There is a need to make stringent rules for reducing soil pollution and preventing it completely. Soil is an important natural resource on Earth that is essential to run the life of humankind and animals by producing vegetation, grains and other natural substances required for food and living. The garbage from the factories should be sent to the purifying plants first and they should be immersed only after proper treatment. When the soil of an area is contaminated, it leads to soil pollutionor land degradation. Leakage from pipes being used to transmit oil to the refining plants by the tanks being made for underground oil storage. The word xenobiotic is derived from two Greek words “Xenos” which means foreigner and “bios” meaning life. 1. Soil pollution also spreads through polluted water absorbed by the soil. The far-reaching consequences of soil pollution can be so dangerous that the very future of human civilization is at stake. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air; provide oxygen for humans and other organisms. Chemical compost used in agricultural work, litter and dirt also badly pollute the soil. Another manner in which this type of soil pollution can occur is via the transportation of soil pollutants with precipitation water. Cadmium, chromium, copper, pesticide, chemical fertilizer, weed, toxic gases etc. What is soil? Types of Soil Pollution Leaching and groundwater poisoning When the chemical accumulates in the soil, depending on the solubility of the water and the composition of the soil, it spreads through the groundwater, causing its pollution. Toxic chemicals enter the diet chain, so that they reach the top consumer. Due to chemical fertilizers and bio-chemical chemicals, an imbalance in the entire ecosystem is created. Industrial wastes 2. About 1000 square miles of land in Tacoma, Washington had been polluted in minutes due to airborne pollutants falling on the ground; hence the incident is cited as a grave instance of soil pollution. These are pesticides and … Air Pollution: Air is perhaps the most vital element required for our survival. The contamination or degradation of soils impacts heavily on the health of plants. It causes harmful effect on the soil and the environment at large. There are many factors responsible for soil pollution such as chemical substances and insecticides, oil spills, landfill dumps and industrial waste etc. Harmful chemicals present in the air pour down as acids in the form of rain and contribute to raising the soil pollution to dangerous levels. A soil is polluted when it contains an abnormal concentration of chemical compounds potentially dangerous to human health, plants or animals. Soil Pollution: Among the many other types of pollution, soil pollution or land pollution is the next … Passionate about journalism and the other areas of communications, he has extensively written on a wide range of topics and issues for India’s leading publications. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', window._taboola = window._taboola || []; Any undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological properties of the soil, which is harmful to environment, living organisms and plants, is called ‘soil pollution’. In addition to the soil, humans and animals living around these landfill sites are greatly harmed. google_ad_slot = "1982849078"; Any soil pollution introduction must describe the different types of soil pollution. In commercial agriculture, insecticides are being used indiscriminately and inorganic chemical fertilizers are also being used day by day. The contribution of land is to organize the water cycle, nitrogen cycle, energy cycle etc. According to an estimate, about 47 percent of the total area of India is cultivated on agriculture, of which approximately 56-57 percent of the fertile strength has decreased. In these residues, radiation elements such as strontium, cadmium, uranium, ladders are found, which affect the vitality and fertility of the land. The causes of pollution are not just limited to fossil fuels and carbons emissions. Earlier where average four bags of urea were used in the fields, now 10 bags are being used. //-->. Materials such as ash, lime and bio-solids can leave the soil contaminated over the long term. As a result, heavy metals are mixed in soil, turning it toxic. NY pizza chain sues town for pollution caused by leaking. For example, certain contaminants may reach groundwater sources more easily in sand than clay. By polluting the soil, in a way, we are destroying the foundation of the food chain. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});