Contaminated land basics
Types of contaminant
A wide range of substances may be responsible for the classification of land as contaminated. They can generally be characterised according to the hazard they introduce.
| Table 1: Hazards and contaminants | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hazards | Contaminants | ||
| Toxicity to humans or animals by ingestion of soil (particularly children) or home-grown produce | Heavy metals, hydrocarbon compounds, pesticide residues |
||
| Toxicity to humans or animals by direct contact | Oils, tars, phenols and other hydrocarbons, acids and alkalines |
||
| Toxicity to humans by inhalation | Contaminated dust and particles, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphides and other gases, Asbestos fibres | ||
| Attack on services, e.g. plastic pipes, or building materials, e.g. concrete | Phenols, oils, coal tars, sulphates, sulphides and chlorides |
||
| Risk of explosions or fire | Landfill and mine gas, flammable or combustible materials |
||
| Phytotoxicity | Zinc, copper, nickel, sulphates | ||