Managing Uncertainty in Risk-Based Corrective Action Design: Global Sensitivity Analysis of Contaminant Fate and Exposure Models Used in the Dose Assessment

Abstract

A variance-based global sensitivity analysis (GSA) was applied to the dose assessment model used in the risk-based corrective action methodology of environmental risk analysis to identify key sources of variability and uncertainty and quantify the relative contribution of these sources to the variance of estimated dose. GSA was performed applying extended Fourier amplitude sensitivity test technique. The soil-to-air contaminant transport pathway within an inhalation exposure scenario was addressed. Three persistent semi-volatile carcinogenic chemicals, including polychlorinated biphenyls, benzo(a)pyrene, and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, were chosen as contaminants of concern.