What are soil remediation and contamination?

First, what does soil remediation mean? At its core, this type of environmental work is about taking

things like pesticides, hydrocarbons, and heavy metals out of the soil. Cleaning these chemicals

helps keep dirt, water, and air in good shape, which is important for a healthy environment. Even

though the size of remediation projects can be very different, there are only a few main types of

soil remediation that environmental experts use today.

Secondly, soil contamination is about pollution in the environment on a chemical or microbial

level, but soil pollution is one type of pollution that can be seen with the naked eye. For all the

support regarding contamination and remediation in Penrith, contact the expert team.

Types of soil remediation

1. Bioremediation

One of the most common ways to fix soil is through bioremediation. Experts in the environment

use special bacteria to soak up and break down pollutants in the soil during this process. When all

of the pollutants have been eaten by the bacteria, the bacteria will die on their own, leaving a

cleaner environment.

2. Soil encapsulation

Think of soil remediation as putting something in quarantine. In some types of cleanups,

contaminants are taken out of the ground. In encapsulation, the contaminants are kept in one place

so they don't spread. One way to encapsulate soil is to mix it with lime, cement, and concrete. This

keeps the contaminants from coming into contact with any other soil. Of course, encapsulation

might not be the best way to go if, say, the soil is meant to be farmland. Once the soil is sealed, it

can't be used to grow plants anymore.

3. Thermal soil remediation

Thermal remediation is exactly what it sounds like: heating a contaminated substance to the point

where it evaporates. As you might guess, environmental experts have to heat the soil to

temperatures that are very hard to imagine. After the soil has been heated to the right temperature,

it is sent to a cooling unit. There, the soil is mixed with water to cool it down and keep dust from

getting everywhere. The material is then sent out to be tested and recycled. This method may or

may not work in some situations, depending on how dirty the soil is, how well it drains, and what

its pH level is.

Contamination

Sometimes there is contamination present in the soil. There are a few signs visible that

contamination present in the soil:

1. Stains and discolourations in the soil, as well as slimy or oily patches, usually mean that

there is too much of a substance that doesn't naturally occur in the soil. Soil is a complicated

mix of dead plants and animals, minerals, and nutrients. When this balance is upset by too

many heavy metals, industrial waste, pesticides, or herbicides, it shows in the colour and

texture of the soil.

2. When a lot of a foreign substance gets stuck in the soil, it can sometimes make a smell that

is easy to recognise. For example, the smell of oil is a clear sign that soil is contaminated

with oil, but a heavy metal like lead won't change the way soil smells.

3. Not surprisingly, polluted soil also changes the way plants use energy, which makes plants

weaken, die, and wither.

4. Paint chips in the soil around a building are a classic and clear sign that lead got into the

soil from the paint.

Conclusion

Soil remediation is one of the most important things we can do to protect the environment in our

fast-changing world. Experts' approach to cleanup technology takes into account several important

factors, such as the amount of contamination, the geology of the area, how well it has worked in

the past, and how much each effort will cost in total.

If you need contamination and remediation support in Penrith then come to us and get the best

service.