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Learn how Alberta's Tier 1 soil and groundwater remediation guidelines are derived from exposure models, parameter values and pathway-specific equations.
Generic Tier 1 remediation guidelines are the numbers most contaminated site assessments in Alberta are first measured against, yet few practitioners see how those numbers are built. This course walks through the risk-based protocols behind them, starting with the two families of input parameters: non-chemical-specific values describing receptors, soils, hydrogeology and buildings, and chemical-specific values covering physical properties, toxicity reference values (TRVs), background exposure and water quality benchmarks. It explains how threshold and non-threshold substances are treated differently, how the soil allocation factor (SAF) apportions allowable exposure, and how petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) fractions and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are handled.
The course then follows each exposure pathway in turn. Human pathways include direct soil contact, indoor vapour infiltration and inhalation with its building dilution and attenuation model, and offsite migration. Ecological pathways cover direct contact with plants and soil invertebrates, nutrient and energy cycling, and soil and food ingestion by livestock and wildlife. The groundwater pathways section explains the four dilution factors used to protect drinking water, livestock and wildlife watering, irrigation and aquatic life, along with the model assumptions and their limits. It closes with management considerations such as odour, damage to buried infrastructure and flammable vapour hazards, giving environmental engineers and consultants the background needed to interpret Tier 1 values and judge when a site-specific Tier 2 approach is warranted.
What Will Be Covered:
Non-chemical-specific parameters for human receptors, soils, hydrogeology, buildings, livestock and wildlife, including Alberta groundwater recharge rates
Chemical-specific parameters: partition coefficients, Henry's Law constants, toxicity reference values (TRVs), risk-specific dose and concentration
Background exposure, estimated daily intake (EDI) and the logic for selecting the soil allocation factor (SAF)
Petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) sub-fractions and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using potency equivalence factors
Human direct soil contact equations for threshold and non-threshold substances, including the soil dermal contact rate
Indoor vapour infiltration and inhalation modelling, the petroleum hydrocarbon adjustment factor and the building dilution factor
Offsite migration checks for commercial and industrial land adjacent to more sensitive land
Ecological pathways: soil and shallow groundwater direct contact, nutrient and energy cycling, and soil and food ingestion by cattle and meadow voles
Soil and groundwater remediation guidelines protective of groundwater uses using dilution factors DF1 to DF4
Other considerations: aesthetics, buried infrastructure damage, flammable vapours and management limits
Professional online education for engineers and technical professionals
Engineering Education Group provides online professional development and continuing education courses for engineers, technical professionals, and industry practitioners. Our programs focus on practical skills, technical knowledge, industry standards, and lifelong learning through flexible and accessible online education.
Professional development requirements vary by profession, country, and regulatory body. Before enrolling, review the course details and confirm that the content, learning format, and any listed credits meet your specific requirements. You are responsible for confirming eligibility with your regulator or professional association and keeping the records required for reporting.