Essay on soil pollution

Essay on soil pollution

Best Soil Pollution Essay For Kids,Causes of Soil Pollution

WebSoil pollution is the contamination of soils with chemicals, metals, or other harmful substances. These substances can come from various sources such as industrial WebEssay on Soil Pollution: The process by which soil gets contaminated by toxic chemicals and pollutants in rich concentrations, thereby affecting the ecosystem WebSoil pollution exerts irreversible and irreparable effects on the environment and its habitats. 1. Quality of soil gets reduced 2. Quality of crops grown becomes inferior 3. Affects WebJan 19,  · The leading cause of soil pollution is human activity. For a long time, humans have gradually polluted the soil more so after the industrial revolution. This is WebSoil containing toxins, high levels of sand, or coarse-textured soil is considered unhealthy and prostrate to erosion by water. Growing crops that are autochthonal to the region will ... read more

These activities include the improper storage and disposal of pesticides and fertilisers and the use of harmful chemicals for manufacturing processes. As the careless use of these chemicals affects soil quality, it will eventually lead to a shortage in food production. Soil pollution essay in English helps understand the reasons for soil pollution. Waste disposal sites or factories near rivers or streams also often cause soil pollution because they release pollutants into surface water leading to water pollution. Another common cause of soil pollution is dumping trash. This can include anything from household garbage to industrial and medical waste. The toxins in these materials can leach into the soil and contaminate it; this means that any plants grown in that soil will also be tainted.

Some chemicals are even known to cause cancer or other diseases. Pollution from toxic waste such as metal smelting, chemical manufacturing, and oil refining can also harm soil quality. After understanding the causes of soil pollution, let us know the adverse effects by reading the soil pollution essay. Harmful substances disposed of in water can leach into the soil and contaminate nearby water sources. One of the negative effects of soil pollution is that it can be challenging to grow plants in areas where the soil is contaminated. Without plants, rainwater will flood. Soil pollution has detrimental effects on our environment, but it is hard to see the accumulation of pollutants and how severe the damage is.

Soil can act as a sink that soaks up contaminants such as pesticides and heavy metals. However, soil can take in only a limited amount of these substances, at which point they are no longer absorbed into the ground and start to build up in the atmosphere. This will eventually lead to the contamination of air, water, and food supplies. Soil pollution is a global issue and is a problem that affects everyone. The most important things to do are to stop using pesticides and herbicides, take care of your plants, use organic fertilisers and compost, avoid spreading trash or hazardous materials in the park , and limit chemical fertilisers. Sewage from cities and factory waste can contaminate the soil. One way to reduce this is to use a two-chamber septic tank.

To conclude, we must join hands in preventing soil pollution. Three significant causes of soil pollution are incorrect waste disposal, oil spills and industrial activities. Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Request OTP on Voice Call. into the soil. This becomes a major soil pollution challenge. An example is the Chernobyl nuclear accident, which caused the death of many plants, animals, and people in the surrounding areas. The presence of nuclear material in the soil has a chain effect as the waste is absorbed by the plants which are eaten by animals such as cows which are in turn consumed by people. Through studying the topic, the public will be enlightened on the effects of using sources that pollute the environment and initiate a campaign to invent safer and more environment-friendly sources of energy.

As the world experiences a burst in population, the demand for food also increases exponentially. This causes pressure on the already dwindling agricultural areas to cater for this high demand. Therefore, it is a requirement to produce more on a smaller scale, and the option is genetically modified food as well as the use of chemical pesticides. According to NaturalNews , genetically modified foods degrade and deplete soils of vital minerals and beneficial bacteria, which protect crops from pests, viruses, and other harmful elements. Besides, it has been found out that genetically modified foods require more herbicides and pesticides, which contaminate the soil and damage other natural plants.

Another major cause of soil pollution is the disposal of non-biodegradable waste such as plastic bags and electronics. In many countries, waste is deposited into landfills or deposited on the seabed. Most of these materials do not decay; therefore, soil continuously accumulates corrupting elements. In some developing countries, there are no proper channels for waste disposal thus dumping carelessly everywhere results to polluting the soil. There has been some advancement in. this sector as some countries have banned the use of plastic bags. In some countries, adoption of plastic bags that are biodegradable has been advocated.

If we are to find a way forward, we have to look back and see where we have gone wrong as well as the measures we can take to tackle this issue of soil pollution. According to Uberoi , if we do not mitigate the effects of soil pollution we might end up with a serious pandemic as food supplies dwindle and agriculture becomes unsustainable. This will directly affect us as worldwide starvation becomes a reality and this, in turn, might lead to conflicts over scarce resources. Some nations are taking up measures to fight pollution with international treaties being put in place to curb waste disposal and reduce waste emissions. It is also important to study soil pollution to find the best way to contain the impact in case of accidents like oil spills and engage in research in the best practices to reverse already polluted lands to make them productive again.

