Soil pollution control: methods, tools

Soil is an important component of the biosphere. Without it, it would be impossible to exist on Earth. The soil is constantly anthropogenic. Each year, hundreds of tons of various pollutants enter the atmosphere from it. This is the exhaust fumes, and emissions of industrial enterprises. Once in the soil, contaminants are decomposed. Some of them pass the path of profile migration and enter water bodies. The greatest environmental hazard is in dioxins and heavy metals, volatile organic and inorganic compounds and phenols.

Soil cover is a biological sink. In addition, it is capable of destroying and neutralizing various contaminants. However, with a high concentration of toxic elements, this link in the biosphere undergoes destruction. Such an impact can lead to disruption of the life rhythms of our planet.

Types of pollution

Under certain circumstances, in the soil, an increase in the concentration of various substances may occur. If this indicator exceeds the limits of the maximum permissible level, then this will speak of pollution. The existence of this phenomenon can also be asserted in the case of the presence in the earth of any number of substances that are not characteristic of it and are classified as harmful.

Soil pollution is classified into six different degrees. Each of them is distinguished by the size of the decrease in the productivity of the fertile layer, and also by the amount of biomass produced.

Soils can be contaminated:

- sediment rocks and dumps, emissions and debris;

- Heavy metals;

- pesticides;

- mycotoxins;

- radioactive elements.

Sources of soil contamination

The "health" of this important component of the biosphere is significantly influenced by human economic activity. The result of the development of technological progress is a significant pollution of soils, and the sources of its pollution are primarily industrial wastes that arise in the production of nonferrous and ferrous metals, as well as various organic compounds, inorganic chemicals, etc. They significantly pollute the environment and emissions in atmosphere. From the smoke of industrial enterprises, ashes, carbon black and sulfur dioxide, nitrates, sulphates, etc., enter the air, water and soil.

Monitoring soil contamination indicates that their state is adversely affected by a variety of technological waste, which are products that have been worked out during the production cycle. Their composition and quantity are different. However, as a rule, these are various hydrocarbons, the list of which only in transport and industrial enterprises includes more than two hundred names.

The sources of pollution in the case of the production of high-molecular compounds are solvents, monomers, catalysts, dyes, stabilizers, etc. "Health" also takes the products of this field from the soil: plastics and rubber, paint and varnish materials,

To a considerable extent, the environment is polluted, as well as oil refining. This natural fossil is constantly bottled, which leads to salinization of the soil. Pollution also occurs when associated gas is burned at the fields.

Colored and heavy metals fall into the environment as a result of emissions from such enterprises:

- ferrous metallurgy;

- mechanical engineering;

- metal working;

- petrochemical, chemical, pulp and paper, woodworking and many other industries.

Control of soil contamination made it possible to clarify the fact that as a result of treatment of fields with insecticides and pesticides, as well as fertilization, the fertile layers are poisoned with a particularly toxic element, arsenic. The same substance enters the environment as a result of the production of glass, pigments, tannins, rodenticides and fungicides.

The ecological situation is significantly deteriorating in the case of accidents on transport and pipelines, moving inorganic and organic substances, as well as at nuclear power plants.

The control of soil contamination made it possible to clarify the fact that a significant source of harmful substances are the places where industrial, pharmaceutical and domestic wastes are stored and destroyed. Negatively affect the ecology and storage of various poisoning components.

The need to control the "health" of the soil

Atmospheric air, as well as surface water periodically self-cleaning from pollutants. Soil has a number of specific features. It accumulates harmful components and is not capable of clearing them to the full. A significant amount of toxins leads to the degradation of the earth cover and to the formation of the so-called man-made desert. This is the reason for the growing ecological danger and negative consequences, which bear a direct threat to human health. That is why pollution control is so important, the purpose of which is to identify and prevent a negative impact on the biosphere.

The Problem of Modernity

Today, the issue of human interaction with nature is under the close control of society. Undoubtedly, the problem of soil contamination has become especially acute, and the methods of solving it will allow preserving the quality of life of people inhabiting our planet.

Issues of ecology should be understood in human society. This will preserve the productivity and purity of the natural environment, the ozone layer, the bioconcentration of substances, etc.

