Asbestos is a collective term for a group of six naturally occurring mineral raw materials, of which chrysotile (white asbestos) has the greatest economic significance.
Due to technologically desirable properties such as non-flammability, elasticity, adsorption capacity, etc., asbestos was extensively used in the construction industry, particularly in the field of fire protection.
The health hazards posed by asbestos are primarily due to the inhalation of microscopically small, respirable fibers, which can lead to asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma (cancer of the pleura or peritoneum).
Depending on the mass ratio of asbestos fibers to binding agents and thus the degree of fiber binding, remediation technology distinguishes between strongly bound asbestos products (asbestos cement products) such as roofing or facade cladding and weakly bound asbestos products such as fire protection panels or sprayed asbestos.

Asbestos remediation refers to the application of technical procedures to eliminate health hazards to building occupants caused by the construction pollutant asbestos.
Three different remediation methods are applied in the remediation of asbestos products:
Removal: Complete removal of the asbestos product
Coating: Coating the asbestos product with a plasto-elastic medium

Asbestosis is a disease caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers, resulting in pathological scarring of the lung tissue.
Asbestosis leads to a persistent cough, shortness of breath, and sputum, but often also to asbestos-related lung cancer.

The pollutant concentration in soil, which consists of the natural (geogenic) baseline concentration of the soil and the ubiquitous distribution of substances as a result of diffuse inputs into the soil.

Benzene is the basic structure of aromatic hydrocarbons. Benzene is obtained during petroleum refining and is a starting material for the production of a variety of chemical products such as paints, plastics, or pharmaceuticals.
Benzene is toxicologically classified as carcinogenic and mutagenic.
In the construction industry, benzene and other aromatic hydrocarbons play an important role as pollutants in the remediation of contaminated sites (e.g., former gasworks sites) or buildings (e.g., PCB remediation).
Benzene (C 6 H 6 )

Benzo-a-pyrene (BaP) is the most important representative and key parameter of the class of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (►PAH).
Benzo-a-pyrene is formed during incomplete combustion processes and is therefore found in tobacco smoke as well as in vehicle exhaust gases or coke oven emissions.
Benzo-a-pyrene is toxicologically classified as carcinogenic and mutagenic.
In the construction industry, benzo-a-pyrene plays an important role as a pollutant in the remediation of contaminated sites such as former gasworks or coke ovens, as well as in building renovations (tar-containing parquet floor adhesives).
Benzo-a-pyrene (3,4-Benzpyrene)

Biological soil remediation refers to all processes for the remediation of contaminated soils using pollutant-degrading microorganisms.
Biological soil remediation is primarily used for the remediation of contaminated sites, but also for the cleaning of contaminated soils generated during construction projects.
The methods of biological soil remediation are limited to degradable organic pollutants, such as mineral oils, and are therefore not successfully applicable to all soil contaminations.
Through various technical measures, such as mixing, aeration, moistening, or targeted changes in nutrient supply, the living conditions of microorganisms can be improved, thereby enhancing their degradation performance.
Depending on the specific circumstances, biological soil remediation can occur in the natural storage environment of the soil (in situ), or—after excavation—on the construction site (on site) or in specialized soil treatment centers outside the construction site (off site).

A black area refers to the area contaminated by pollutants during work in contaminated zones.
The black area (remediation area) is typically separated from the public, uncontaminated area (“white area”) by special barriers to prevent the spread of pollutants.
Access to the black area is generally restricted to authorized personnel under appropriate occupational safety conditions (e.g., protective suits, respiratory protection) and after prior permitted.

When working in contaminated areas, a black-and-white facility serves as the interface between the remediation area (black area) and the public area (white area).
A black-and-white facility allows for the spatially separated storage, keeping, and re-donning of street and work clothing and includes the necessary sanitary facilities (washbasin, shower, toilets) for remediation personnel.

Abbreviation for the chemical compound benzene and the aromatic hydrocarbons derived from it: toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene.
BTEX aromatics were particularly used as additives for gasoline but also as industrial solvents.
Contamination of environmental media by aromatic hydrocarbons is found at former gas station sites as well as in metalworking operations, the production of plastics, paints and varnishes, or pesticides.
BTEX aromatics often contaminate not only soil and groundwater but also soil air, which then must be remediated through extraction and subsequent purification, a process that is time-consuming and costly.

Building contaminants are substances that pose a health risk to humans within buildings.
Building contaminants include construction materials with harmful substances such as asbestos, wood preservatives, or PCBs. Additionally, furnishings like furniture (formaldehyde), floor coverings (PAHs), or wallpapers (solvents) can contribute to indoor pollution.
Before the remediation of building contaminants, expert assessors analyze potential sources of contamination both qualitatively and quantitatively and, if necessary, develop a case-specific remediation plan.
For certain building contaminants, such as PCBs, a trial remediation is conducted in representative areas before extensive remediation measures are implemented to test the effectiveness of the chosen remediation method.
The remediation of building contaminants is generally labor-intensive, time-consuming, and therefore costly. In addition to the potentially very high remediation costs, the need to secure alternative accommodations for the duration of the building remediation may also be necessary.
The success of remediation measures is demonstrated, among other methods, through specific in door air measurements .

Carcinogens are generally defined as factors that can lead to the development of cancer in humans or animals.
In the construction industry, carcinogenic substances are particularly encountered during the remediation of hazardous waste sites or building contaminants.

Chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) are hydrocarbons in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by the element chlorine.
Among the most well-known representatives of chlorinated hydrocarbons are the compounds trichloroethene (Tri) and tetrachloroethene (Per), which were used as industrial solvents, particularly in chemical cleaning and metalworking operations.
Chlorinated hydrocarbons belong to the group of hydrocarbons and often appear as contaminants in environmental media such as soil, soil air, and groundwater during the remediation of contaminated sites.
The remediation of CHC-related environmental damage is often prolonged and therefore costly, especially in cases of groundwater contamination.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are hydrocarbons in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by the elements fluorine and chlorine.
CFCs are particularly significant in the construction industry during the dismantling of refrigeration and air conditioning systems during the demolition or renovation of buildings.