In conclusion, since the earliest days of mankind, we have been polluting our environment by disposing of waste without caring about its effect. As our population increased with technological advancement more forms of waste products appeared that were harmful not only to the environment but also directly to humans. The occurrence of many diseases is on the increase as we absorb many of these pollutants into our bodies. According to Merian and Nu? rnberg , an increase in carcinogenic materials in the soil has increased the number of cancer victims in the world making it one of the leading causes. of death. Some nonreversible defects have also been observed. It is, therefore, prudent for humans to come up with ways to reduce the amount of soil pollution occurring and try and reverse some of that which has already occurred.

The soil is life. Therefore, its pollution also indirectly affects other areas such as water and the air as the pollutants leak into the waterways and some through vaporization into the atmosphere we inhale it. By continuing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. Home Page Environment Pollution Environment Pollution Soil Pollution Essay. Available Only on StudyHippo. Environment Pollution , Soil. Pages: 5 words Published: January 19, View Entire Sample Download Sample. Text preview. Introduction The leading cause of soil pollution is human activity. The essence of studying this topic and uncovering the measures to reduce pollution is to eradicate many health issues a nd keep the planet safe for future generations.

View entire sample Join StudyHippo to see entire essay. References Markham, A. A brief history of pollution. New York: St. Martin's Press. NaturalNews,

The organic portion, which is derived from the decayed remains of plants and animals, is concentrated in the dark uppermost topsoil. The inorganic portion made up of rock fragments, was formed over thousands of years by physical and chemical weathering of bedrock. Productive soils are necessary for agriculture to supply the world with sufficient food. A soil pollutant is any factor which deteriorates the quality, texture and mineral content of the soil or which disturbs the biological balance of the organisms in the soil. Pollution in soil has adverse effect on plant growth. The introduction of substances, biological organisms, or energy into the soil, resulting in a change of the soil quality, which is likely to affect the normal use of the soil or endangering public health and the living environment.

Soil contaminants are spilled onto the surface through many different activities. Most of these are the result of accidents involving the vehicles that are transporting waste material from site of origin to a disposal site. Soil pollution is particularly dangerous for the environment and our health because soil, either in the mountains and in the plains, contains the largest part of the water we drink and produces all the food we need. There are many types of soil pollution, each one with its own features and preventive measures to avoid disasters. CAUSES OF SOIL POLLUTION Indiscriminate use of fertilizers Soil nutrients are important for plant growth and development. Plants obtain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen from air and water. But other necessary nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur and more must be obtained from the soil.

Farmers generally use fertilizers to correct soil deficiencies. Fertilizers contaminate the soil with impurities, which come from the raw materials used for their manufacture. Mixed fertilizers often contain ammonium nitrate NH4NO3 , phosphorus as P2O5, and potassium as K2O. For instance, As, Pb and Cd present in traces in rock phosphate mineral get transferred to super phosphate fertilizer. Since the metals are not degradable, their accumulation in the soil above their toxic levels due to excessive use of phosphate fertilizers, becomes an indestructible poison for crops. The over use of NPK fertilizers reduce quantity of vegetables and crops grown on soil over the years.

It also reduces the protein content of wheat, maize, grams, etc. The carbohydrate quality of such crops also gets degraded. Excess potassium content in soil decreases Vitamin C and carotene content in vegetables and fruits. The vegetables and fruits grown on over-fertilized soil are more prone to attacks by insects and disease. Indiscriminate use of pesticides, insecticides and herbicides Plants on which we depend for food are under attack from insects, fungi, bacteria, viruses, rodents and other animals, and must compete with weeds for nutrients. To kill unwanted populations living in or on their crops, farmers use pesticides. The first widespread insecticide use began at the end of World War II and included DDT dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and gammaxene.

Insects soon became resistant to DDT and as the chemical did not decompose readily, it persisted in the environment. Since it was soluble in fat rather than water, it biomagnified up the food chain and disrupted calcium metabolism in birds, causing eggshells to be thin and fragile. As a result, large birds of prey such as the brown pelican, ospreys, falcons and eagles became endangered. DDT has been now been banned in most western countries. Ironically many of them including USA, still produce DDT for export to other developing nations whose needs outweigh the problems caused by it. The most important pesticides are DDT, BHC, chlorinated hydrocarbons, organophosphates, aldrin, malathion, dieldrin, furodan, etc.

