CONTAMINATED SOIL

Treatment and remediation of contaminated soil

[name of student]

Treatment and remediation of contaminated soil

Introduction

Environmental liability is any problem in the ground that can be derived from soil contamination deforestation or irregular. For builders, the main problem when buying a new terrain is the presence of contamination in groundwater, surface or ground. The greatest difficulty that companies have when faced with a problem of possible environmental liabilities is find out what the exact area of contamination and how serious this problem. In most cases, the contamination of the soil is caused by chemical products or waste materials which are handled inappropriately on the ground. The environmental liability, however, is not restricted to those caused by industrial activities. Many types of activities cause liabilities, we always think in most industries because they deal with chemicals, but any activity is subject to cause these liabilities, such as railways, highways, shopping (Kamei, Watanabe, Harada, Miyahara, Suzuki, Matsufuji,& Kondo, 2009, pp. 1294-1300). 

To identify the existence of environmental liabilities, the contractor must take soundings on the ground to collect soil and water samples and perform chemical analyzes. ”The laboratory analysis will show how much is contaminated by what kind of element is contaminated, and what is the contaminated area,” says Fernando. The process to analyze the soil and remediate it has five phases. The first is the preliminary assessment, which consists of a visual investigation and analysis of the history of occupation of the land, and lasts about 30 days (Richardson, Lebron, Miller, & Aitken, 2010, pp.719-725). The second is a confirmatory assessment, which provides surveys, collection and analysis of water and soil and can already determine if there are liabilities in the area or not. This phase lasts for 60 to 90 days. If so, you must perform the third step, the detailed evaluation, whose goal is to locate where the liability element and by which it was generated. The fourth procedure is a toxicological risk analysis, which is to see what risks to soil contamination that can lead to human health or to the company that will install itself there. The last phase is the remediation and recover that consists of soil, performing steps to rid him of that liability. The recovery also depends on the further use that will be given to this area (Wan, Li, Lu, & Yuan, 2010, pp.184-190).

Remediation of Soils and Groundwater

The methodology for the remediation of contaminated sites involves a series of environmental management procedures that include: identification of potentially contaminated areas, preliminary, confirmatory investigation, detailed investigation for risk assessment, risk assessment, investigation to remediation, the remediation project, remediation and monitoring, considering the specificities of potentially contaminated areas. Below is a description of each step of management (Richardson, Lebron, Miller, & Aitken, 2010, pp.719-725).

Methodology for Environmental Management of Contaminated Sites

STEP

DESCRIPTION

Areas Potentially Contaminated

Areas where they are manipulated or hazardous substances to human health and the environment. Eg terminals, bases, waste areas.

Preliminary Evaluation

Survey information available or obtained on-site inspections, the conceptual model definition and diagnosis of the need to adopt emergency measures. Follow the Registration Form.

Confirmatory Research

Environmental assessment to confirm or exclude the possibility of ...