Pollution of soils

Pollution of soils and waters by human activities is an important and widespread problem. This pollution by, organic and inorganic substances can affect individual organisms, human populations, and ecosystems, each in its own unique way. In particular former military installations, often used for weapons production and nuclear power plants represent a ongoing and substantial threat to environment and human health because of the specific pollutants that can be released Solvents, explosives, fuels, radionuclides, heavy metals, and metalloids all have been identified in the environment around these installations. Remediation technologies for these contaminated sites have been developed based on conventional systems utilising physical and chemical treatments, such as excavation and incineration, pump-and-treat methods, ultraviolet oxidation, soil washing, etc. 

A.K.M. Arnesen, G. Abrahamsen, G. Sandvik, T. Krogstad, Aluminium-smelters and fluoride pollution of soil and soil solution in Norway, Sci. Total Environ. 163 (1995) 39-53. 

M. Nadal, M. Schuhmacher and J. L. Domingo, Metal pollution of soils and vegetation in an area with petrochemical industry, Sci. Total Environ., 321(1-3), 2004, 59-69. 

Both settle-able and suspended atmospheric particles have deleterious effects upon the environment. The scttlc-able partidcs can affect health if assimilated and also can cause adverse effects on materials, crops, and vegetation. Further, such partides settle out in streams and upon land where soluble substances, sometimes including hazardous materials, are dissolved out of the particles and thus become pollutants of soils and surface and ground waters. Suspended atmospheric particulate matter has undesirable effects on visibility and, if continuous and of sufficient concentration, possible modifying effects on the climate. Importantly, it is particles within a size range from 2 to 5 micrometers and smaller that are considered most harmful to health because particles of this size tend to penetrate the body s defense mechanisms and reach most deeply into the lungs. 

Rawlins, B.G., Lister, T.R. and Mackenzie, A.C. (2002) Trace-metal pollution of soils in northern England. Environmental Geology, 42(6), 612-20. 

Razo, I., Carrizales, L., Castro, J. et al. (2004) Arsenic and heavy metal pollution of soil, water and sediments in a semi-arid climate mining area in Mexico. Water Air and Soil Pollution, 152(1-4), 129-52. 

Kapifika, A., Petrovsky, E., Ustjak, S. and MachiCkovd, K. (1999) Proxy mapping of fly-ash pollution of soils around a coal-burning power plant a case study in the Czech Republic. The Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 66(1-2), 291-97. 

Aucamp, P. (2003) Trace-element pollution of soils by abandoned goldmine tailings near Potchefstroom, South Africa. Bulletin -Council for Geoscience of South Africa, 130, 69. 

Denitrification takes place in anoxic environments where nitrate and nitrite act as electron acceptors (oxidizers) and nitrification reactions then reverse NOf => NO2 => NO. The processes of denitrification (H2) on land are important channels for nitrogen to get into the atmosphere. The intensity of these processes depends on temperature, humidity, pollution of soils with poisonous chemicals, and pH. The quantitative and functional characteristics of these dependences have been well studied. The global model need only take into account temperature and humidity ... 

First of all, all violations of land cover, landfill sites, polluted territories, routes taken by oil and gas pipelines, sources (known and hypothetical) of pollutants of soil, water, and atmosphere, zones of flooding as a result of anthropogenic activity should be brought to light and included in databases. Estimates of some parameters of the systems of the Arctic Basin are given in Tables 6.3 through 6.5. 

Pillai, M.K.K., 1986. Pesticide pollution of soil, water and air in Delhi area, India. Sci. Total Environ. 55, 321-327. 

Studies on Heavy Metal Pollution of Soils at Different Locations... 

In the following discussion an example is given of the multivariate characterization of soil metal status to distinguish pollution of soil layers from geogenic enrichments from the background. Further case studies and a deeper description are given in detail in the literature [KRIEG and EINAX, 1994],... 

Zhang J, LiX. 1987. Chromium pollution of soil and water in Jinzhou. Journal of Chinese Prev Med 21 262-264. 

Arsenic pollution of soils at old industrial sites. Acta Agric. Scand. , 28, 97-100 (1978). 

Triazines belong to a group of widely used herbicides that have become major pollutants of soil and environmental waters [138,139]. Therefore, analytical methods are needed to allow them to be monitored at concentrations below the pg/h level. The triazines are available in large numbers with small structural differences and with different known basicity and hydrophobicity (Table 5.15). This class of compounds is therefore well suited as a model system in molecular imprinting [32]. Their conformers and their interactions with small ligands are known [101]. More recently they have also been imprinted and the resulting materials have been successfully incorporated in analytical methods based on competitive assays or selective sample pre-treatments (see chapter 15) [135,140,141]. 

Cadmium pollution of soils can occur from several sources, a major one being the deposition of municipal sewage sludge on agricultural soils. Other sources of Cd pollution are through rainfall and dry precipitation of Cd, as... 

The chemical composition of soil is complex, naturally containing numerous inorganic and organic compounds. Pollution of soil may be accomplished via the addition of chemical species that are alien to soil, such as organochlorine pesticides, or through the addition of quantities of naturally occurring chemicals that at elevated concentrations are toxic. Examples of the latter are chloride and heavy metals such as copper and selenium. 

Microbes are the largest biomass on earth. They have been around for over three billion years, and currently exist and thrive in every harsh environment. They have obviously been able to evolve and change to keep pace with their changing environments. Engineers and scientists continue to study ways in which microbes can be made to evolve to solve human problems. One of those problems is the pollution of soil and water. 

Antimony is a common pollutant of soils in industrial and mining sites. Its mobility in soils is rated as medium, with reducing conditions associated with poor drainage probably lessening mobility. 

Lynch RJ, Muntoni A, Ruggeri R, Winfield KC. (2007). Preliminary tests of an electrokinetic barrier to prevent heavy metal pollution of soils. Electrochimica Acta 52(10) 3432-3440. 

To obtain permission to operate a pipeline, whether for long-distance transport or for intraplant operation, it must be shown that the construction and mode of operation exclude the possibility of uncontrolled release of substances into the environment during normal operation and in the event of damage or disturbances. This requires a redundant safety system, both to protect public safety by avoiding fires and explosions, and to avoid pollution of soil and groundwater and surface water. 

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