CAEE Seminar – Environmental Forensics As It Applies To Contaminated Sites

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Stuart Building, Room 111, 10 West 31st Street, Chicago, IL 60616
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Prof. Paul Anderson, Prof. Jamshid Mohammadi , and Prof. Brent Stephens of the Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering department will be hosting a seminar featuring Dr. Jennifer Wilkie, a Principal Engineer with Geosyntec Consultants. The topic will be Environmental Forensics As It Applies To Contaminated Sites.

Abstract

Environmental forensics is the practice of using scientific techniques and supporting data to identify the source, age, and timing of contaminant releases into the environment. Environmental forensics evidence is often used in litigation, mediation, and negotiations regarding potential liabilities for contaminated sites in cost recovery and/or natural resource damage claims. Identification of contaminant sources, evaluation of liability, assessment of contributions from potential sources, and apportionment and allocation of cleanup costs are examples where environmental forensics may play a role.

This presentation will provide an overview of applications, benefits, and limitations of several forensic methods that can reveal trends and information that may be hidden in the existing data; these methods include:

  • Fingerprint analysis - to identify and/or distinguish sources and origins of pollutants;
  • Statistical methods - to find a perspective that tells the most about spatial and temporal relationships in the field data
  • Geochronology – to identify the age of contamination and sedimentation rates; and
  • Hindcast Simulations - to recreate and simulate historical conditions, discharges from different sources, and evaluate the contribution and spatial extent of contamination.

Attendance

To ensure that your attendance at the event is properly recorded in your IIT Engineering Themes Portfolio, please take a photo of the speaker and a "selfie" at the event and email it to engineering@iit.edu including your A# and the name of the event in the email.


Earn Engineering Themes credit in WATER, SECURITY and HEALTH for attending.