Soil Basics
Soil originates from the breakdown of what parent material?
Rock
Question: What is the term for how acidic or basic soil is?
pH
Lead and mercury are what kind of contaminants?
Metals
Breathing in dust is what type of exposure?
Inhalation
What is the most common way to clean up soil?
Dig and dump
Name one factor that helps form soil
Parent material, climate, organisms, topography, or time
What is organic matter made from?
Dead plants and animals
Gasoline, pesticides, and plastics are what kind of contaminants?
Organics
Name one way contaminants can get into your body.
Breathing, skin contact, or swallowing
What cleanup uses plants?
Phytoremediation
What do we call the process of rocks breaking down into smaller particles?
Erosion, weathering
What soil part helps hold water and feed microbes?
Organic Matter
What do we call smaller polluted properties in cities that aren’t used much?
Brownfields
Which heavy metal once used in paint and gasoline can harm people if dust is inhaled or swallowed?
Lead
What cleanup uses fungi?
Mycoremediation
What problem happens when soil gets too compacted?
Water can't soak in, less plant growth
Which three particle types make up soil texture?
Sand, silt, and clay
What is the government program that cleans up big hazardous waste sites?
Superfund
Asbestos usually harms people through what?
Breathing it in
What cleanup uses bacteria and microbes?
Microbial remediation
What tiny living things help recycle nutrients in soil?
Microbes
What soil community breaks down dead stuff and cleans soil?
Microbes
What’s the term for how contaminants move around in soil or water?
Fate and transport
What safety item helps protect you during cleanup?
Protective gear (PPE)
What do we call cleanup that happens directly at the site, without moving the soil?
In situ remediation