Chronic pollution of soil
There are various causes of high levels of soil pollution:
- The closure or cessation of industrial activities can result in heavily polluted land being left as a brownfield site or abandoned.
- Incorrect use or release of toxic substances or chemicals, such as pesticides, insecticides or fertilizers.
Depending on the type of pollution (e.g. chemicals or heavy metals), it may spread through the soil or water via runoff, or stay confined to a specific area, such as farmland or a factory. These high levels of pollution can persist for centuries, even millennia.
Risks and causes
Causes
Consequences
What can you do?
BEFORE
- Make sure you sort and dispose of your waste properly. Recycling and reusing waste is important to reduce soil pollution.
- Do not dispose of chemicals or other hazardous waste in the environment.
- Choose products that contain fewer harmful chemicals, such as organic pesticides and cleaning products.
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DURING
- If you identify or suspect soil pollution, report it to your local environmental service or to the local police.
- Have a soil survey carried out by a certified soil remediation expert, to ascertain the nature and extent of the pollution.
- Follow the recommendations of the soil remediation expert.
In the event of an unforeseen event that results in soil pollution:
- Contact the environment service of your municipality;
- Is the source of the pollution a leak or something else? Repair it as soon as possible to avoid further pollution.
- Is the pollution superficial? Use absorbent granules, sawdust or other absorbent material to contain and absorb the pollution.
- Contact a certified soil remediation expert.
- Contact your insurance broker.
- Further information via the OVAM (Flanders Public Waste Company)
AFTER
- No specific recommendations.
Impact and probability
The figures relating to probability and impact describe chronic soil pollution of extreme magnitude. The BNRA theoretically describes such a scenario as follows:
- It is an extreme situation of widespread and often recurring pollution in a densely populated or urban area.
- It may involve a large town or several villages, with many buildings and infrastructures.
- Toxicity in these areas is extremely high, well above the norms set by Belgium and the European Union. This represents a serious risk to human health.
How should you interpret these results?
Within the BNRA, experts assessed three scenarios for each risk: considerable, major or extreme. On each page, you will find the results of the scenario with the highest score based on the combination of likelihood and impact. This does not mean that this scenario will occur or is the most likely. Read more here about how to correctly interpret the results.
Probability
Very weak
Human impact
Weak
Societal impact
Weak
Societal impact
Weak
Financial impact
Moderate
What do the authorities do?
Soil quality monitoring is the responsibility of: