Soil Contamination


Sheikhavandi T.

HANDBOOK OF RESEARCH ON ADVANCEMENTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, pp.173-199, 2015 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

Abstract

Soil, the final product of long-lasting forming processes, is a nearly non-renewable source and an environmental necessity. Soil contamination, also known as soil pollution, which is generally defined as the presence of man-made chemicals and alterations in soil, is widely capable of causing long-term health issues and a disrupted ecosystem. From a general scientific point of view, soil contaminants can be classified as Macro and Micro contaminants by quantity, while micro-contaminants divide into two groups: organic and inorganic pollutants. Contamination types can be also categorized by contamination source. Subsequent to verifying the type of contaminant and in order to amend contaminated soils, varieties of methods are provided. Physical, Chemical, and Biological (Bio-Remediation) techniques are used to extract, degrade, or immobilize soil contaminants. These methods can be utilized as a single technique or as a combination of methods. The objective of this chapter is to clarify the soil contamination and the approaches to amendment.