Soil Contamination
Soil Pollutant Contamination
Soil contamination is the presence of man-made chemical pollutants or other alterations in the natural soil environment. This type of pollution or contamination typically arises from leaking underground storage tanks, application of pesticides, percolation of pollution in surface water to subsurface strata, leaching of wastes from landfills or direct discharge of industrial pollution to the soil. The most common chemical pollutants involved are petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, pesticides, lead and other heavy metals. The occurrence of soil problems is directly correlated with the degree of industrialization and intensity of chemical usage.
The concern over soil contamination stems primarily from health risks, both of direct and from secondary contamination of water supplies. Mapping of contaminated soil sites and the resulting control measures taken are time consuming and expensive tasks, requiring extensive amounts of geology, hydrology, chemistry, and computer modeling skills.
There are several soil pollutant remediation methods including the use of microbes that "eat up" toxic chemicals in the soil, simple excavation, high-tech soil vapor extraction, and air stripping.
See our Level III Soil Survey Services or Soil/Groundwater Services for more information about Soil Surveying, Soil Testing, and Soil Remediation.