Different Kinds of Liquid Pollutants in Soil
Liquid pollution can exist in two forms: point source and non-point source. Point source pollution can be described as a pipe dumping contaminants directly into the environment. Non-point source describes things that pollute the environment indirectly, such as storm water runoff. There are four origins that these sources can come from; agriculture, industry, municipal and nuclear wastes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Agricultural Pollution
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Agriculture is a major source of pollution in the world. Fertilizers and pesticides are used frequently in this industry and often are mismanaged. Overusing these pollutants can contaminate the soil and leach into groundwater supplies after heavy rains. Organic compounds used in herbicides and pesticides can be taken up by plant roots in the polluted soil and enter into our food chain.
Industrial Pollution
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Industries such as chemical manufacturers, the printing industry and petroleum refineries have released toxins into the soil causing expensive clean-up efforts. Bioremediation treatments are often used to break down or remove the toxin from the soil by using plants. Liquid pollutants released into the soil are often in the form of acids and bases, solvents and toxins as well as sludge concentrated with heavy metals.
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Municipal Pollution
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Pollution from urban areas can come in many forms; however waste-water treatment plants are brought to the public's attention when it comes to soil and water pollution. After treatment, sewage effluent is either directed into a creek for disposal, creating sedimentation or stored in drums that can leak into the soil underneath it. Although the effluent after treatment has passed EPA standards, it does not remove heavy metals or chemicals. Other types of liquid pollution detected in soils include battery acid, motor oil, organic solvents and seepage from garbage.
Radioactive Waste
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Nuclear waste in liquid form is another pollutant that can be found discarded in soil. Although the waste being dumped into soils is outlawed, the waste storage tanks used now do not outlast the lifespan of nuclear material. Landfills for nuclear waste storage tanks have been proven to corrode and cause leaking of radioactive materials into the soil surrounding the tank. Although storing nuclear material in soil is not the best option, geologic depositories are currently the most popular solution.
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