1. Soil Pollution
Dr Fayaz A Malla
Assistant Professor
Environmental Science
HED, Gov t of J & K
2. WHAT IS
SOIL
• Soil is the thin layer of material covering the
earth’s surface and is formed from the
weathering of rocks. It is made up mainly of
mineral particles, organic materials, air, water and
living organisms—all of which interact slowly yet
constantly.
• Most plants get their nutrients from the soil, and
they are the main source of food for humans,
animals and birds. Therefore, most living things
on land depend on soil for their existence.
• Soil is a valuable resource that needs to be
carefully managed as it is easily damaged, washed
or blown away. If we understand soil and manage
it properly, we will avoid destroying one of the
essential building blocks of our environment and
our food security.
3.
4. CAUSES OF SOIL
POLLUTION
With the rise of concrete buildings and roads, one
part of the Earth that we rarely see is the soil. It
has many different names, such as dirt, mud and
ground. However, it is definitely very important to
us. The plants that feed us grow in soil and keeping
it healthy is essential to maintaining a beautiful
planet. However, like all other forms of nature, soil
also suffers from pollution. The pollution of soil is a
common thing these days, and it happens due to
the presence of man-made elements.
6. Municipal Waste
Disposal
• It includes rubbish, garbage and discarded materials like
bottles, clothes leather, ash etc. from domestic waste
and market waste.
• Hospital waste contains contaminated organic material
chemicals plastic syringes vials etc.
• All these wastes are dumped in certain area and soil gets
severely contaminated and polluted.
• Unhealthy waste management techniques, which are
characterized by release of sewage into the large
dumping grounds and nearby streams or rivers.
• Global production of municipal solid waste was around
1.3 billion tonnes per year in 2012; it is expected to rise
to 2.2 billion tonnes annually by 2025.
7. Accidental Oil and
Chemical Spills
• Oil leaks can happen during storage and
transport of chemicals. This can be seen at most
of the fuel stations. The chemicals present in the
fuel deteriorates the quality of soil and make
them unsuitable for cultivation.
• Production of chemicals grown rapidly in recent
decades and is projected to increase annually by
3.4 percent until 2030. Non-OECD countries will
be much greater contributors in the future.
• In 2015, the European chemical industry
produced 319 million tonnes of chemicals. Of
these, 117 million tonnes (MT) were deemed
hazardous to the environment.
8. Acid Rain
Pollutants present in
the air mixes up with
the rain and fall. The
polluted water could
dissolve away some of
the important
nutrients found in soil
and change the
structure of the soil.
9. Agricultural
Activities
Chemical utilization has gone up tremendously since
technology provided us with modern pesticides and
fertilizers. They are full of chemicals that are not
produced in nature and cannot be broken down by it.
As a result, they seep into the ground after they mix
with water and slowly reduce the fertility of the soil.
Fertilizers are used by farmers to increase the yield of
crops excessive use of fertilizers is harmful to soil as it
destroys the microflora of soil get sanitized due to
increase in concentration of soluble salts
In many world regions, levels of persistent organic
pollutants in human milk are significantly above those
considered safe, with a higher incidence in India and in
some European and African countries.
10. Industrial
Waste
It includes solid waste and
effluents which contain heavy
metals like Nickel, Chromium,
Ammonium, Cadmium and toxic
chemicals like Cyanide, Acids and
alkalies.
They pollute soil as well as water
bodies through leaching and
runoff.
Fly ash produced by coal based
thermal power plants also pollute
nearby soil.
11. Radioactive
waste
• These are radioactive isotopes released from
nuclear testing laboratories nuclear power
plants uranium mines etc.
• They penetrate the soil and persist for long
period of time causing damage to
microorganisms.
• The radioactive matter present in this type of
waste may mix with the components of the soil,
rendering it highly toxic and infertile.
• Furthermore, any plants grown in such soils
may absorb the radiation present in the soil and
accumulate it within the bodies.
• This radiation may make its way up the food
chain when herbivores consume these plants
and carnivores consume those herbivores.
12. Biological Pathogens
• Excreta and dumped material from humans and
animals are major source of soil pollution.
• Manure prepared from garbage sewage sludge
and excreta of livestock also contaminates soil
as it contains large number of pathogens.
• Global manure production increased 66%
between 1961 and 2016, from 73 to 124 MT.
• The volume of manure applied to soils grew
from 18 to 28 MT, and the amount of manure
left on pasture increased from 48 to 86 MT.
• Manure can contain high amounts of heavy
metals, pathogen organisms and antibiotics.
14. Effects of
soil
Pollution
Industrial waste consists of variety of chemicals which increase toxicity of
soil.
Domestic waste becomes a breeding place for several pests which cause
various disease in human beings.
Pesticides adversely affect the useful organisms of soil. This is called
Ecological Backlash.
Fertilizers are useful in increasing the yield of crops but in long run they
reduce the fertility of soil.
Mine dust destroys the vegetation of an area and makes the land barren.
Radiations actively affect soil and its fertility when food containing
radioactive pollutants it is consumed by man, they concentrate in specific
body organs and cause number of diseases
Human excreta including pathogens like enteric bacteria parasitic worms
they are transmitted to man by consumption of vegetables or fruits growing
on these soils or by directly contact with contaminated soil.
15. Effects of
soil
Pollution
In the first decade of the 21st century, soil degradation released between
3.6 and 4.4 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Soil degradation and climate change will have driven between 50 and 700
million people to emigrate by 2050
Soil contamination is one of the main causes that could trigger the sixth
mass extinction event in history — the population of land vertebrates fell by
38 % between 1970 and 2012.
The number of inhabitants in the most arid areas of the earth could account
for 45 % of the world's population in 2050, while world wetland areas have
decreased in size by 87 % over the last three centuries.
Global economic losses caused by soil degradation are expected to exceed
10 % of the world's annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Soil pollutants enter our body through the food chain, causing illnesses to
appear. Moreover, the spread of antibiotics in the environment increases
the pathogens' resistance to these drugs.
Soil degradation affects the quality of air and water, particularly in
developing countries.
16. Loss of soil
and natural
nutrients
present in it
Disturbance in
the balance of
flora and
fauna residing
in the soil
Death of
animals and
plants
Terrible
impact on our
health
17. Control of soil Pollution
Proper legislation
should be passed and
strictly enforced.
Improved agricultural
methods like user
biofertilizers biological
pest control methods
should be encouraged.
Public should be made
aware of harmful
effects of soil pollution.
Transfer stations meant
for temporary storage
of bulk transport of
garbage should be built
at suitable places.
Cow dunk, human
excreta and agricultural
waste can be mixed and
used for production of
biogas.
Use a plastic and
polythene should be
minimized.
Waste products like ash
should be used for
making bricks and
lightweight cement.
Crop rotation should be
encouraged to revive
depleted nutrients.
Grasses that absorb
toxic elements like lead
and cadmium should be
grown.
Proper sanitation
facilities should be
provided.
