Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Groundwater Risk Assessment at Contaminated Sites (GRACOS)

Abstract

The background given for the workshop is contaminated land as a serious problem worldwide, leading to a decrease of soil quality and to a risk of spreading of pollutants into other compartments of the environment such as the groundwater. A major risk at most contaminated sites is that of groundwater pollution by organic and inorganic compounds. Since complete restoration of all these contaminated sites is economically and often technically not feasible, advanced procedures of groundwater risk assessment are needed as innovative tool for the ranking of sites, decision making on further use, and remediation standards. Consequently, the workshop focuses on the discussion of these new, innovative procedures for groundwater risk assessment at contaminated sites. The organizers intend to provide a platform for European but also overseas experts to exchange knowledge and ideas. In seven scientific oral and poster sessions, the three specific topics leaching tests, volatile organic compounds and concepts and experiences of groundwater risk assessment at contaminated sites will be examined more closely. A special session will present and discuss results and strategies of the clustered EU-projects GRACOS and TRACE-FRACTURE, which focus on “groundwater risk assessment in various types of contaminated soils and fractured rocks.