Construction waste refers to waste generated during the construction, renovation, refurbishment, or demolition of buildings.
Construction waste primarily includes mineral mass waste such as excavated soil, demolition debris, or road rubble, construction site waste like packaging materials, or hazardous construction waste such as asbestos or contaminated excavated soil.
Responsible for the proper disposal of waste generated during construction projects are both the clients and the executing companies in their roles as waste producers or waste owners.

A contaminated area is generally understood to be a region that contains hazardous substances in quantities harmful to humans and/or the environment.
Contaminated areas particularly include polluted properties, production sites, or buildings that are burdened with construction pollutants such as asbestos or PCBs.
In the context of remediation measures, the area contaminated by hazardous substances is also referred to as the remediation area or “black area.”

The authorities responsible for contaminated sites maintain a computer-based data collection for their regional areas of responsibility, containing all available information (parcels, pollutants, risk potential, etc.) about contaminated sites or suspected contaminated areas.
The contaminated site or suspected area registers can be reviewed by builders, for example, in advance of property purchases or planned construction activities at the responsible contaminated site authority.

Contaminated sites refer to: 1. Decommissioned waste disposal facilities and other properties where waste has been treated, stored, or deposited (old deposits) and 2. Properties of decommissioned facilities and other properties where environmentally hazardous substances have been handled (old sites), which cause harmful soil changes or other dangers to individuals or the public. Whether a property is considered a contaminated site is determined by the responsible contaminated site authority based on an expert risk assessment on a case-by-case basis. Once a contaminated site is identified, the relevant parcels are recorded in an officially maintained contaminated site register. If the party responsible for remediation provides evidence to the competent authority of the successful remediation of the affected parcel, the contaminated site designation is lifted by the authority, and the register entry is deleted. Developers should note that regardless of an official contaminated site designation, significant volumes of filled soils may arise during construction projects as part of earthworks, which, due to their pollutant content, must be disposed of as contaminated excavated soil at a relatively high cost.

Contamination
The term contamination, as well as the often synonymously used terms “pollution” and “impurity,” are used in various areas of environmental engineering.
In the practice of dealing with contaminated sites, the term contamination is used to describe the degree of pollution of soil, soil air, or groundwater following the introduction of pollutants by humans.
Property owners should be aware that from a certain level of contamination, remediation measures are generally required, which can significantly influence the cost and process of a construction project depending on the type and extent of the impurities.
In waste management, the term contamination refers to the pollution of a type of waste, e.g., excavated soil, construction debris, or demolition wood, with environmentally relevant pollutants.
For property owners, it is important to note that the permissible disposal route for construction waste and thus the disposal costs significantly depend on the type and extent of any existing contamination.

In the context of contaminated sites, conversion refers to the civilian repurposing of formerly military-used properties.
Developers and investors interested in the conversion of these properties must consider that, in addition to potential soil contamination, the building materials of existing structures are often significantly contaminated with hazardous substances, leading to increased costs for demolition and disposal of demolition materials.

Cyanides are the salts of hydrocyanic acid (HCN).
Of particular importance to humans and the environment are the highly water-soluble and very toxic alkali and alkaline earth cyanides.
Cyanides are particularly significant for the construction industry in the remediation of contaminated sites such as electroplating facilities or hardening plants.

In environmental analytics, a declaration analysis refers to a chemical examination of a waste to clarify the disposal route, focusing on various parameters (pollutants).
In the construction industry, declaration analyses are crucial when contaminated construction waste, such as polluted excavated soil or contaminated construction and demolition wood, needs to be disposed of during construction projects.

In environmental engineering, decontamination refers to the removal or reduction of pollution caused by harmful substances.
Decontamination methods are particularly used for the remediation of contaminated sites as well as for the remediation of contaminated soils generated during construction projects or for the remediation of building pollutants.
Examples of decontamination methods in the context of contaminated site remediation include the excavation and treatment of contaminated soils or the remediation of environmental media such as soil air and groundwater.
The removal of building pollutants such as asbestos, PCBs, or PAHs is also referred to as building decontamination.

The demolition of structures or parts of structures is carried out depending on the demolition object using mechanical-hydraulic methods such as grabbing, striking, or pressing, thermal separation of structural components by flame cutting, or demolition using blasting techniques.
The demolition of buildings has been and still is carried out with the wrecking ball immediately after the buildings are vacated.
This approach results in increased sorting efforts for the demolition contractor or a multiplication of disposal costs for the now mixed demolition materials (construction mixed waste).
Due to decreasing landfill capacities and drastically increased disposal costs, the trend is moving away from uncontrolled demolition towards selective demolition.

Demolition debris refers to mineral material, also with minor foreign components (< 5 Vol.%), generated during the construction, renovation, refurbishment, or demolition of buildings.
Depending on the previous use of the building, demolition debris may be contaminated with various pollutants such as oils, fats, or heavy metals and must be subjected to special disposal in these cases.

In environmental analysis, the detection limit refers to the pollutant concentration at which the substance under investigation can just be detected, depending on the specific analytical method used.
If the pollutant content is below the detection limit of the analytical method, the substance in question is considered not detected (n.d.).
In contrast to the detection limit, the quantification limit describes the concentration of a substance at which it can be reliably and reproducibly measured, depending on the analytical method.

Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDD), often simply referred to as dioxins, is a collective term for a group of 75 highly toxic organic chlorine compounds.
Of particular importance is the acutely toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD, Seveso poison), on whose toxicity the total concentrations of the various dioxins are usually calculated.
Dioxins are formed as unwanted by-products during the production of various chlorinated organic compounds, but also during incomplete combustion processes such as the smoldering of plastics or insulated cables in waste incineration plants or the smelting of plastic-coated metal waste.
In the construction industry, dioxins play an important role in the remediation of contaminated sites, fire damage, former industrial facilities (e.g., metal smelters), or sports field surfaces.

The permissible disposal method for waste is fundamentally dependent on the type of waste, considering the nature and level of any present pollutants, as well as the regulatory requirements of the intended disposal facility.
The predominantly non-hazardous or slightly contaminated mineral mass waste, such as excavated soil and construction debris generated during construction projects, is largely directed towards recovery in reclamation or construction activities.

In environmental analysis, eluates are aqueous solutions of soil samples prepared according to standardized procedures.
By examining soil eluates, it can be determined whether certain pollutants present in the soil, such as heavy metals, can be dissolved by precipitation or percolating water and subsequently enter the groundwater.
The examination of eluates is therefore particularly used for risk assessment of contaminated sites and to determine whether and how contaminated soil masses generated during construction activities can be utilized.

Emissions refer to air pollutants, noise, vibrations, light, heat, radiation, and similar phenomena emitted from industrial facilities, machinery, vehicles, or properties.
The maximum permissible emissions are regulated by national laws.
In the context of construction projects, emissions of dust and noise are particularly significant.

Encapsulation refers to technical barrier systems that serve as protective measures to prevent further spread of pollutants from a contaminated site or area.
Depending on the location of the barrier, encapsulations are distinguished between vertical sealing systems, such as sheet pile, narrow, or diaphragm walls, horizontal injection systems for base sealing, and generally mineral surface coverings.

In environmental engineering, exposure refers to the manner in which a pollutant comes into contact with a receptor, such as People, animals, plants, soil, or groundwater. Pollutant exposures are particularly relevant in the construction industry, especially during the remediation of contaminated sites or building pollutants like asbestos or PCBs.
To prevent health damage from the pollutants being remediated, appropriate occupational safety measures are legally required.

Fiber dusts are defined as dusts containing artificial inorganic mineral fibers with specific, critical dimensions (fiber length L > 5 μm, fiber diameter D < 3 μm, L:D > 3).
The construction industry is particularly affected by fiber dusts during the dismantling of mineral wool insulation materials used for thermal and sound insulation in the field of building construction.
For older mineral wool products installed before 1996, there is a fundamental assumption of potential carcinogenic risk.

In soil science, filling refers to the material placed above the naturally occurring soil layers of anthropogenic origin.
Fill soils are a heterogeneous mixture of soil with various foreign components depending on previous land use, such as remnants of construction debris, bricks, glass, ash, or slag.
Fill soils are primarily found in inner-city urban centers and range in thickness from a few decimeters to several meters.
Fill soils are particularly significant for builders because they often contain environmentally relevant pollutants and therefore incur increased disposal costs for contaminated excavated material during earthworks.

Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a pungent odor, for which there is a substantiated suspicion of carcinogenic potential.
Formaldehyde is environmentally significant for humans as an indoor pollutant, where it is used as an adhesive additive in furniture and fixtures made of particleboard.
Other possible sources of formaldehyde include paints, varnishes, parquet sealants, carpet adhesives, and also tobacco smoke.
In cases of mucous membrane irritation in the nose, eyes, and throat or unexplained allergies, potential sources of formaldehyde should be considered, and if necessary, the indoor air should be checked through appropriate measurements.

Former sites are properties of decommissioned facilities and other properties where environmentally hazardous substances have been handled.
Former sites include, for example, former industrial operations such as foundries or gasworks, as well as decommissioned chemical cleaning facilities or gas station sites.
Important information about former sites (pollutant inventory, spatial extent, parcels, etc.) is available to builders through consultation of officially maintained contaminated site or suspected area registers.

Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF), often simply referred to as furans, is a collective term for a group of 135 highly toxic organic chlorine compounds.
The chemical structure, occurrence, environmental behavior, and significance of furans for the construction industry are comparable to those of dioxines.

Subsurface water that fills the pores, fractures, or karst cavities within rock formations and whose movement is solely determined by gravity.
Groundwater is a critical resource, particularly in the context of remediating contaminated sites.
The typically required lowering of the groundwater level and the discharge of extracted groundwater during major construction projects require official approval.
Builders must ensure that any contaminated groundwater encountered during construction dewatering is treated before discharge to comply with local discharge limits.

Groundwater remediation encompasses all technical methods for removing groundwater contaminants (active methods) or preventing further spread of pollutants that have entered the groundwater (passive methods).
Active remediation methods (pump and treat methods) are characterized by the extraction of contaminated groundwater with energy input, followed by treatment through processes such as adsorption, stripping, or ion exchange.
In passive methods (hydraulic containment measures), the contaminated groundwater flows without energy input through a wall constructed in the aquifer, containing reactive or adsorptive materials for pollutant removal.
The choice of remediation methods for a specific groundwater contamination case largely depends on the spectrum of pollutants present and the geological and hydrogeological conditions of the project.
The construction industry encounters groundwater remediation particularly in the preliminary stages of construction projects (contaminated site remediation) or in the initial phase of construction execution (construction dewatering).

Harmfully contaminated waste refers to waste with particularly high concentrations of pollutants.
The disposal of harmfully contaminated waste requires special monitoring.
Examples of harmfully contaminated construction waste include weakly bound asbestos products, particularly contaminated old wood, or construction debris and excavated soil with harmful contamination.

A harmful soil change exists in soils with naturally elevated (geogenic) pollutant levels not solely due to these levels, but only if the pollutants have been or are being released in significant amounts due to impacts on the soil, e.g., during construction activities.

In the context of contaminated sites, hazard potential refers to the sum of possible risks and damages to humans or the environment that can be expected under certain conditions from a contaminated site.
The hazard potential of a contaminated site fundamentally depends on the specific inventory of pollutants and the possible pathways through which a pollutant can reach the protected target.

