Authors: Bruno Yaron Ishai Dror Brian Berkowitz
Publish Date: 2009/07/30
Volume: 97, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-17
Abstract
To date the field of contaminant geochemistry—which deals with the study of chemical interactions in soil and aquifer environments—has focused mainly on pollutant toxicity retention persistence and transport and/or on remediation of contaminated sites Alteration of subsurface physicochemical properties by anthropogenic chemicals which reach the land surface as a result of human activity has been essentially neglected Contaminantinduced changes in subsurface properties are usually considered as deviations from a normal geological environment which will disappear under natural attenuation or following remediation procedures However contaminants may in many cases cause irreversible changes in both structure and properties of the soil–subsurface geosystem between the land surface and groundwater The time scales associated with these changes are on a “human time scale” far shorter than geological scales relevant for geochemical processes In this review we draw attention to a new perspective of contaminant geochemistry namely irreversible changes in the subsurface as a result of anthropogenic chemical pollution We begin by briefly reviewing processes governing contaminant–subsurface interactions We then survey how chemical contamination causes irreversible changes in subsurface structure and properties The magnitude of the anthropogenic impact on the soil and subsurface is linked directly to the amounts of chemical contaminants applied and/or disposed of on the land surface This particular aspect is of major importance when examining the effects of humans on global environmental changes Consideration of these phenomena opens new perspectives for the field of contaminant geochemistry and for research of human impacts on the soil and subsurface regimes
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