28 research outputs found
Comparison of planted soil infiltration systems for treatment of log yard runoff
Treatment of log yard runoff is required to avoid
contamination of receiving watercourses. The research aim was to assess
if infiltration of log yard runoff through planted soil systems is successful
and if different plant species affect the treatment performance at a fieldscale
experimental site in Sweden (2005 to 2007). Contaminated runoff
from the log yard of a sawmill was infiltrated through soil planted with
Alnus glutinosa (L.) Ga¨rtner (common alder), Salix schwerinii3viminalis
(willow variety ‘‘Gudrun’’), Lolium perenne (L.) (rye grass), and Phalaris
arundinacea (L.) (reed canary grass). The study concluded that there were
no treatment differences when comparing the four different plants with
each other, and there also were no differences between the tree and the
grass species. Furthermore, the infiltration treatment was effective in
reducing total organic carbon (55%) and total phosphorus (45%)
concentrations in the runoff, even when the loads on the infiltration
system increased from year to year
Contamination
Soil contamination occurs when substances are added to soil, resulting in increases in concentrations
above background or reference levels. Pollution may follow from contamination when contaminants
are present in amounts that are detrimental to soil quality and become harmful to the environment or
human health. Contamination can occur via a range of pathways including direct application to land and
indirect application from atmospheric deposition.
Contamination was identified by SEPA (2001) as a significant threat to soil quality in many parts of
Scotland. Towers et al. (2006) identified four principal contamination threats to Scottish soils: acidification;
eutrophication; metals; and pesticides. The Scottish Soil Framework (Scottish Government, 2009) set out
the potential impact of these threats on the principal soil functions.
Severe contamination can lead to “contaminated land” [as defined under Part IIA of the Environmental
Protection Act (1990)]. This report does not consider the state and impacts of contaminated land on
the wider environment in detail. For further information on contaminated land, see ‘Dealing with Land
Contamination in Scotland’ (SEPA, 2009).
This chapter considers the causes of soil contamination and their environmental and socio-economic
impacts before going on to discuss the status of, and trends in, levels of contaminants in Scotland’s soils