So

il Po

llutio

n

DIF

FE

RE

NT

TY

PE

OF

SO

ILS

Majo

r soil typ

es in In

dia

�T

he m

ain typ

es of so

il in In

dia are as fo

llow

s:1) R

ed so

ils 2) L

ateritesan

d lateritic

soil

3) Black so

il 4) A

lluvial so

ils 5) F

orest &

hill so

ils 6) P

eaty and

marsh

y soils

So

il Po

llutio

nS

oil P

ollu

tion

� �S

oil P

ollu

tion

So

il Po

llutio

nis th

e is th

e ad

ditio

n o

f any

add

ition

of an

y su

bstan

ce that h

as su

bstan

ce that h

as a a n

egative

neg

ativeeffect o

n

effect on

lan

d o

r the livin

g

land

or th

e living

th

ing

s. th

ing

s.

� �T

he su

bstan

ces that

Th

e sub

stances th

at cau

se soil p

ollu

tion

cau

se soil p

ollu

tion

are called

are called

po

llutan

tsp

ollu

tants

. .

So

il po

llutio

n is cau

sed b

y

�A

dd

ition

of ch

emicals

redu

cing

the

pro

du

ctive capacity o

f soil

�T

oxic su

bstan

cesfro

m d

um

ps co

ntam

inated

th

e gro

un

d w

ater by leach

ing

ou

t and

p

ercolatin

g th

rou

gh

the so

il layer.�

Min

ing

activitieslead

s to lo

ss of lan

d fo

r ag

ricultu

re pro

du

ction

.�

Resid

ual ch

emicals o

f the fertilizers an

d

fertilizers and

p

esticides

pesticid

es� �

Disp

osal o

f urb

an so

lid w

astesD

ispo

sal of u

rban

solid

wastes

So

il Po

llutio

n

�U

n p

lann

ed A

gricu

ltural p

ractices

�D

ispo

sal of in

du

strial wastes an

d slu

dg

es over lan

d,

sub

surface d

ispo

sal of to

xic wastes etc

�The polluta

nt, if vola

tile, could

eva

porate

, aga

in causing

little h

arm

to the soil

(how

eve

r, not a

solution to the b

igger

pollution problem, a

s it migh

t becom

e a

source

of air pollution).

�Polluta

nt could infiltra

te

through

the unsa

turate

d

soil, in much

the sa

me

way a

s ground w

ate

r.

�Oth

ers involve

accid

ents involving

vehicle

s (a

utomob

iles, trucks

and

airpla

nes) not

transporting w

aste

s, but ca

rrying

mate

rials, includ

ing fue

l, that w

hen

spilled conta

mina

te

the soil.

�Oth

er spills a

re th

e d

irect

action of h

umans pouring

potentia

lly tox

ic mate

rials

(solvents, pa

ints, house

hold

cle

aning a

gents, oil, e

tc.) onto th

e soil surfa

ce ra

ther th

an

disposing th

ese

mate

rials b

y

more

appropria

te m

eans.

�Ille

gal d

umping is th

e d

isposal

of waste

in unauth

orized a

reas.

�It is a

lso known a

s “open

dum

ping”, “fly d

umping”, a

nd

“mid

-nigh

t dum

ping”.�

Ille

gal d

umps occur m

ost often

along isola

ted roa

dsid

es in

remote

are

as of th

e country

.�

Mate

rials ofte

n found in ille

gal

dum

ps include la

rge h

ousehold

applia

nces, tire

s, exce

ss build

ing mate

rials, old

furniture,

oil, house

hold

chemica

ls, and

com

mon h

ousehold

refuse

.

Wash

ington state

Missouri

Virginia

New

York

Iow

a

�Soil conta

mina

nts are

spille

d onto th

e surfa

ce

through

many

diffe

rent

activitie

s. �

Most of th

ese

are

the

result of a

ccidents involving

the ve

hicle

s that a

re

transporting w

aste

mate

rial

from site

of origin to a

disposa

l site.

wearing le

vel “A

" protective

gear

wearing le

vel “B

"prote

ctive g

ear

Much good agricultural land is threatened by chem

ical pollution, particularly -

as here in China -

by waste

products from urban centres. C

hemical degradation is

responsible for 12 per cent of global soil degradationS

ource: UN

EP

, Zehng

Zhong

Su, C

hina, Still P

ictures

�Agricultura

l practice

s, including th

e use

of agricultura

l chemica

ls, are

anoth

er prim

ary

source

of pollution on or near th

e ground

surface

.�

Most a

gricultural ch

emica

ls are

wate

r-solub

le nitra

tes a

nd

phosph

ate

s that a

re a

pplied to fie

lds, la

wns a

nd ga

rdens to

stimula

te th

e grow

th of crops, gra

ss and

flowers.

