Soil Pollution

These days we talk a lot about air pollution and its impacts on lives but we never think about how pollution is harming the soil in which our fruits, grains, and vegetables grow. It is now time to think seriously about the consequences of soil pollution on the lives of living things.

The presence of hazardous compounds (pollutants or contaminants) in the soil in high enough amounts to endanger human health and/or the ecosystem is referred to as soil pollution. Even if the amounts of contaminants found naturally in soil are not high enough to constitute a risk, soil pollution is defined as when the levels of contaminants in soil surpass the levels that should be present naturally.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, soil contamination is a global concern that is particularly severe in regions such as Europe, Eurasia, Asia, and North Africa (FAO). According to the FAO, one-third of the world’s soil is already degraded, either severely or moderately.

Causes of soil pollution

The principal causes of modern soil degradation include erosion, loss of organic carbon, increasing salt content, compacting, acidification, and chemical contamination. The FAO also differentiates between two types of soil pollution:

Specific pollution: Caused by specific causes, occurring in small areas, and with easily identifiable causes. This type of contamination is commonly found in cities, abandoned industrial sites, along highways, illicit dumping, and sewage treatment plants.

Widespread pollution: This is a problem that affects a large area and has a number of causes that are difficult to pinpoint. These types of cases involve the spread of contaminants across air-ground-water systems, which has major consequences for human health and the environment.

Industry, mining, military activities, trash — including technical waste — and wastewater management, farming, animal breeding, and the construction of urban and transportation infrastructures are among the most prominent causes of soil contamination induced by human activity, according to the FAO.

All soils, whether polluted or not, contain a range of naturally occurring substances (contaminants). Metals, inorganic ions and salts (e.g. phosphates, carbonates, sulphates, nitrates), and many organic molecules are examples of pollutants (such as lipids, proteins, DNA, fatty acids, hydrocarbons, PAHs, alcohols, etc.). These chemicals are mostly generated by soil microbial activity and organism degradation (e.g., plants and animals).

Types of soil pollutants

Pollutants and toxins make up soil pollution. Biological agents and some human activities are the principal polluters of the soil. All products of soil pollutants that contaminate the soil are referred to as soil contaminants. Agricultural methods that infest crops with pesticide chemicals to urban or industrial wastes or radioactive emissions that contaminate the soil with numerous harmful substances are all examples of human activities that poison the soil and are the main causes of land pollution.

We can divide soil pollutants into these broad categories:

• Biological agents: These work inside the soil and add manure and digested sludge (human, bird, and animal excreta) into the soil.
• Agricultural practises: Many times, the soil gets polluted due to pesticides, fertilisers, manures, etc.
• Radioactive substances: Radioactive substances present in the atmosphere such as Radium, Thorium, Uranium, Nitrogen, etc. can enter the soil and create toxicity 
• Urban waste: Waste created by human beings on a day-to-day basis including garbage, sludge and sewage
• Industrial waste: Paper mills, oil refineries, sugar factories, petroleum industries, and others manufacture steel, pesticides, textiles, pharmaceuticals, glass, cement, and petroleum, among other things.

Soil pollution can harm and impact the entire ecosystem in more ways than one. Let us explore the harmful effects of soil pollution on our environment

Effects of soil pollution

Plants, animals, and humans are all affected by soil contamination. While anyone can be affected by soil pollution, the effects vary depending on age, general health, and other factors like the type of pollutant or contaminant inhaled or swallowed. 

Children, on the other hand, are more sensitive to contamination because they play in the dirt and come into close contact with the soil; this, combined with lower disease thresholds, results in higher risks than adults. As a result, it’s always a good idea to test the soil before letting your kids play in it, especially if you live in a heavily industrialised area.

Diseases caused by soil pollution: Humans can be harmed by soil pollution by inhaling gases produced from rising soils, or by inhaling stuff that has been disturbed and carried by the wind as a result of numerous human activities on the ground. Soil pollution can cause a wide range of health issues, including headaches, nausea, exhaustion, skin rashes, and eye irritation, as well as more serious disorders such as neuromuscular blockade, kidney and liver damage, and cancer.

Thus, the ill effects of soil pollution can be summarised in the following points:

• Health damage
• Poor crop harvest
• Climate change
• Air and water pollution
• Species extinctions
• Desertification

Solutions to reduce soil pollution 

Soil pollution and degradation is a complicated issue that necessitates collaborative efforts from governments, institutions, communities, and individuals. 

Some of the things we can do to improve soil pollution and negate its bad effects on the environment are as follows:

• Consume sustainable foods, correctly recycle batteries, make homemade compost, and dispose of medications in designated areas.
• Encourage, among other things, a more environmentally sustainable model for the industry, farming, and stock breeding.
• Improve urban and transportation planning, as well as wastewater treatment.
• Improve mining waste management, landscape restoration, and topsoil conservation.
• Involve local residents and indigenous peoples in the implementation of soil management

Conclusion

Soil pollution must be taken seriously by all. Even small amounts of contaminants are enough to accumulate in the soil and, depending on environmental factors and the degradability of the released contaminant, can reach high levels in the soil and pollute it. 

Homegrown veggies and fruits may get tainted if the soil is contaminated. This occurs because the plants remove the majority of the soil contaminants present in the soil along with water every time they feed. As a result, it’s usually a good idea to examine the soil before planting anything edible.