Integrering av geofysiska metoder i miljötekniska markundersökningar - En litteratur- och intervjustudie om dess styrkor, svagheter och potentiella samhällsekonomiska nyttor

Sammanfattning: A central part of the risk assessment of contaminated sites is to conduct surveys of the area to assess the need for remediation. Through literature and interview studies this essay examined how geophysical methods can help to improve the environmental risk assessment of contaminated sites in Sweden. The results point to five main strengths in combining geophysical methods with the conventional method of trial pitting used today: 1) better definition of pollution propagation, 2) increased probability for localization of hot spots and pollutants, 3) better geological understanding, 4) additional information, which lead to 5) an improved risk assessment process. Together these five strengths create a number of environmental, financial and project-related benefits such as fewer soil degrading engagements, reduction of uncertainties and reduced risk of post-remediation. This is important for the ongoing work of the Swedish environmental quality objective non-toxic environment which has proved to be one of our society's most costly and complex environmental problems. However, there are a number of weaknesses that limit the extent to which such integrated surveys can and should be done in order to be meaningful, for example higher proficiency in both geophysics and geology, inability to detect all types of contaminants and the higher initial cost which comes with the use of additional survey methods. By highlighting the strengths and weaknesses in combining geophysical methods with trial pit sampling this study form the basis for further research within the field of environmental geophysics for risk assessment of contaminated sites in order to enhance the efforts to achieve the goal of a non-toxic environment.