Land Pollution: An Overview
Land Pollution: An Overview
Land Pollution: An Overview
AN OVERVIEW
Introduction
Land Pollution or Soil pollution is defined as the build-up in soils
of persistent toxic compounds, chemicals, salts, radioactive
materials, or disease causing agents, which have adverse effects
on plant growth and animal health.
Indiscriminate use of
fertilizers
Plants obtain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen from air and water. But other
necessary nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium,
magnesium, sulfur and more must be obtained from the soil
Mixed fertilizers often contain ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), phosphorus as
P2O5, and potassium as K2O, As, Pb and Cd present in traces in rock
phosphate mineral get transferred to super phosphate fertilizer. Since the
metals are not degradable, their accumulation in the soil above their toxic
levels due to excessive use of phosphate fertilizers, becomes an
indestructible poison for crops.
Indiscriminate use of
fertilizers
1. The over use of NPK fertilizers reduce quantity of vegetables and crops
grown on soil over the years.
2. It also reduces the protein content of wheat, maize, grams, etc., grown on
that soil. The carbohydrate quality of such crops also gets degraded.
3. Excess potassium content in soil decreases Vitamin C and carotene
content in vegetables and fruits.
4. The vegetables and fruits grown on over fertilized soil are more prone to
attacks by insects and disease.
Indiscriminate use of
pesticides, insecticides and
herbicides
Plants are under attack from insects, fungi, bacteria, viruses, rodents and other animals,
and must compete with weeds for nutrients.
To kill unwanted populations living in or on their crops, farmers use pesticides. The first
widespread insecticide use began at the end of World War II and included DDT
(dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and gammaxene
Insects soon became resistant to DDT and as the chemical did not decompose readily, it
persisted in the environment. Since it was soluble in fat rather than water, it biomagnified up the
food chain and disrupted calcium metabolism in birds, causing eggshells to be thin and fragile.
RESULT:
large birds of prey such as the brown pelican, ospreys, falcons and eagles became endangered.
DDT has been now been banned in most western countries. Ironically many of them including
USA, still produce DDT for export to other developing nations whose needs outweigh the
problems caused by it.
Indiscriminate use of
pesticides, insecticides and
herbicides
1. The most important pesticides are DDT, BHC, chlorinated hydrocarbons,
organophosphates, aldrin, malathion, dieldrin, furodan, etc.
2. The remnants of such pesticides used on pests may get adsorbed by the
soil particles, which then contaminate root crops grown in that soil.
3. The consumption of such crops causes the pesticides remnants to enter
human biological systems, affecting them adversely.
Pesticides not only bring toxic effect on human and animals but also decrease
the fertility of the soil. Pesticide problems such as resistance, resurgence, and
heath effects have caused scientists to seek alternatives. Pheromones and
hormones to attract or repel insects and using natural enemies or sterilization
by radiation have been suggested.
Pollution Due to
Urbanization
1.
Urban activities generate large quantities of city wastes including several Biodegradable
materials (like vegetables, animal wastes, papers, wooden pieces, carcasses, plant
twigs, leaves, cloth wastes as well as sweepings) and many non-biodegradable materials
(such as plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic wastes, glass bottles, glass pieces, stone /
cement pieces). On a rough estimate Indian cities are producing solid city wastes to the tune of
50,000 - 80,000 metric tons every day. If left uncollected and decomposed, they are a cause of
several problems such as
2. Clogging of drains: Causing serious drainage problems including the burst / leakage of
drainage lines leading to health problems.
3. Barrier to movement of water: Solid wastes have seriously damaged the normal
movement of water thus creating problem of inundation, damage to foundation of buildings as
well as public health hazards.
4. Foul smell: Generated by dumping the wastes at a place.
5. Increased microbial activities: Microbial decomposition of organic wastes generate large
quantities of methane besides many chemicals to pollute the soil and water flowing on its
surface
Pollution Due to
Urbanization
2. Pollution of Underground Soils
Underground soil in cities is likely to be polluted by
Chemicals released by industrial wastes and industrial wastes
Decomposed and partially decomposed materials of sanitary wastes
Many dangerous chemicals like cadmium, chromium, lead, arsenic, selenium
products are likely to be deposited in underground soil. Similarly underground
soil polluted by sanitary wastes generate many harmful chemicals. These can
damage the normal activities and ecological balance in the underground soil
Causes in brief
1. Polluted water discharged from factories
Urban
1. Dangerous chemicals
entering underground
water
1. Clogging of drains
2. Ecological imbalance
2. Inundation of areas
3. Public health problems
5. Increased salinity
6. Reduced vegetation
Legal Controls
1. Forest Conservation Act, 1980
2. Environmental Protection Act, 1986
3. Hazardous Micro-Organism Rules, 1989
4. The Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989
5. The Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning Preparedness and Response)
Rules, 1996
6. Bio-Medical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998
7. Plastic Manufacture Sales and Usage Rules, 1999
8. The Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000
9. Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001
10.Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movements)
Rules, 2008
Management Problems
Integrated approach to planning and management
Land use change
Stakeholder participation and awareness
Green Initiatives
Combating land degradation and desertification
Strengthening knowledge base and developing information
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