Contaminated land poses a number of safety issues ranging from impact on human and animal health, infection of soil, plants and fauna, and pollution of surface water or groundwater.
These sites of former industrial activity such as steelworks, refineries, mines or factories leaving residues of heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium; or mines and landfill sites producing methane gas; or special sites blighted with asbestos, radioactive substances or explosives.
These site pose dangers to workers, contractors and the general public from exposure to carcinogen and mutagenic elements through breathing or skin contact; from the ingestion of plants or vegetation ; damage to aquatic stock through soil contamination leaching into water courses, as well as other risks from corrosive, explosive or flammable waste; or asphyxiation from gases.
These zones need to be clearly marked to deter entry, and to warn of the hazards and dangers from entry into designated contaminated land sites.
