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Soil Pollution: Causes, Effects and Control: January 2016
Soil Pollution: Causes, Effects and Control: January 2016
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Nilanjan Roychoudhury
Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)
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World Soil Day was established in 2002 provide water and nutrients, and whether
we farm the plants directly or consume
animals that feed on the plants, this means
that we don't eat without soil. Having said
that, it is not hard to see that a) it is
possible to have a sea-based
based diet and b) it
is possible to grow our food
hydroponically. In those cases, it is
possible to reduce the importance of soil.
However, we still have the other reasons
that soil is fundamental:
undamental: it is required for
by the International Union of Soil Sciences trees. I don't think I need to go into the
(IUSS) to celebrate the importance of soil importance of trees for shade, animal
and its vital contributions to human health habitat, building materials.
and safety. On December 20, 2013, the Soil is a vital part of the natural
68th UN General Assembly recognized environment. It is just as important as
December 5th, h, 2014 as World Soil Day plants, animals, rocks, landforms, lochsloch
and 2015 as the International Year of and rivers. It influences the distribution of
Soils. This official recognition of these plant species and provides a habitat for a
events will emphasize the importance of wide range of organisms. It controls the
soils beyond the soil science community. flow of water and chemical substances
It took two years for the leadership of between the atmosphere and the earth, and
Thailand and the FAO Global Soil acts as both a source and store for gases
Partnership (GSP) to get these dates (like
ike oxygen and carbon dioxide) in the
approved by the UN, but their hard work atmosphere. Soils not only reflect natural
prevailed and soil has garnered the processes but also record human activities
attention it has so long deserved. World both at present and in the past. They are
Soil Day is annually held on December 5 therefore part of our cultural heritage. The
to highlight soil's importance on Earth. We modification of soils for agriculture and
need soil for basic survival - food and the burial of archaeological remains are
energy. It is linked with the United good examples of this.
Nations' (UN) Year of Soil. Soil, together with the plant and animal
World Soil Day serves as a reminder to all life it supports, the rock on which it
of us that we owe our existence to the soil. develops its position in the landscape and
As we face mounting global production, the climate it experiences, form an
climate and sustainability challenges
llenges. amazingly intricate natural system – more
Soil is fundamental to human life on Earth. powerful and complex than any machine
Most plants require a soil substrate to that man has created. Soil may look still
Published by Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, MP, India 1
Van Sangyan Vol. 3, No. 1, Issue: Januaryr, 2016
and lifeless, but this impression couldn’t Radioactive wastes from mining and
be further from the truth. It is constantly nuclear processes may reach the soil via
changing and developing through time. water or as ‘fall-out’. From the soil they
Soil is always responding to changes in reach the plants and then into the grazing
environmental factors, along with the animals (livestock) from where ultimately
influences of man and land use. Some reach man through milk and meat etc.
changes in the soil will be of short resulting in retarded and abnormal growth
duration and reversible, others will be a of man. Human and animal excreta used as
permanent feature of soil organic manure to promote crop yield, pol-
Soil pollution is the reduction in the lute the soil by contaminating the soil and
productivity of soil due to the presence of vegetable crops with the pathogens that
soil pollutants. Soil pollutants have an may be present in the excreta.
adverse effect on the physical chemical Nitrification, which is the process of
and biological properties of the soil and forming soluble nitrates from the elemen-
reduce its productivity. Pesticides, tal atmospheric nitrogen or from originally
fertilizers, organic manure, chemicals, harmless organic materials actually
radioactive wastes, discarded food, contribute towards water pollution when
clothes, leather goods, plastics, paper, the nitrates leach out of the soil and
bottles, tins-cans and carcasses- all accumulate to toxic levels in the water
contribute towards causing soil pollution. supply.
