What are the Causes and Effects of Soil Pollution
Soil Pollution
Soil is one of the most valuable natural resources on Earth. When it gets polluted by various means, including careless human activities, necessary measures must be adopted to control the pollution.
The major sources of soil pollution are:
- Acid rain and acid water from factories, mines, and industries.
- Improper dumping of garbage and sewage wastes in soil.
- Excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers, which get accumulated in soil.
- Waste materials such as plastic and metals which do not decay easily.
- Spilling or leakage of chemicals.
Control of Soil Pollution
The following measures will help to control soil pollution.
- Solid wastes should not be dumped on land. They should be recycled and proper measures for disposal of sewage should be adopted.
- Animal and domestic wastes should be used to produce biogas (an eco-friendly fuel).
- Instead of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, organic pesticides should be used.
- Liquid wastes from factories and mines should be properly treated before they are released into water bodies such as rivers and lakes.