Soil contamination is one of the major issues plaguing the society in the modern context due to overall rise in the pollution in the society. One of the major issues in the cases of soil contamination is that they have major impact on the environmental sustainability in the society.
The facility taken into consideration for the analysis is the Cracker facility. The amount of the waste water and the different kinds of the heavy metal sediments in the soil. The high contamination levels and the increase in the different kinds of the contaminants have led to the rise in the in the soil contamination in the area. The soil contamination is defined as the presence of contagion in the soil due to being contaminated by the different types of the contaminants that are present in the soil. One of the major issues in this context is that the contaminants hurt the overall ecological balance of the ecosystem.
The objective of the assignment is to understand the different contaminant sources present in the soil and the ways in which they affect the soil quality.
To understand the amount of the contamination that has affected the soil and its quality affecting the natural balance of the biome has to be assessed.
The tasks that takes into consideration is that the different contagion have to be taken into consideration for their contamination and mitigation.
The inclusion and the exclusion has to take into account the various variables included in the assessment. The contagion levels have to be taken in consideration and the remediation measure have to be planned for the contagions beyond the tolerance limits.
Contaminant Sources
The contaminant sources that affects the overall quality of the soil can be understood by the usage and the understanding of the different products that contaminate the soil. The major contaminants of the soil in the present scenario are the different plastic and the petroleum hydrocarbon waste which affects the overall quality of soil. The micro plastics and the different chemicals that are being used in the different daily use products affect the overall quality of the soil and the production quality. The contamination may be the result of the different chemicals that may seep into the soil due to the improper disposal of the waste in the heavily industrialised areas. On the other hand the waste produced by the people in their daily life too, often have a large number of contaminants which affect the quality of the soil. The contaminants have to be assessed in the light of the different harming capabilities of the soil and the way it can affect the flora while mixing with the soil of the area. The data collected for the contamination level of the different contaminants will help in the assertion of the different capabilities of the soil so that they may be mitigated using various approaches. The different mediation ways to decrease the amount of the contamination should be helped by the increase or decrease in the contamination levels of the soil. The different data collected related to the contaminant sources along with the contamination levels helps in the devising of the mitigation measures.
|
Type of Contaminant |
Effect of Contaminant |
Permissible limit |
|
Heavy Metals |
Poisoning |
50-300 ppm as per the metals |
|
Monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MNI) |
The lack in the water retention of the soil an increase in erosion |
0.5-5 ppm depending on the different hydrocarbons. |
|
Phenolic compound |
Decreases the water retention of the soil. |
0.5-1 ppm |
|
PAII’s |
Affects the fertility of the soil |
1-10 ppm |
|
Chlorinated hydrocarbons |
Affects the fertility of the soil |
1-7 ppm |
|
Pesticides |
Affects the soil quality and the texture. |
0.5-2 ppm |
The contaminant samples that were taken by the different sources have to be assessed in in the purview of their contamination levels in the soil. The different contaminating sources that affect the overall soil quality is affected by the overall contamination level of the particles present in the soil. The rise in the contamination level affects the overall quality of the soil and the flora and fauna of the area. The rise in the ppm contaminants that is present in the soil. The different levels of the contamination presented in the soil levels have to be asses using the different techniques using the contamination samples that are collected. The samples used in the assessment are collected from the different places that may be susceptible to the high contamination levels. For example, the contamination levels of the pesticides are collected from the places such as the fields and the different places where the pesticides are used. The contamination levels of the chemicals and the hydrocarbons are done in the areas which are industrialized or are the dumping grounds for the different kinds of the waste. The contamination of the hydrocarbons have to be checked in the areas where the plastics are dumped and the areas of petroleum product manufacturing.
The contamination level testing for the different elements have to be based on the contaminants that may be present in the soil. The chemical biological and the radioactive waste in the area have a long-term effect on the soil of the area and can be tested for the presence of the radioactive substances in the soil using the testing methods. The test for the biological elements in the soil is affected by the different elements ranging from the test of the mineral content and the biological content. The rise in the biological content of the soil is due to the biological duplication of the element. The rise in the amount of the microorganism pests in the soil also has a huge negative impact on the soil. The pollutant levels have to be assessed by the individual permissible limits of the presence in the soil.
Risk Assessment Framework
The risk assessment framework takes into account the different short term and the long term risks due to the soil contamination. The risk assessment tries to understand the gravity of the risk posed to the environment in various cases to have a plan to mitigate them in the long term. The risk assessment will take into account the sampling testing and the remediation of the different accounts related to the soil contamination.
The soil collection list will keep a tab on the usage of the different types of the sample collected for the analysis. The various samples collected and the analysis has to be done in a way to analyse the long term effects of the contamination level in the soil.
The probability of the contamination of the different types of the pollutants and the rise in the level of the contamination levels may have different effects on the various kinds of the flora and fauna. The effect of the exposure to the contaminants have to be studies to decrease the overall risk of the contamination of the different kinds.
The transport and the distribution of the different kinds of the contaminants present in the water can be studied in the light of their effect on the environment. It can be seen that the different pollutants have a number of ways to be transported around in the environment. The transportation and the homogeneity of the distribution of the different kinds of the contaminants helps in the understanding of their mobility. The chemical composition of the different pollutants in the society affects the biome in a number of ways the way of the transportation of the pollutants have a major role to play in it.
