The Importance of Evaluating Drinking Water Exposure Pathway for Assessing Risks from CCR Sites

Potential release of constituents present in coal combustion residuals (CCR) from CCR sites can pose risks to downgradient receptors via multiple exposure pathways. For residential receptors, these pathways include ingestion of impacted groundwater (when used as drinking water), other household uses (e.g., cooking, gardening), dermal contact during activities such as showering with impacted water or swimming in affected waterbodies, and ingestion of fish from affected waterbodies. Among these, the ingestion of groundwater used as drinking water is often the primary pathway driving potential risks (as identified in the risk assessment conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2014). Evaluating this pathway is therefore essential for understanding site-specific risks. A critical step in this evaluation is determining whether a complete drinking water exposure pathway exists This presentation will outline key considerations for evaluating the completeness of the drinking water exposure pathway at CCR sites.