Home

About Us

About EOS

EOS Team

NWETC

Course Catalog

About NWETC

Course Categories

Request Training

Course History

Teaching Opportunities

Testimonials

Resources

Sustainability Team

Events

Volunteer

Blog/News

Environmental Education

Habitat Restoration

Partners

Community Engagement

City Involvement

Carbon Tech Alliance

Events

NWETC Events

Sustainability Events

News/Blog

Partners

Home > Northwest Environmental Training Center > Environmental Forensics Techniques

Course Descriptions

Environmental Forensics Techniques

Contaminant Source Tracking and Age-Dating

Course ID:	CHEM-540
Status:	OPEN
Date(s):	Feb 21, 2012: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Feb 22, 2012: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Location:	Fairfield Inn by Marriott San Diego, CA
Instructor:	Ioana Petrisor
Tuition:	$595 / $545*

More Information

Directions

Accommodations

This course provides useful information for a large range of professionals dealing with environmental contamination issues, especially legal liability and complex site contamination characterization and cleanup. The goal of the course is to provide the attendees with an understanding of the main environmental forensic techniques available to "fingerprint" and track a variety of contaminants (e.g., oil spills, petroleum and chlorinated solvents, metals, PCBs, PAHs, perchlorate) released into the environment, thereby enabling attendees to reconstruct past contamination events. Some of these techniques can reveal multiple releases and are effective when tracking old contamination that may have started decades ago. This course will include both a formal presentation as well as interactive discussions and practice involving the audience. Alternative discussion topics (based on majority vote) may include more information on certain fingerprinting or certain contaminants as well as brainstorming sessions on case studies – including any from the audience if interested.

Intended Audience: This course is intended for environmental professionals including, but not limited to, environmental consultants, industrial site owners and operators (e.g., manufacturers, mining companies, foundry operators, refineries, dry cleaners), insurance agency employees, environmental lawyers, governmental employees, and environmental students.

Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of environmental contaminants will be useful background for the successful completion of this course but is not required.

Course Materials: Attendees will receive a binder containing workshop proceedings and reference material.

Continuing Education Units: 1.3 CEUs

Reduced tuition is available for Native American tribes; government employees; nonprofits; students; and NAEP, NEBC, NWAEP members. You may register via the link below or by calling the Northwest Environmental Training Center at 425-270-3274.

Please wait to receive a course confirmation email, roughly one month prior to the class, before making any travel arrangements.

More Information

Course Topics

What is Environmental Forensics?
⇒Discussion of general and specific concepts, applicability and use.

Classic techniques:
⇒Historical file review and aerial photograph documentation
⇒Chemical fingerprinting
⇒Isotopic fingerprinting
⇒Associate compounds (signature chemicals)
⇒Mineralogical fingerprinting
⇒Other techniques

Emerging and sustainable techniques:
⇒Atmospheric contaminants for age-dating
⇒DNA fingerprinting
⇒Dendroecology (tree-ring fingerprinting)
⇒Case-studies

Alternative discussion topics based on audience interest, possibly including:
⇒Key attributes for successful expert witness investigation and testimony
⇒Mock trial (example)
⇒Chinese drywall liability
⇒Sustainability and Environmental Forensics
⇒Environmental Forensics and Monitored Natural Attenuation

About the Instructor

Ioana Petrisor, Ph.D, has over 18 years of experience as a biochemist, specializing in environmental forensics. She has up-to-date knowledge and has applied a variety of forensics methods to track the source and age-date contaminants in soil and water. She identified and applied cutting-edge investigative techniques such as dendroecology, which uses tree rings to detect age-date contamination and its release into soil and water, even after site mitigation. Dr. Petrisor is the Editor-in-Chief of the Environmental Forensics Journal, providing a scientific lead of the Journal. She has managed and conducted innovative research for the U.S. DOE, U.S. DOD, and European Community on environmental characterization, as well as projects relating to the development of innovative remedial technologies for a variety of contaminants in soil, aquatic sediments, and water.

What to Bring

What to Bring: Pen or pencil, coffee mug, and a water bottle (to reduce waste). Lunch will be on your own. There are several restaurants within walking distance from the venue. Drinks and snacks will be provided each day.

Cancellation Policy / Disability Accommodations

Cancellation Policy:

31 days prior to training -> 100% refund
30-16 days prior to training -> 50% refund
15 - start of course -> No refund available

Attendee replacement acceptable at anytime.

Course registration fees and cancellation policy are subject to change without notice.

Disability Accommodations:

To request disability accommodations, please contact us at info@nwetc.org or (425) 270-3274 at least 30 days prior to the event.