Environmental Forensics

1
Environmental Forensics

• A Closer Look at Who, What and When of
  Environmental Investigations

2
Introduction

• A classic site investigation is primarily
  concerned with what is there and where is it
  located.
• A forensic investigation is primarily concerned
  with who did it and when was it done.
• We try to assign responsibility for the problem.
• Forensic investigations tend to be holistic and
  involves a multitude of disciplines and a variety
  of tool applications.

3
Holistic Development of Facts
Area of Highest Confidence
4
Daubert Factors

• US Supreme Court ruling on admissibility of
  scientific theory and evidence.
• Testable hypothesis
• Peer review
• Defined error rates and methods of control
• Generally accepted.
• US EPA guidance documents, if applied correctly,
  will result in conclusions that meet the Daubert
  Standards.

5
Tools

• Documentary evidence
• Identification of releases
• Age dating of releases
• Data Types
• Available data (from who, when?)
• Formulation data
• Application data (used in what industries)
• Physical and chemical property data (fate and
  transportation)
• Business records.

6
Solvent Usage History
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Solvent Formulations
8
Tools

• Aerial Photography
• Age dating releases
• Identification of sources and pathways
• Multi-spectral Surveys-Remote Sensing
• Identify ecological stresses and stressors
• Contaminant identification
• Summary distribution of contaminants

9
Tools

• Laboratory Analysis
• Identification
• Source identification
• Cost allocation
• Types
• GC w/various detectors
• Spectrophotometric at various wavelengths
• Radiochemistry
• Electrochemical
• Microscopy
• Crystallography
• Physical and chemical properties
• Toxicological

10
Tools

• Unique Identifiers
• Congener analysis
• Biomarkers
• Isotropic ratios
• Additives
• Fingerprinting
• Speciation

11
TPH Problems
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Tools

• Isotopic analysis
• Use both stable and radioactive isotopes for
  dating and identification
• Radioisotopes are commonly used for dating
• Stale isotopes are commonly used for
  identification.
• Chemical fingerprinting
• A tiered approach is employed
• Bulk
• Component ratios
• Additives
• Age and weathering effects.

13
Tools

• Rayleigh Distillation Model
• Describes isotopic enrichment or depletion during
  various processes.
• Evaporation
• Degradation
• Production (as in methane).
• Mass balance approach can be used to allocate
  between multiple sources.

14
Examples of Useful Isotopes
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New and Modified Methods
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Low Resolution Analysis
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High Resolution Analysis
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Petrogenic/Pyrogenic
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Fingerprinting Flowchart
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Biomarkers

• Molecular fossils
• Terpanes
• Steranes
• Low boiling

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Tools
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Tools
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Case Study
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Case Study
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Case Study
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Case Study