Soil Contamination BTSOC
Hand in Assignment H1
Introduction to soil contamination
(Answers to be printed and handed over at the first course session (1B))
Part I - Conceptual questions:
1. What is meant by “diffuse contamination” and “point source contamination”? Give some
examples of each type. (You may want to refer to course supplementary reading: Van der
Perk (2006) p6-7).
2. Open the latest EEA assessment on progress in management of contaminated sites in EU
http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/progress-in-management-ofcontaminated-sites/progress-in-management-of-contaminated-1
and browse through it.
Also check out the report Science for Environment Policy – Soil Contamination: Impact on
Human health. Sept 2013:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/IR5.pdf
A) Which are the two most frequently occurring contaminants in European soils according
to the EU (2013) report?
B) What is the dominant industrial and commercial activity that has caused soil
contamination in Belgium?
C) Which country in EU are using relatively most money for clean-up of contaminated sites
(in % of GDP) – and how much is this?
D) Which are the four routes of chemicals from soil pollution to human intake?
E) For a chemical in the soil environment what is the meaning of the terms “bio-accessible
fraction” and “bioavailability”?
Part II
On your own or in groups or 2 – 3 persons: Find information on a major soil contamination case
from your country – use e.g. sources from the web (remember to state your references). Plan a short
presentation (7 – 10 min) of key data about it:
 When was the contamination discovered?
 Which activities led to the contamination?
 Which are the most problematic substances involved?
 Which effects does the contamination have?
Pm/D:\687322542.doc
Page 1