Many factors affect soil quality, such as past and current land uses and activities and proximity to pollution sources. Some of the land uses and activities which may lead to soil contamination are:
- Fuel storage (including service stations)
- Chemical manufacturing and storage (including pesticide manufacture)
- Power stations
- Gasworks
- Agricultural Use
- Large industrial facilities
- Timber treatment
- Sheep dipping
- Historic mining
Lead, arsenic and cadmium are some of the contaminants that can be found in soil. Other examples include organochlorine insecticides, polycyclic hydrocarbons, and cadmium. For details on Contaminated Land Remediation, visit soilfix.co.uk
Exposure to soil contaminants can occur by:
- Directly ingesting dirt by mouth-to-hand contact, or when eating homegrown or unwashed produce
- Inhaling or eating dust
- Direct skin contact with soil that is contaminated.
Harms from soil contamination are affected by:
- The type of contamination
- The level of contamination in soil
- The amount of dirt and dust you have consumed
- Your weight and age
- The length of exposure to soil.
Children tend to consume more soil and dust because their hands are covered with it when they play or crawl on the floor. They also put their toys or fingers in their mouths. Pica can cause children to deliberately eat dirt. Pica refers to the habitual eating of substances other than food, like soil or paint flakes. Parents and caregivers should be alert to the potential dangers that soil contaminants pose to children.
Effects of soil contamination on health
Health effects can vary based on the soil contaminants present. It is impossible to describe all the contaminants in soil and their hazards due to the number.
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