[Application of inverse distance weighted interpolation method in contaminated site assessment].

ABSTRACT

There are many difficulties in ascertaining the area that needs to be remedied in contaminated site. This paper integrated the experts' judgments with grids as the sampling strategy in an abandoned pesticide plant in northern China, and applied a geostatistical method, inverse distance weighted interpolation (IDW), to simulate the pollutants- and risk spatial distribution. Based on soil environmental benchmark, two scenarios were designed for ascertaining the polluted area. The results showed that the area needed to be remedied and determined by IDW was somewhat larger, according to the national environmental 2nd standard for agricultural soils, but the area and cost needed for remedy were smaller and more economic and reasonable, based on the health risk threshold level and IDW method. A combination of IDW and health risk assessment in ascertaining polluted area would be a new way for site assessment and soil remediation in the future.