Soil Contamination and Remediation

Soil contamination occurs when hazardous substances accumulate at concentrations exceeding natural background levels. Major sources include industrial activities (heavy metals from smelters and electroplating, solvents from dry cleaners and degreasing operations), agricultural practices (pesticide residues, excess fertilizer salts), waste disposal (leaking landfills and underground storage tanks), mining operations (acid mine drainage containing sulfuric acid and heavy metals), and military sites (explosives, chemical warfare agents, jet fuel). The U.S. EPA's Superfund program identifies and cleans up the nation's most contaminated sites—currently listing over 1,300 National Priorities List (NPL) sites across the country.