Land pollution occurs when undesirable matter is added to land, damaging organisms and reducing land use. Several billion tons of waste are produced yearly from agricultural, commercial, industrial and domestic sources. If improperly disposed of, household and industrial wastes can contaminate soil and water. Soil is made up of minerals, organic matter, water and air and supports plant growth by providing nutrients. Factors like soil composition and structure determine how fast pollutants move through soil. Improper waste disposal and use of fertilizers and pesticides are leading causes of land pollution. Bioremediation uses microorganisms to break down toxic chemicals in soil and render land non-hazardous.

1. Land Pollution
By roll no.1236 to1240
First year batch no.b2 
Land pollution=soil
pollution

2. Land pollution is the addition of undesirable
matter to the land that damage the terrestrial
organisms, reduce the uses of the land by
man for agricultural, residential, recreational
or other purposes or increase the risk of
health hazards to man.

3. Land Pollution Overview

Historically, land is a dumping ground for
waste

6 billion tons of waste produced each year
− Agricultural
− Commercial
− Industrial
− Domestic

Normally, not a problem if disposed of
properly

4. If Improperly Disposed of:

Household wastes – breeding ground for rats, flies, mosquitoes

One quart used motor oil – contaminates 100,000’s gallons of
drinking water

Leachate – liquid that results when water moves through any non-
water media and collects contaminants

5. Soils

Land = earth = soil

Soil is critical to life
− Plants get nutrients from soil
− Animals get nutrients from plants

6. Soil

Four major components
− Mineral particles (rocks and clays)
− Organic matter
− Water
− Air

Soils vary in different aspects
− Color
− Thickness
− Layers
− Amount of clay, salt, & organic matter

7. Soil

Factors affecting how fast pollutants move
through soil
− Soil composition
− Soil structure
− Pore sizes
− Amount of organic matter

All = Soil profile

8. Image: www.lee-county.com

O Horizon –
Organic matter

A Horizon – Top
soil

B Horizon –
Subsoil

C Horizon –
Parent Material

9. Land Usage
Land use-Land use- is the human use of land. Land use and landis the human use of land. Land use and land
management practices have a big impact on naturalmanagement practices have a big impact on natural
resources such as water,soil,nutrients, plants and animals.resources such as water,soil,nutrients, plants and animals.

10. Land Pollution
• plastic bottles/containers, cans, and gas powered
vehicles are bad for the environment.
• landfills are the worst for the environment because
they are holes in the ground where the waste is
placed.

11. How Do We Use Our Land Today?
We use our land today for several things such as:
Farming, Mining, Recreation, Highways, Building Cities.
- When land is being used for houses, industries, roads, and businesses it is known as urban land.
- Rural land is an area of few people and large open spaces of land. When land is being used for graze
livestock and wildlife, it is known as range land.
- We use land in three major ways; woods in forests, crops in farm, and mineral resources! Weather
people live in rural or urban cities, we all depend on resources that are being produced in the rural areas.
-Resources being produced by natural and
artificial ecosystems is known as ecosystem
services.
-Ecosystem Services:
-aesthetic beauty - purification of water & air
-regulation of climate -prevention of flood/drought
-movement and cycling of nutrients
-maintenance of biodiversity -detox wastes
-decompose wastes

12. Primary Land-Use
- Rangeland- land used to graze livestock and wildlife
- Forestland- land used for harvesting wood, wildlife,
fish, nuts, and other resources
- Cropand- land used to grow plants for food and fiber
- Parks and Preserves- land used for recreation and
scenic enjoyment and for preserving native animal and
plant communities and ecosystems
- Wetlands, mountains, deserts etc- land that is difficult
to use for human purpose
- Urbanland- land used for houses, businesses,
industry and roads.

13. The issue with land pollution
• The issue with landa pollution is that chemicals for the
waste is getting into the ground
• When that happens the ground water gets
contaminated
• The pollution then gets into the soil and eventually
gets in to the air.
• If waste gets in the water it will make it unsafe to use
or drink, and if consumed there could be possible
health problems.
• When the air gets polluted it is also a bad issue
because it can turn into something called acid rain,
acid rain is rain that is very acidic due to pollutants in
cloud water.

14. Renewable Resources
To cut back on the use of fossil fuels,
several renewable resources can be utilized,
such as:
• Wind power, which is collected by large turbines that
spin from the wind and create electricity that can
power homes and businesses. This has the added
benefit of producing nearly zero emissions.
• Solar power, which is collected by photovoltaic
panels, or pv panels for short.
• Hydroelectric power, which collects energy from
running water or waves. This is arguably the best
clean energy, because a relatively small contraption
can produce a large energy output.

