A Comparative Screening-Level Ecological and Human Health Risk Assessment for Dredged Material Management Alternatives in New York/New Jersey Harbor

Managers of New York and New Jersey Harbor dredging projects are developing strategies to dispose and manage the large volumes of sediment that must be dredged to maintain passable waterways. The various management alternatives include aquatic containment facilities, upland containment, and treatment with beneficial reuse. An important consideration in the selection of an appropriate alternative is the evaluation of potential risks to ecological and human receptors. This study presents a framework for a screening-level ecological and human health risk assessment that compares risks associated with management alternatives for contaminated dredged materials. The major objectives of the work were to identify exposure routes that show the potential for risk and develop a framework that can be used to compare relative potential risks among eight management alternatives. Managers can use this framework to: • identify characteristics of the placement/treatment alternatives that contribute to potential risk, • choose one alternative over another for sediments with high concentrations of contaminants, • implement controls that mitigate risk, or • identify the need for a more comprehensive site-specific risk assessment.