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Ecological Risk Assessments
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We provide a balanced approach to ecological risk assessment, through an understanding of ecosystems and the many factors that may affect their overall health.
The ecologists and environmental
scientists at MAD Scientist & Associates are 40-hour
OSHA Health & Safety trained and have experience
with investigations at RCRA (Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act) and CERCLA (i.e.,
Superfund) sites. Our
environmental consulting team begins the
ecological risk assessment
(ERA) process with a literature review and
ecological reconnaissance site visit to characterize
the environmental setting, identify exposure routes
(from contaminant sources to ecological receptors),
and look for potential evidence of stress within
exposed plant and animal communities. Through this
process, we strive to generate sufficient data to
provide a “reality check” to balance the inherently
conservative assumptions of the standard risk
assessment process. Subsequent steps include:
- A review of analytical data for
environmental media (surface water, sediment,
and soil)
- Screening of contaminants based on
appropriate published benchmarks
- Reviews of ecotoxicological profiles
- Conceptual model development
- Exposure modeling and
- Risk characterization.
All steps in the iterative process of ERA
(scoping level, screening level, baseline, detailed)
follow the pertinent agency guidance and related
literature. The company’s Senior Ecological Risk
Assessor is a Certified Ecologist with professional experience in
ecological risk assessment.
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| Frog’s undeveloped forelimb from sediment pond |
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White Sucker (Catostomus commersoni), a pollution-tolerant fish species |
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Searching for invertebrates |
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