Soil contamination occurs when either solid or liquid hazardous substances are spilled or buried in the soil or migrate to the soil from a spill that has occurred elsewhere. Usually, soil contaminants are physically or chemically attached to soil particles, or become trapped in the small spaces between soil particles.
For example, soil can become contaminated when small particles containing hazardous substances are released from a smokestack and are deposited on the surrounding soil as they fall out of the air. Or when water washes contamination from an area containing hazardous substances and deposits contaminants in the soil as it flows over or through it ( see the animation below ).
Soil contamination can hurt:
Animals when they burrow in contaminated soil
Humans when they play in contaminated soil or dig in the soil as part of their work
Plants as they take the contaminants up through their roots and damage their growth
Humans and animals when they ingest, inhale or touch contaminated soil
Humans and animals when they eat plants or animals that have been contaminated
Aqueous Film Forming Foam is a common cause of soil contamination on Defence bases.