The remnants of such pesticides used on pests may get adsorbed by the soil particles, which then contaminate root crops grown in that soil. The consumption of such crops causes the pesticides remnants to enter human biological systems, affecting them adversely. An infamous herbicide used as a defoliant in the Vietnam War called Agent Orange dioxin , was eventually banned. Pesticides not only bring toxic effect on human and animals but also decrease the fertility of the soil. Some of the pesticides are quite stable and their bio- degradation may take weeks and even months.

Pesticide problems such as resistance, resurgence, and heath effects have caused scientists to seek alternatives. Pheromones and hormones to attract or repel insects and using natural enemies or sterilization by radiation have been suggested. Today, agriculture has become an industry, named intensive farming, that produces more on quantity than on quality to maximize profits. So, a huge of pesticides is used to fight parasite insects, moulds and herbs that can destroy part of all our crops. The problem is that the residues of these pesticides are toxic for human beings when present in the vegetable products we consume and when they remain and accumulate in the soil. Here, pesticides can be absorbed by the following crops or be carried by rains to the nearest rivers and to ground-waters.

Ground-waters pollution is particularly dangerous for the water we drink, coming from wells and natural sources of the areas where pesticides are used, given that pesticides, after reaching the deep layers of the soil and the ground-waters, are protected from the oxidation by the air and are more persistent. To give an example, in Italy one of the most developed farming Countries of Europe, the herbicides pollution in the soil has reached worrying levels: from a monitoring campaign about pesticides made by the APAT public authority in the period , there were different pesticides detected as pollutants; of them were found in superficial waters and 48 in ground-waters. In addition, intensive farming tends to deplete the soil of its mineral content and against this, it uses artificial fertilizers containing phosphorus and nitrogen.

Also this is pollution because the soil is exploited too much and changes its features. To remedy against a situation like this, the only solution is a definitive and massive conversion of all cultures to organic farming. Pollution from solid wastes In general, solid waste includes garbage, domestic refuse and discarded solid materials such as those from commercial, industrial and agricultural operations. They contain increasing amounts of paper, cardboards, plastics, glass, old construction material, packaging material and toxic or otherwise hazardous substances.

Since a significant amount of urban solid waste tends to be paper and food waste, the majority is recyclable or biodegradable in landfills. Similarly, most agricultural waste is recycled and mining waste is left on site. The portion of solid waste that is hazardous such as oils, battery metals, heavy metals from smelting industries and organic solvents are the ones we have to pay particular attention to. These can in the long run, get deposited to the soils of the surrounding area and pollute them by altering their chemical and biological properties. They also contaminate drinking water aquifer sources. Solid Waste disposal was brought to the forefront of public attention by the notorious Love Canal case in USA in Toxic chemicals leached from oozing storage drums into the soil underneath homes, causing an unusually large number of birth defects, cancers and respiratory, nervous and kidney diseases.

Deforestation Soil Erosion occurs when the weathered soil particles are dislodged and carried away by wind or water. Deforestation, agricultural development, temperature extremes, precipitation including acid rain, and human activities contribute to this erosion. Humans speed up this process by construction, mining, cutting of timber, over cropping and overgrazing. It results in floods and cause soil erosion. Forests and grasslands are an excellent binding material that keeps the soil intact and healthy. They support many habitats and ecosystems, which provide innumerable feeding pathways or food chains to all species. Their loss would threaten food chains and the survival of many species. During the past few years quite a lot of vast green land has been converted into deserts.

The precious rain forest habitats of South America, tropical Asia and Africa are coming under pressure of population growth and development especially timber, construction and agriculture. Many scientists believe that a wealth of medicinal substances including a cure for cancer and aids, lie in these forests. Deforestation is slowly destroying the most productive flora and fauna areas in the world, which also form vast tracts of a very valuable sink for CO2. Pollution from industrial wastes This pollution can be very massive in certain areas, where the industries discharge their wastes and really great is the variety of pollutants: heavy metals compounds, asbestos, organic compounds of all types oils, solvents, colorants, detergents, phenols , slurries containing residues of all types.

These wastes are released legally but, more frequently, illegally in not controlled sites of the territory, buried in very precarious manners, in containers unable to resist to corrosion, to save money. The bio-degradation of these compounds is very difficult in the soil and the liquid, solid or soluble compounds can easily reach rivers, canals and ground-waters at concentration levels, locally, much higher than those found for pesticides. These toxic substances are absorbed by spontaneous and cultivated vegetation and eaten by bred animals, whose milk and meat is eaten by man, or directly consumed by people.

