You have enough to worry about. You have a job, a home or property, and a family. One thing you don’t want to worry about is soil pollutants and soil contamination. But you need to be worried. Experts estimate soil contamination affects as many as a billion people around the world. Soil contamination can affect many aspects of your life.
What types of soil pollution are prevalent in New Jersey? What are the sources of soil pollution? Here are some answers for you.
Types and Sources of Soil Contamination
You need to understand that some kinds of contamination occur naturally. There are times when erosion exposes metals that occur naturally in the soil. Over time, the soil around the metal starts to become contaminated. Trace elements of what we think of as contaminants also occur in the soil. For example, uranium is a contaminant, but it also occurs naturally in the soil.
However, most soil contamination is not natural. Many types of contamination can be present. Agricultural byproducts, such as pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, manure, and runoff, can contaminate the soil. Humans can also contaminate their environments just through daily living and improper disposal of materials. For example, if you dump cooking oil and fats outside, you contaminate the soil. Household paint and spray paint can also contaminate the soil. Detergents, cleaners, and other household materials can cause contamination to the soil as well.
Industrial waste or manufacturing waste can contaminate the soil. Industrial waste is usually present as a result of the manufacturing process. For example, paper mills can create a lot of soil contamination. Other factories cause soil contamination as well. Oil and gas refineries can have petrochemical waste from production. A lot of soil contamination from production is from decades ago. It is only now coming to the surface because you may have disturbed the soil.
How Can I Tell If My Soil Is Contaminated?
There are times when it’s easy to tell if you have contaminated soil. For example, if the soil has lead contamination, you may find pieces of lead in it. Lead paint could be present as well. You might also be able to see chemicals, such as oil, in the soil.
Not all contamination is visible, however. Many pesticides and fertilizers are invisible to the naked eye. For that reason, you will need to have tests done to determine whether your soil is contaminated. You can have a company test for several contaminants. However, if you have an idea of what could be contaminating your soil, we can perform a contaminated soil test.
Soil Contamination Remediation
What happens if your soil is contaminated? Once we find out what is causing the contamination, we can begin the process of soil remediation. In some cases, soil remediation may be as simple as removing the contaminated soil. We may also be able to use natural elements to remediate the soil. This means we can introduce bacteria or fungi into the soil to clean it naturally. We may have to encapsulate the problem. We place all the contaminated soil within a plastic barrier to prevent it from leaching out. We can also use techniques to cook the contaminants out of the soil.
Are you worried that your property is contaminated with chemicals? Are you concerned that your soil pollutants and soil contamination can hurt your friends or family? We understand your concern. We can help you figure out if your soil is contaminated through testing. Then, we can offer you solutions to clean your soil. We want to help you bring it back to as close to its natural state as possible. Contact All American Environmental in New Jersey today, and let us help you make your environment clean and safe.
