BLOG NEIGHBORHOOD CONTACT ORION ENVIRONMENTAL INC. A CERTIFIED CALIFORNIA SBE COMPANY ABOUT CONTAMINANTS INDUSTRY SERVICES PROJECTS INDUSTRY continuity / consistency / correction / complexity Home / Industry Soil and groundwater can become contaminated from natural sources or numerous types of human activities. Residential, municipal, commercial, industrial, and agricultural activities can all affect the environment. Contaminants may reach soil and groundwater from activities such as: Sources on the land surface, such as releases or spills from stored industrial wastes Sources below the land surface but above the water table, such as septic systems or leaking underground petroleum storage systems Sources beneath the water table, such as injection wells. Some substances found naturally in rocks or soils, such as iron, manganese, arsenic, chlorides, fluorides, sulfates, or radionuclides, can become dissolved in groundwater. Some substances may pose a health threat if consumed in excessive quantities; others may produce an undesirable odor, taste, or color. Click to see projects we have completed in the following industry types» Agriculture Airport / Port Auto Repair Clarifier Dry Cleaner Industrial Facility Landfill Oil Field Pipeline Service Station Tank Farm FEATURED PROJECT > Commercial Vineyards NAPA AND SONOMA VALLEYS AND CENTRAL COAST, CALIFORNIA SEE ALL PROJECTS Agriculture Many types of activities occur on agricultural properties. The most obvious chemicals of concern from agricultural land use are pesticides, which include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodent poisons and some other kinds of poisons. Because there are thousands of potential pesticides, there is no single test for pesticides in soil or groundwater. The site history must be investigated to find out what types of pesticides may have been used. Pesticides can enter the environment in multiple ways such as: Pesticides applied to plants can seep into soil during rainfall and migrate into an underlying aquifer Runoff from rain falling on an area treated by pesticides can carry the pesticide so surface water sources (ditches, creeks, ponds, etc.) Pesticides may have been applied directly to lakes or wetlands for control of aquatic weeks, insects, or fish. Pesticides can move into air (either by volatilizing or with wind-blown dust) and migrate to surface waters Unused pesticides can be illegally dumped down a drain. Pesticide mixing areas are often “hot spots” of contamination. Fact sheets providing more information about specific pesticide chemicals and their uses are available from the National Pesticide Information Center at: http://npic.orst.edu/npicfact.htm ORION ENVIRONMENTAL INC. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS Creating a safer world for our families and community soil & groundwater investigation, remediation, treatment system design, o&m, project management – long beach, newbury park, and berkeley, california; denver, colorado © 2021 ORION ENVIRONMENTAL, INC. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Long Beach 2955 Redondo Avenue Long Beach, California 90806 T: (562) 988-2755 | F: (562) 988-2759 Newbury Park 3481 Old Conejo Road, Suite 102 Newbury Park, California 91320 T: (562) 988-2755 | F: (562) 988-2759 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Berkeley – dba Arctos Environmental 2332 5th Street, Suite B Berkeley, California 94710 T: (510) 525-2180 | F: (510) 525-2392 COLORADO Denver P.O. Box 270245 Littleton, Colorado 80127 T: (562) 988-2755 | F: (562) 988-2759 FOLLOW: Orion Instagram Orion Linkedin ORION IS A CERTIFIED CALIFORNIA SBE COMPANY