15. Cons to Raenewable Resources
Despite being cleaner than collecting coal or other
nonrenewable resources, there are some cons to consider when
building a clean energy site.
• Wind power: In order to collect enough power for commercial
use, the turbines used have to be several hundred feet tall,
and have massive spinning blades, which use a lot of space.
These can pose a problem for flying animals.
• Solar power: The cells that make up the panel are relatively
fragile, and must be protected with a glass covering. Another
problem for the average consumer is that they are very
expensive.
• Hydroelectric power: May be quite noisy, and the parts that
enter the water may be hazardous for fish.

16. Solutions for Land Pollution
• Disposing waste correctly.
• We can separate household waste at home.
• Recycling, Re-use and Reduce.
• Organic waste can be recycled by composting.
• Do not litter.
• Use biodegradable items
• Organic Gardens can help lower the amount of
waste sent to landfills.
• Set up household systems to help separate their
waste products.

17. CAUSES OF SOIL DEGRADATION
• Soil erosion/degradation is the loss of top soil erodes
fertility of soil & reduces its water-holding capacity.
• Excessive farming, construction, overgrazing, burning
of grass cover and deforestation
• Excess salts and water (Salinization)
• Excessive use of fertilizers & pesticides
• Solid waste
:

18. First effect of pollutants

Washed away: might accumulates somewhere

Evaporate: can be a source of air pollution

Infiltrate through the unsaturated soil to the groundwater
• DDT: fat soluble, stored in fatty tissues
− Interferes with calcium metabolism
− Results in thin egg shells in birds
• Agent orange: code name for one of the herbicides and defoliants
(results in leaf fall) used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal
warfare program, During the Vietnam War, between 1962 and 1971, the
United States military sprayed 20,000,000 US gallons (80,000,000 L) of
chemical herbicides and defoliants in Vietnam
− anti fertility, skin problems, cancer

19. Control of soil pollution
• Use of pesticides and fertilizers should be minimized.
• Cropping techniques should be improved to prevent
growth of weeds.
• Special pits should be selected for dumping wastes.
• Controlled grazing and forest management.
• Wind breaks and wind shield in areas exposed to wind
erosion
• Afforestation and reforestation.

3 Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle
19

20. Information needed to clean up materials added to soil
Kind of material-organic or inorganic- is the material
biodegradable/ dangerous to animals & humans
 How much material was added to the soil, will it overload the
organisms in the soil
C:N ratio of the pollutant material
Nature of soil: will the soil be able to handle the material before
groundwater is contaminated
Growing conditions for the soil organisms: - is it too cold, too
wet etc.
How long the material has been on site: is there evidence of
environmental problems, is it undergoing decomposition.
Immediate danger to people & environment: Urgency of the
situation.

21. Bioremediation

The use of naturally occuring microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi &
plants to break down or degrade toxic chemical compounds that have
accumulated in the environment
• It is a method that treats the soils and renders them non-hazardous, thus
eliminating any future liability that may result from landfill problems or
violations.

22. Types of In Bioremediation

Biostimulation: To stimulate the activity of microorganisms
by adding nutrients and electron acceptors (e.g. O2)

Bioventing: Injecting air through soil to stimulate microbe
growth in unsaturated zone

Biosparging: Injection of air/nutrients into unsaturated and
saturated zones

Bioaugmentation: inoculation of soil with microbes or
adding exogenous microbes to the subsurface

23. Types of In Bioremediation

Biostimulation: To stimulate the activity of microorganisms
by adding nutrients and electron acceptors (e.g. O2)

Bioventing: Injecting air through soil to stimulate microbe
growth in unsaturated zone

Biosparging: Injection of air/nutrients into unsaturated and
saturated zones

Bioaugmentation: inoculation of soil with microbes or
adding exogenous microbes to the subsurface

25. Leakages from sanitary sewage.
Acid rains, when fumes released from industries get mixed with rains.
Fuel leakages from automobiles, that get washed away due to rain and
seep into the nearby soil.
Unhealthy waste management techniques, which are characterized by release
of sewage into the large dumping grounds and nearby streams or rivers.

