Contaminated land in the UK is now defined as: “Land which appears to the authority to be in such a condition by reason of substances in, on or under the land that: Significant harm is being caused, or there is significant possibility of significant harm being cause, or Pollution of controlled waters is being, or is likely to be, caused”. (Environment Act 1995) Why is contaminated land of concern? Contaminated land is an anxiety if it presents a threat to the environment or if it poses risks to users of the land. Such land is seen to have possible environmental liabilities, which are also of concern to land owners due to their financial and legal implications. Financial liabilities include reduced land values or the implication to fund remediation. As contamination can take a variety of forms, so it may force in a variety of ways. Depending on the concentration and nature of the substances present, harm may be caused to human health, plants, wildlife, crops, property or ecological systems as a whole. Harm to human health can be caused in a variety of ways and the impacts may range from skin and respiratory irritation to cancer, birth defects or even death. Exposure to contaminants may occur in a variety of situations. Polluted dust can be inhaled, both on the site and in the surrounding area of the site. Small children may directly consume the soil if they play in contaminated areas. Other exposure routes are skin contact, ingestion of vegetables that have taken up contaminants or have contaminated soil attached to them, inhalation of volatile contaminants and asphyxiating gases. Pollution to rivers, groundwater, lochs and ponds can occur by the leaching of contaminants out of the soil into water courses through the natural drainage of the soil. This in turn can effect aquatic plant and animal life and contaminate human drinking water. Some contaminants may also pose a fire or explosion hazard or they may be corrosive and attack building materials or services. Why remediate contaminated land? Contaminated land is characteristically remediated to address environmental risks, risks to users of the sites, as well as financial and legal liabilities. In addition, with more and more pressure being put on our countryside for the development of new industries, business and also housing, there is an increasing tendency to build on existing sites to preserve Greenfield sites for future generations. Some of these existing sites may contaminate. The government has set targets for housing that 60% of all new housing should be built on existing "Brownfield" sites to preserve our countryside.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Quality Engineering took ground water samples that showed volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in the supply well. This well was formerly used for drinking water for the community. The results indicated that the ground water beneath the property was contaminated with radioactive material and VOCs. A sphagnum bog on the grounds had evidence of radioactive contamination. The soil, sediment, surface water, and ground water on the site had high levels of depleted uranium. On some of the soil and sediments, Poly Chlorinated Bi-phenyls were recorded. The buildings and structures on the grounds were as well contaminated with depleted uranium and other hazardous substances.
Dixon, Will. "Will Dixon's ECO 108 Site: Critical Analysis: The Case for Contamination." Will Dixon's ECO 108 Site: Critical Analysis: The Case for Contamination. Class Summary, Oct. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Understanding the fate and transport of hazardous waste can be helpful for both identifying and managing contaminated sites. For example, a scientist can use principals of fate and transport to determine if waste requires an immediate removal action based on its likelihood to migrate to other parts of the site or off-site. If waste does not require immediate removal, fate and transport can help determine what type of long-term remedial action is required. It is very common for waste to migrate off-site via environmental media including groundw...
The corporation or person buys the land to be “developed” in a few short weeks. In this time frame, everything becomes dirt. The land becomes a wasteland, because it is not longer topsoil that is rich with nutrients for plants to grow, but instead, it is the underlayer. There are no more trees, animals, or even grasses. The trees have most likely been sold to a paper factory. The animals have found residence in nearby places after their homes were destroyed. The grasses have no nutrients or topsoil to root themselves or seeds in. After this ground-breaking stage, the building is created, and then more business flood to the area. Overall, this means more deforestation. Houses are built in the “convenient” area. More people means more businesses want to come to an area. But what does this mean for the environment and people in
Week 9 we discussed water pollution and within the readings throughout Chapter 20 I learned water pollution be to a change in water quality that can harm organisms or make water unfit for human uses such as drinking, irrigation, and recreation (Miller and Spoolman). They are able to come from a point (located at specific places, easy to identify) or a non-point (broad, diffuse areas that are difficult to identify and control) source. Within the book Miller and Spoolman said that water pollution can cause illness and death in humans and other species, and disrupts
For example, gas, road salt, and other harmful chemicals can dissolve in water. As a result, they can soak into the ground through rainfall and contaminate the water underground. Groundwater contamination is very serious and deadly, as it can cause a variety of bodily complications, including but not limited to: Hepatitis, poisoning, and cancer.
