| A soil test allows a land owner to balance the | | | | concentrations of toxins are considered acceptable |
| potential impact of harm from soil contamination | | | | when compared with zones near heavy industry like |
| against the cost of undertaking a cleanup operation | | | | ports and rail yards. |
| with the advice of a soil testing lab. | | | | Moreover, children typically come into closer contact |
| Soil testing is used as part of contaminated land | | | | than adults with the dirtier parts of the environment |
| rehabilitation projects to determine the presence and | | | | by their nature, whether that means getting dirty |
| levels of harmful substances. A site is deemed to be | | | | while playing or ingesting dirt directly. |
| contaminated when areas or the entire site has toxic | | | | Government guidelines for contaminated soil testing |
| chemicals in the ground that are harmful to humans | | | | and management vary across different regions, |
| or the environment at levels higher than those | | | | however, they tend towards an approach of risk |
| normally found in the region. | | | | management: It is necessary that some areas |
| Soil testing companies are able to test for the | | | | become polluted for the wheels of industry to keep |
| presence of heavy metals like arsenic, lead, mercury, | | | | turning, so town planning focuses on concentrating |
| and zinc, other toxic metals such as cobalt, beryllium, | | | | heavy polluters with waste disposal, landfill, and |
| nickel, and chromium, carcinogenic solvents like | | | | high-risk operations like chemical factories, away from |
| toluene and benzene, oils, fuel additives, radioactives, | | | | the residential and commercial districts. When soil |
| cyanide, pesticides, poisons, and fertilizers. | | | | tests show the presence of toxic substances, it does |
| These substances can make their way into the | | | | not always make sense to launch a clean up |
| ground from sites of heavy industry like smelters and | | | | operation, at least until levels get so high as to violate |
| factories, manufacturing plants, transit infrastructure | | | | EPA regulations. |
| like airports, docks, the roads, rail yards, and other | | | | Instead, what action is to be taken depends on likely |
| vehicle depots, from leaking storage tanks and | | | | it is that the contamination will cause harm. The risk |
| pipelines, runoff from agriculture, waste disposal sites | | | | of damage to business and lives must be balanced |
| and dumps, and even from commercial and residential | | | | against the potential impact of such harm occurring |
| sources. | | | | and the cost of remedy. |
| As well as direct exposure, contaminants can make | | | | Fortunately, there are many ways you can |
| their way into environments that have never directly | | | | commence soil remediation following unwelcome test |
| housed toxic substances, by blowing onto the site | | | | results, with potentially cheaper options available for |
| from neighboring properties through the wind, or | | | | sites that have a low risk of causing harm. |
| leeching into the local soil and groundwater through | | | | Ideally, the leading soil testing labs will be able to |
| the underground aquifers. | | | | advise you on which of these is the most |
| Once a soil test determines that toxic substances are | | | | appropriate for a given site. |
| present on a site, you need to consider how likely it | | | | In extreme cases, it may be necessary to |
| is to affect those who come into contact with it. | | | | completely excavate the affected soil, and seal it in |
| This depends very much on which substances are | | | | below ground pits or an alternative waste storage |
| present and their quantities, where the site is, and | | | | repository. This is the method used to decontaminate |
| what it shall be used for. | | | | areas affected by radiation and radioactive fallout, |
| Some contaminants can cause harm to humans | | | | such as nuclear test zones, and the aftermath of |
| simply by inhaling dust from the air, or by contact | | | | nuclear power plant accidents. |
| with the skin and mucus membranes such as the | | | | Modern landfills are usually interleaved with layers of |
| eyes and mouth. In other cases, drinking tainted | | | | thick plastic membranes where there is a risk of |
| water can cause health problems. Towns which have | | | | contaminants reaching the groundwater, thus |
| high levels of heavy metals in the environment show | | | | spreading. |
| increased rates of birth defects, retardation of | | | | Agricultural soil affected by excessive fertilizers and |
| newborns, lower IQs, and increased rates of many | | | | pesticides can be reconditioned by flushing with large |
| types of cancer. | | | | quantities of water, as the containments tend to be |
| In agricultural areas, plants and livestock can also be | | | | concentrated water-soluble salts. Some contaminants |
| affected by these contaminants in the same way, | | | | can be bound in place with the addition of cement, |
| and after being tainted, can pass on toxic substances | | | | while other harmful substances can be broken down |
| to anything that eats them through several stages of | | | | by burning, rinsing with biodegradable chemical |
| the food chain. | | | | solvents, or with the addition of microbial agents into |
| In residential areas where children are likely to be | | | | the soil. |
| present, contaminated soil testing is crucial, as lower | | | | |