Tag: sources of waste

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.

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.