Soil Characteristics

• Before applying a specific soil treatment methodology, technicians must consider soil porousness, moisture content, oxygen, compaction and the overall temperature, since these factors can influence both the contaminants and the chemicals used to treat the soil.
  
  

Microbial Agents

• Some soil treatment methods rely on microbial agents. Various organisms are unaffected by the pollutants and can consume or break down the pollutants, returning these materials to the ecosystem. The microbes can remain in the soil, multiplying. However, these organisms might not necessarily remain at the site of the soil pollution, so technicians might need to add more.
  
  

Phytoremediation

• Plants can play a role in removing contaminants from the soil in a process known as phytoremediation. Some species of plants are able to take up the pollutants through their roots without damage to the plants. These plants either convert the pollutants into forms that they can use, or disperse the pollutants into the air through transpiration. If the pollutants are particularly dangerous, technicians can move the plants to a location where the plants and pollutants can be disposed of safely.
  
  

Dilution

• Many pollutants are dangerous only in high concentrations, such as with plant nutrients. Sometimes, soil pollution results from heavy metals sinking deeper into the soil, where they reach concentration levels that are higher than the safe levels. Therefore, technicians mix the soil to dilute the soil pollutant concentrations. However, technicians and farmers might need to repeat this process periodically to keep the contaminants diluted.
  
  

Chemical Remediation

• Chemical remediation techniques either dilute the harmful chemicals so that they are no longer harmful or convert the pollutants into forms that plants cannot take up through their roots. This method of soil treatment helps gardeners and farmers who are struggling to grow plants in contaminated soil.
  
  

Soil Washing

• Sometimes, technicians simply wash the soil. Some contaminants either break down or are washed away by water. If the contaminants are smaller than the soil particles, technicians can wash the soil through filters that trap the soil while removing the pollutants.