A comparison of models for assessing human risks of petroleum hydrocarbons in polluted soils

Petroleum hydrocarbon products can be released to the media, affecting human health and the environment. The hydrocarbon compound mixture is typically evaluated using the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons parameter, divided into fractions. Several risk assessment tools are available based on different models. The Risk Based Corrective Action (RBCA) Tool Kit, Risk-net and CSOIL tools were selected and compared and inter-model differences have been discussed for a real case of study. The RBCA and Risk-net risk assessment models yield nearly identical HQs, while the CSOIL model, based on different parameters, estimates lower HQs. The ingestion of contaminated water is the primary route of exposure determined using the RBCA Tool Kit and Risk-net tools; the CSOIL tool suggests that the ingestion of contaminated soil poses the highest risks. Each model better describes a different site assessment scenario. However, the CSOIL model was found to best represent the identified site-specific conditions, and thus acceptable risks were determined for this site.