SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION

 SOIL CONTAMINATION
- is caused by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in
the natural soil environment.

SOURCES

1. Industrial Activity

2. Agricultural Activities

3. Waste Disposal

4. Accidental Oil Spills

5. Acid Rain

EFFECTS

1. Health of Humans

2. Growth of Plants

3. Decreased Soil Fertility

4. Toxic Dust

5. Changes in Soil Structure

11 Ways to Prevent and Control SOIL CONTAMINATION

1. Go organic

2. Fewer plastics

3. Agricultural Management

4. Reduce sprays

5. Don’t litter

6. Careful about what you pour down the sink

7. Reforestation

8. Tread Lightly

9. Volunteer

10. Educate

11. Get authorities involved

 GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION

-occurs when pollutants are released to the ground and make their way down
into groundwater. It can also occur naturally due to the presence of a minor and
unwanted constituent.

SOURCES
1. Direct- these are the ones you’re more likely to come into contact with.
 Hazardous Waste- Once a spill occurs, it can almost never be removed from
groundwater.
 Landfills - When landfills are very large, the amount of groundwater polluted by them is
significant.
2. Indirect-
 Atmospheric pollutants- This damages the environment and can also cause
serious health risks for people in the area, too.
 Petroleum fuels- Most of the time, however, the use of these fuels pollutes the
atmosphere and leads to indirect atmospheric pollution of groundwater through
the rain.
3. Man-made-

 Septic systems- This causes human waste to leach into the surrounding soil, which in
turn causes a lot of pollution very fast.

 Chemicals- when groundwater that has been affected by these chemicals is then
used in agriculture or industry, it is unable to provide the proper nutrients and
hydration required to get the job done.

 Pesticide- The chemicals involved in pesticides are very dangerous for both human and
animal consumption, and when they reach groundwater, they can almost never be
completely removed.

4.Natural

 Animal waste- it does make groundwater unsafe to drink without treatment.

  Arsenic- This is rare, but it does occur, especially in areas where mining has
been present and might have exposed these types of rocks.
 Radon- it’s very important not to drink water that could have potentially been
polluted with radon until it has been thoroughly tested by professionals.

EFFECTS

1. Health

2. Economy

3. Environment

How to Prevent Groundwater Pollution

1. At Home – Store and dispose of everything properly.

2. At Work – Implement more environmentally-friendly practices and substances.

3. While Traveling – Choose modes of transportation that are better for the environment.

4. In the Community – Talk to businesses and government representatives.

5. Around the World – Donate to causes that clean up water in developing countries.

Controlling Groundwater Pollution

1. Turn off water faucets when not in use.

2. Don’t use a lot of chemicals or bleach around the house.

3. Don’t let faucets drip or leak.

4. Take shorter showers.

5. Only wash the laundry when you have a full load.

6. Don’t use a garbage disposal.

SITE INVESTIGATION
 SITE INVESTIGATION

- is the process of collecting information, assessment of the data and reporting potential hazards
beneath a site which are unknown.

Site Investigation Purpose and Objectives

The objective of a site investigation is to gather the information needed to carry out the risk
assessment, in order to be in a position to assess the presence and significance of
contamination of land.

The number one objective of a site investigation is to determine as accurately as may required

1. The nature and sequence of strata

2. The ground water conditions at the site
3. The physical properties of soil and rock underlying the site
4. The mechanical properties such as strength of different soil or rock strata