NET, IAS, State-SET (KSET, WBSET, MPSET, etc.), GATE, CUET, Olympiads etc. Land Pollution, Causes and Consequences Are Important Topics For

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Environmental Impact Assessment

Land Pollution

  • Also known as soil pollution, land pollution involves the following mechanism:
  • Deposition of solid waste
  • Accumulation of non-biodegradable materials
  • Toxification of chemicals into poisons
  • Alteration of soil chemical composition (imbalance of chemical equilibrium to soil medium) By as much, land pollution of this has amass globally, everyday threatening the very foundation and mechanical support of every matter on earth. Statistically, it has been shown that:
  • 108s of 6 million hectares of land per year
  • Loss of 24 billion tons of topsoil per year
  • 108s of minimum 15 million acres prime agricultural land to overuse and mismanagement
  • Desertification of land results in the lost of 16 million per square miles of worlds land surface. The causes for such devastation are generally due to two forms of malpractices: Unhealthy soil management methods; improper tillage of soil in which excessive tillage result in the deterioration of soil structure
  • Non-maintenance of a proper supply of organic matter in the soil from the imbalance composition of the reserves of organic matter especially nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur unblemished supply after cultivation of vegetation, living the soil prone to soil infertility, unable to stabilize the soil physicality which ultimately led to desertification.
  • Irregular maintenance of a proper nutrient supply of trace elements gives rise to the use of excessive synthetic fertilizers, which are non-biodegradable and accumulate in the soil system which eventually destroys useful organisms such as bacteria, fungi and other organisms.
  • Improper maintenance of the correct soil acidity which ultimately disrupt the adaptation of various crops and native vegetation of different soils as the solubility of minerals present will be affected. n a more acidic soil, minerals tend to be more soluble and washed away during rainfall while alkaline soil, minerals are more insoluble which form complex minerals unable to be absorbed into the flora system physiological usage. Improper irrigation practices;
  • Poorly drained soil result in salt deposits leading to high soil salinity that inhibit plant growth and may lead to crop failure.
  • Unirrigated land giving rise to stagnation of agriculture waste products which accumulates and increases land toxicity.
  • Irregular irrigation leads to decreasing moisturization of land for soil medium and replenishments of solvents for minerals.

Sources And Methods

Agriculture accumulation of animal manures, excessive input of chemical fertilizers and illicit dumping of tainted crops on land. . Mining and Quarrying using of explosives to blow up mines and using of machineries which emits toxic byproducts and leaks to the ground. Sewage sludge improper sanitation system causes sludge to leak at surrounding soil. Dredged spoils improper method of dredging at fertile land causes soil infertility, leaving the soil more prone to external pollution. Household improper waste disposal system and improper sanitation system. Demolition and construction non-biodegradable rubbles or debris which are not cleared settled in the soil undergo chemical reactions and increase soil toxicity.Industrial poisonous⟋toxic emissions of gases which are not filtered neutralized.