Soil contamination

Explained in a simple way and summarized above, we can indicate that soil is not consolidated loose material that occurs initially in the physical disintegration of rocks, or fruit of meteorological disturbances in the environment.

I usually tend to evolve to be able to form even a complex system, passing to a stratified structure and specific composition, precisely under the influence of living beings.

But as the atmosphere (air pollution), the ground can also be affected by pollution, something which - as you can imagine - receives the correct name of soil contamination.

There are two types of pollution that may have an impact on the structure and soilformation: natural contamination (which is often endogenous) and anthropogenic pollution (totally exogenous).

As we know, and perhaps and as discussed at the beginning of this note, different natural phenomena can be causes significant soil contamination.

To give just one example, an active volcano may be able to provide larger quantities of substances pollutants to several thermal power stations coal boards and external.

The contamination of soil by human activities.

Soil contamination may have a wide variety of causes. Some of the most common reasons are:

the use of pesticides in agriculturala subterráneofiltraciones storage tanks breaking from landfills or waste from industrial products direct vertederosacumulación zone

The most common chemicals that are responsible for soil contamination are: oil, pesticides, solvents and other heavy metals.

This phenomenon is a consequence of the high degree of industrialization, the increasing use of chemicals and the lack of management and control by both companies and the same Governments of different countries

When soil pollution reaches a critical level, affected the natural balance with these complex systems, which translates into a change in the behavior of soils. What happens is that harmful substances that accumulate become toxic to organisms that live there. This chemical degradation can cause partial or even total loss of soil productivity.

Many are the negative consequences of soil contamination. Among them we can mention serious risks to human health, both whether directly or indirectly - given that pollutants from the soil to come into contact with drinking water sources her can also pollute.

To carry out a good study of soil contamination, they must define the maximum allowable levels of contaminants, and analyse factors which can influence the response of the ground to these agents. So not only is enough to detect the presence of contaminated soil.

Once contaminated areas have been defined you can proceed to the cleaning of the area. But this is not a real solution, as - of course - the effects of pollution may have affected by then both animals and plants of the place, and to people's health and productive quality of the soil. Also cleaning perform time and money, and they can not usually be faced by the affected communities.