The results are a higher occurrence of cancer, allergies, liver diseases, sterility and so on. The possible defence against this kind of pollution is possible with more severe laws and controls against industrial pollution. The whole chain of treatment for industrial wastes should be more strictly controlled by our sanitary and environmental authorities to impose all the useful treatments to make pollutants inert for what is possible and repress abuses. Pollution from Urban wastes. These wastes include a wet and fermentable fraction, made of food residuals from houses, restaurants and food industries, paper and plastic-ware from packages, wood, metals and so on and are still abandoned in open-air discharges in many Countries like, once again, my poor Italy.

In Campania, the plain around Naples and Caserta is full of many little and large clandestine discharges. These are owned and managed by the local mafia and collect illegally urban wastes and even the industrial ones from the factories of the North Italy, really happy for this service. Plants, soil, and microbes in the soil work together to determine which metals and nutrients plants take up from the soil. Some plants excrete a variety of different chemicals into the soil, some of which act as signals to soil organisms. The challenge is to find out how plants release these chemicals and how these chemicals interact with microbes and soil. Eventually scientists may be able to induce plants to release the chemicals that immobilize wastes in the soil.

Reducing chemical fertilizer and pesticide use Applying bio-fertilizers and manures can reduce chemical fertilizer and pesticide use. Biological methods of pest control can also reduce the use of pesticides and thereby minimize soil pollution. Reusing of materials Materials such as glass containers, plastic bags, paper, cloth etc. can be reused at domestic levels rather than being disposed, reducing solid waste pollution. Recycling and recovery of materials This is a reasonable solution for reducing soil pollution. Materials such as paper, some kinds of plastics and glass can and are being recycled. This decreases the volume of refuse and helps in the conservation of natural resources. For example, recovery of one tonne of paper can save 17 trees. Reforesting Control of land loss and soil erosion can be attempted through restoring forest and grass cover to check wastelands, soil erosion and floods.

Crop rotation or mixed cropping can improve the fertility of the land. Solid waste treatment Proper methods should be adopted for management of solid waste disposal. Industrial wastes can be treated physically, chemically and biologically until they are less hazardous. Acidic and alkaline wastes should be first neutralized; the insoluble material if biodegradable should be allowed to degrade under controlled conditions before being disposed. As a last resort, new areas for storage of hazardous waste should be investigated such as deep well injection and more secure landfills. Burying the waste in locations situated away from residential areas is the simplest and most widely used technique of solid waste management.

Environmental and aesthetic considerations must be taken into consideration before selecting the dumping sites.

Essay on Soil Pollution,Start Your WordPress Blog

WebEssay on Soil Pollution: The process by which soil gets contaminated by toxic chemicals and pollutants in rich concentrations, thereby affecting the ecosystem WebSoil pollution exerts irreversible and irreparable effects on the environment and its habitats. 1. Quality of soil gets reduced 2. Quality of crops grown becomes inferior 3. Affects WebSoil containing toxins, high levels of sand, or coarse-textured soil is considered unhealthy and prostrate to erosion by water. Growing crops that are autochthonal to the region will WebFeb 17,  · Soil pollution is particularly dangerous for the environment and our health because soil, either in the mountains and in the plains, contains the largest part of the WebJan 19,  · The leading cause of soil pollution is human activity. For a long time, humans have gradually polluted the soil more so after the industrial revolution. This is WebSoil pollution is the contamination of soils with chemicals, metals, or other harmful substances. These substances can come from various sources such as industrial ... read more

Get help with your paper. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". All these contaminations in the soil are eventually transformed into the crops, plants and other products we cultivate on the land. They gradually suck away all the goodness in the soil which results in the destruction and causes soil pollution. It was a great development for people, but it caused a majority of problems for man and the environment. As our population increased with technological advancement more forms of waste products appeared that were harmful not only to the environment but also directly to humans. Furthermore, different contaminants get into the soil from the environment, for example with precipitation water, and by wind movement or different sorts of soil unsettling influences, and from surface water bodies and shallow groundwater moving through the dirt.

Just talk to our essay on soil pollution assistant Amy and she'll connect you with the best match. The bio-degradation of these compounds is very difficult in the soil and the liquid, solid or soluble compounds can easily reach rivers, canals and ground-waters at concentration levels, locally, much higher than those found for pesticides. The major causes of the pollution of soil are forest fires, soil erosion that is excessive, pesticides herbicides and insecticideschemical fertilizers, biocides, deforestation, over irrigation, water logging, water irrigation that is untreated, essay on soil pollution, drought, leaching, industrial and urban waste, etc. Get your paper price experts online. This may take long time to react but it is safe for the crops as well as for the soil. Pollution in soil has adverse effect on plant growth. Eventually scientists may be able to induce plants to release the chemicals that immobilize wastes in the soil.