The use of expert systems to assist in decisions concerning environmental control

Expert systems are computer programs which assist in problem solving and decision making by the capture and application of the knowledge of experts or specialists. Expert systems have been successfully applied to the fields of business, manufacturing, power generation, and medicine during the past 15 years. Attempts have been made to address environmental problems with varying degrees of success. The majority of the environmental expert systems are in the development stages and have yet to be evaluated. Subject matter addressed by these systems include flood estimation potential, groundwater contamination estimation, biodegradaton strategy, interchemical reactivity predictor, hazardous waste determination, solidification‐stabilizaton treatment system, interpretation and evaluation of landfill liner data, identification of chemical incompatabilities, reviews of closure plans, and screening of potential remedial action technologies for Superfund sites. This paper approaches expert systems in a general manner, then addresses the specific environmental control programs which have been developed to date.