Relative Risk Ranking and Mapping Method Using Pollutant Release and Transfer Register Data

Abstract

Objectives : According to Article 12 of the Chemical Control Act, the government must publish PRTR data to satisfy people’s right to know and reduce chemical emissions from chemical facilities. However, the database and annual reports are written in text and table that it’s difficult to understand at a glance. Risk scoring, ranking and mapping for easy understanding of Pollutant Release and Transfer Register data’s meaning and relative risk is the purpose of this study.Methods : Previous cases were investigated and analyzed. Also, many chemical screening methods were investigated to develop equation. A calculation formula was developed and the relative risk score for the top emissions substances and workplace was calculated using Gyeonggi Province PRTR data, which recorded the largest population, emissions, and number of emitters nationwide. The calculated points are graded and expressed on the map to easily grasp the information visually.Results and Discussion : It was confirmed at a glance that the distribution of the top emissions companies in province is concentrated in industrial parks. It was also confirmed that most of the sites with high risk scores were distributed along the West Coast. However, due to the lack of data available for risk calculation, many parts of the formula’s development process were simplified or replaced with generic data, which limited the quantitative accuracy of the risk score.Conclusions : The PRTR data was analyzed and processed to determine the relative risk ranking using a relatively simple formula. This allows us to express the meaning of the data more accurately. In particular, by expressing it on a map, it is possible to identify chemical substance emission sites that are of priority interest. It can be used to select priority targets for related implementing projects such as monitoring.