6

Soil Pollutant – Part 2

By: Agil Harnowo Putra S.T.,M.T
Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur
agil.harnowo@gmail.com
Overview 5th Meeting
 Soil Contaminant
 The Effects of Soil Pollution
Soil Contaminant – Lead (Bismut)
 Lead is one of the most
common elements in our
world. It is becoming
increasingly common in the
universe as heavier atoms
decay to lead, and there are
massive lead resources on
Earth – meaning we can
assume there will be no lead
shortage in the foreseeable
future
 Soil is most likely to be
contaminated with lead if
you live next to a very
busy, high traffic road
that has existed for more
than 40 years. Lead in
exhaust from cars when
leaded gasoline was still
in use will have
contaminated the soil
Soil Contaminant - Lead
 Soil is also more likely to be
contaminated if you live in an
older home (50+ years) that is
painted. Lead paint may have
chipped off your home and
landed in the soil directly next
to the house
 Kids and adults are not
exposed to lead just by
touching lead-contaminated
soils. However, they can be
exposed to lead by
breathing in high-lead dust
or eating lead-
contaminated soil.
Soil Contaminant - Lead
 Can plants grown in lead-
contaminated soil hurt you?
 It’s hard to be exposed to
lead by eating vegetables or
fruits. Plants do not take up
lead on purpose, because
lead is not a plant nutrient.
Plants may contain
measurable amounts of lead,
but this isn’t because plants
are actively taking up lead
from soil, but because we’re
able to measure very low
concentrations of lead in
environmental samples
Soil Contaminant - Arsenic
 Arsenic is a metalloid that can occur as a pure crystal, as well
as in various minerals. Inorganic arsenic is extremely toxic,
more so than organic arsenic compounds
 The most common arsenic allotropes (forms in which an
element can exist) are gray, yellow, and black
Soil Contaminant - Arsenic
 In the United States, the highest
levels of natural arsenic are found in
western states. Arsenic is found in
groundwater in all 50 states, mainly
in areas with shallow groundwater
reserves and large amounts of
arsenic in soil and mineral deposits
 Industry, farming and medicine have
all used inorganic arsenic
compounds. Arsenic is no longer
produced in the United States but it
is still imported from other
countries. Until the 1940s, inorganic
arsenic compounds were often used
as agricultural pesticides.
Soil Contaminant - Arsenic
 Now most uses of  How can people be exposed to
arsenic in farming arsenic in soil ?
are banned in the  You may have a higher chance of
United States. The exposure if you live in an area that
use of chromated was once used for farming, tanning
copper arsenic to hides or processing ore. You may
make a wood also have a higher chance of
preservative for exposure if you live near a waste
pressure-treated site containing arsenic
wood has been
greatly reduced
 People living near factories, waste
since 2003 sites or farms where arsenic or
pesticides were once used may be
exposed.
Soil Contaminant - Arsenic
 What factors limit use or exposure to
arsenic in soil ?
 Do not dig in soils with known arsenic
levels. Arsenic that is a few feet under
the surface, or deeper, should not be a
risk if the soil is not disturbed
 Plant a thick lawn or other kind of dense
ground cover. Don’t let children play
where the soil is uncovered, don’t let
them have hand-to-mouth contact with
dirt, and have them wash hands very well
after playing outside and before eating.
Control dust and dirt in your home by
cleaning floors often and using HEPA air
filters
Soil Contaminant - Copper
 Toxic levels of copper (Cu)
rarely occur naturally in soils.
However, copper may
accumulate due to application
of sewage sludge, pig slurries or
mine slag, or more commonly
through persistent use of
copper-containing fungicides or
fertilisers
 Mild symptoms of copper
toxicity have been observed on
sweet potato in northern
Australia on land with a history
of heavy fungicide use.
Soil Contaminant - Copper
 Copper can be found as such in
nature, and it doesn’t need
extraction, which made it
available for extensive use by
humans as early as 8,000 B.C. It
is highly ductile and
conductive, which makes it very
useful for various industries
 Although orange red when
exposed to air, it does oxidize
slowly and turns black or, over
time, green. The most famous
example of such verdigris
coloration of a copper layer is
in the Statue of Liberty
Soil Contaminant - Coper
 Copper is naturally found in all living organisms, and in
many it constitutes part of the blood pigment. In humans
it is commonly found in the liver, bones and muscle
 Otherwise it can be used for roofing, electrical wires,
circuit boards, plumbing, industrial machinery, etc
Soil Contaminant - Cooper
 Although copper is essential to
humans in very small doses,
exposure to excess levels can
be extremely harmful
 Sources of copper toxicity can
be anything from exposed
copper in cookware to
contaminated drinking water or
excessive use of supplement
pills. Copper wiring,
insecticides and other
unprotected products rich in
copper can also represent
contaminants
Soil Contaminant - Cooper
 Toxic levels of copper (Cu) rarely occur naturally in soils.
However, copper may accumulate due to application of sewage
sludge, pig slurries or mine slag, or more commonly through
persistent use of copper-containing fungicides or fertilisers
Soil Contaminant - Zinc
 Zinc is a diamagnetic metal (i.e.
repelled by magnetic materials) of a
white-blue color, that becomes
malleable at temperatures above 100
Celsius degrees. It is a good conductor
of electricity, and is common in various
alloys, including brass, and reacts with
various non-metals
 Zinc was and is still used in plating
because of its anti-corrosive properties.
It is also used in batteries, and its alloys
and compounds are also very common
in contemporary life. Some of the
products that use zinc are batteries,
luminescent paints, fire retardants, etc
Soil Contaminant - Zinc
 Zinc can easily contaminate
the soil and water in areas
where it is naturally present
or mined. When ingested in
excess, whether voluntarily
through supplements or
involuntarily through
exposure to contaminated
soil or water, zinc can cause
various health problems
such as copper deficiency
urinary problems, anosmia
(loss of smell), neurological
problems, and organ
damage
Soil Contaminant - Nickel
 Nickel is useful because of its resistance to
corrosion, and it is a good conductor of
electricity and heat. It is malleable and
reacts very slowly to exposure. It is
ferromagnetic, meaning it reacts strongly to
magnetization
 For a long time, humans were unable to
extract nickel and merely used it
incidentally or sporadically in plating and
various alloys that were attractive because
of their polished finish. Since the mid-19th
century it has been commonly used in coins,
and later acquired various other uses, in
many cases in various alloys such as coins,
stainless steel, wiring, electric guitar strings,
jewelry etc
Soil Contaminant - Nickel
 While nickel can be
naturally found in water
and soil, it is often
encountered in areas
with human pollution. In
small quantities, it is
eliminated through urine
or the intestinal tract;
in larger doses,
however, it is toxic and
may cause serious
health conditions like
contact dermatitis, lung
cancer, neurological
problems
Effect of Soil Polution
 Soil pollution affects plants, animals
and humans alike. While anyone is
susceptible to soil pollution, soil
pollution effects may vary based on
age, general health status and other
factors, such as the type of pollutant
or contaminant inhaled or ingested
 However, children are usually more
susceptible to exposure to
contaminants, because they come in
close contact with the soil by playing
in the ground; combined with lower
thresholds for disease, this triggers
higher risks than for adults
Effect of Soil Polution
Task – Meeting 7
 Group 4 people
 Find study case/journal/news about soil contaminant that
affect environment
 Make paper 10 pages, consist of
 Page 1-5, Story-telling about study case
 Page 6-10, group perspective about the problems that face in
study case and give your opinions
 Attach the file/journal/book/news after the paper
 Deadline ; 4 Oct 2019, send via e-mail
Thank You