Chemicals like iron lead mercury, copper, Therefore, intensification of agricultural
zinc, cadmium, aluminium, cyanides, acids production by practices of irrigation
and alkalies etc. are present in industrial (causes salination), excessive fertilisers,
wastes and reach the soil either directly pesticides, insecticides etc. have created
with water or indirectly through air. (e.g. the problems of soil pollution. Soil
through acid rain). pollution can be checked by restricting the
The improper and continuous use of use of above mentioned soil pollutants,
herbicides, pesticides and fungicides to resorting to organic farming, adopting
protect the crops from pests, fungi etc. better agriculture practices etc.
alter the basic composition of the soils and Soil pollution comprises the pollution of
make the soil toxic for plant growth. soils with materials, mostly chemicals that
Organic insecticides like DDT, aldrin, are out of place or are present at
benzene hex chloride etc. are used against concentrations higher than normal which
soil borne pests. may have adverse effects on humans or
They accumulate in the soil as they other organisms. It is difficult to define
degrade very slowly by soil and water soil pollution exactly because different
bacteria. Consequently, they have a very opinions exist on how to characterize a
deleterious effect on the plant growth pollutant; while some consider the use of
stunting their growth and reducing the pesticides acceptable if their effect does
yield and size of fruit. Their degradation not exceed the intended result, others do
products may be absorbed by the plants not consider any use of pesticides or even
from where they reach the animals and chemical fertilizers acceptable. However,
man through the food chains. soil pollution is also caused by means
other than the direct addition of xenobiotic
structure of the soil. Industrial wastes are the soil. These contaminants can block
one of the biggest soil-pollution factors. passage of water into the soil and
Iron, steel, power and chemical affects its water holding capacity.
manufacturing plants which irresponsibly • Unscientific disposal of nuclear waste
use the Earth as a dumping ground often contaminate soil and can cause
leave behind lasting effects for years to mutations.
come. Fuel leakages from automobiles, • Night soil contamination due to
which get washed by rain, can seep into improper sanitary system in villages
the nearby soil, polluting it. Deforestation can cause harmful diseases.
is a major cause for soil erosion, where Effects of soil pollution
soil particles are dislodged and carried The main reason for soil contamination is
away by water or wind. As a result, the due to the presence of anthropogenic
soil loses it structure as well as important activities. These waste products are made
nutrients found in the soil. Some the of chemicals that are not originally found
causes of soil pollution can be as follows: in nature and hence lead to soil pollution.
• Industrial effluents like harmful Soil pollution is typically caused by
gases and chemicals. industrial activity, chemicals used in
• Use of chemicals in agriculture agriculture and improper disposal of
like pesticides, fertilizers and waste. Soil contamination leads to health
insecticides. risks due to direct and indirect contact with
• Improper or ineffective soil contaminated soil. Soil pollution causes
management system. huge disturbances in the ecological
• Unfavorable irrigation practices. balance and the health of the organisms is
• Improper management and under risk. The effects of pollution on soil
maintenance of septic system. are quite disturbing and can result in huge
• Sanitary waste leakage. disturbances in the ecological balance and
• Toxic fumes from industries get mixed health of living beings on earth. Normally
with rains causing acid rains. crops cannot grow and flourish in a
• Leakages of fuel from automobiles are polluted soil. However if some crops
washed off due to rains and are manage to grow, then these crops might
deposited in the nearby soil. have absorbed the toxic chemicals in the
soil and might cause serious health
• Unhealthy waste management
problems in people consuming them.
techniques release sewage into
Sometimes the soil pollution is in the form
dumping grounds and nearby water
of increased salinity of the soil. In such a
bodies.
case, the soil becomes unhealthy for
• Use of pesticides in agriculture
vegetation, and often becomes useless and
retains chemicals in the environment
barren. When soil pollution modifies the
for a long time. These chemicals also
soil structure, deaths of many beneficial
effect beneficial organisms like
soil organisms (e.g. earthworms) in the
earthworm in the soil and lead to poor
soil could take place. Other than further
soil quality.
