Brownfield SitesMrs. Gamari

Physical Science

What is a Brownfield Site? Land that was previously used for

industrial or commercial purposes and is possibly contaminated by hazardous waste or pollution.

The land should be able to be reused once the contaminants are cleaned up!

Example of a Brownfield

Dumelow, 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Soilcontam.JPG

Soil contamination caused by underground storage tanks containing tar. Encountered during remediation works at a disused gasworks.

Where are Brownfields located? Abandoned factories Abandoned commercial buildings Dry-cleaning businesses Gas stations Landfills Transportation stations

(bus/air/railroad)

What types of pollutants contaminate Brownfield sites?

Hydrocarbon spillages

Pesticides

Solvents

Heavy metals such as lead

Tributyltins

asbestos

Why should we fix them up?

Eliminate the environmental and safety hazards they pose

Increase property values

Take advantage of underused land

Bring new jobs and more tax revenue into community

Eliminate “eyesores” or “blight”

From these….

To these…

How do we clean up Brownfield Sites?

Bioremediation

In situ oxidation

Soil vapor extraction

Phytoremediation

Iron-curtain barrier

Where are Brownfields in your Community?