Remediation process for the improvement of soil quality has to take into account the different kinds of pollutants which are present. The proper measurement of the contamination levels of the pollutants along with the possible harmful effects that they may have should be assessed. Based on these assessments the remediation measures which are best suited for the environment and the local buying should be taken. In most cases the remedial measures are usually divided into the pollutants installable or insoluble in water. The large number of oil based pollutants like hydrocarbons and polyethylene need special techniques to be taken out from the soil and reclaiming the soil quality. One of the hardest contaminants to be removed from the soil are micro plastics as the particles are too small to collect and remove. The contaminant quality may also be affected by a number of different factors including that type of cell that is there in the area and the natural environment. The soil in the surrounding area that was near the site included high amounts of cesium zinc and phenol.
The different kinds of the product tanks which takes into account the different kinds of the pollutants to be cleaned before the water is disposed in the environment. The different ponds and the water facilities have to clear out and cleaned for the different kinds of the sentiments and contaminants. To clean the environment the different kinds of the tools have to be taken into consideration.
The different kinds of the chemicals have to be removed from the soil keeping in mind the different ways in which the people can control the different kinds of the contamination. Excavation is one of the major ways in which the different kinds of the metals are evacuated with the soil they contaminate and the soil is then replaced. This helps in the protection of the soil quality of the land keeping mind the different ways that the contaminants can be controlled from entering the soil and the groundwater (Lambert, Leven and Green 2000). Stabilizing is another process used as the mitigation of the soil contamination and the prevention of the contaminated water from entering the natural cycle. One of the ways in which the stabilization can be done is to add chemicals in the soil such that the heavy metals cannot be absorbed by the animals or plants (Lambert, Leven and Green 2000). The process is known as in situ and is often done by adding phosphate fertilizers to the soil. The phosphate reacts with the heavy metals to form the phosphate salts which makes them insoluble in water and they can be further removed after sedimentation.
Another important method of the removal of the different kinds of the heavy metals in the soil is known as the phytoremediation (Lambert, Leven and Green 2000). This is a process in which the different kinds of plant are used to fight the contamination in the soil. Phytoremediation is done by achieving the phytostabilization using the trees to reduce the different kinds of erosion thereby helping in the prevention of the soil contamination. Another important process used to remove the contaminants with the help of the plant is the rhizofibrilation (Lambert, Leven and Green 2000). Rhizofibrilation is process by which the plants themselves absorb the different kinds of heavy metal in the soil. The rhizofibrilation is done by the different flowering plants and they tend to grow in mineral rich soil. Phytoextraction is another major way in which the ground water can treated and the soil can be saved from contamination (Lambert, Leven and Green 2000). This can be done by the use of the different kinds of the plants which tend to absorb the heavy metals to help in their tissue growth. Sometimes different fertilizers and chemicals are added into the soil to increase the speed of the process.
From the given ways of remediation the rhizofibrilation and phytoextraction can be considered as the best measures as they focus on the remediation of the contamination using ecofriendly measures. The processes however may be time taking and considerably slow. On the other hand the stabilizing is the faster process but in the long run the percentage of effectiveness cannot be controlled. The excavation is in away the worst process of all as they may affect the overall biome by the removal of the soil.
Conclusion
It can be therefore concluded that the soil contamination is one of the pressing issues in the present society and the different kinds of the contaminants and contamination levels need individual approaches. There are a number of ways in which the contamination of the soil in the long term may lead to the contamination of the soil. The contamination levels of the different pollutants have to be measured and it has to be kept into consideration that the samples should grow differential tests for the presence of the various chemicals and heavy metals in trace elements. The contamination and the remediation risk assessment has to take into account the long term goals in maintaining the ecological balance in the society. The various ways in which the remedial processes that they can be enforced in the environment. The remediation of the soil contamination has to focus on the long term improvement of the different soil levels in the ecology. The soil contamination is therefore dependent on the ecological balance in the society.
References
Lambert, M., Leven, B.A. and Green, R.M., 2000. New methods of cleaning up heavy metal in soils and water. Environmental science and technology briefs for citizens. Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.
Vik, E.A., Breedveld, G. and Farestveit, T., 1999. Guidelines for the risk assessment of contaminated sites. Statens forurensningstilsyn,(Norwegian) Google Scholar.
Essay Writing Service Features
Our Experience
No matter how complex your assignment is, we can find the right professional for your specific task. Contact Essay is an essay writing company that hires only the smartest minds to help you with your projects. Our expertise allows us to provide students with high-quality academic writing, editing & proofreading services.
Free Features
Free revision policy
$10Free bibliography & reference
$8Free title page
$8Free formatting
$8How Our Essay Writing Service Works
First, you will need to complete an order form. It's not difficult but, in case there is anything you find not to be clear, you may always call us so that we can guide you through it. On the order form, you will need to include some basic information concerning your order: subject, topic, number of pages, etc. We also encourage our clients to upload any relevant information or sources that will help.
Complete the order form
Once we have all the information and instructions that we need, we select the most suitable writer for your assignment. While everything seems to be clear, the writer, who has complete knowledge of the subject, may need clarification from you. It is at that point that you would receive a call or email from us.
Writer’s assignment
As soon as the writer has finished, it will be delivered both to the website and to your email address so that you will not miss it. If your deadline is close at hand, we will place a call to you to make sure that you receive the paper on time.
Completing the order and download