Fate of synthetic organic chemicals in soil-groundwater systems

Land disposal of municipal, industrial and agricultural wastes often leads to soil and groundwater contamination with synthetic organic chemicals. In this review, the fate of such organics in soils and the subsurface environment is discussed. In particular, the biodegradation of organic compounds in soils and the subsurface region, as well as the sorption of these compounds to soils is emphasized. Due to the disastrous impact of groundwater contamination on a community and the great cost of restoring a contaminated aquifer, a case is made for concentrating future efforts on isolating potential sources of groundwater contamination and instituting appropriate control measures.