Soils for Environmental Quality amp; Waste Disposal - Soils @ UGA土壤环境质量amp；废物处置-土壤”UGA.ppt

Chapter 14 Soils for Environmental Quality and Waste Disposal What is a Contaminant? Nearly all materials we consider contaminants are naturally-occurring elements or compounds, but they become a hazard when present in soils or waters at elevated concentrations. Some compounds such as pesticides are synthesized by humans for their useful toxicity to target organisms, but become contaminants when they are found in food or water supplies. Most contaminants are similarly useful materials that just get in the wrong place at too high a concentration, due to human carelessness or mishap. Risk Assessment An attempt to quantify the risks posed by a certain level of some pollutant (contaminant) in the environment, particularly to human health. There are a number of pathways by which contaminants might directly affect humans Pollutant movement and risk pathways for soil contaminants. A: Direct Soil Ingestion - Some metals, such as lead and arsenic B: Leaching to Ground Water - Many organic contaminants C: Runoff to Surface Water - Many organic contaminants D: Plant Uptake - Some metals, such as cadmium, and radionuclides E: Animal Uptake - Some metals, such as lead/mercury, organics/PCBs, radionuclides Food chain When contaminants enter plants or animals which constitute our food supply, thereby transferring contaminants to humans. Water supplies Either surface or ground water, are often contaminated when pollutants leach through soil or run off the surface, as well as direct discharge into streams (often the case with industrial discharges). Direct ingestion Refers to direct eating of contaminated soil or waste materials— mostly referring to children who, by constantly putting their hands in their mouths, may eat up to 10 g of soil per day!; if this soil is contaminated (as many urban soils are), the children are potentially exposed to significant amounts of pollutants. For any given contaminant, risk tends to be greater for certain pathways rather than others, due simp