leaching
Dissolving through soil
Leaching is the process of extracting substances by percolating liquid through a material.
Water leaches minerals from soil, carrying them deeper underground or into waterways.
In chemistry and industry, leaching extracts metals from ore or compounds from plant matter.
The word often carries negative connotations—nutrients leaching from soil, chemicals leaching from landfills into groundwater: Pesticides had leached into the well.
Liquid passing through pores
- seepageSlow fluid escape
- infiltrationCovert entry into organization
- water tableTop of groundwater zone
- groundwaterWater in underground rock
aquifer · runoff · precipitation · watershed · subsurface · saturation · drainage · recharge
Harmful environmental substances
- heavy metalsDense metallic environmental contaminants
- groundwaterWater in underground rock
- arsenicToxic metalloid element
- cadmiumElement forty-eight
lead · mercury · pesticides · industrial waste · acid rain · runoff · bioaccumulation · hazardous materials
Vital dietary substances
- fertilizerSoil nutrient supplement
- nitratesNitrogen-oxygen salt compounds
- phosphatesSalts of a certain acid
- potassiumNineteenth element, symbol K
topsoil · acidification · mineralization · depletion · erosion · percolation · deficiency · organic matter
Dissolving liquid or financially stable
- dissolutionBreaking up completely
- acidLow-pH chemical compound
- oreMetal-bearing rock
- heapJumbled collection of items
tailings · mining · cyanidation · precipitate · sulfuric · chloride · copper · gold
Accumulation on a surface
- ion-exchangeCharged particle substitution process
- precipitationAtmospheric water deposit
- deionizationRemoval of ionic content
- reverse osmosisPressure-driven membrane filtration
column · resin · separation · demineralization · water treatment · desalination · selectivity · bed
percolation
Liquid passing through pores
- seepageSlow fluid escape
- infiltrationCovert entry into organization
- water tableTop of groundwater zone
groundwater · aquifer · runoff · precipitation · watershed · subsurface · saturation · drainage · recharge · rainfall
pollutants
Harmful environmental substances
- heavy metalsDense metallic environmental contaminants
- groundwaterWater in underground rock
- arsenicToxic metalloid element
cadmium · lead · mercury · pesticides · industrial waste · acid rain · runoff · bioaccumulation · hazardous materials · landfill
nutrients
Vital dietary substances
- fertilizerSoil nutrient supplement
- nitratesNitrogen-oxygen salt compounds
- phosphatesSalts of a certain acid
potassium · topsoil · acidification · mineralization · depletion · erosion · percolation · deficiency · organic matter · compost
solvent
Dissolving liquid or financially stable
- dissolutionBreaking up completely
- acidLow-pH chemical compound
- oreMetal-bearing rock
heap · tailings · mining · cyanidation · precipitate · sulfuric · chloride · copper · gold · uranium
adsorption
Accumulation on a surface
- ion-exchangeCharged particle substitution process
- precipitationAtmospheric water deposit
- deionizationRemoval of ionic content
reverse osmosis · column · resin · separation · demineralization · water treatment · desalination · selectivity · bed · regeneration
- geochemistryisotope geochemistry, biogeochemistry, trace element, trace elements, isotopes
- soil sciencesoil, topsoil, subsoil, clay, sand
- Natural Processesphotosynthesis, decomposition, evaporation, erosion, carbon cycle
- pollutionair pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, smog, toxic waste
- contaminationpolluting, contaminating, fouling, tainting, poisoning
- extractionmining, excavation, distillation, filtration, extraction
leachingdeposition
Formal testimony under oath
accumulation · adsorption · absorption · infiltration · impregnation
leachingenrichment
Improvement through addition
fertilization · replenishment · mineralization · fortification · soil amendment
leachingbinding
Legally or morally required
sorption · immobilization · chelation · precipitation · solidification