reducing the ability of the soil to support
• Absence of proper garbage disposal
life, this occurrence could also have an
system leads to scattered garbage in
effect on the larger predators (e.g. birds)
Published by Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, MP, India 6
Van Sangyan Vol. 3, No. 1, Issue: Januaryr, 2016
and force them to move to other places, in • The most common chemicals involved
the search of food. People living near in causing soil pollution are:
polluted land tend to have higher • Petroleum hydrocarbons
incidences of migraines, nausea, fatigue, • Heavy metals
skin disorders and even miscarriages. • Pesticides
Depending on the pollutants present in the • Solvents
soil, some of the longer-term effects of soil Soil pollution happens when these
pollution include cancer, leukemia, chemicals adhere to the soil, either from
reproductive disorders, kidney and liver being directly spilled onto the soil or
damage, and central nervous system through contact with soil that has already
failure. These health problems could be a been contaminated.
result of direct poisoning by the polluted As the world becomes more industrialized,
land (e.g. children playing on land filled the long term effects of soil pollution are
with toxic waste) or indirect poisoning becoming more of a problem all over the
(e.g. eating crops grown on polluted land, world. It is thought that a full 150 million
drinking water polluted by the leaching of miles of China's farmland is contaminated.
chemicals from the polluted land to the Even when soil is not being used for food,
water supply, etc). the matter of its contamination can be a
Long term effects of soil pollution health concern. This is especially so when
The long term effects of soil pollution are that soil is found in parks, neighborhoods
many and can be difficult to deal with, or other places where people spend time.
depending on the nature of the Health effects will be different depending
contamination. on what kind of pollutant is in the soil. It
How Soil Gets Polluted can range from developmental problems,
Soil is a sort of ecosystem unto itself, and such as in children exposed to lead, to
it is relatively sensitive to foreign matter cancer from chromium and some
being applied to it. That's good for us in chemicals found in fertilizer, whether
the case of wanting to add soil those chemicals are still used or have been
amendments, fertilizer and compost to banned but are still found in the soil.
make the soil healthier, but not so good Some soil contaminants increase the risk
when it comes to soil pollution. of leukemia, while others can lead to
There are many different ways that soil kidney damage, liver problems and
can become polluted, such as: changes in the central nervous system.
• Seepage from a landfill Those are just the long term effects of soil
• Discharge of industrial waste into the pollution. In the short term, exposure to
soil chemicals in the soil can lead to
• Percolation of contaminated water into headaches, nausea, fatigue and skin rashes
the soil at the site of exposure.
• Rupture of underground storage tanks When it comes to the environment itself,
• Excess application of pesticides, the toll of contaminated soil is even direr.
herbicides or fertilizer Soil that has been contaminated should no
• Solid waste seepage longer be used to grow food, because the
chemicals can leech into the food and Effects on soil micro-organism
rganism
harm people who eat it.
If contaminated soil is used to grow food,
the land will usually produce lower yields
than it would if it were not contaminated.
This, in turn, can cause even more harm
because a lack of plants on the soil will
cause more erosion, spreading the
contaminants onto land that might not
have been tainted before.
In addition,
ddition, the pollutants will change the
The effects of pesticides on soil micromicro-
makeup of the soil and the types of
organisms can cause a ripple effect that
microorganisms that will live in it. If
can last for years. Micro-organisms
organisms are
certain organisms die off in the area, the
essential to healthy soil.. Without them,
larger predator animals will also have to
your plants will not reach their true
move away or die because they've lost
potential.
their food supply.. Thus it's possible for
Micro-organisms
organisms are organisms that are
soil pollution to change whole ecosystems.
too small to be seen with the human eye.