Hazardous substances are materials that are, for example, explosive, toxic, carcinogenic, or exhibit other hazardous characteristics.
Hazardous substances are particularly encountered in the construction industry during the remediation of contaminated sites or building contaminants like asbestos, PCBs, or PAHs.
When handling hazardous substances, special measures for the occupational safety of employees must be observed. These include, in particular, the assessment of the specific hazard present in each case and the establishment of organizational, technical, and personal protective measures (► ).

Hazardous waste refers to waste that, due to its nature, composition, or quantity, poses a particular risk to humans or the environment. Hazardous waste is often also referred to as „Hazardous waste“ or colloquially referred to as “special waste.”
Hazardous Waste
The term hazardous waste is not legally defined. Colloquially, the terms “hazardous waste” or “special waste” refer to waste with a particularly high potential for harm to humans and/or the environment.
In waste management, the term hazardous waste is often used for waste that, due to its nature, quantity, or characteristics, poses significant health, air, or water hazards, is explosive or flammable, or can contain or produce pathogens of communicable diseases.
Hazardous waste cannot be disposed of together with household waste in a municipal landfill but requires separate disposal in special hazardous waste landfills (SHWL) or hazardous waste incineration plants (HWIP).
Examples of hazardous waste generated during construction projects include asbestos products, PCB-containing waste, demolition wood treated with wood preservatives, or contaminated excavated soil.

Abbreviation for the halogenated hydrocarbon compound hexabromocyclododecane. HBCD has been and is used in the construction industry for fire protection as a flame retardant in external thermal insulation composite systems such as EPS or XPS (expanded or extruded polystyrene).

Heavy metals are defined as all metals with a density greater than 5 g/ccm.
Heavy metals are partly essential trace elements for humans (e.g., copper, zinc, or manganese) and partly toxic environmental pollutants (e.g., mercury, lead, or cadmium).
For the construction industry, heavy metals are primarily significant as pollutants in the soil where they lead to increased disposal costs during earthworks.
In addition to soil contamination, heavy metals often also contaminate the building substance, especially at commercially or industrially used sites such as foundries or metal smelters, thereby necessitating increased occupational safety requirements during building demolition and increased costs for the disposal of contaminated demolition materials.

A historical investigation refers to the site-specific collection, preparation, and evaluation of data, facts, and findings available from written sources, maps, and aerial photographs, as well as from interviews, particularly regarding the past and present use of a potentially contaminated site.
The historical investigation is the first step in assessing the risk posed by a potentially contaminated site.
In some federal states, the terms historical research, in-depth survey, case-by-case research, site research, or site-specific survey are used synonymously.
To reduce the risk of costly construction site delays, it is generally advisable for developers to conduct a historical investigation prior to a planned construction project.

Hydrocarbons are chemical compounds of carbon (C) with the element hydrogen (H).
Due to chemical properties such as the spatial arrangement of molecules, different types of chemical bonds, and the possibility of exchanging C or H atoms, there is an overwhelming variety of individual compounds.
Based on their chemical structure, hydrocarbons are classified into chain-like (aliphatic), ring-like (cyclic), and aromatic hydrocarbons, which are based on the core structure of benzene .
Hydrocarbons often appear as contaminants to be remediated in construction and renovation projects.
In the remediation of contaminated sites, these are often petroleum products, which, for example, led to contamination of gas station sites as fuels, or chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs), whose improper use as solvents in metal processing or dry cleaning operations caused environmental damage.
Hydrocarbons also appear as pollutants in the remediation of fire damage cases (dioxins/furans), joint sealants (PCBs), parquet floor adhesives (PAHs), or as wood preservatives (PCP, lindane).

Immissions refer to the air pollutants, noise, vibrations, light, heat, radiation, and similar environmental impacts affecting humans, animals, plants, soil, water, the atmosphere, as well as cultural and other material assets.

Immobilization refers to technical processes aimed at reducing the mobility and mobilizability of soil contaminants for emission processes such as leaching (elution), dispersion, or gas formation.
The immobilization processes serve as typical safeguarding measures primarily for the remediation of contaminated sites .
The stabilization of soil contaminants is achieved by adding water with binding agents such as cement, bentonite, water glass, or synthetic resins.
Depending on the existing soil conditions, immobilization can occur either after excavation of the contaminated soil on site or directly by injecting the stabilizing agents into the contaminated subsurface (in situ).

In situ methods in the practice of contaminated site remediation refer to techniques for the remediation of environmental media such as soil, soil air, and groundwater while maintaining natural storage conditions without excavating soil material.
Typical in situ methods include soil remediation through the addition of stabilizing agents (immobilization) or pollutant-degrading bacteria (biological soil remediation), remediation of soil air through soil vapor extraction, or remediation of groundwater contamination through stripping.
In construction projects on contaminated sites, in situ methods are often employed in advance of later excavation remediation or parallel to construction activities. In both cases, a technically and economically tailored remediation plan adapted to the conditions of the construction project is recommended.

Indoor air measurements are used for the environmental hygiene assessment of air in indoor spaces.
In the construction industry, indoor air measurements are particularly used in the context of the remediation of building pollutants.
For example, determining the PCB content in indoor air is used to assess the need for remediation, and measuring asbestos fiber concentration is used to verify the success of a remediation measure.
The goal of an indoor air measurement, the number and arrangement of measurement points, as well as any necessary usage simulation, are determined in advance by expert consultants as part of a measurement plan.

In environmental medicine, inhalation refers to the uptake of pollutants through breathing.
Pollutants that can be inhaled include, for example, asbestos, solvent vapors, or pollutants bound to dust particles such as PAHs or dioxins.
To prevent the inhalation of pollutants, workers involved in the remediation of contaminated sites or building pollutants are required to use respiratory protection measures tailored to the specific case.

