Description
Scitus Academics Soil Contamination-Scitus by Aleix Campo
Soil contamination has rigorously improved over the last decades, mainly due to petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, pesticides, lead and other heavy metals from industrial wastes and human activities. Soil contamination or soil pollution is caused by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. Sustainable efforts are required to develop sound risk assessment procedures, remediation strategies and sustainable soil management policies. Contaminated or polluted soil directly affects human health through direct contact with soil or via inhalation of soil contaminants which have vaporized; potentially greater threats are posed by the infiltration of soil contamination into groundwater aquifers used for human consumption, sometimes in areas apparently far removed from any apparent source of above ground contamination. Not unexpectedly, soil contaminants can have significant deleterious consequences for ecosystems.
Soil Contamination provides comprehensive overview in the perspective of contaminated soil monitoring and remediation approaches. Soil is an inimitable resource that sustains life on the planet, challenged by food and energy demands of an increasing population. Therefore, soil contamination set up a critical issue to be addressed if we are to secure the life quality of present and future generations. The book covers topics on monitoring of dioxin, furan, hydrocarbons and heavy metals level in soils - bioindicators and biomarkers for the assessment of soil toxicity - use of reflectance spectroscopy for soil contaminants and waste material detection - remediation technologies and strategies.