Contaminated land: extent of the problem and management webinar
ECG Bulletin July 2024
Edwards Product Company based at Clevedon celebrates World Environment Day annually with a range of activities, including a webinar supported by the RSC’s Environmental Chemistry Group. For 2024, the theme was “Generation Restoration”. ECG committee member, Dr Pablo Campo-Moreno, from Cranfield University presented this webinar to ~75 Edwards’ employees, across two sessions with around 100 others requesting access to a recording.
Soil and land contamination
Dr Campo-Moreno began by highlighting the importance of soil to the modern world and everyday life, then clarifying the definitions of pollutants, contaminants and contaminated land. This was particularly poignant, as he highlighted the fact that landcontamination is not limited to the surface of the land. Following this, Dr Campo-Moreno identified some of the substances that can contribute to soil pollution and land contamination, including the sources – particularly human activities – of these materials. Unsurprisingly, landfill is a significant source of the widest range of contaminant materials associated with land contamination.
A scale of the number of potentially and definitely contaminated land sites in Europe was presented, with Belgium-Flanders referenced as the most significantly contaminated area, at nearly three times the number of potentially contaminated sites per 1,000 capita compared with UK (the second highest for potentially contaminated land sites), though only slightly more actually contaminated sites per 1,000 capita than the closest nation (Finland).
Dr Campo-Moreno began by highlighting the importance of soil to the modern world and everyday life, then clarifying the definitions of pollutants, contaminants and contaminated land. This was particularly poignant, as he highlighted the fact that landcontamination is not limited to the surface of the land. Following this, Dr Campo-Moreno identified some of the substances that can contribute to soil pollution and land contamination, including the sources – particularly human activities – of these materials. Unsurprisingly, landfill is a significant source of the widest range of contaminant materials associated with land contamination.
A scale of the number of potentially and definitely contaminated land sites in Europe was presented, with Belgium-Flanders referenced as the most significantly contaminated area, at nearly three times the number of potentially contaminated sites per 1,000 capita compared with UK (the second highest for potentially contaminated land sites), though only slightly more actually contaminated sites per 1,000 capita than the closest nation (Finland).
Contaminated land management
There was an explanation of the evolution of contaminated land management techniques and thought processes from discarding wastes in 1960, through application of intensive treatments in around 1990, to the present approach of applying the most sustainable methods available and researching and development of newer and better sustainable methods in recent years. A brief nod was also given to the primary drivers of contaminated land management policy and the gap that currently exists.
Dr Campo-Moreno clarified the distinction between hazards and the risks that they present. This is key to understanding the selection of approach used for management of contaminated land, which involves identifying the hazards present and the risks associated with addressing them or not. From this, he moved on to the further analysis and decisions that may be carried out based on the assessment and the approaches that can be used.
A case study was presented around a leaking underground fuel tank causing contamination of the land where it is buried. This discussed the impacts of the contamination that need to be considered beyond the soil itself (e.g. plant uptake, vaporisation to air).
There was an explanation of the evolution of contaminated land management techniques and thought processes from discarding wastes in 1960, through application of intensive treatments in around 1990, to the present approach of applying the most sustainable methods available and researching and development of newer and better sustainable methods in recent years. A brief nod was also given to the primary drivers of contaminated land management policy and the gap that currently exists.
Dr Campo-Moreno clarified the distinction between hazards and the risks that they present. This is key to understanding the selection of approach used for management of contaminated land, which involves identifying the hazards present and the risks associated with addressing them or not. From this, he moved on to the further analysis and decisions that may be carried out based on the assessment and the approaches that can be used.
A case study was presented around a leaking underground fuel tank causing contamination of the land where it is buried. This discussed the impacts of the contamination that need to be considered beyond the soil itself (e.g. plant uptake, vaporisation to air).
