F. Arendt, XxX (Conference chairman) w. Harder, TNO (Conference co-chairman) The 1993 Berlin conference on contaminated sites is the fourth in a series of meetings initiated by the Netherlands Organization of Applied Scientific Research (TNO) in 1985 and later continued with the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research center (KfK) of Germany. The present economic stagnation or recession in many countries is leading to various proposals to reduce the level of costly environmental activities: restricted funds are used for really urgent cases rather than precautionary measures. The level of soil contamination caused by the former centrally planned economies adds to this tendency. The Conference tries to broach this controversy by discussing once more the targets and strategies of soil remediation with follow-up use of the site as an important parameter. Both new regulations and modifications of existing lists for a tolerable level of contamination are reviewed alike. Immobilization and enclosure of pollutants are often less expensive than complete remediat ion and, consequently, may grow in significance. We consider the conference of great significance for demonstrating the experiences gained with management and remediation of contaminated sites internationally, among others to avoid mistakes and excessive costs. Two new types of soil contamination became apparent after the end of the cold war. Many military sites, airfields and train ing grorinds are being abandoned. After decades of use, large sections and hot spots of these sites are polluted to a high average level.

These volumes contain the proceedings of the Fifth FZK/TNO Conference on Contaminated Soil. The themes discussed are as follows: 1. National and International Programmes. 2. Site Investigation. 3. Emission and Fate of Contaminants. 4. Characterization of Contaminated Soil. 5. Effects and Risks. 6. Standards and Protocols: Legal, Economic and Social Aspects. 7. Remediation of Contaminated Soil. 8. Sustainable Land Use. 9. Setting Priorities for Remediation Options. 10. Contributions from Workshops and Technical Sessions.

Newly developed and innovative methods are mentioned and outlined so that the book can be used as a source of information for scientists and professionals specialised in the treatment of soils as well as for students in courses of environmental studies. The book offers a short, compressed overview of the important features of this subject and can be used as a reference book of the state of the art. The appendix offers the interested reader a detailed survey of materials, test methods and apparatuses as well as a description of analytical directions and processes.