Types Of Soil Contamination
Understanding the types of soil contamination will allow people to be able to help make sure that the soils around them are always at their best shape. You see, there are many reasons why any of the types of soil contamination should be avoided and this can only be done if the people are able to get to know and understand them well.
All types of soil contamination can be caused by different factors. There are natural and manmade causes that can end up messing up the soil you are stepping on. Some manmade causes of several types of soil contamination include hydrocarbons, pesticides, heavy metals, and solvents.
The most common of the types of soil contamination is infiltration. Here, the soil gets infiltrated by water and hence affects the ground surface. The infiltration rate can differ a lot from each other too. Depending on the type of soil and the amount of water that is present, the soil can be contaminated quickly or slowly. When the soil has small pores, they are known to absorb more water and means that it will be infiltrated more quickly. On the other hand, when the soil is more saturated, the infiltration rate slows down.
Surface run off is another one of the types of soil contamination. Basically, these are types of soil contamination wherein the soil becomes resistant to water absorption. The main cause of this is manmade as it is known that urbanization causes this. For example, when pavements are made the surface will be running off the water that passes by them. When it rains hard or when the snow melts, they then end up forming streams of water which will gather different pollutants. The list of pollutants is quite long too. It can include petroleum, pesticides, fertilizers, and many others. If this continues to happen, the soil hardens and ends up not being able to absorb water.
Brownfield land types of soil contamination pertain to the soil contamination that results from old commercial facilities and industrial buildings. When buildings and facilities are abandoned, they end up releasing contaminants to the environment. They are known to leave hazardous waste too. When this occurs, the soil composition gets filled with hydrocarbons, solvents, and other heavy metal particles. As you may already know, these things in the soil will cause harm to it and ends up in types of soil contamination. When underground containers got abandoned they will tend to leak and cause waste materials to be present on the soil, contaminating them in the long run.
Not many people are interested in the types of soil contamination. But really, you must be able to learn everything about soil contamination as it is best that you are able to do something about it. The soil is a vital part of the earth you are living in and this only means that you have to make sure that it is not contaminated in order to ensure safety for you and the people around you as well.
