The ''Ten Measures for Soil Pollution Prevention and Control'' Have Benefited a Wide Range of Industries, Boosting the Environmental Monitoring Sector

On May 28, 2016, the State Council issued the "Action Plan for Soil Pollution Prevention and Control," also known as the "Ten Measures for Soil." The release of this plan can be considered a milestone event in the soil remediation cause. In fact, nearly a year after its implementation, the "Ten Measures for Soil" has not only boosted the soil remediation industry but also the following unexpected sectors:

Soil Testing

Environmental governance begins with monitoring. Soil remediation is no exception; the rise of the soil remediation market has simultaneously driven the soil testing industry. The soil testing market has become incredibly popular due to the first item of the "Ten Measures," "conducting soil pollution investigations to understand the status of soil environmental quality." Furthermore, the "Ten Measures for Soil" clearly stipulates that, starting in 2017, for land used by enterprises in industries such as non-ferrous metal smelting, petroleum processing, chemical, coking, electroplating, and leather tanning whose land use rights are to be reclaimed, as well as for land used by these enterprises whose use is to be changed to residential, commercial, school, medical, or elderly care facilities, the land user is responsible for conducting a soil environmental status investigation and assessment; for land already reclaimed, the local municipal or county-level people's government is responsible for conducting the investigation and assessment. This means that many factory and enterprise sites slated for conversion to residential, commercial, or educational use will require real estate developers to conduct soil surveys. This has led many testing companies to expand their laboratories, hire new lab technicians, and even establish dedicated soil divisions.

Solid Waste Treatment Industry

The "Ten Measures for Soil Pollution Prevention and Control" explicitly emphasizes strengthening the treatment, disposal, and comprehensive utilization of industrial waste. This is a significant boon for the waste-to-energy incineration industry and the recycling of renewable resources. my country generates tens of billions of tons of industrial solid waste annually. Previously, landfilling was the primary method of disposal, but this was only temporary. It is understood that all landfills currently completed in my country exhibit varying degrees of damage to their impermeable layers. In some landfill areas, large amounts of leachate have seeped into the underground soil environment, causing serious soil pollution. Landfilling of garbage, solid waste, and hazardous waste not only occupies vast amounts of land resources but also causes soil pollution. This will lead to a shift in solid waste disposal methods from landfilling to incineration or comprehensive utilization.

Water Treatment Industry

Untreated wastewater used for irrigation directly introduces pollutants into the soil, or wastewater discharged into water bodies indiscriminately seeps into the soil, indirectly causing soil pollution. Therefore, to prevent soil pollution, wastewater must be discharged in compliance with standards. Furthermore, soil pollution inevitably contaminates groundwater; thus, groundwater remediation must be carried out concurrently with soil remediation. Otherwise, even if soil remediation is completed, untreated groundwater will allow pollutants to seep back into the soil.

Gas Treatment

Aerosols such as sulfur dioxide and fluorides, as well as particulate matter like dust and soot, especially heavy metal dust such as lead, chromium, copper, and cadmium, can pollute soil through sedimentation or rainwater runoff. Therefore, air pollution control is essential for preventing soil pollution.

The "Ten Measures for Soil Pollution Prevention" not only involves soil but also water, air, and solid waste management. These are all part of the ecosystem, and they are interconnected and mutually influential. Water pollution, air pollution, and solid waste pollution can all lead to soil pollution. Therefore, to remediate and prevent soil pollution, it is crucial to address water, air, and solid waste management effectively through a multi-pronged approach.