Heavy Metals
Soil degradation caused by exposure to Heavy Metal waste, resulting in land contamination is a serious threat but can be avoided with the appropriate remediation techniques.
Heavy Metal Contamination
Soil is a crucial component of rural and urban environments. However, one of the increasing threats is soil degradation caused by exposure to Heavy Metal waste, resulting in land contamination.
Excess heavy metal accumulation in soils is toxic to humans and other animals, due to the inclusion to lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic materials.
Where is Heavy Metal Contamination Present?
Mining, manufacturing, and the use of synthetic products (e.g. pesticides, paints, batteries and industrial waste) can result in heavy metal contamination of urban and agricultural soils. Heavy metals also occur naturally, but rarely at toxic levels.
Typically, contaminated soils may occur at old landfill sites, old orchards that used insecticides containing arsenic, fields that had past applications of waste water or municipal sludge, areas in or around mining waste piles and tailings, industrial areas where chemicals may have been dumped on the ground, or in areas downwind from industrial sites.
Heavy Metal Remediation
Heavy Metals do not degrade like carbon-based (organic) molecules. The only exceptions are mercury and selenium, which can be transformed and volatilized by microorganisms.
While prevention is the best option, the Mick George Group apply various treatments in situ (on-site), or ex situ (removed and treated off-site) including high temperature techniques, solidifying agents applications or washing process.
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