Key parameters refer to chemical compounds whose detection during the investigation of contaminated sites can indicate specific environmental burdens.
For example, elevated concentrations of the element boron in groundwater suggest household waste deposits, while increased sulfate levels indicate construction debris deposits.
Additionally, the term key parameter is used in environmental analysis to denote the most important individual substance within a class of compounds.
For instance, the compound benzo[a]pyrene is a key parameter of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and the compound 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a key parameter of dioxines.

Land recycling (land reactivation) refers to the conversion of unused, formerly commercial or industrial properties into other types of use.
When evaluating properties with environmentally critical previous use, builders and investors must fundamentally consider that, in addition to potentially costly measures for the remediation of soil, soil air, or groundwater, the building fabric of existing operational buildings may still be contaminated with substances such as asbestos, mineral oils, heavy metals, or dioxins, leading to significant additional costs for building demolition and disposal of demolition materials.

In a landfill, waste is deposited under organized, controlled conditions and thus permanently excluded from the circular economy.
To prevent pollutants from escaping the landfill into the environment, landfills are sealed on all sides, and potential emission pathways (landfill leachate, landfill gas) are monitored.
The requirements for the technical safety of landfills significantly depend on the hazard potential of the waste types stored.
While slightly contaminated construction debris and soil masses can be deposited in mineral waste landfills, toxic waste, such as PCB-containing capacitors or highly contaminated excavated soil, must be disposed of under special conditions (steel drums, encasement) in an underground landfill.

Leachate forecasts are used to estimate the pollutant inputs from areas suspected of contamination into groundwater via leachate.
Possible methods for leachate forecasting include the application of solute transport models, conducting laboratory or in situ investigations, or inferring from downstream measurements.

Man-made mineral fibers (MMF) are artificially produced glass-like fibers of inorganic origin.
Health risks from MMF primarily arise from the inhalation of microscopically small, respirable fiber components.
The hazard potential of MMF is generally determined through laboratory analysis.
In the construction industry, MMF products were primarily used as mineral wool insulation materials (glass wool and rock wool) for thermal and sound insulation in building construction.
The recommended protective measures during the remediation of MMF products range from selecting pre-fabricated mineral wool products to low-emission work procedures and personal protective equipment in the form of breathable protective suits or respiratory masks.

Military contaminated sites refer to contaminates sites that are attributable to the military use of an area after World War II.
Military contaminated sites are found on properties of the German Armed Forces, the former National People’s Army (NVA), NATO, and the former Western Group of Soviet Forces (WGT).
The specific environmental damages present in military contaminated sites largely depend on the particular use of the properties as barracks, shooting ranges, airfields, or residential areas.
Military-specific pollutants primarily include mineral oil products (fuels and lubricants), chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) from chemical cleaning, and BTEX aromatics (fuel additives, solvents).
When converting former military properties to other uses, such as residential development, it is important to note that both the land and the building materials of existing structures may be significantly contaminated with environmentally relevant pollutants, leading to increased costs for the remediation of harmful soil changes (contaminated sites) as well as for the demolition and disposal of debris.
Military Contaminated Sites
Military contaminated sites refer to contaminated sites that arose during the testing, production, storage, use, or destruction of chemical warfare agents before or during the two World Wars.
Chemical warfare agents include explosives, incendiary, smoke, and chemical warfare and irritant agents, propellants, production-related pre-, by-, intermediate, and waste products, as well as residues from their destruction.
Typical suspected sites for military contaminated sites are former production facilities, munitions storage sites, defusing locations, blasting and shooting ranges, demilitarization plants, as well as interim and final storage sites for chemical warfare agents.

Mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) are an important aggregate parameter in the investigation and assessment of potentially contaminated sites.
Contaminations by MOH occur particularly at tank facilities of gas stations, airfields, or industrial operations.
The burdens posed by mineral oil hydrocarbons typically affect not only the soil but also frequently impact environmental media such as groundwater and subsoil gas.
While MOH-contaminated soils are generally excavated promptly during construction projects and then remediated or deposited off-site, the remediation of soil air and groundwater damage is often more time-consuming, technically complex, and therefore more expensive.
In the event of identifiable environmental damage from mineral oil hydrocarbons, it is advisable for the property owner to engage a qualified expert as early as possible to minimize subsequent contamination and thus remediation costs.

Mutagenic factors are generally those that can lead to genetic changes in humans or animals.
In the construction industry, mutagenic substances are particularly encountered during the remediation of contaminated sites (e.g., benzene) or building pollutants (e.g., PAHs).

In the context of contaminated site management, off-site methods refer to all procedures for treating contaminated soils using stationary remediation facilities located away from the site of contamination.
Typical examples of off-site methods include biological or thermal soil remediation or chemical-physical soil washing.

Decommissioned waste disposal facilities and other properties where waste has been treated, stored, or deposited. Old deposits include former municipal or company-owned, but especially unauthorized, so-called “wild dumps.” Important information about old deposits (pollutant inventory, spatial extent, parcels, etc.) can be obtained by developers through consultation of officially maintained contaminated site registers.

In the context of contaminated site management, on-site methods refer to all procedures for treating contaminated soils using a mobile or semi-mobile remediation facility established at the site of contamination.
Typical examples of on-site methods include biological soil remediation or chemical-physical soil washing .

An operating instruction is understood to be a workplace- and substance-related compilation of the dangers to humans and the environment associated with handling hazardous substances.