26. Soil pollution is a result of many activities and experiments done by
mankind and some of the leading soil pollution causes are discussed below.
Industrial wastes, such as harmful gases and chemicals, agricultural pesticides
, fertilizers and insecticides are the most important causes of soil pollution.
Ignorance towards soil management and related systems.
Unfavorable and harmful irrigation practices.
Improper septic system and management and maintenance of the same.
Leakages from sanitary sewage.
Acid rains, when fumes released from industries get mixed with rains.
Fuel leakages from automobiles, that get washed away due to rain and
seep into the nearby soil.
Unhealthy waste management techniques, which are characterized by release
of sewage into the large dumping grounds and nearby streams or rivers.

27. ?
.
Industrial wastes, such as harmful gases and chemicals, agricultural pesticides
, fertilizers and insecticides are the most important causes of soil pollution.
Ignorance towards soil management and related systems.
Unfavorable and harmful irrigation practices.
Improper septic system and management and maintenance of the same.

28. The effects of pollution on soil are quite alarming and can cause huge disturbances
in the ecological balance and health of living creatures on earth.
Some of the most serious soil pollution effects are mentioned below.
Decrease in soil fertility and therefore decrease in the soil yield. Definitely
, how can one expect a contaminated soil to produce healthy crops?
Loss of soil and natural nutrients present in it. Plants also would not
thrive in such a soil, which would further result in soil erosion.

29. Disturbance in the balance of flora and fauna residing in the soil.
Increase in salinity of the soil, which therefore makes it unfit for vegetation,
thus making it useless and barren.
Generally crops cannot grow and flourish in a polluted soil. Yet if some crops
manage to grow, then those would be poisonous enough to cause serious
health problems in people consuming them.

30. Creation of toxic dust leading is another potential effect of soil pollution.
Foul smell due to industrial chemicals and gases might result in headaches
fatigue, nausea, etc. in many people.
Soil pollutants would bring in alteration in the soil structure, which would lead
to death of many essential organisms in it. This would also affect the larger
predators and compel them to move to other places, once they lose their
food supply.

31. Soil pollution has many sources, from agriculture to industry to
human activity. Polluted soils affect harm life and, in turn,
wildlife. Depending upon the polluting agent, pollutants can
persist in the environment. Solutions, therefore, involve not
just removing a source of pollution but also cleaning up and
restoring the polluted area. Adding to the complexity of soil
pollution is nonpoint source pollution (NSP), which enters the
environment through runoff. Take any action at your disposal
to reduce soil pollution, as you may not always find a
clearly defined source.

32. Reduce Waste
Consider the amount of needlessly generated waste.
According to the Clean Air Council, almost one-third
of the waste in the U.S. comes from packaging, with
an additional five million tons generated during the
holiday season. Chemicals used in paper
manufacturing can end up in the soil. Choose wisely
when shopping; avoid purchasing products with
excessive packaging. Reuse holiday wrap, or cut
down on the amount you use.

33. Agriculture Best Practices
The EPA has identified agricultural runoff as the
primary source of water pollution. Runoff contains
pesticides, fertilizers, and agricultural waste that
can have harmful effects on soils. Excessive
amounts of phosphates, phosphorus and nitrogen
found in fertilizers can cause fish and plant kill,
resulting in contaminated soils. Use organic
herbicides when gardening, or none at all. Plant
native plants, which thrive in local conditions,
often making pesticide use unnecessary

34. Wetland Restoration
Help restore polluted wetlands. A single acre of wetlands
can hold more than of one and a half million gallons of
water, which runoff can taint, eventually leading to soil
pollution. Work to restore wetlands and reduce NSP.
Support local conservation efforts by donating to or
volunteering with organizations such as The Nature
Conservancy that purchase land for restoration.

35. Reduction of Human Impact
Finally, simply reduce your negative impact on the
environment. Despite educational efforts, the average
American generates more than four pounds of trash
daily, more than seventy percent of which ends up in
landfills, where toxins leach into the soil. Recycle
whenever possible to help ease soil pollution. Use
cloth bags instead of paper or plastic at the grocery
store, and substitute polycarbonate bottles for plastic
water bottles.

36. Reduction of Acid Rain
Sulfur dioxide emissions can cause acid rain and
forest destruction. Fortunately, the introduction of
scrubbers on smokestacks of coal-burning power
plants has produced some progress in this arena.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
reports a 71 percent decrease in sulfur dioxide
concentrations from 1980 to 2008. Help solve the
problem by contacting your legislators and asking
them to encourage development of alternative fuel
sources..