Assessment of Contaminant Fluxes Through the Soil Surface

Abstract

Most contaminants enter the soil through its surface, from the air, for example in rain and snow, or by direct application, e.g. in fertilizers, sewage sludge, etc. Some may also rise into the soil from below, for example from polluted ground water, from buried waste, or from leaking installations. Further, there are naturally occuring toxins, such as heavy metals released by weathering and some organic compounds produced microbially, and these too contribute to the burdens in the soil.