noun
- the process by which soluble substances are washed out of soil, rock, or other material by the action of percolating liquid
Usage: often used in environmental science and agriculture
verb
- to remove soluble substances from soil, rock, or other material by the action of percolating liquid
Usage: present participle of ‘leach’
Examples
- Heavy rainfall caused leaching of nutrients from the topsoil.
- The mining company was concerned about acid leaching into groundwater.
- Fertilizers can be lost through leaching during the rainy season.
- The chemist studied the leaching of minerals from rock samples.
- Water is slowly leaching salt from the soil.
- Leaching of pesticides poses a threat to water quality.
- The process involves leaching copper from low-grade ore.