Consequences

Soil pollution at both former and present industrial sites represents a serious potential threat to human health, ecosystems and the economy. Because of the wide variety of soil pollutants and concentrations, impacts are imprecisely known. The potential effects of soil pollution are:

• release of contaminants to the land surface, groundwater or surface water;

• uptake of contaminants by plants;

• direct contact by humans with contaminated soil;

• inhalation of dust particles or volatile substances;

• fire or explosion of landfill gases;

• corrosion of underground pipelines and other building components;

• generation of hazardous, secondary waste streams; and

• conflict with proposed land use.