Soil Characteristics Affect the Soil’s Ability to Treat Waste Products
Depth to groundwater determines the amount of time that a pollutant is in contact with the soil.
Texture
- sandy soils drain rapidly and therefore the soil does not hold a waste material so that the nutrients can be used by crops
- soils with more clay are better suited for holding waste materials until the nutrients can be used
Organic matter has a very large absorptive capacity for most pollutants.