What You Need to Know About Soil Contamination and Remediation

Soil contamination doesn’t involve a lot of mystery. It is exactly what it sounds like: hazardous materials getting mixed up with the natural dry land environment, and results from exactly the kind of practices you would imagine: spilling or burying those hazardous materials in the soil. As expected, hazardous materials can also make their way into the soil from an unrelated spill or release, such as via water or smoke. And as you would surely guess, soil contamination can lead to health problems for all living beings and is considered dangerous.

But although soil contamination doesn’t involve a lot of mystery, it is still surrounded by some confusion. This is true especially for its remediation.

Collective agreement that contaminated soil is a problem doesn’t necessarily lead to collective understanding of the solution. To clarify, here are four proven strategies:

1.) Excavation:

This process involves removing contaminated soil from the ground, and then either treating or properly disposing of it. New topsoil would be tested, brought in, and distributed throughout the property to replace the old soil.

2.) Treatment:

This process involves leaving the terra firma right where it is, and then treating it so that it is no longer considered to be contaminated. According to the EPA, “Treatment approaches can include: flushing contaminants out of the soil using water, chemical solvents, or air; destroying the contaminants by incineration; encouraging natural organisms in the soil to break them down; or adding material to the soil to encapsulate the contaminants and prevent them from spreading.”

3.) Containment:

This process also involves leaving the soil in-place, and containing it so that the contamination will not spread.

4.) Blending:

This process involves blending the contaminated soil with good, clean soil. This reduces the concentration of contaminants and would help meet local guidelines for acceptable pollutant levels.

Get Expert Help For Contaminated Soil Remediation

You should always exercise caution with soil contamination; it is a situation that warrants professional help. If you need assistance with soil cleanup or disposal, or you have other environmental remediation concerns, contact Hazardous Waste Experts at 800-936-2311 to speak with an expert and to get a price quote for your project.