There are some ways to get soil back to its
They live on the top-mostmost layer of soil.
pristine condition or to remove the spoiled
There are many micro-organisms
organisms which
soil so the land can be used for agriculture
live in the soil including:
again. Tainted soil can be transported to a
• Bacteria
site where humans won't be exposed to the
• Fungi
chemicals, or the soil can be aerated to
remove some of the chemicals (which can • Algae
add the problem of air pollution if the • Protozoa
chemicals can be released into the air). Micro-organisms are responsible for the
Other options include what's known as decomposition and recycling of organic
bioremediation, where microorganisms are materials in the soil. They aid in the plant's
used to consume the pollution-causing
pollution absorption of essential nutrients. An
compounds as well as electromechanical example of this is the nitrogen fixing
systems for extracting chemicals, an and bacteria, Bradyrhizobium,, which lives in a
containment of chemicals by paving over nodule on the soybean plant. It provides
the tainted area. nitrogen to the plant and boosts growth.
None of these are an ideal solution. Biopesticides are micro-organisms
organisms that can
Preventing contamination in the first place help a plant defend it against pests. These
is the best way to go. It won't eliminate all micro-organisms
organisms include antimicrobial
potential pollution problems, but choosing metabolites, antibiotics and extracellular
to farm organically is a good ood way to enzymes. The potential ential of these
protect the soil (and yourself) from biopesticides has not been fully examined
chemicals found in pesticides and other by scientists. It is hopeful that science will
common garden chemicals. be able to re-produce
produce the effects of the
biopesticides, which will help to
encouraged to start using bio fertilizers. tissue papers in the kitchen, etc., one
The microorganisms in these fertilizers should opt using cloth napkins,
will help in increasing the fertility of the handkerchief, etc. This will go a long way
soil. in reducing landfills.
To avoid soil pollution, it is important, that There is no doubt that the organic products
along with fertilizers, farmers should shift are costly as opposed to the chemically
to bio pesticides and fungicides, also grown products. But choosing the organic
known as herbicides. These products will products will encourage more organic
take a little longer to react, but they do not production. This will help in preventing
have adverse effect on the soil. It is best to soil pollution.
use manure both as a fertilizer as well as To prevent soil pollution, deforestation
pesticide, as it has far less side effects as measures have to be undertaken at rapid
opposed to its chemical counterpart. pace. Soil erosion is caused, when there
If one has to look at the soil pollution are no trees to prevent the top layer of the
facts, it will be seen that toxic waste has a soil from being transported by different
big role to play in soil pollution. Hence, agents of nature like water and air. At the
industrial toxic waste should be treated to same time, measures should be taken to
reduce its toxicity before it is disposed off. avoid over cropping and over grazing, as it
At the same time, responsible methods leads to flood and soil erosion and further
should be used for disposing off the waste. deterioration of the soil layer.
The best, however, is to avoid the use of Various chemicals such as pesticides,
harmful chemicals unless they are of insecticides and fungicides play important
extreme importance. roles in plant growth; however the overuse
Although a lot of propaganda has been of these chemicals is considered to be one
carried out about recycling waste, not of the prime factors leading to soil
many measures have been taken about the pollution. Reducing or even avoiding the
same. If each family has to take it upon use of such chemicals is one of the most
themselves to recycle waste, the land elementary and important preventive
pollution caused due to landfills will be measures. Manures and bio-fertilization
reduced considerably. The land so saved can be used as alternatives to chemicals.
can be used constructively for a number of Manures are often recommended by
better tasks. environmentalists and agriculturists
After plastic was invented, people thought because, as compared to pesticides,
it was convenient to opt for plastic manures have minimal adverse effect on
containers, bags, etc., which could be the environment. Bio-fertilization is a
disposed off after use. However, plastic is process in which certain microorganisms
one of the main causes of soil pollution, as such as rhizobium are used to increase the
it takes a very long time to disintegrate. soil fertility in place of chemicals.
Therefore, people should consider shifting Another common measure used to
to reusable containers like glass, cotton minimize soil pollution is controlling the
bags, etc. Although paper does disintegrate growth of weeds. Weeds are unwanted
faster, a lot of trees are cut for producing plants that grow alongside the main plant
paper bags. Therefore, it is best to opt for and often result in the accumulation of
cloth bags. Similarly, instead of using various minerals into the soil layer. One of