What is Soil Pollution?
Soil pollution can be defined as "any unwanted
substance which reduces the fertility of the soil and contaminates it, is
called soil pollution.”
What causes Soil Pollution?
Soil pollution is a result of many
activities and experiments done by mankind which end up contaminating the soil.
Here are some of the leading soil pollution causes:
1.Industrial wastes such as harmful gases and chemicals, agricultural pesticides, fertilizers and insecticides are the most common causes of soil pollution.
1.Industrial wastes such as harmful gases and chemicals, agricultural pesticides, fertilizers and insecticides are the most common causes of soil pollution.
2.Ignorance towards soil management
and related systems.
3.Unfavorable and harmful irrigation
practices.
4.Improper septic system and
management and maintenance of the same.
6.Acid rains, when fumes released
from industries get mixed with rains.
7.Fuel leakages from automobiles,
that get washed away due to rain and seep into the nearby soil.
8.Unhealthy waste management
techniques, which are characterized by release of sewage into the large dumping
grounds and nearby streams or rivers.
What are the Effects of Soil
Pollution?
The effects of pollution on soil are quite alarming and can cause huge disturbances in the ecological balance and health of living creatures on earth. Some of the most serious soil pollution effects are:
1.Decrease in soil fertility and therefore decrease in the soil yield. How can one expect contaminated soil to produce healthy crops?
The effects of pollution on soil are quite alarming and can cause huge disturbances in the ecological balance and health of living creatures on earth. Some of the most serious soil pollution effects are:
1.Decrease in soil fertility and therefore decrease in the soil yield. How can one expect contaminated soil to produce healthy crops?
2.Loss of soil and natural nutrients
present in it. Plants also would not thrive in such soil, which would further
result in soil erosion.
3.Disturbance in the balance of
flora and fauna residing in the soil.
4.Increase in salinity of the soil,
which therefore makes it unfit for vegetation, thus making it useless and
barren.
5.Generally crops cannot grow and
flourish in polluted soil. Yet, if some crops manage to grow, they would be
poisonous enough to cause serious health problems in people consuming them.
6.Creation of toxic dust is another
potential effect of soil pollution.
7.Foul smell due to industrial
chemicals and gases might result in headaches, fatigue, nausea, etc., in many
people.
8.Soil pollutants would bring in
alteration in the soil structure, which would lead to death of many essential
organisms in it. This would also affect the larger predators and compel them to
move to other places, once they lose their food supply.
How to Prevent soil Pollution?
1. Promote bio-Fertilizers
2.Promote the use of bio- pesticides & Bio- Fungicides
3.Reduce toxic Wastes
4. Recycle waste
5.Reuse
6. Opt for organic Products
7. Deforestation
