Our Mission

The general objective of research pursued by the Center of Expertise in Exposure Assessment (CRESP-CEEA) is to reduce uncertainties in the understanding of transient and end-states of contamination and the management of both short- and long-term stewardship of DOE sites, through implementation, synthesis and evaluation of data analysis, process modeling, and monitoring techniques.

The principles guiding this effort are the following:

• DOE and the stakeholders (particularly the regulators) should develop a decision making process that is more amenable to being informed by the best available science, and which is more adaptable to the consequences of new science and data.
• Cost-effectiveness and efficacy of remediation should be given greater consideration in prioritization. One aspect of this is the optimization of the Integrator Operable Unit (IOU) approach as the basis of any overall site remediation framework. Ultimately this approach can lead to rational decisions regarding which sources should be controlled and at what level, in order to minimize potential risk, both on-site and off-site.

This Center is creating and applying an analytical software toolbox grounded in state-of-the-art, probability-based methods that will build exposure theory as well as practical methods of surveillance to foster improved site planning. The coordinated research activities of the CRESP-CEEA, pursued in collaboration with the other CRESP Centers of Expertise, develop and implement scientifically rigorous methods and tools, and perform case-specific analyses, intended to support the decision making process for issues related to actual or potential exposures to contaminants from DOE sites in the context of the principles discussed above.

To accomplish this, five projects are pursued within the following three general themes:

• Theme I: Data Analysis and Process Modeling
• Theme II: Laboratory Studies to Fill Data Gaps
• Theme III: Evaluation of Monitoring Technologies

These projects represent the evolution of efforts undertaken in the first year of CRESP2 combined with the information received from stakeholders (including DOE sites as well as regulators). The following illustration provides a schematic depiction of the flow of information and of the interactions among projects of the Exposure and other CRESP2 Centers.

CRESP | EOHSI | CCL | ORC | CERM | Rutgers | UMDNJ | Secure Area