Agricultura

l Chemica

ls�

When not use

d b

y th

e pla

nts the

nutrients ca

n ente

r streams a

nd

lake

s during th

e run-

off or leach

ing eve

nts. �

Once

in a b

ody of w

ate

r, these

nutrie

nts continue to prom

ote

the grow

th of pla

nts, the

resulting pla

nt detritus is food

for m

icro-orga

nisms, a

nd a

s the

population of such

organism

s grow

s, the supply

of oxyge

n in th

e w

ate

r is deple

ted.

�"B

iochemica

l Oxyge

n Demand

", or "B

OD".

�W

ate

r is capa

ble of supporting

a la

rge popula

tion of bacte

ria

and

the b

acte

ria w

ill have

a

high

demand

for oxyge

n.

�Soon th

e ox

yge

n supply is

deple

ted b

y th

e b

acte

ria a

nd

other orga

nisms in th

e w

ate

r now

lack ox

yge

n (fish kills)

Algae in stream

s

Effect o

f soil p

ollu

tion

1.T

he pathogenic bacteria spread infection

2.C

hemicals such as

Arsenic, m

ercury, chrom

ium, N

ickel, lead, cadm

ium, Z

inc, Iron being toxic affect the living beings

Effects o

f soil p

ollu

tion

�E

xcess use o

f fertilizers and

pesticid

es affects the

plan

t gro

wth

besid

es redu

cing

crop

yield

Effect o

f soil p

ollu

tion

�W

ater log

gin

g an

d salin

ity may in

crease the level o

f d

issolved

salt con

tent in

gro

un

d w

ater as well as in

th

e soil

Co

ntro

l of so

il po

llutio

n

�T

reating

the sew

age b

efore lan

d

disp

osal.

�B

y preservin

g an

d p

rotectin

g th

e top

fertile so

il, we can

con

trol ero

sion

. �

Disp

osal o

f wastes in

land

fill.�

Utilizin

g o

ptim

al do

se of fertilizers an

d

pesticid

es .�

Ro

tating

the cro

p p

attern

Lan

d o

r So

il

�Im

po

rtant n

atural reso

urces fo

r econ

om

ic d

evelop

men

t�

Th

e econ

om

y of th

e cou

ntry d

epen

ds o

n lan

d

pro

du

ctivity.�

All th

e dem

and

s for fo

od

, energ

y and

oth

er req

uirem

ents h

ave to b

e met b

y land

.�

So

Lan

d is th

e mo

st imp

ortan

t end

ow

men

t of

natu

re

Lan

d o

r So

il

�R

elentless p

ressure o

f increasin

g

hu

man

and

cattle po

pu

lation

and

excessive d

eman

ds o

f u

np

receden

ted rates o

f econ

om

ic d

evelop

men

t are the m

ajor cau

ses o

f the w

idesp

read d

egrad

ation

of

the lan

d

So

il Po

llutio

n

�P

ressure o

f p

op

ulatio

n an

d

failure o

f ag

ricultu

ral p

rod

uctivities to

keep

places w

ith

po

pu

lation

have

led to

cultivatio

n

in m

argin

al land

s an

d lan

ds o

n

hillsid

es

So

il Po

llutio

nS

oil P

ollu

tion

�P

reservation

of

ecolo

gical

balan

ce may

mean

co

nservatio

n an

d

wise m

anag

emen

t o

f the life su

pp

ort

systems o

f land

, w

ater flora, fau

na

and

the

atmo

sph

ere

EN

D

�

�W

ater po

llutio

n

A very sm

all amo

un

t of D

DT

in w

ater can

bu

ild u

p to

harm

ful levels in

livin

g th

ing

s

Majo

r So

urces o

f Water

Majo

r So

urces o

f Water

Po

llutio

nP

ollu

tion

� �T

he th

ree majo

r sou

rces of w

ater T

he th

ree majo

r sou

rces of w

ater p

ollu

tion

are p

ollu

tion

are hu

man

h

um

an w

astes, w

astes, in

du

strialin

du

strialwastes, an

d

wastes, an

d ch

emical

chem

ical ru

no

ffru

no

ff. .

