Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Risks From Contaminated Sites

Types and Causes

Land contamination, whether intended, accidental, or naturally occurring activities and events, come from a large variety of sources, such as manufacturing (chemicals, commercial products), disposal and transportation, mining (minerals, coal, uranium), natural disasters (hurricanes, floods), agriculture (pesticides, fertilizers), waste management (landfills), energy production (radioactive), national defense activities, and elements that occur naturally (lead, arsenic).

Nationally, there are thousands of contaminated sites of varying size and significance.

Effects

Contaminated lands can pose a variety of health and environmental hazards. Some contaminated sites pose little risk to human health and the environment because the level of contamination is low or the chance of exposure to toxics is also low.

Other contaminated sites can pose greater risks to human health and the environment because the chemicals at these sites may exist in the environment for long periods of time or move easily through the environment. These sites must be carefully managed through containment, institutional controls such as access restriction, and/or cleanup to prevent harm to humans, wildlife, or the surrounding environment both on- and offsite.

Risks From Contaminated Sites

  • Understand Contaminated Sites
  • Types and Causes
  • Location and Contact Information
  • What to Ask EPA and its Partners About Risk at Contaminated Sites
  • Resources and Funding
  • Measuring Progress in Superfund Cleanups
  • Tools for Practitioners
Contact Us About Risks From Contaminated Sites
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on November 13, 2024
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.