Soil is a complex mixture of inorganic materials, living organisms, and dead organic matter that sustains physical, chemical, and biological functions to support plant and animal life. Soils form through physical and chemical weathering of rocks and biological processes. Soil characteristics include physical composition, pore content, permeability, organic material, temperature, mineral content, and water content. Soil can be degraded through erosion, acidification, salinization, compaction, and pollution from various natural and human-caused sources. Actions must be taken to assess, isolate, and eliminate soil pollution to prevent further environmental damage.

1. What is soil?
A dynamically and continuously changing,
mixture of inorganic, living and dead
organic materials, that sustains physical,
chemical and biological functions while
providing resources to the living nature.

2. Genesis of soils
1.) physical weathering of rock  temperature
 water
2.) chemical weathering  nutrients
3.) biological processes  biological weathering

3. Functions of soil
• biomass
• archeology
• modulation
• biotope
• source
• medium

4. Soil characteristics
- physical composition solid
pore
gas
liquid
- pore content clayey sand 35%
peat 80%
garden soil 60%
- permeability
- organic material

5. 3 phase 2 phase
soil particles
liquid
gas soil particles
liquid/gas
pore

6. - water types pore water
capillary water clay 1-2m
sand 20-30cm
sorbed water
- temperature – neutral zone
- albedo plow – 0.17
plain surface – 0.3
snow – 0.7
- mineral content

7. Soil degradation
1.) erosion (water/wind)
natural causes:
anthropogenic:
remedy:
heavy rain, steep slopes, impermeable soil
strong wind, dry soil, lack of vegetation
land abuse, deforestation
terracing, vegetation, alteration of soil structure,
shelter belts

8. 2.) acidification
natural causes:
anthropogenic:
remedy:
lack of calcium
breakdown of vegetation (CO2)
fertilizers (H+), acid rain
no unnecessary fertilizer, lime addition

9. 3.) salinization
natural causes:
anthropogenic:
remedy:
bad drainage
irrigation, raising groundwater level
salt content control in irrigation water,
groundwater level control, chemical methods (ion
change)

10. 4.) mechanical degradation (compaction)
natural causes:
anthropogenic:
remedy:
bad structure, lack of organisms in the soil
agricultural vehicles, bad water management
agro-techniques

11. 5.) bad water household
natural causes:
remedy:
climate (regional or microclimate)
soil structure
irrigation, channel inland inundation, catchment
area control

12. Pollution
source
deposition (air/water)
background
agriculture
industry/mining
traffic
landfills
reduction
gas/dust emission
food chain
seepage in groundwater
physical/chemical/biological
breakdown
immobilization

13. Actions to take
1. previous land use
2. test holes
3. determination of pollutants
4. extent of pollution
5. prevent further spread
6. enclose or deck, if necessary
7. elimination

14. consider: bedding (layering)
groundwater
questions: where (density)
depth
disturbed/undisturbed sample
change in gw level
direction of gw flow

15. pollutant type of danger landuse
heavy metals,
organic pollutants
ingestion garden, recreation
area, playground
cadmium, lead bioaccumulation garden
sulfates, copper,
nickel, zinc, methane
plant poison agricultural land
sulfates, chlorides,
phenol, oil
corrosion inbuilt areas
methane, sulphur,
inflammable material
danger of fire and
explosion
inbuilt areas
PAC, asbestos,
radioactive material
contact inbuilt areas
phenol, cyanide,
sulphate
water pollution groundwater, surface
water

16. Extent
borehole

17. Isolation
1. Isolating wall 2. Depression
3. Water intrusion
wellwall
well

18. Elimination
EX SITU
soil exchange, deposition
soil washing (chemicals)
chemical extraction
immobilization
dehalogenization
oxidation - reduction
gas suction
IN SITU
pore gas suction
thermal treatment
soil washing (chemicals)
pneumatic decompaction
immobilization
vitrification
biodegradation
bioventillation