Hu

man

Waste

�S

ewag

e in cities

�D

urin

g h

eavy rains o

r floo

ds, san

itary sew

ers som

etimes o

verflow

and

can

po

llute th

e surface w

ater. �

If this h

app

ens, p

eop

le are often

told

to

bo

il water fo

r drin

king

and

coo

king

after a flo

od

. �

Th

e bo

iling

kills man

y disease-cau

sing

o

rgan

isms.

Sew

age in

Ru

ral Areas

Sew

age in

Ru

ral Areas

�In

rural areas, p

eop

le mu

st be carefu

l wh

ere th

ey locate sep

tic tanks.

�If a tan

kis to

o n

ear a stream o

r on

a hill,

wastew

ater can leak in

to th

e stream o

r flow

d

ow

nh

ill to th

e area of a w

ell.

Leakin

g sep

tic tank

Sew

age in

Ru

ral Areas

�W

astes from

cattle, pig

s, and

chicken

s can

also b

e a pro

blem

in ru

ral areas. �

An

imal w

astes can ru

n o

fffro

m p

astures an

d

barn

yards an

d p

ass disease-cau

sing

bacteria

and

oth

er kind

s of p

ollu

tion

into

bo

dies o

f w

ater.

Ind

ustrial W

astesIn

du

strial Wastes

� �C

hem

icalsC

hem

icals, , sm

oke

smo

ke, an

d

, and

heated

heated

water are th

ree types o

f po

llutan

ts w

ater are three typ

es of p

ollu

tants

pro

du

ced b

y factories, m

ines, an

d

pro

du

ced b

y factories, m

ines, an

d

oth

er ind

ustries.

oth

er ind

ustries.

Ch

emicals

Ch

emicals

� �M

any facto

ry pro

cesses M

any facto

ry pro

cesses in

volve to

xic chem

icals and

in

volve to

xic chem

icals and

stro

ng

acids.

stron

g acid

s.

� �O

ther to

xic wastes are

Oth

er toxic w

astes are p

rod

uced

as a result o

f p

rod

uced

as a result o

f m

anu

facturin

g an

d m

inin

g

man

ufactu

ring

and

min

ing

p

rocesses.

pro

cesses.

� �A

ltho

ug

h

Alth

ou

gh

laws

laws

con

trol m

any

con

trol m

any

po

int so

urces

po

int so

urces

of ch

emical

of ch

emical

po

llutio

n, so

me facto

ries p

ollu

tion

, som

e factories

still release toxic ch

emicals

still release toxic ch

emicals

directly in

to n

earby rivers

directly in

to n

earby rivers

and

lakes. an

d lakes.

Ch

emicals

Ch

emicals

� �A

no

ther p

rob

lem is p

ollu

tion

A

no

ther p

rob

lem is p

ollu

tion

cau

sed b

y cau

sed b

y no

np

oin

t sou

rcesn

on

po

int so

urces. .

� �In

the p

ast, man

y ind

ustries

In th

e past, m

any in

du

stries sto

red to

xic wastes in

sto

red to

xic wastes in

barrels

barrels

or o

ther co

ntain

ers bu

ried

or o

ther co

ntain

ers bu

ried

un

derg

rou

nd

. u

nd

ergro

un

d.

� �O

ver the years, h

ow

ever, man

y O

ver the years, h

ow

ever, man

y o

f these co

ntain

ers rusted

or

of th

ese con

tainers ru

sted o

r b

roke.

bro

ke.

� �T

he ch

emicals leaked

ou

t, T

he ch

emicals leaked

ou

t, p

ollu

ting

bo

th th

e soil an

d th

e p

ollu

ting

bo

th th

e soil an

d th

e g

rou

nd

water.

gro

un

dw

ater.

Barrels o

f nu

clear waste fo

un

d in

an

aban

do

ned

Germ

an salt m

ine

Sm

oke an

d E

xhau

stS

mo

ke and

Exh

aust

� �M

any p

ow

er plan

ts and

factories b

urn

M

any p

ow

er plan

ts and

factories b

urn

coal

coal

or

or o

ilo

ilto

fuel th

eir pro

cesses. to

fuel th

eir pro

cesses.

� �T

he en

gin

es of m

illion

s of cars, tru

cks, and

bu

ses T

he en

gin

es of m

illion

s of cars, tru

cks, and

bu

ses b

urn

b

urn

gaso

line

gaso

line

. .

� �S

mo

keS

mo

kean

d

and

exhau

st exh

aust fro

m th

ese sou

rces po

ur in

to

from

these so

urces p

ou

r into

th

e air, especially aro

un

d larg

e cities. th

e air, especially aro

un

d larg

e cities.

