VDI 3957 Blatt 15:2010-12

The guideline depicts which initial investigations are to be conducted after emissions of air pollutants create by acute hazardous incidents in industrial plants have been released. The aim is to assess the degree of possible environmental damage and the threat to human health, and to decide upon appropriate action for minimisation. The employment of passive biomonitoring is described, i.e. how to take visible symptoms on vegetation and how to analyse the accumulation of contaminants in food and forage plants. Both the sampling strategy and the processing of the plant samples are explained. By means of the results, the area of exposure can be defined and the threat for the environment and risks when consuming vegetables and forage plants can be estimated. The guideline addresses to environmental agencies, regulatory agencies and fire brigades.