The carried out control of soil contamination shows that changes in the content of microelements occur in it. This affects the health of a person, leading to a violation of metabolic processes in his body and causing endemic pathologies of a local nature. Thus, carcinogenic substances that enter the soil as a result of exhausts cause tumor diseases.

Methods of soil regeneration and protection

In order to contain pollutants, settling tanks and storage facilities are used. These facilities make it possible to use the method of localizing toxins that worsen the ecological situation. However, monitoring soil pollution convincingly proves that the best way to combat harmful to our health components is to eliminate them. Toxic products can be destroyed directly in their storage areas. To do this, methods such as burning hydrocarbons, removing pollutants into the atmosphere, washing the soil with various mineral solutions are used. In the case where organic products are toxic products, a biological method can be applied. Pollutants are sometimes transported to specially created points for their processing and neutralization.

Places of control

Studies of the state of soils are carried out in agricultural areas. They are also obligatory in zones close to cities and industrial enterprises. In addition, pollution control of the soil produced at the background level is of no small importance. It reflects data on air pollution, and, as a consequence, the soil layer.

The basic principle of control measures

Research of soil in the sanitary protection zone of any enterprise is aimed at identifying the values of maximum permissible discharges and emissions. Requirements for control and protection of soils from pollution provide for testing for the presence of carcinogenic substances. Their presence is determined by the presence of benzapyrene. This provision is fixed in GOST 17.4.2.01-81.

According to the current regulatory documents, control over soil contamination in recreation areas, kindergartens and medical and preventive institutions is carried out at least twice a year - in autumn and spring. At the request of GOST, test sites near industrial enterprises should be marked along existing wind rose vectors.

Various agencies compose their own instructions for monitoring the state of soils used by enterprises in this industry. Thus, Minneftegazprom has developed recommendations for the protection of zones located in the oil production sites. They provide for a permanent control of pollution, and describe the actions that are mandatory for implementation in various emergency situations.

Control methods

In order to determine the contamination of the study area, soil sampling takes place. Recommendations for monitoring soil pollution, which can be found in specially developed instructions, indicate the need for their chemical analysis. It will allow to determine the maximum permissible concentration of toxic substances. At the same time, it is quite effective to use indirect methods to control soil contamination. Their list includes:

- An analysis of the behavior and spread of various types of microorganisms, invertebrates and plants, which are indicators of the "health" of the soil layer;

- a visually obtained assessment of the state of phytogenesis.

Control of radioactive contamination of soil

Radionuclides, which have a long half-life, fall on the earth from the outside, from the atmosphere, accumulate in its upper layers. This problem of soil contamination and methods for its solution are very relevant for mankind. These substances carry a danger to human health and are largely capable of worsening the ecological situation. In this regard, constant monitoring of radioactive contamination of soils is required.

For its implementation, a method of sampling ground samples is used, which are subjected to laboratory gamma-spectrometric analysis. Control can also be carried out in the field. For this, gamma-spectrometric analysis is also carried out using portable devices "Bella" or SRP-88.

Control of pesticide level

In order to control weeds, undesirable insects and fungal diseases, fertile soils are treated with insecticides, fungicides and insecticides. All of them, as well as repellents and fumigants, which increase the yield, refer to pesticides. These substances are biologically active, and with increasing their concentration, considerable damage is caused to the environment.

That is why continuous monitoring of soil contamination with pesticides is necessary. Today, specific instructions and methods for sampling have been developed for this purpose. They make it possible to determine the microquantity of herbicides and pesticides. The main points that make it possible to carry out quality control of agricultural lands can be learned from the Rules developed by the Institute of Experimental Meteorology of Roshydromet. This document is an instruction explaining the main stages of preparation of control, as well as its implementation and obtaining the necessary results.

Microbiological control of soils

The land of the territories of cities, towns, and agricultural lands should not contain microbiological organisms that pose a danger to humans. To this end, specific indicators of the maximum permissible level have been developed and are being implemented in hygienic norms and sanitary rules.

Applied methods of microbiological soil control are outlined in methodological recommendations compiled by the employees of the Federal Center for State Sanitary Epidemiological Supervision of the Russian Ministry of Health, F. F. Erisman, as well as the center of GSEN in the Krasnodar Territory.