Sm

oke an

d E

xhau

st�

Wh

en co

al, oil, an

d

gaso

line are

bu

rned

, the g

ases su

lfur d

ioxid

ean

d

nitro

gen

oxid

eare

released in

to th

e atm

osp

here.

�T

he su

lfur an

d

nitro

gen

react with

w

ater, form

ing

su

lfuric

and

nitric

acids.

�T

he resu

lt is acid

rain.

Acid

Rain

Acid

Rain

�A

cid rain

is rain o

r an

oth

er form

of

precip

itation

that is

mo

re acidic

than

n

orm

al. �

Acid

raincan

affect fish

, harm

trees, and

eat aw

ay the sto

ne

of b

uild

ing

san

d

statues.

Heat P

ollu

tion

Heat P

ollu

tion

�M

uch

of th

e water in

facto

ries is used

to co

ol

mach

inery o

r metal

ob

jects. �

Th

e warm

water alo

ne can

act as a p

ollu

tant.

�M

any w

ater org

anism

s can

live in o

nly a n

arrow

ran

ge

of tem

peratu

res. �

Warm

water released

by

factory in

to a n

earby river

or p

on

d raises th

e tem

peratu

re of th

e water,

som

etimes en

ou

gh

to

harm

the livin

g th

ing

s th

ere.

Ch

emical R

un

off

Ch

emical R

un

off

�F

armers sp

read o

r sp

ray fertilizing

chem

icals on

their

fields to

pro

du

ce better

crop

s. �

Wh

en rain

falls on

the

fields, it w

ashes so

me

of th

e chem

icals away

as run

off.

�W

ater used

for

irrigatio

n also

creates ru

no

ff.�

Th

e fertilizersin

the

run

off are a n

on

po

int

Exam

ples o

f run

off

Ru

no

ff from

farms

Ru

no

ff from

farms

�W

ith th

e add

ition

of fertilizers ru

nn

ing

off in

to p

on

ds

and

lakes, the p

rocess o

f eutro

ph

ication

speed

s up

. �

Ru

no

ff and

irrigatio

n w

ater carry away p

ollu

tants

from

farm field

s such

as pesticid

esan

d fertilizers.

Ru

no

ff from

farms

Ru

no

ff from

road

s

�W

hen

it rains, ru

no

ff carries oil in

to rivers an

d lakes,

or u

nd

ergro

un

d an

d in

to th

e gro

un

dw

ater. �

Du

ring

win

ter, run

off also

picks u

p salt

that is

spread

on

road

s and

sidew

alks to m

elt ice. �

Gaso

line, o

il, and

saltare n

on

po

int

sou

rces that

po

llute rivers an

d lakes.

�T

hey can

also seep

un

derg

rou

nd

and

po

llute w

ellsan

d aq

uifers.

Water P

ollu

tion

So

lutio

ns

�S

olvin

g p

ollu

tion

pro

blem

s invo

lves cleanin

g u

p

existing

pro

blem

s as well as p

reventin

g n

ew o

nes.

�C

leanu

p�

Man

y po

llutan

ts are remo

ved fro

m fresh

water th

rou

gh

n

atural clean

up

pro

cesses. �

Livin

g th

ing

s in lakes, stream

s, and

wetlan

ds h

elp

redu

ce po

llutio

n b

y filtering

ou

tan

d b

reaking

do

wn

waste m

aterials.

Livin

g th

ing

s help

ing

cleanu

p

po

llutio

n�

Exam

ples

�P

lant ro

ots

filter larger p

articles from

the w

ater. �

Certain

bacteria

con

sum

e oil an

d h

ave been

used

to

cleanu

p o

il spills.

�N

atural an

d artificial w

etland

scan

be u

sed to

clean u

p

water p

ollu

tion

. �

Wetlan

ds

have b

een b

uilt n

ear coal m

ines to

treat acid

ic min

ing

run

off b

efore it retu

rns to

the

enviro

nm

ent.

Preven

tion

�M

any in

du

stries have fo

un

d th

at recycling

tech

niq

ues th

at con

servew

ater also red

uce

po

llutio

n.

�F

or exam

ple, facto

ries coo

lthe w

ater used

to co

ol

mach

inery an

d reu

seit in

stead o

f releasing

it into

a river.

�A

no

ther exam

ple is w

hen

farmers co

llect and

reuse th

e ru

no

ff water fro

m th

eir pastu

re as water fo

r irrigatio

n.

�F

armers can

also p

lant field

s of g

rassesth

at filter ou

t p

ollu

tants b

efore th

e water reach

es a river or p

on

d.