Aerospace and the impact on soil

The aerospace industry can have a detrimental impact on soil as well as the entire atmosphere. Fuel dumping by aircrafts releases unburned fuel into the air. This is not a common occurrence and usually only occurs during emergencies. If an emergency is declared, the aircraft is expected to dump fuel over water if possible, and at a height where the fuel is likely to evaporate before reaching the surface. It can be difficult to minimise the air pollution impact from aircraft, although it is possible to ensure more efficient operations.

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Soil contamination following Alaska rocket launches

During test rocket launches in Alaska in 2018, two rockets crash-landed and the remainder of the fuel on board soaked into the area where they were launched. This led to the contamination of over 230 tonnes of soil.

With the aerospace industry rising rapidly and more rocket launches taking place, this kind of failed exercise demonstrates a problem that will have to be solved. That is, how to clean up pollution left behind in these situations.

Professionals can treat the soil using high temperatures which can burn off the fuel. However, this process cannot revive the soil. Living creatures are always killed and such contamination changes the structure of the soil.

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A soil remediation service can effectively remove pollutants

Healthy soil has the ability to encourage vegetation to grow. Soil remediation is also referred to as soil washing, and is carried out to decontaminate soil. There are many companies offering a soil remediation service which will deal with the removal of pollutants. A soil remediation service will carry out a professional job using skilled personnel.

It’s not only land that the aviation industry has a negative impact upon. Climate change too has been on everyone’s lips over the past year. Climate activists have focused their efforts on encouraging travellers to boycott air travel. According to Phys Org, the airline sector says it is ‘hellbent’ on reducing emissions, but the required technology to reduce its carbon footprint is still out of reach.

There is also another process called phytoremediation. This is a process that uses plants to remove or destroy pollutants in the soil and groundwater. Some rocket launches leave evidence of heavy metals such as iron and manganese. Some plants used in the phytoremediation process can effectively absorb these heavy metals.

 

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