Short Introduction to Ground Water
Remediation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater_remediation
Groundwater remediation is the process that is used to remove pollution from ground water.
Groundwater is water present below the
ground surface that saturates the pore space in the subsurface. At least one
half of the population of the United States depends upon groundwater as a
source of drinking water. Groundwater
is also used by farmers to irrigate crops and by industries to produce everyday
goods. Most groundwater is clean, but groundwater can become polluted, or
contaminated as a result of human activities or as a result of natural
conditions.
The many and diverse
activities of humans produce innumerable waste materials and by-products; was
less stringent and waste materials were often disposed of or stored on land
surfaces where they percolated into the underlying soil and eventually were
carried downward, contaminating the underlying groundwater and therefore
jeopardizing the natural quality of it. As a result, contaminated groundwater
became unsuitable for use.
Current practices can
still impact groundwater, such as the over application of fertilizer or
pesticides, spills from industrial operations, infiltration from urban runoff,
and leaking from landfills. Using contaminated ground water causes hazards to
public health through poisoning or the spread of disease, and the practice of
groundwater remediation has been developed to address these issues.
Contaminants found in ground water cover a broad range of physical, inorganic
chemical, organic chemical, bacteriological, and radioactive parameters.
Pollutants and contaminants can be removed from ground water by applying
various techniques thereby making it safe for use.