Soil Pollution - Causes, Effects, and Management

Mining activities are one one of the major reasons for destruction of natural vegetation. Vast tracts of land are cleared and exposes the soil to erosion forces. Thus, degrading the area. This is called as mine spoil.

Grasslands provide forage to cattle and support wildlife based on grazing food chain. Grasslands have been put to two types of pressure : overgrazing and conversion. At one time, in the history of human civilization, cattle were reared in large number. The number continues to be high. For example : In arid and semi arid areas of India, the number of grazing animals is 2 to 10 times higher than the grasslands can support. This decreases productivity and quality of grasslands and causes Negative pollution ie reduction in soil productivity due to overuse. Positive soil pollution is reduction in soil productivity  due to addition of undesirable  substances e.g : Agrochemicals, industrial wastes, air pollutants washed down by rain, faulty sanitation etc.

Dumping of discarded particles of old furniture, utensils, glass pieces, ash, aluminium etc which are similar other products which do not get degraded and spoil the quality and profile of soil. 

When the wastes are disposed in the ground, there is leaching of the chemicals from the waste. This results in the soil pollution and contamination of the ground water. The oil and fuel, nuclear wastes and the coal ash are dumped by making pits in the ground. This results in the loss of the fertility and quality of the soil. So, nuclear waste is a source of soil pollution. 

Carbon monoxide is a gas that primarily contributes to air pollution. Pesticides, insecticides, and solid waste (like furniture) are direct contaminants that accumulate in the soil.

When the soil is polluted, there is a decrease in the quality and fertility of the soil. The nutrients which were present in the soil has been lost. This results in a reduction in the number of microbes which were inhabited in the soil. So, when there is a decrease in the level of the microbial flora of the soil, it indicates that the soil has been polluted.

The removal or addition of substances and factors which decrease its productivity, quality of plants and ground water is called as soil pollution, reduction in soil productivity due to the addition of undesirable substances is a positive soil pollution and negative soil pollution is the reduction in soil productivity due to erosion and overuse. The neutral pollution mainly caused due to change in the pH of the soil. Thus, the correct answer is option B.

Soil pollution is caused by the addition of substances and factors which decrease its productivity. When the chemicals from the wastes are released into the soil, there is contamination of the soil. This results in degradation of the soil because there is a loss of fertility of the soil and the nutrient value is reduced. 

Most soils are naturally fertile but to maintain the fertile nature, fertilizers are needed. Green manure and biofertilizers contains range of nutrients in different proportions which are essential for plants.

Artemisia tridentata is an aromatic shrub. It is commonly called as sagebrush. It belongs to the family Asteraceae which grows in arid and semi-arid conditions, throughout a range of cold desert, steppe and mountain habitats in the intermountain West of North America. 

Soil contamination is largely driven by the accumulation of non-biodegradable or toxic materials introduced by human activity, such as industrial waste, plastics, and chemicals.

Acid rain introduces acidic compounds into the soil, which alters its chemical balance (pH) and leaches essential nutrients, thereby negatively affecting soil fertility.

Soil pollution introduces toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and contaminants that hinder root development, nutrient uptake, and overall physiological processes in plants, leading to retarded growth.

Abiotic factors are non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment. Deforestation leads to loss of cover, and soil erosion is the physical removal of topsoil; both are abiotic processes that contribute to soil degradation.

Vehicular, industries, garbage, brick-kilns are some example of man made pollutants. These pollutants are under human control.

The harmful change in the colour, texture, and quality of soil due to addition and removal of any material is called soil pollution. Soil pollution reduces the productivity of the soil. There are several pollutants that cause soil pollution. For example, agricultural wastes, radioactive wastes and discarded materials of hospitals etc. The agricultural waste includes pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, weedicides etc. These are the chemicals that are involved in changing the pH of the soil. For example, repeated use of fertilizers makes the soil acidic which in turn decreases the productivity of the soil. So, the correct option is C.

Fly ash is a byproduct of burning pulverized coal in thermal power plants. It consists of fine particles that are captured from the flue gases.

Biological augmentation or bioaugmentation is the process of addition of bacterial cultures to speed up the rate of degradation of a contaminant. It is also called as biological augmentation.

When the wastes are disposed of in the ground, there is leaching of the chemicals from the waste. This results in the soil pollution and contamination of the groundwater. The oil and fuel, nuclear wastes and the coal ash are dumped by making pits in the ground. This results in the loss of the fertility and quality of the soil. 

Bioremediation means cleaning of the environment of organic chemicals with the help of microbes, plant and animal species. The organisms involved in bioremediation are of two types, hyperaccumulators and detoxifying. Hyperaccumulators are used in bioprospecting and removal of minerals from wastes. The detoxifying agents metabolize the harmful chemicals through various biochemical reactions.

