Analytic hierarchy process to prioritize ecological risk assessment in contaminated sites by oil and derivatives

Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) is an important stage in the management of contaminated sites. However, the absence of criteria for the selection of target areas for the application of ERA in Brazil, or the simple adoption of a binary criterion (absence/presence of ecological receptors) is not sufficient for the prioritization of ERA. The definition of prioritization criteria is fundamental in developing countries with great ecological diversity and scarcity of technical and financial resources. In this context, the objective of this study comprised the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to classify the areas with higher priority of application of ERA, considering the specificities of contamination scenarios. A survey of international criteria for inclusion and exclusion of ERA, the integration of these criteria in the AHP method and the application of the methodology in twelve hydrocarbon-contaminated areas were pursued. The results indicated that the AHP approach has the potential to assist environmental agencies, consultants and stakeholders in the management of contaminated sites to measure and adapt actions to the specificities of each site in a more judicious way, prioritizing the application of available resources for the areas of greater ecological relevance.