Introduction to Part I: Soil and Sediment Contaminants, Risk Assessment, and Remediation

Abstract

Contaminants in soil and sediment are posing a threat to the environment. As the contaminants can change the health of any system over time, periodic revisit on the topic of soil and sediment contamination is necessary. Mostly the soil and sediment contaminants are external in origin; therefore, the ill effects of this are linked to the mismanagement of natural resources by human beings. Faulty agricultural practices induce accelerated soil erosion and nonpoint sources of contamination. Point sources of contamination are mainly linked to waste and garbage disposal, leakage, and indiscriminate use of natural resources. The risk arising from the contamination of soil and sediments needs to be assessed, and remediation of the risk needs to be explored. The risk assessment and remediation is not an easy task and becomes more complicated when we talk about soil and land resources as these resources are considered personal property. The first section of this book highlights different issues related to soil and sediment contaminants, how one can assess different geogenic and anthropogenic contaminants, and how the risk of contamination can be remediated.