particular parameter values. Users can view benchmark values, browse histograms of values, and set physical parameters.

Viewing Benchmarks (table)

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Viewing Benchmarks (histogram)

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Setting Physical Parameters(table)

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Callibrating Receptor Characteristics

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Setting Contaminant Uptake Parameters

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Ecological risk can directly contribute to geospatial modeling and decision processes. In the following images, we see the translation of risk into a spatial context, uncertainty, and decision support.

Benchmark Screens (boxes indicate exceedances; shown here arsenic against Dutch Intervention Benchmark)

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Point Risk (ratio) (shown here arsenic with Dutch Intervention Benchmark)

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Point Dose (shown here arsenic with short tailed shrew in soil)

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Contoured Risk (shown here arsenic ratio map using Dutch Intervention Benchmark)

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Contoured Dose (shown here arsenic dose map for short tailed shrew)

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Probability Of Exceedance (shown here probability of arsenic exceeding Dutch Intervention Benchmark)

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Decision Support (shown here an area of concern for arsenic using Dutch Intervention Benchmark; green areas indicate uncertainty in the boundary)

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Supporting Sampling Designs

To see how risk is used in development of sampling designs see sample designs.

Additional ecological risk links are given below:
General sources:


Tox data:

Calculating Doses



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