Land pollution, also called soil contamination, is the presence of human-made chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment, caused primarily by industrial activity, agricultural chemical use and improper waste disposal, with common contaminants including petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, pesticides and heavy metals. North America and Europe have established legal frameworks addressing contamination, while many other countries, including some that have undergone significant industrialization, remain less tightly regulated. Contaminated soil can threaten the groundwater and aquifers beneath it, and human exposure occurs through direct contact, vapor inhalation and accumulation in the food chain, requiring remediation expertise spanning geology, hydrology, chemistry and environmental modeling.
Facts
Jurisdiction VariationIn North America and Europe many countries have a legal framework to identify and deal with contaminated land. 1 Classification
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Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Soil contamination (Wikipedia)
Legal framework
In North America and Europe the extent of contaminated land is best known for as many of the countries in these areas have a legal framework to identify and deal with this environmental problem.
In Group: Pollution and Discharge Offenses, Lead
Soil contamination, soil pollution, or land pollution as a part of land degradation is caused by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment.
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