What are the side effects of living on contaminated land?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, contaminated land has solid or liquid toxins, or both, present in the soil due to seepage, spillage or burial. Long-term exposure to soil contaminants can cause serious side effects.Types of Contaminants in SoilSoil contaminants include toxins from oil hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, chemicals, industrial waste, and heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic, according to the EPA and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Side effects depend on which toxins are present in the soil.Polychlorinated BiphenylsPolychlorinated Biphenyls, or PCBs, are carcinogenic toxins; they also affect the immune, endocrine, reproductive, and nervous systems. According to the EPA, exposure to high PCB levels is connected to high blood pressure, serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels, liver toxicity and kidney damage.Lead and Heavy MetalsLead, mercury and cadmium are the three main heavy-metal soil contaminants, acco