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Sustainability and innovation
Dr Campo-Moreno’s talk led to how to ensure that contaminated land management is as sustainable as possible, the SuRF-UK framework[1] and its principles for achieving this sustainable practice. He highlighted, as well, that sustainability applies to social and economic impacts, as well as the environmental aspects of any practices adopted and the indicators of these different areas. Critical to sustainable management of contaminated land is ensuring that the treatment minimises the risk of spreading or evolving the contamination. This is achieved through analysis of as much data as is available regarding the land to be managed and the certainty or uncertainty of the conditions of the contamination. An appropriate standard method and monitoring can then be applied to the management of the land in question. Innovation of new methods for soil remediation and contaminated land management were touched upon, as follows: • Costs – capital and maintenance. • Time associated with remediation. • Permanent destruction of the contaminants. • Neighbourhood concerns • Logistical considerations |
Figure 1. The triple bottom line of sustainable
development.
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Sustainable practices consider all of these impacts and fall within the definition of sustainable development presented by the Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development 1987, the Brundtland report “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”. This was reinforced by the Venn diagram shown in Figure 1. Therefore, sustainable remediation needs to apply these principles the decisions being made.
Dr Campo-Moreno highlighted that this is not so simple as it may seem, as soil and water remediation also use resources, and there is the potential to do more harm than good. Therefore, the benefits need to be weighed against the downsides of available methods and, perhaps the process of remediation itself. This is addressed through the SuRF-UK Framework, which Dr Campo-Moreno outlined as stating that sustainable remediation should “Optimise risk-management based on consideration of social, environmental and economic factors, but always ensure:
1. Protection of human health and the wider environment.
2. Safe working practices.
3. Consistent, clear and reproducible evidence-based decision-making.
4. Record keeping and transparent reporting.
5. Good governance and stakeholder involvement.
6. Sound science.
Dr Campo-Moreno concluded by informing the audience that further guidance could be found from the Sustainable Remediation Forum UK (SuRF-UK) website, or by reaching out to the Environmental Chemistry Group for advice on how to care for and improve the quality of soil at home for individuals.
Dr Campo-Moreno highlighted that this is not so simple as it may seem, as soil and water remediation also use resources, and there is the potential to do more harm than good. Therefore, the benefits need to be weighed against the downsides of available methods and, perhaps the process of remediation itself. This is addressed through the SuRF-UK Framework, which Dr Campo-Moreno outlined as stating that sustainable remediation should “Optimise risk-management based on consideration of social, environmental and economic factors, but always ensure:
1. Protection of human health and the wider environment.
2. Safe working practices.
3. Consistent, clear and reproducible evidence-based decision-making.
4. Record keeping and transparent reporting.
5. Good governance and stakeholder involvement.
6. Sound science.
Dr Campo-Moreno concluded by informing the audience that further guidance could be found from the Sustainable Remediation Forum UK (SuRF-UK) website, or by reaching out to the Environmental Chemistry Group for advice on how to care for and improve the quality of soil at home for individuals.
Evolution of contaminated land management as related to increasing awareness for sustainability (Adapted from [2]).
Acknowledgments
Dr Pablo Campo-Moreno is a current member of the Environmental Chemistry Group Committee and a Senior Lecturer in Applied Chemistry at Cranfield University, specifically, the Cranfield Water Institute. His research includes soil and water quality and remediation. This talk was provided to Edwards Ltd as a general outreach activity, was well received and greatly appreciated.
References
1. CL:AIRE, A Framework for Assessing the Sustainability of Soil and Groundwater Remediation, 2020, ISBN 978-1-905046-19-5.
2. J. W. N. Smith, Remediation, 2019, 29, 7. https://doi.org/10.1002/rem.21587.
Dr Pablo Campo-Moreno is a current member of the Environmental Chemistry Group Committee and a Senior Lecturer in Applied Chemistry at Cranfield University, specifically, the Cranfield Water Institute. His research includes soil and water quality and remediation. This talk was provided to Edwards Ltd as a general outreach activity, was well received and greatly appreciated.
References
1. CL:AIRE, A Framework for Assessing the Sustainability of Soil and Groundwater Remediation, 2020, ISBN 978-1-905046-19-5.
2. J. W. N. Smith, Remediation, 2019, 29, 7. https://doi.org/10.1002/rem.21587.
