Proposal for an optimized method for sustainable remediation evaluation and application: implementation of a...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Engineering
• Sustainability Studies

Background:

• Sustainable remediation lacks a unified approach, necessitating evaluation of sustainability prospects.
• Assessing decision-makers' perspectives is crucial for optimizing remediation strategies.
• Existing methods require robust examination for their integration of sustainability principles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and rank sustainable remediation methods based on decision-makers' criteria.
• To identify the most sustainable remediation approach through multi-criteria decision analysis.
• To propose an optimized method that effectively integrates sustainability premises.

Main Methods:

• Application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) technique.
• Evaluation of eight sustainable remediation methods against nine decision criteria.
• Stakeholder involvement in judging and weighting criteria for sustainability assessment.

Main Results:

• The criterion 'protection of human health and the environment' (C7) was weighted highest by decision-makers.
• The Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) method demonstrated the best performance in terms of sustainability.
• A proposed method was developed, explicitly addressing all evaluated criteria.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a novel approach for assessing sustainable remediation methods.
• ITRC method emerges as a highly sustainable option, aligning with key decision-maker priorities.
• The findings offer enhanced resources for evaluating the integration of sustainability in remediation practices.