Soil salinity may be due to the presence of soluble salts in the soil water. This causes salt stress. Due to the presence of salts, the rate of absorption of water is decreased. The absorption of the water with salts may cause cell injury because the water is evaporated as transpiration. There is an accumulation of the salts which may result in cell injury. Hence, the plant will prevent the uptake of salt water and there will be a reduction in the water absorption.

Planting windbreaks, practicing contour farming, and reducing impervious surfaces are all established methods for preventing soil erosion and maintaining soil health.

Soil pollution leads to a variety of negative outcomes, including the loss of nutrients (infertility), physical erosion or contamination (degradation), and changes in the chemical and biological composition of the soil.

Soil pollution is caused by the addition of substances and factors which decrease its productivity. It is caused by agrochemicals, industrial wastes, municipal wastes etc. It adversely affects the fertility of the soil. The industrial waste lingers in the soil surface for a long time and makes it unsuitable for use by changing the pH of the soil. Pesticides and herbicides are used in agricultural practices and these chemicals penetrate into the soil and change the pH of the soil, affecting its fertility.

Acid rain is the secondary effect of air pollution. The gases like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide when in high concentration in the air, mix with the air moisture in clouds and form sulphuric and nitric acids. These acids come down to the earth in the form of acid rain-causing much damage to the living organism and buildings. Acid rain pollutes water and soil both. When the rain droplets get mixed with nitrogen and sulfur oxide it causes acid rain. this acid rain when fall on earth reacts with soil because of chemicals present in acid rain, the fertility of particular area gets affected.

Tetanus is caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani, which is commonly found in soil, dust, and manure. Contaminated soil can introduce these bacteria into the body through wounds.

• Paint is any pigmented liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition that, after application to a substrate in a thin layer, converts to a solid film. It is most commonly used to protect, colour, or provide texture to objects.
• Soil pollution is defined as the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or contaminants) in soil, in high enough concentrations to pose a risk to human health and/or the ecosystem.
  
• Paints consist of heavy metal pollutants which when mixed with soil causes soil pollution.
• Hence Paint is the industrial sources of soil pollution.
• So, the correct answer is 'Paints'.

• Soil pollution is defined as the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or contaminants) in soil, in high enough concentrations to pose a risk to human health and/or the ecosystem.
• Sources of soil pollution include Pesticides, Biomedical Wastes, Industrial Wastes, improper disposal of waste, etc.
• So, the correct answer is 'None of the above'.

Agricultural wastes, including excess pesticides, fertilizers, and animal waste, are significant contributors to soil pollution due to their widespread and intensive application on land.

Soil pollution is alteration in soil caused by removal or addition of substances and factors, which decrease its productivity and quality of plants and ground water. Negative soil pollution is reduction in soil productivity due to erosion and over use. Positive soil pollution is reduction in soil productivity due to addition of undesirable substances e.g., agrochemicals, industrial wastes, air pollutants washed down by rain, faulty sanitation etc. Pesticides and fertilisers are the two most important types of agrochemicals.

Solid waste, such as plastics, metals, and chemicals, is primarily dumped on land, leading directly to the contamination of the soil.

Plants require water for the metabolic actions which is absorbed by the roots of the plants. The total water which is poured in the soil is not available to the plants.bThe total water content present in the soil is called hollard. Chresard is 75% of capillary water, water actually available for plants so that they can absorbed for their growth. Echard is remaining water. Therefore, correct relationship between them is Chresard + Echard = Hollard or Chresard = Hollard - echard. Thus, the correct answer is option B.

Introduction of an undesired component in the natural ecosystem is called as pollution. Wastes like plastic, chemicals, industrial effluents etc., causes damage to the natural micro flora of soil. Due to this soil pollution is lead.

Presence of unwanted contaminant in soil is called soil contamination. The deposition of pesticides on fruits and vegetables lead to its accumulation in fatty tissues of the host. This phenomenon is called bio accumulation.

The toxicity of pesticides is affecting the human health due to excessive accumulation of the pesticides in the food. Pesticides mixed with water are non-biodegrable in nature, due to which various water borne diseases are occurring in humans. 

Explanation: Overgrazing, over cropping and or deforestation can lead to desertification the spread of desert like lands due to these human activities accelerating natural erosion of soil.

Presence of unwanted contaminant in soil is called soil contamination. Non-biodegradable chemical pesticides are the largest source of soil pollutant.  organo-chlorides are group of insecticides based on chlorinated hydrocarbons (organochlorines).

The definition provided describes the introduction of harmful substances into the soil, which is the standard definition of soil pollution.

Xenobiotics are the unwanted chemicals or particles of compounds which are found in the regions where generally they are not present. These are the foreign particles like the herbicides, pesticides, agrochemicals like fertilizers, etc. These are the chemicals which might interact with the bacteria and other microorganisms in the soil. This might affect the absorption of nutrients by the plants.

Acidification is characterized by an increase in hydrogen ion concentration (H+), which mathematically corresponds to a decrease in the pH value (since pH is the negative log of H+ concentration).