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Lands of industrial regions are often subjected to long-term contamination with heavy metals such as cadmium, zinc, lead, copper etc. Heavy metals circulate mostly due to water flows, and in the areas with humid (micro) climate, the heavy metal pollution propagates from sources with increased intensity because of acidic environment and soil water logging. We established that natural or artificial drainage effectively increases the washout of heavy metal pollutants due to subsurface and groundwater flows. As a result, soils of drained lands are less subjected to long-term contamination by heavy metals. We introduce the eco-centric approach to land regulation policy in industrialized regions, which stimulates the development of drainage systems and the accurate usage of lands with high natural drainage level. The approach accounts for cost-benefit balance and allows preventing systemic environmental problems.
