Tag: soil pollution and its effects

A large number of heavy metal such as radium and thorium gets accumulated in the soil in the areas having metal smelting industries. These heavy metals decrease the fertility of soil.

Soil erosion is a phenomenon in which soil of an area eroded due to deforestation, over-grazing, unplanned irrigation, etc., decrease the fertility of soil.

Domestic waste particularly non-biodegradable substances such as polyethene which is used in regular household activities. and dumped.

Bio-pesticides should be used in place of toxic chemical pesticides. Organic fertilizers should be used in place of synthesized chemical fertilizers.
Ex: Organic wastes in animal dung may be used to prepare compost manure instead of throwing them wastefully and polluting the soil.

Pesticides are synthetic toxic chemicals such as DDT, Alderin, Dieldrin etc. and their repeated use makes pests resistant to that group of pesticides, thus making pesticides ineffective.

High water holding capacity is in clayey soil due to the small size of the particles; they have a much larger area.

Soil contamination or soil pollution as part of land degradation is caused by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. It is typically caused by industrial activity, agricultural chemicals, or improper disposal of waste. Soil pollution can be caused by the following (non-exhaustive list):

1. Oil drilling
2. Mining and activities by other heavy industries
3. Thermal power plant
4. Accidental spills as may happen during activities, etc.
5. Corrosion of underground storage tanks (including piping used to transmit the contents)
6. Acid rain (in turn caused by air pollution)
7. Intensive farming
8. Agroindustries and chemicals, such as pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers
9. Industrial accidents
10. Road debris
11. Drainage of contaminated surface water into the soil
12. Waste disposal

Soil erosion is a naturally occurring process that affects all landforms. In agriculture, soil erosion refers to the wearing away of a field's topsoil by the natural physical forces of water and wind or through forces associated with farming activities such as tillage. It reduces the quality of soil.

Every human produces a certain amount of personal waste products by way or urine and feces. While much of it moves into the sewer the system, there is also a large amount that is dumped directly into landfills in the form of diapers. Even the sewer system ends at the landfill, where the biological waste pollutes the soil.

Radioactive wastes discharged from research centers, hospitals and industries involving uranium refining, etc., also cause soil pollution.