Costanza Calzolari; Fabrizio Ungaro; Marina Guermandi; Giovanni Aramini; Caterina Colloca; Anna Maria Corea; Raffaele Paone; Vincenzo Tamburino; Santo Marcello Zimbone; Serafina Andiloro, 2009, Land Evaluation for Protecting Soil from Contamination, Manual of Methods for Soil and Land Evaluation, edited by Edoardo A.C. Costantini, pp. 47–78. Enfield, New Hamshire_ Science Publishers, 2009,
URL: http://www.cnr.it/prodotto/i/137623

One of the primary functions of soil is that of buffering, filtration and transformation of many substances including pollutants. This function is of primary importance when dealing with land evaluation for protecting soil from contamination. Soil protective capacity, or soil attenuation capacity, is the potential of soil to filter polluting agents and to mitigate harmful effects without compromising its functionality. This quality is complex and delicate and can undergo substantial modification even over a brief period. In order for it to be assessed, soil "vulnerability" must be taken into consideration. Soil vulnerability is the "capability for the soil system to be harmed in one or more of its ecological functions" (Batjes and Bridges, 1993). These functions include_ (1) biomass production; (2) the already mentioned function of filter, buffer, storage and transformation; and (3) biological habitat and gene pool. Therefore, static and dynamic properties of soil that control the movement of pollutants also condition its vulnerability. Soil vulnerability is a more complex concept than water vulnerability, which is normally defined as the potential pollution water bodies may undergo and is often measured in terms of current pollution. Water vulnerability is linked to the protective capacity of the soils at the interface between the hydrogeological reference system and the atmosphere. The concept of water vulnerability even takes on a regulatory sense, inasmuch as European Directive 91/ 676/CEE, better known as the "Nitrates Directive", requires Member States to define as vulnerable zones the areas of land of their territory draining to water polluted by nitrates from agricultural sources. To this aim, in addition to water monitoring data, adequate knowledge/ information on areas vulnerable to the risk of contamination and pressures from agriculture are essential elements for supporting the designation process. In order to apply environmental regulations, another concept has also been used over time, that of suitability for application of biowaste of various origins (e.g., sewage sludge, slurries). In this case, maximum loads must be evaluated, together with the ways in which organic material is applied, thus increasing the amount of organic matter in the soil and supplying nutritional elements, without, however, causing problems by polluting the soil itself or the waters.

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