Land Pollution

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.