What is ground contamination? Causes and Impacts

Table of Contents

What is ground contamination?

What causes ground contamination?

What happens if the soil is contaminated?

What are the pollutants that contaminate soil?

How does soil contamination affect the environment?

How do you remove toxic chemicals from the soil?

How do you prevent groundwater contamination?

What is ground contamination?

More than half of the people in the United States get their drinking water from groundwater. We rely heavily on groundwater for irrigation as well as drinking.

Sadly, groundwater is vulnerable to contaminants. Man-made substances like gasoline, oil, salt, and chemicals can contaminate groundwater and render it unsuitable for human consumption. Groundwater can be contaminated by materials that flow through the soil from the ground surface.

Groundwater sources can get contaminated with pesticides and fertilizers over time. Toxic chemicals from mining sites, road salt, and spent motor oil may also leak into groundwater. Contamination of groundwater can also occur as a result of untreated septic tank waste and hazardous elements from underground storage tanks and leaking landfills.

What causes ground contamination?

• Soil and rock constituents can dissolve in water and contaminate the environment. Among them are sulphates (iron, radionuclides), fluorides, manganese, chlorides, arsenic, and fluoride compounds. Particles from decomposition in the soil may also be carried by subterranean water.
• Underground water contamination is most commonly caused by septic systems across the world. septic tank effluent and cesspool effluent are all sources of pollution. In the United States, for example, 25% of homes rely significantly on septic systems to dispose of their waste. As a result of the large number of people that are reliant on the system, it is a significant pollutant.
• trichloroethane, a very toxic organic gas, is released by commercial septic tanks. The septic tank must be built away from water sources in most nations, however, this is not always the case.
• It is imperative that hazardous wastes such as photography chemicals and other hazardous wastes such as motor oil and cooking oil are not disposed of in septic tanks or directly into the environment since they constitute a major threat to the ecosystem. A professional hazardous waste handler should be called in to dispose of these compounds.
• Underground or above-ground tanks are used to store petroleum. In addition, pipelines are used to transfer petroleum products underground. These compounds can contaminate water if they leak.
• An estimated 16,000 chemical spills occur annually in the United States as a result of vehicle, storage container, and train mishaps, primarily as a result of oil transportation. The chemicals discharged are diluted with water and sink into the earth, which may lead to groundwater pollution.

What happens if the soil is contaminated?

The natural ecology can be harmed if the soil is polluted with these pollutants. Toxic to people and plants alike, many of these chemicals pose a danger. For one thing, toxins may seep into our water supply through the soil, which is the "earth's kidney."

A domino effect is set in motion as a result of soil contamination. Soil biodiversity is impacted, organic matter levels are reduced, and the ability of soil to filter pollution is diminished. Soil and groundwater are contaminated, and nutrients in the soil become unbalanced as a result.

What are the pollutants that contaminate soil?

Pesticides, petroleum products, radon, asbestos, lead, chromate copper arsenate, and creosote are some of the most common pollutants found in urban soils. Human activities are the primary source of soil pollution in metropolitan settings.

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How does soil contamination affect the environment?

As Pollution Issues explains, soil pollution naturally adds to air pollution by emitting volatile compounds into the atmosphere, and it may also lead to water pollution if harmful chemicals drain into groundwater or if polluted.

Infected soils can release hazardous chemicals into adjoining ground or surface water, where animals and plants consume them and this would lead to further contaminating the water source for humans and other animals.

Contaminated soils can also volatilize and pollute the air in neighbouring structures. Health concerns might arise from exposure to polluted soil when people work or play in it. Soil pollution-related illnesses include skin and eye irritation, headaches, nausea, and vomiting, as well as wheezing, coughing, and discomfort in the chest.

How do you remove toxic chemicals from the soil?

When hazardous compounds are not utilized, stored, or disposed of properly, soil contamination can occur from a wide range of human activities. It's most common in metropolitan areas and old industrial sites, which have been the location of manufacturing or industrial dumping as well as land development and trash disposal.

There are certain soil pollutants, such as agricultural chemicals, that are sprayed on the ground. Subsurface leaks from subterranean tanks, sewer pipes, or landfills discharge the remainder. The presence of harmful compounds in the atmosphere might potentially pose a threat.

As a result, pollution is not necessarily restricted to a single location and can spread to neighbouring land and rivers in rainfall or as a fine dust particle.

• Biological treatment/bioremediation employs microbes to decompose soil pollutants.
• Using chemical oxidation, toxic soils are rendered safe.
• Immobilizing agents are incorporated into the soil during soil stabilization in order to lessen the leachability

How do you prevent groundwater contamination?

• For years, groundwater pollution can remain in the system, making it difficult and costly to remove. Prevention of pollution is essential. Consider what you can do to assist.
• Never pour chemicals down drains or on the ground while disposing of rubbish at home; check for leaks in oil storage tanks that are beneath the ground. safe storage of all chemicals and fuels should be kept out of the earth if at all feasible; Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and have your onsite septic system drained and examined at least once every five years. as often as pollution risk necessitates, conduct well tests
• Remove and properly dispose of any garbage; make sure that the wastewater drains correctly; Eliminate floor drains if at all practicable, and install, operate, and maintain septic systems on-site.
• Keep an eye on subterranean tanks for gasoline and chemicals; Reduce or substitute chemical usage by replacing above-ground containment storage and loading locations, if practicable.
• Keep chemicals and garbage out of the rain and keep drains away from storage and loading places
• A pollution prevention strategy should be devised and implemented.
• Maintain an emergency response strategy by inspecting high-risk locations on a regular basis.

I hope this post provides you a good understanding of Ground Contaminition, its causes and impacts. Please feel free to like, comment and share it.  

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Founder at gcelab.com, Pooja is an Entrepreneur unlocking human potential. Working in the Principles of Lean Start-up, Pooja believes in Transparency and User Happiness the most. Pooja’s background in teaching gives her a sophisticated grasp on even the most tedious aspect of course building. She is passionate about people who believe that good is not enough.