Spatial Analytical Techniques for Risk Based Decision Support Systems

Interactions of biological entities within the environment occur on spatial and temporal scales. Likewise, the spatial and temporal distributions of contamination within the environment affect the degree to which plants, animals, and humans are exposed and how they respond. These interactions can be complex, however, through the recent advances in geographical information systems (GIS) and other models that integrate spatial considerations, estimates of risk can be more accurately described. Moreover, presentation of contaminated sites on spatial scales allow for a clearer understanding of the problem. This chapter will explore the recent advances in these models that integrate spatial attributes of contamination; from the latest in GIS techniques describing the nature and extent of contamination, to improved population-based exposure models to predict risk, to models that then integrate risk from contamination exposure relative to other stressors in a multi-stressor analysis. Examples of these advances will be described, including considerations from a decision-making perspective.

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