Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 12
The Nature and Survey of Soil Pollution
12.1. Introduction
Compared to air or water pollution, soil pollution is much less apparent and
cannot easily be detected. This could be one of the reasons why it is much less
frequently mentioned and commented on in the media (newspapers, TV, etc.). This
problem has, however, been properly faced in recent decades in several famous
cases in which soil pollution has had serious impacts on neighboring populations
and the environment. In real estate transactions, the guarantee of providing clean
and safe grounds is now the responsibility of the seller in various countries, and
appropriate laws have been adopted accordingly. This is particularly true in the case
of former industrial zones that have been reclaimed and re-used to extend urban
areas, as is the case, for instance, in the Plaine de France area north of Paris, where
the Stade de France was constructed to host the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Further
important urban extensions have been conducted in this region in recent years.
Based on such experiences, progress has been made in accounting for reclaimed
polluted sites in urban planning.
This chapter starts with a general description of pollution generated in soils by
industrial activities, followed by a description of some of the techniques used to
identify polluted soils.
