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Groundwater remediation
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<p>Groundwater remediation is the process that is used to treat <a href="/facts/Groundwater_pollution/9tcqXv2B">polluted groundwater</a> by removing the pollutants or converting them into harmless products. <a href="/facts/Groundwater/JYM2IDS2">Groundwater</a> is water present below the ground surface that saturates the pore space in the subsurface. Globally, between 25 per cent and 40 per cent of the world's <a href="/facts/Drinking_water/FmSJcKGG">drinking water</a> is drawn from boreholes and dug <a href="/facts/Water_well/aPFvzk3V">wells</a>. Groundwater is also used by farmers to <a href="/facts/Irrigation/RWX5PEgK">irrigate</a> crops and by industries to produce everyday goods. Most groundwater is clean, but groundwater can become polluted, or contaminated as a <a href="/facts/Human_impact_on_the_environment/vIAWqfPB">result of human activities</a> or as a result of natural conditions. </p><p>The many and diverse activities of humans produce innumerable <a href="/facts/Waste/qLmtkUQ4">waste</a> materials and by-products. Historically, the disposal of such waste have not been subject to many regulatory controls. Consequently, waste materials have often been disposed of or stored on land surfaces where they percolate into the underlying groundwater. As a result, the contaminated groundwater is unsuitable for use. </p><p>Current practices can still impact groundwater, such as the over application of <a href="/facts/Fertilizer/ysh3r6NJ">fertilizer</a> or <a href="/facts/Pesticide/Uhf4KnwJ">pesticides</a>, <a href="/facts/Chemical_spill/2zFFR2Ga">spills</a> from <a href="/facts/Industrialization/h3QXzS6C">industrial</a> operations, infiltration from <a href="/facts/Urban_runoff/GEvrwc1f">urban runoff</a>, and leaking from <a href="/facts/Landfill/7K4efGgz">landfills</a>. Using contaminated groundwater causes hazards to <a href="/facts/Public_health/4563Kre9">public health</a> through <a href="/facts/Poisoning/oKDkhLbz">poisoning</a> or the spread of disease, and the practice of groundwater remediation has been developed to address these issues. Contaminants found in groundwater cover a broad range of physical, inorganic chemical, organic chemical, bacteriological, and radioactive parameters. Pollutants and contaminants can be removed from groundwater by applying various techniques, thereby bringing the water to a standard that is commensurate with various intended uses. </p>