The natural soil environment can become contaminated by agricultural chemicals, improper disposal of waste, mining, fertilization application, oil and fuel dumping, ruptured underground storage tanks or leaching waste from landfills. Soil can be polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, lead and other heavy metals.
Environmental remediation refers to reducing radiation exposure from groundwater, surface water or contaminated soil. This type of remediation does more than eliminate radiation sources — it protects people and the environment from the harmful effects of exposure to radiation. Environmental remediation is divided into the following two categories.
In 2018, 750 metric tons of asbestos were imported into the U.S. More than 50 countries have banned the use of asbestos in any form, including the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. In the U.S., however, asbestos is still legal in certain use cases — despite well-known health dangers.
Without giving it much thought, you’d likely assume that constructing a building takes much more planning and effort than demolishing a building. You’d be surprised, however, to learn about the engineering expertise required to safely and effectively demolish a building. Below are four methods of demolishing buildings a few stories tall and massive skyscrapers. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Disposing of construction waste is an essential part of demolishing a building and making room for the construction of a new building. Some of the waste is considered hazardous, or materials that pose known risks to human health and the environment. The process of identifying, removing, handling and disposing of suspected hazardous materials is managed by specialty contractors familiar with waste disposal regulations.
Over many millennia, in response to changes in human lifestyles, architecture and interior design have undergone many evolutions in aesthetics, composition, structure and function. Depending on the geographic location, culture and the specific time period, homes and buildings varied — and continue to vary — widely. Despite these many differences that still exist today, one type of design, biophilic design, is being embraced around the world.
According to a fact sheet by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “In 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated that the construction industry consumed 60 percent of the materials flow in the U.S. economy (excluding food and fuel).”
More than 40 years after the 1978 ban on the use of lead-based paint in housing, millions of American children are being exposed to lead on a regular basis. “An estimated 15.2 million children in the U.S. go to schools in school districts that [have] lead-based paint,” reports The Conversation. This exposure to lead is occuring about 7 hours per day and five days per week.
For any owner or operator of a facility, hazardous subsurface leaks pose a major threat to the construction site. Even minor leaks can cause serious health consequences to workers or anyone who comes in contact with the construction site.
When you have hazardous materials in a house, commercial structure or even in soil or groundwater, you are facing a safety risk. Pollutants like lead, asbestos and mold can be hazardous to anyone who comes onto the property. These hazards must be dealt with, and they must be dealt with correctly.