Soil contamination in the context of "South-Western Europe"

Environmental impact of mining can occur at local, regional, and global scales through direct and indirect mining practices. Mining can cause erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water by chemicals emitted from mining processes. These processes also affect the atmosphere through carbon emissions which contributes to climate change.

Some mining methods (lithium mining, phosphate mining, coal mining, mountaintop removal mining, and sand mining) may have such significant environmental and public health effects that mining companies in some countries are required to follow strict environmental and rehabilitation codes to ensure that the mined area returns to its original state. Mining can provide various advantages to societies, yet it can also spark conflicts, particularly regarding land use both above and below the surface.

Soil conservation is the prevention of loss of the topmost layer of the soil from erosion or prevention of reduced fertility caused by over usage, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil contamination.

Slash-and-burn and other unsustainable methods of subsistence farming are practiced in some lesser developed areas. A consequence of deforestation is typically large-scale erosion, loss of soil nutrients and sometimes total desertification. Techniques for improved soil conservation include crop rotation, cover crops, conservation tillage and planted windbreaks, affect both erosion and fertility. When plants die, they decay and become part of the soil. Code 330 defines standard methods recommended by the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Farmers have practiced soil conservation for millennia. In Europe, policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy are targeting the application of best management practices such as reduced tillage, winter cover crops, plant residues and grass margins in order to better address soil conservation. Political and economic action is further required to solve the erosion problem. A simple governance hurdle concerns how we value the land and this can be changed by cultural adaptation. Soil carbon is a carbon sink, playing a role in climate change mitigation.

Brownfield is previously developed land that has been abandoned or left underused, and which may carry pollution or a risk of pollution from previous industrial use. The definition varies and is decided by policy makers and land developers within different countries. The main difference in definitions of whether a piece of land is considered a brownfield or not depends on the presence or absence of pollution. Overall, brownfield land is a site previously developed for industrial or commercial purposes and thus requires further development before reuse.

Examples of post industrial brownfield sites include abandoned factories, ash ponds, landfills, dry cleaning establishments, and gas stations. Typical contaminants include hydrocarbon spillages, solvents and pesticides, asbestos, and heavy metals like lead.

Toxic waste is any unwanted material in all forms that can cause harm (e.g. by being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin). Mostly generated by industry, consumer products like televisions, computers, and phones contain toxic chemicals that can pollute the air and contaminate soil and water. Disposing of such waste is a major public health issue. Increased rates of cancer in humans and animals are linked to exposure to toxic chemicals. Toxic waste disposal is often seen as an environmental justice problem, as toxic waste is disproportionately dumped in or near marginalized communities.

Diseases caused by pollution, lead to the chronic illness and deaths of about 8.4 million people each year. However, pollution receives a fraction of the interest from the global community. This is in part because pollution causes so many diseases that it is often difficult to draw a straight line between cause and effect.

There are many types of pollution-related diseases, including those caused by air pollution, contaminated soil, water pollution and lacking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Air pollution can be reduced.

GIS in environmental contamination is the use of GIS software to map and analyze contaminants on Earth, including soil contamination, water pollution, and air pollution. Various GIS methods are used to conduct spatial analysis of pollutants to, identify, monitor, and assess them. GIS can use other technologies to advance their process of analysis, including remote sensing, LIDAR, GeoAI, and WebGIS. One method includes spatial interpolation, which allows for a more efficient approach to remediation and monitoring of soil and water contaminants. Contamination by metals and other contaminants has become a significant environmental problem after industrialization across many parts of the world. As a result, environmental agencies are placed in charge of remediating, monitoring, and mitigating the soil contamination sites. GIS is used to monitor sites for metal contaminants on Earth to identify high-risk sites where remediation and monitoring are needed.