In contaminated site management, an organoleptic examination refers to the assessment of environmental samples using the senses.
For the construction industry, the organoleptic examination of soil samples is particularly important in the context of contaminated site investigation or when previously unknown contamination is encountered during earthworks.
During the organoleptic soil assessment, characteristics such as color, odor, and homogeneity of soil samples, or any foreign materials like glass, bricks, or slag, are identified.
Based on the organoleptic findings, the parameters to be examined in subsequent chemical analysis can be adjusted to the specific soil conditions.
After the analysis results are available, the organoleptic soil assessment further aids in expert evaluation through analogical reasoning and plausibility checks.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) is a collective term for a group of several hundred condensed aromatic carbon compounds.
The most important representative and at the same time the key parameter of PAH is the carcinogenic and mutagenic benzo-a-pyrene .
PAHs are formed during the incomplete combustion of organic materials such as fuels, oil, or coke and are ubiquitously present in the environment due to emissions from cars, airplanes, or power plants.
In environmental analysis, the 16 most commonly occurring PAHs are typically determined according to recommendations by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In the construction industry, PAHs play an important role, for example, in the remediation of old sites (gasworks, coking plants), the renovation of buildings (tar-containing parquet adhesives), or in determining the disposal route for road debris (distinguishing between tar-containing and bituminous asphalts).

Humans can absorb pollutants into their bodies in various ways. Human toxicology distinguishes the following pathways of exposure:
The issue of pollutant absorption is particularly relevant in the construction industry during the remediation of hazardous waste sites or building contaminants like asbestos or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
The toxicological assessment of potential pathways of pollutant absorption serves to estimate the risk they pose and thus to establish protective measures for remediation professionals or other affected individuals.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) is a collective term for a group of 209 chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons.
In the chemical analysis of PCB-contaminated environmental samples, usually only six so-called standard congeners are determined, and the total PCB content is calculated by multiplying the sum concentration by a factor of 5.
In the construction industry, PCBs were particularly used as cooling and insulating fluids in transformers and capacitors (closed applications) or as plasticizers in joint sealants and as flame retardants in paints (open systems).
Due to these applications, PCBs play an important role, especially in the remediation of PCB-contaminated buildings and in the disposal of electrical components during demolition and renovation projects.

Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of non-naturally occurring substances with more than 10,000 individual substances that are difficult to degrade, according to recent estimates.
PFAS consist of carbon chains of varying lengths, in which the hydrogen atoms are partially (polyfluorinated) or completely (perfluorinated) replaced by fluorine atoms.
PFAS suspected sites are particularly locations where firefighting foams have been used, such as firefighting training areas, fire ponds, airports, or areas where large fires have been extinguished.
In the construction industry, PFAS play an important role, especially in the remediation of PFAS-contaminated groundwater.

Pollutants are generally understood to be substances that, due to their chemical-physical properties, are capable of harming human health and other protected goods such as animals, plants, soil, or water.
The construction industry is confronted with a wide range of pollutants, especially during the remediation of contaminated sites. These include pollutants such as asbestos, PAHs, PCBs (building renovations), or BTEX, chlorinated hydrocarbons, dioxins, heavy metals (contaminated site remediation).
In the context of remediation or demolition activities, handling pollutants (hazardous substances) requires special measures for occupational safety and pollutant disposal.

Radon (Rn 222) is a radioactive noble gas and the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.
The main source of elevated radon levels in buildings is the soil, while building materials and drinking water play a minor role according to current knowledge.
Radon enters buildings through leaky floor slabs, cracks in masonry, or unsealed penetrations of cables or pipes.
For persistent high radon concentrations > 100 Becquerel (Bq) per cubic meter of indoor air, authorities recommend measures such as frequent, intensive ventilation or sealing of the aforementioned radon entry paths. For radon levels > 1000 Bq per cubic meter of indoor air, structural measures should be completed within three years.

Recycling refers to the processing of waste and its subsequent reintegration into the economic cycle as a secondary raw material.
The goals of recycling are to reduce waste volumes and conserve natural resources.
In construction projects, mineral mass wastes such as construction debris and road rubble, as well as construction and demolition wood, are particularly processed and used as recycled building materials.
A prerequisite for the recycling of building materials is, in addition to the technical suitability of the RC materials, the compliance with maximum permissible pollutant concentrations.
Recycling
Waste can be disposed of either through elimination (e.g., by landfilling) or through recycling.
In waste recycling, a distinction is generally made between material recycling and energy recovery.
While material recycling involves obtaining (secondary) raw materials from waste, energy recovery includes the use of waste as a substitute fuel for energy generation.
For producers of construction waste, the priority of recycling over waste disposal is initially significant, as long as it is technically feasible and economically reasonable.
In construction projects, it is generally important to separate the waste generated, such as wood waste, metals, roofing felt, construction debris, and asbestos products, by fractions and to subject them to separate disposal.

In environmental engineering, remediation refers to the application of technical methods to eliminate or reduce pollutant loads with the primary goal of averting risks to human life and health.
In the context of contaminated site remediation, environmental media such as soil, soil air, or groundwater are remediated from environmental pollutants like mineral oils, while building remediation addresses construction pollutants such as asbestos or PCBs.
Remediation is generally required whenever legally prescribed limits in the form of maximum allowable pollutant concentrations are demonstrably exceeded.
Before extensive remediation measures are undertaken, expert consultants develop case-specific remediation plans, which particularly illustrate the cost-benefit ratio for various remediation options.

A remediation plan summarizes the technical measures intended for the remediation of a contaminated site in individual cases.
This is the case for contaminated sites where a coordinated approach is necessary due to the diversity of required measures or where, due to the nature, spread, or quantity of pollutants or other dangers to individuals or the public are particularly significant.
The creation of a remediation plan is not required if the dangers, significant disadvantages, or significant nuisances emanating from a contaminated site can be countered with simple means or eliminated in other ways (e.g., through natural retention or degradation of pollutants).