Not only does pollution destroy plants but it also affects the health of animals and humans. The affects of pollution on living organisms maybe short and long term. As a child growing I had a friend who was form India, and he would visit every few
Also, when soil in and close production ranges turn out to be unclean due to dumping of excess material, such terrestrial cannot be used for farming processes. Pollution is also caused by iron and steel mills; zinc, lead, and copper smelters; municipal incinerators; oil refineries; cement plants; and nitric and sulphuric acid plants. Soil pollution is mostly due to elements in herbicides (wild plant killers) and pesticides (toxins which kill flies and other invertebrate mice). Litter is unused material put in public places such as streets, parks, picnic areas and near shops. The addition of waste intimidates the wellbeing of individuals in housing areas. Waste decays, heartens domestic rascals and goes urban places into unappealing, unclean and unhealthy areas to live in.( (Michael
Water pollution is one of the main concerns of the environment. It is known as a change in the chemical or physical condition of the waters. Polluting the waters is causing harmful and tragic diseases that affect many families. It is also a global problem that not only affects people but also animals and plants. Water pollution is a current issue that has serious consequences; it progresses everyday in our lakes, oceans, rivers and other bodies of water.
Kiefer, Irene. (1981). Poisoned Land : The Problem of Hazardous Waste. New York : McClelland & Steward, Ltd.
Pollutants are the key elements of pollution, which are generally waste materials of dissimilar forms. Pollution disturbs our ecosystem and the balance of the environment. With innovation and development in our lives pollution has reached its peaks giving rise to global warming and human illness. When raw materials, water, energy and other resources are utilized more efficiently, when fewer harmful substances are substituted for hazardous ones, and when lethal substances are eliminated from the production process. Water pollution is also a major problem in the world because almost 60% of it is fish.
by some our land and this is an issue when spreading herbicides and slurry in particular. A
Toxic dust is another repercussion created by soil pollution. This will pollute the environment and have serious health implications, in relation to people and animals. Other negative impacts include chemistry change (in soil) which can occur as a result of the existence of harmful chemicals, even if present at low concentrations. This has the ability to change the metabolism of micro organisms and arthropods which reside within the soil. This then eradicates a portion of the food chain, which can have serious consequences for consumer and/or predator species. DDT materials, for example, have resulted in the eggs of many Avian species having weakened shells. This has resulted in increased chick mortality, as well as increased extinction risk. Fatality of many soil organisms, such as earthworms, can have a dramatic effect on soil structure. Soil pollution, ad the consequences thereof, may also have adverse effects on human communities. Soil pollution, which may infiltrate groundwater acquifers and which is eventually consumed by humans, can have a host of negative impacts on health. One’s health can also be affected by being in contact with soil, and inhalation of vaporized contaminants may occur. Chronic exposure to lead, as well as other metals (like chromium and solvents); some pesticides; herbicides and petroleum increases one’s susceptibility to Cancer. Such exposure can also cause congenital disorders, as well as other health conditions, over the long-term. When exposed to soil which has high dosages of benzene in it, one may be susceptible to illnesses such as leukemia. Incidences of Kidney damage and diseases which are irreversible can also occur as a consequence of being exposed to soils containing Mercury and
The health, safety and environmental threats pose by open dumps are: damage to wildlife habitats, contamination of drinking water, disease carrying insects such as mosquitoes, flies and rodents. Safety concerns for fire and explosion, children being injured playing on or around open dumps. Contamination of creeks, streams, lakes, and rivers. Toxic gases poses a threat to the surroundings, groundwater and soil contamination and decline in quality of life by residents and communities where these sites are located.
Pollution through water, air and the ground, for example: acid rain, water pollution and oil spills have all proved very harmful for numerous species of birds and fish. Toxic chemicals and substances in areas containing wood could destroy the soil along with the species that inhibit that area, for example: from bacteria to insects and then to birds and then to animals which will eat them and will also consequently get into the groundwater below it.