Land pollution is basically about contaminating the land surface of the earth through dumping urban waste matter indiscriminately, dumping of industrial waste, mineral exploitation, and misusing the soil by harmful agricultural practices.
Pollution includes visible litter and waste along with the soil itself being polluted. The soil gets polluted by the chemicals in pesticides and herbicides used for agricultural purposes along with waste matter being littered in urban areas such as roads, parks, and streets.Land pollution is the result of human misuse of soil. Poor agricultural practices, digging up of important resources and dumping of garbage underground can cause land pollution. Urbanization, the growth of rural lands into urban areas and industrialization that results in the formation of an industrial society are regarded as the two main causes of land pollution. The excavation of minerals, the increasing quarrying and mining activities lead to land pollution.
The excavation and mining activities lead to the loosening of soil.Increased mechanization leads to the contamination of soil, thus causing severe land pollution. Deforestation is one of the major causes of loosening of soil, that in turn causes soil erosion. The soil that is left naked on harvesting crops from agricultural lands is vulnerable to being eroded by wind and water. Intensive agricultural practices cause the soil cover to lose its nutritional elements, making it of no use for agriculture.
Excessive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers causes soil contamination.Chemicals can prove harmful to the animal and plant life. An excessive use of chemicals leads to a decrease in the fertility of soil. Certain herbicides and insecticides lead to toxicity of soil. Fungicides contain copper and mercury, which are extremely harmful to the soil as well as the plant and animal life that thrives in it. Inefficient and unhealthy methods of soil management and harmful irrigation practices lead to soil pollution.
Agricultural and industrial waste, solids from sewage treatment plants, ashes and garbage are other causes of land pollution.The accumulation of inorganic wastes in soil poses a threat to the plant and animal life in that area. Garbage is carelessly dumped into the soil. Non-biodegradable wastes such as plastic and rubber prove lethal to the life in the soil. Plastic and glass bottles, cans, rubber tires and electronic items dumped in the soil make up the main cause of land pollution.
Solid wastes are harmful to the terrestrial plants and animals. One of the major consequences of land pollution is the imbalance in nature, resulting from the harm caused to the wildlife and vegetation on the land.It adversely affects the human respiratory system and results in various skin problems if the toxic materials of the soil come in contact with the skin. The consumption of fruits and vegetables that are grown in contaminated soil can lead to several health hazards in human beings. When contaminated soil is washed away in the water reservoirs, it leads to water pollution, which is lethal to the aquatic flora and fauna. The soil contaminants are driven by the wind, causing air pollution, which is detrimental to health.
It is high time we realize the importance of soil and devise ways to curb land pollution. Maximum use of biodegradable materials and implementation of recycling in order to reuse resources are some of the excellent methods of preventing land pollution. It is important to implement proper methods of disposal of organic waste. It is necessary to educate the masses about the causes and effects of land pollution.
We cannot take Mother Earth for granted. The process of contamination of the land surface of the Earth is referred to as land pollution.It results from human activities that cause an imbalance in nature. Dumping human and industrial waste, harmful agricultural practices and exposing the land to harmful chemicals leads to the pollution of land. We often ignore the fact that land constitutes soil, which is one of the most important natural resources. While discussing the causes and effects of pollution, we speak of water and air pollution and rarely even think of the adverse effects of land pollution.
Causes of Land Pollution1. Degenerative Actions encompass a lot of human actions, including - deforestation, overuse of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, desertification, mining, inefficient and / or inadequate waste treatment, landfill, litter, etc. Many of these are unavoidable; however, definitely the severity of these actions in terms of the effects they have on the land can be reduced by taking appropriate and adequate corrective measure. For example, the amount of litter produced can be hugely reduced if we all strictly say NO to plastic. The key here is to conduct a thorough EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment.2.
Misuse of Land mainly refers to felling of trees to clear land for agriculture, as well as processes like desertification and land conversion. Desertification is when anthropogenic effects of human development and / or other actions converts a piece of (essentially) fertile land into desert-land or dry land. Isn't that a scary thought? Land once converted to desert-land can never be reclaimed by any amount of corrective measures. This is also a serious issue because t does not only affect the land, but also the overall biodiversity of a place, specially when land is cleared for agriculture.
A lot of indigenous flora and fauna is lost in the process.3. Inefficient Use of Land - surprised? Does inefficient use of land count as a cause of land pollution? Yes. Why? Due to the consequences of inefficient use of land. Inefficient use of land as such is not going to cause land pollution. However, inefficient use of land amounts to wastage, and hence shortage of land; and it is precisely during such conditions that man has to resort to measure such as deforestation and others to meet his needs.
It is an important, albeit an indirect cause of land pollution that is often largely neglected.4. Soil Pollution is when the top-most 'soil' layer of land is destroyed or polluted. Soil pollution is again another cause of land pollution that affects not only the land, but also a lot of other things such as forest cover of a region, productivity of land in terms of agriculture, grazing etc. Soil pollution is also caused by wrong agricultural practices, such as overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This causes non-biodegradable chemicals to enter and accumulate in the food-chain - a process often referred to as bio magnification of a pollutant.
5. Land Conversion is the process whereby a piece of land is converted from its indigenous form to a form used for either agriculture or infrastructure. Land conversion is especially a growing problem that we possibly do not have a good or a good enough solution for. The best way to avoid land conversion is to make efficient use of the available land.
Using a piece of land to its maximum potential is the key to eliminate many of the causes of land pollution.6. Urbanization and Industrialization. As more and more people migrated to cities for better job prospects, it caused a dearth of land.
Forests around the cities were cut and suburbs came up where the immigrants began to live. Due to this deforestation, ecosystems got disturbed and many plant and animal habitats were destroyed.7. Increase in Population. Due to the increase in population, there has been a need for more food. Because of this, a major part of the land is being cultivated for food.
Even forests have been cut, thus, adding further to land degradation and pollution.8. Agricultural and Industrial Wastes. Chemicals in pesticides and herbicides used in agriculture as well as poisonous substances left behind by industries, particularly mining, have polluted the land to a great extent.9.
Technological Waste. Computer parts and other worn out, old machines have added to the land pollution.10. Domestic Wastes. These are caused by foods, plastics, paper and other left overs from a household.
The amount of such a waste is huge and thus, is a major contributor to land pollution. You may further go to causes and effects of land pollution.