Risk assessment is the second main phase in the processing of contaminated site projects, following the initial survey.
Risk assessments are prepared by expert assessors and serve the responsible contaminated site authority in making the final determination: contaminated site: yes or no?
In the risk assessment, the findings of all previously conducted investigations, such as historical exploration, preliminary, and detailed investigations, are summarized and evaluated.
Property owners can be required by the responsible contaminated site authority to conduct the necessary investigations for risk assessment if there is sufficient suspicion of a danger based on concrete evidence.

Selective demolition refers to the proper dismantling of structures or parts of structures in various pre-planned stages of dismantling, combined with the separation and separate disposal of the resulting waste.
The selective demolition of commercially or industrially used buildings serves, in addition to the legally required waste separation, to eliminate proven structural burdens, such as oil-contaminated hall floors or the remediation of building pollutants like asbestos, PCBs, heavy metals, or dioxins.
The separation and separate disposal of uncontaminated, contaminated, and polluted building materials generally lead to significant savings in demolition costs for the client/investor.

The term Sick Building Syndrome encompasses various health issues experienced by building occupants, such as irritation of the eyes, nose, and upper respiratory tract, fatigue, headaches, nausea, dizziness, or an increased frequency of coughing or respiratory infections.
Office workers in air-conditioned environments are particularly affected by Sick Building Syndrome.
In addition to biological factors like bacteria and fungi from HVAC systems, physical factors such as temperature, humidity, and lighting, chemical pollutants in indoor air from cleaning agents, furniture, or tobacco smoke, as well as psychological stressors like stress or screen work, can contribute to the onset or exacerbation of Sick Building Syndrome.
The difficulties in diagnosing Sick Building Syndrome arise from the multitude of potential causes, the complex interaction mechanisms of the involved pollutants (“pollutant cocktail”), and not least the varying sensitivity and resilience of those affected.

Soil air refers to the air located in the pore space of the soil above the groundwater level, known as the unsaturated soil zone.
Improper handling of volatile organic solvents, such as chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs), has led to particularly in metalworking operations or chemical cleaning facilities, in addition to soil and groundwater pollution, often lead to significant contamination of soil air.
The remediation of soil air damage ( ) often presents a logistical challenge in construction projects, aside from cost considerations, as the removal of surface sealing is generally only permitted once regulatory remediation targets are met.

Soil air remediation (soil gas extraction) refers to a pneumatic process for cleaning the unsaturated soil zone.
In this remediation technique, volatile contaminants are extracted from the soil using special suction units such as side channel blowers or vacuum pumps through soil air wells (gas wells).
The contaminated soil air is then purified using various methods, such as adsorption with or oxidation.
Typical applications of soil air extraction include the remediation of chlorinated hydrocarbon (CHC) contamination from former dry cleaning sites or the remediation of BTEX from decommissioned gas station sites.
Soil air extractions impact construction projects, like all remediation measures, both in terms of cost and site logistics and planning.
The purification of soil air to below regulatory remediation target values is generally a prerequisite for the removal of surface sealing and thus for the execution of excavation work.

Soil contamination refers to the pollution of soil with harmful substances introduced by humans (anthropogenic) directly or indirectly through air or water.
Anthropogenic soil contamination should be distinguished from naturally occurring, geogenic contamination of soils by “pollutants” such as heavy metals like lead or arsenic.
The early identification of the type and extent of potential soil contamination is of great importance for construction projects.
Through targeted environmental engineering investigations prior to construction activities, necessary remediation measures can be planned in advance and/or potential disposal routes for contaminated excavated soil can be assessed for their compliance.

The term soil remediation encompasses various technical methods for the removal or reduction of soil contaminants.
Soil remediation methods are particularly used in the remediation of but also for the treatment of contaminated soils generated during construction projects.
The selection of the soil remediation method largely depends on the specific contaminants identified and the type of contaminated soil.

Soil replacement refers to a technical process for the remediation of contaminated soils, as encountered in the context of contaminated site remediation or construction projects.
In the first step, the contaminated soils are excavated by construction machinery under predetermined occupational safety conditions.
The verification of successful excavation is generally conducted through sampling of the walls and base of the excavation pit and chemical analysis of the soil samples for the specific pollutants present.
The excavated soils are then remediated on the construction site (on site) or in specialized soil treatment centers outside the construction site (off site), depending on the identified spectrum of pollutants and the existing soil conditions, using various soil remediation methods.
After the completion of soil remediation, the final step involves the reinstallation of the treated excavated materials with permissible residual levels of pollutants.

The term soil washing refers to various washing processes for the remediation of contaminated soils.
Soil washing processes are particularly used for the remediation of but also for contaminated soils generated during construction projects.
Soil washing plants consist of multi-stage classification, washing, and mixing units. The separation of contaminants is achieved through water, possibly with additives, and the application of mechanical energy in the form of stirring, shearing, impact, or high pressure.
The cleaned soil masses are, as far as possible, recycled. The separated contaminants remain with the fine-grained fraction as contaminated sludge and are disposed of separately.
The washing of contaminated soils can be carried out either in a mobile plant set up on the construction site (on-site) for the duration of the remediation measure or off-site in stationary soil cleaning centers.

In process engineering, stripping refers to the transfer of a dissolved substance from the liquid phase to the gas phase.
For the construction industry, stripping processes are particularly important in the remediation of groundwater contamination caused by legacy pollution.
The use of stripping processes is limited to volatile pollutants such as BTEX aromatics or VOCs and is therefore not applicable to all contaminants.
The remediation of groundwater contamination through stripping is conducted either by injecting compressed air into the contaminated aquifer (in situ stripping) or using so-called stripping towers, where the compressed air is introduced into packed columns countercurrent to the extracted contaminated groundwater.
The pollutant-laden soil air generated during in situ stripping is extracted and, like the exhaust air from the stripping column, subsequently purified through various methods such as adsorption on activated carbon.

