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Soil contamination, soil pollution, or land pollution as a part of land degradation is caused by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. It is typically caused by industrial activity, agricultural chemicals or improper disposal of waste .
The soil remediation intervention values indicate when the functional properties of the soil for humans, plants and animals is seriously impaired or threatened. They are representative of the level of contamination above which a serious case of soil contamination is deemed to exist.
Soil Guideline Values (SGVs) are figures which are used in non-statutory technical guidance for assessors carrying out risk assessments to determine whether land is considered "contaminated" under United Kingdom law, that is "land which appears to... be in such a condition, by reason of substances in, on or under the land, that (a) significant harm is being caused or there is a significant ...
When dissolved sodium in comparison with dissolved calcium and magnesium is high in water, clay soil swells or undergoes dispersion which drastically reduces its infiltration capacity. [ 1 ] In the dispersed [ clarification needed ] soil structure , the plant roots are unable to spread deeper into the soil due to lack of moisture.
A US organic food advocacy group, the Environmental Working Group, is known for creating a list of fruits and vegetables referred to as the Dirty Dozen; it lists produce with the highest number of distinct pesticide residues or most samples with residue detected in USDA data. This list is generally considered misleading and lacks scientific ...
soil type and structure. For example, sandy soil holds little water while clay soils have high water-retention rates; the amount of water used by the plants/crops; how much nitrate is already present in the soil. [3] The level of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) in the Earth's atmosphere is increasing at a rate of 0.2 to 0.3% annually.
A horticulture student taking a soil sample in a garden near Lawrenceville, Georgia. A soil test is a laboratory or in-situ analysis to determine the chemical, physical or biological characteristics of a soil. Possibly the most widely conducted soil tests are those performed to estimate the plant-available concentrations of nutrients in order ...
The causes of soil alkalinity can be natural or man-made: The natural cause is the presence of soil minerals producing sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3) upon weathering. Coal-fired boilers / power plants, when using coal or lignite rich in limestone, produce ash containing calcium oxide.