Heavy metal or hard rock — both sound good to us! What do you think of heavy metal and hard rock? We’re not talking music, but rather the two most problematic components of soil contamination. Whatever your musical tastes, in this case it’s unlikely you’re a fan. But as Diarmaid Connaire, Business Development Manager from waste management specialist CDEnviro, explains, his company doesn’t have a problem with either.
C
leaning up, investing in
Land is now considered contaminated
and re-using contaminated
when substances it contains could cause
brownfield sites — of which
‘significant harm to people or protected
there are an estimated
species’ or ‘significant pollution of surface
80,000 to 100,000 in Aus-
waters or groundwater’. This contamination
tralia — protects human
is a particular problem when trying to bring
health and the environment. It also improves
brownfield sites back into use. Decontami-
the appearance of the area and reduces
nation is therefore an important economic
pressure to develop unspoiled green spaces.
factor as well as an environmental one.
With benefits such as the reduction in fuel an urban area to a brownfield site rather
Emerging solutions for effective land remediation
than to a greenfield site further afield, and
The contamination includes heavy metals,
economic benefits including rising property
such as cadmium, lead, chromium, copper
prices nearby, you have a compelling argu-
and zinc — either on the soil or at elevated
ment for redevelopment.
levels within it — which can result in prob-
consumption resulting from travelling within
However, from the first industrial revolution in Europe until as recently as the 1980s,
20 Sustainability Matters - Jun/Jul 2017
lems with processing and therefore high disposal costs of waste materials.
chemicals used in industrial processes have
In addition to this man-made issue —
led to widespread soil pollution. This is the
heavy metals are naturally present in soil,
result of spillages, mismanaged industrial
but rarely in more than trace amounts —
sites and unforeseen consequences of using
remediating land is also complicated by
materials previously thought to be harmless.
hard rock which can be large, abrasive and
Often chemicals were simply poured down
difficult to process.
drains or onto land, where they leeched into
Neither of these issues are new, and
the soil and groundwater, resulting in long-
there are solutions available, but it is unusual
term damage and leaving a toxic legacy.
for heavy metals and hard rock to exist in
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