Land contamination

Indicator description

Land is contaminated when the level of a hazardous substance is greater than which would naturally occur at the same site. Hazardous substances potentially pose an immediate or long-term risk to the health of humans or the environment . They can be wastes from manufacturing processes, hydrocarbon (fuel) storage and some research procedures, or the residue from of past landuses such as mining, landfill or agriculture.

The location and extent of an area contaminated by identified contaminants is of concern to State of the Environment reporting because it is an indicator of the threat by land contamination to soil and aquatic organisms, vertebrates that might be feeding on contaminated organisms, and ultimately on human health.