Land Pollution: Causes and Effects

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.

Arbitration, 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 ever 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.

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Certain herbicides and insecticides dead 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 fife 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 an 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 elution, we speak of water and air pollution and rarely even think of the adverse effects Of land pollution. Land Pollutants Comprise: Solid Waste and Soil Pollution Solid Waste Semisolid or solid reenter that are created by human or animal activities, and which are disposed because they are hazardous or useless are known as solid waste.

Most of the solid wastes, like paper, plastic containers, bottles, cans, and even used cars and electronic goods are not biodegradable, which means they do not get broken down through inorganic or organic processes. Thus, when they accumulate they pose a health threat to people, plus, ceasing wastes also attract household pests and result in urban areas becoming unhealthy, dirty, and unsightly places to reside in. Moreover, it also causes damage to terrestrial organisms, while also reducing the uses of the land for other, more useful purposes. Some of the sources of solid waste that cause soil pollution are: Wastes from Agriculture – This comprises waste matter produced by crop, animal manure, and farm residues. Wastes from Mining – Piles of coal refuse and heaps of slang.

Wastes from Industries – Industrial waste matter that can cause land pollution can include paints, chemicals, and so on. Solids from Sewage Treatment – Wastes that are left over after sewage has been treated, biomass sludge, and settled solids. Ashes – The residual matter that remains after solid fuels are burned. Garbage – This comprises waste matter from food that are decomposable and other waste matter that are not decomposable such as glass, metal, cloth, plastic, wood, paper, and so on. Soil Pollution Soil pollution is chiefly caused by chemicals in pesticides, such as poisons that are used to kill agricultural pests like insects and herbicides that are used to get rid of weeds.

Hence, soil pollution results from: Unhealthy methods of soil management. Harmful practices Of irrigation methods. Land pollution is caused by farms because they allow manure to collect, which leaches into the nearby land areas. Chemicals that are used for purposes like sheep dipping also cause serious pollution as do diesel oil spillages. What are the Consequences of Land Pollution? ND or soil pollution can affect wildlife, plants, and humans in a number of ways, such as: Cause problems in the respiratory system Cause problems on the skin Lead to birth defects Cause various kinds of cancers.

The toxic materials that pollute the soil can get into the human body directly by: Coming into contact with the skin Being washed into water sources like reservoirs and rivers Eating fruits and vegetables that have been grown in polluted soil Breathing in polluted dust or particles How can Land Pollution be prevented? People should be educated and made aware about the harmful effects of littering Items used for domestic purposes ought to be reused or recycled Personal litter should be disposed properly Organic waste matter should be disposed in areas that are far away from existential places Inorganic matter such as paper, plastic, glass and metals should be reclaimed and then recycled. It has become the need of the hour to protect the earth from the harmful effects of pollution, so that the generations to come will be able to a live a decently healthy life. Every individual will have to take the onus on himself and work towards bettering the environment and keep the earth green and healthy. Causes [pica [pica]illumination’s & Arbitration [Pica] Domestic Wastes Causes of Land Pollution Overpopulation 1 . Degenerative Actions encompass a lot of human actions, including – forestation, 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, s 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.

. 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.

Arbitration 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 baits 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 over 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.

Effects Effects to Climate Extinction of Species Effects of Land Pollution 1. Effects on Climate Land pollution can affect the general environment of the Earth. Land pollutions leads to loss in the forest cover of Earth. This is in turn going to affect the amount of rain. Less rains mean lesser vegetation.

The effect of all different kinds of pollution will eventually lead to problems like acid rains, roundhouse effect, global warming. All of these problems have already initiated and need to be curbed before the situation runs out of control. 2. Extinction of Species One of the major causes of concern is the extinction of species. Species are pushed towards endangerment and extinction primarily by two processes.

Habitat fragmentation is the fragmentation of the natural habitat of an organism; cause primarily by urban sprawl. Habitat destruction, on the other hand, is when land clearing adversely affects animals special such that their natural habitat is lost. Both the actions can cause some species to go extinct and others to become invasive. 3. Bio magnification Bio magnification is the process in which certain non-biodegradable substances go on accumulating in the food-chain (in one or more species).

The most common example is of methyl mercury in fish and mercury in eagles. Not only does bio magnification put the particular species at risk, it puts all the species above and below it at risk, and ultimately affects the food pyramid. 4. Effects on Biodiversity Species extinction and bio magnification is going to overthrow the balance of nature very significantly. The main reason for this is disturbance created in he food chain.

To give you a very simple example – on account of bio magnification of mercury in eagles, they might go extinct in the subsequent years. However, we know eagles prey on snakes. Less (or no) eagles will then result in more number of snakes! As you may have realized, land pollution is indeed going to affect a lot more things than we though it will. Hence, I leave you with some corrective measure you can take on a personal level to reduce land pollution. Encourage organic farming – buy organic food.

Proper garbage disposal – separate your garbage before you give it to the airbag collector; and strictly say NO to plastic. Encourage recycling – buy recycled products, notebooks, paper, etc. Restrict use of herbicides and pesticides – they are not only used in farm, but in your own backyard as well. If we reduce our contribution to garbage and litter, therein itself we will be able to significantly reduce land pollution and probably curb it entirely in the near future. Also do realize this isn’t only about land pollution; it is about all kinds Of pollution.

We need to take Steps to prevent damaging our Earth. We have no other place to go.