Temporary storage refers to the time-limited storage of waste for the purpose of later disposal.
The temporary storage of waste is particularly significant for the construction industry when contaminated bulk waste such as construction debris or excavated soil with harmful contaminants is generated during construction projects and cannot be directly disposed of for various reasons.
When temporarily storing contaminated construction waste at the site of generation, it must be ensured that the welfare of the public, particularly the protection of groundwater, is not compromised.
The specific precautions to be taken depend on the type and extent of contamination and include, for example, impermeable storage areas, the covering of waste to protect against precipitation, or the controlled drainage of surface water.

Tetrachloroethylene (Perchloroethylene, Per) belongs to the class of chlorinated hydrocarbons and has been primarily used as a technical solvent for cleaning and degreasing. There is a reasonable suspicion that tetrachloroethylene has carcinogenic potential.
Due to its chemical-physical properties (low viscosity, high volatility), improper handling of tetrachloroethylene often led to contamination of soil as well as pollution of environmental media such as soil air and groundwater.
For the construction industry, tetrachloroethylene is particularly significant as a pollutant in the remediation of contaminated sites such as chemical cleaning facilities or metal processing plants.

Thermal soil remediation encompasses all methods for decontaminating polluted soils through the application of high temperatures.
Thermal soil remediation is particularly used for the remediation of contaminated sites but also for cleaning contaminated soils generated during construction projects.
The remediation of contaminated soils through thermal methods is generally conducted in stationary soil treatment centers away from the site of contamination (off-site).
Thermal soil remediation methods are limited to volatile organic pollutants, such as solvents or hydrocarbons like BTEX aromatics, PAHs, PCBs, or dioxins, and are therefore not applicable to all soil contaminants.
Thermal soil remediation is carried out in three procedural steps.
First, the soil to be remediated is mechanically processed using screening and crushing equipment. In the second step, the contaminated soil masses are heated to temperatures of approximately 500 to 1200 degrees Celsius, converting the volatile pollutants into gas form. Finally, in the third step, the pollutant-laden exhaust gas is purified through various exhaust gas treatment methods (afterburning, condensation, or flue gas cleaning).
The pollutant-free, biologically inert soil can be prepared for intended reuse by adding organic material.
The residues from the exhaust air treatment (filter dusts) are subjected to separate disposal.

Trinitrotoluene (TNT) belongs to the class of aromatic hydrocarbons and is the most significant explosive used for civilian and military purposes.
There is a reasonable suspicion that TNT has carcinogenic potential.
TNT and other nitroaromatic compounds are particularly significant for the construction industry in the context of remediating contaminated sites, such as explosive factories or detonation sites.

In environmental engineering, “ubiquitous” (Latin: ubique = everywhere) refers to the distribution of pollutants across all environmental media.
Pollutants that are ubiquitously detectable include, for example, dioxins and PAHs (emissions from motor vehicles, aircraft, power plants), asbestos (wear from roofing materials), or PCBs (manufacturing and use).

By depositing waste in an underground landfill (UTD), environmentally hazardous waste is permanently excluded from the circular economy.
Waste is typically stored in already mined salt mines, as these geological formations are considered particularly safe.
Specific requirements are imposed by landfill operators on the type of waste stored. For example, UTD waste must not be explosive, self-igniting, or gas-forming under storage conditions.
UTD waste generated during construction projects includes, for example, contaminated excavated soil, PCB-containing capacitors, or broken fluorescent tubes.
Waste producers (builders, contractors) must adhere to the storage conditions set by the landfill operator (e.g., steel drums or containers) when disposing of waste in an underground landfill.

Volatile Halogenated Hydrocarbons (VHH) are hydrocarbons in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by the elements fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine (halogens).
Among the most well-known representatives of VHH are the compounds trichloroethylene (Tri) and tetrachloroethylene (Per), which were used as solvents, particularly in chemical cleaning and metalworking industries.
In the context of the remediation of contaminated sites, VHH often appear as contaminants in environmental media such as soil, soil air, and groundwater.
The remediation of VHH-related environmental damage is often prolonged and therefore costly, especially in cases of groundwater contamination.

Waste generally refers to all substances or objects that their owner discards, intends to discard, or is required to discard.
Depending on the disposal route, a fundamental distinction is made between waste for recovery and waste for disposal.

Any natural or legal person who has actual control over waste.
The basic obligations of waste owners (construction contractors) include, in particular, the duty to keep (construction) waste separate, the duty to recover (construction) waste as far as technically possible and economically reasonable, and the duty to dispose of (construction) waste in a manner compatible with the public interest.

Waste wood refers to both wood residues from wood processing and manufacturing industries (industrial residual wood) and used products made from solid wood, wood-based materials, or composites with a predominant wood content (used wood), as long as these are classified as waste (Waste Wood Ordinance). The disposal of waste wood can generally be carried out through material or energy recovery or through thermal disposal. In construction projects, waste wood may arise as formwork, pallets, cable drums, roof structures, cladding, doors, window frames, furniture, or parquet. Depending on previous use, construction and demolition wood may be treated with a variety of substances such as paints, varnishes, adhesives, or wood preservatives and may require special disposal as treated, contaminated, or particularly contaminated waste wood.

A white area is defined as the area not contaminated by pollutants during remediation works.
In the white area, for example, are the rest and changing rooms for remediation specialists or the offices of the supervising construction management.
The white area is typically separated from the remediation area (“black area”) by special airlocks to prevent the transfer of respective pollutants.

Work in contaminated areas refers to all activities in areas containing hazardous substances in amounts harmful to humans and/or the environment.
In the construction industry, this particularly includes the demolition of facilities and buildings contaminated with pollutants, the remediation of contaminated sites or fire damage, or activities in landfill construction.
Remediation sites typically consist of the actual remediation area (black area) and a publicly accessible area (white area) separated from it by special airlocks.
The proof of remediation success is provided, depending on the present pollutants, either through visual inspection, by taking contact or wipe samples, or by technical examination of the indoor air.