Soil Pollution

Soil pollution, also called soil contamination, refers to the degradation of land due to the presence of chemicals or other man-made substances in the soil. The xenobiotic substances alter the natural composition of soil and affect it negatively. These can drastically impact life directly or indirectly. For instance, any toxic chemicals present in the soil will get absorbed by the plants. Since plants are producers in an environment, it gets passed up through the food chain. Compared to the other types of pollution, the effects of soil pollution are a little more obscured, but their implications are very noticeable.

Some of the common causes of soil pollution are:

• Improper industrial waste disposal
• Oil Spills
• Acid rain which is caused by air pollution
• Mining activities
• Intensive farming and agrochemicals (like fertilisers and pesticides)
• Industrial accidents

The effects of soil pollution are numerous. Specific wastes, such as radioactive waste fs become particularly hazardous when they are not well-contained. A well-documented example is a nuclear accident in Chernobyl, which has left an area of 2,600 km² uninhabitable for several thousand years.

Other effects of soil pollution include:

• Loss of soil nutrients, which renders the soil unfit for agriculture
• Impacts the natural flora and fauna residing in the soil
• Degrades vegetation due to the increase of salinity of the soil
• Toxic dust (such as silica dust) can cause respiratory problems or even death

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