PRESENTED BY:-NEHA SINGH

(ECM)ASHWINI (FRM)

MHSc. II SEM

SOIL POLLUTION AND MANAGEMENT

CONTENT

1. What is soil?

2. What is soil pollution?

3. Sources of soil pollution

4. Effects of soil pollution

5. Control/Management of soil pollution

What is soil?

• Soil is the thin layer of organic and inorganic materials that covers the earth’s rocky surface.

• Soil is composed of particles of broken rock that have been altered by chemical and mechanical processes that include weathering and erosion.

What is soil pollution?

Soil pollution is defined as an undesirable change in the natural, physical, biological or chemical components of the soil.

Soil pollution is the contamination of soil with harmful substances that can adversely affect the quality of the soil and the health of those living in it.

Sources of Soil Pollution

Natural sources

Artificial sources

Natural Sources

Plant Residues

Animal Wastes

Plant Residues

• Residues from crops, fields and orchards carry plant pathogens and pests

• Add unwanted organic matter to the soil and destroy soil micro flora which create unfavourable conditions leading to pollution.

• Burning of crops yields residues with CO (8.3 %), NO (1.5 %), Hydrocarbons (5.3 %) and Particulate matter (8.0 %)

• Highly toxic to root growth and soil microbes.

• Increase soil acidity

Animal wastes

• Faecal matter, urine, blood, slaughter house waste, bodies of dead animals etc., are all indiscriminately dumped into the soil.

• Excessive organic contents are harmful for healthy growth of roots as they create hypertonic conditions in the soil causing wilting or stunted growth of the plants.

Artificial Sources

Industrial wastes

Solid wastes

Radioactive wastes

Detergents

Agrochemicals

Acid Rain

Fertilizers Herbicides Pesticides

Industrial wastes • Rapid Industrialisation• Releasing effluents into the surrounding fields• Enhance the salt content of the soil• Decreases the soil fertility• Seepage of toxic heavy metals deep into the soil pollute the ground water

Solid Wastes

• Garbage from homes and commercial places• Sources of solid wastes are domestic wastes, shops, offices, restaurants, hospital, educational institutions and small scale industries.• Causes degradation of soil

Radioactive wastes • Sources are nuclear explosions, nuclear testings, nuclear reactors etc.• Disrupt the growth and multiplication of soil microorganisms.

Detergents

• Increase soil alkalinity and phosphate content• Affect root growth of the plants and growth of soil microorganisms.

Agrochemicals

• Accumulation of excessive fertilizers disbalances the nutrient contents of the soil• Pesticides increases the toxicity of the soil

Acid Rain - Sulphuric acid and Nitric acid causes adverse conditions for plant Growth and soil microbes

Effects of Soil Pollution

Agricultural Effects:

• Reduced soil fertility

• Reduced nitrogen fixation

• Increase erodibility

• Larger loss of soil and nutrients

• Deposition of silt in tanks and reservoirs

• Reduced crop yield

• Imbalance in soil flora and fauna

Industrial Effects:

• Dangerous chemicals entering ground water

• Ecological Imbalance

• Release of pollutant gases

• Increased salinity

• Reduced vegetation

Urbanization Effects:

• Clogging of drains

• Inundation of areas

• Public Health Problems

• Pollution of drinking water resources

• Foul smell and release of gases

• Waste management problems

CONTROL /MANAGEMENT OF SOIL POLLUTION

1. Control of pesticide pollution

2. Control of fertilizer pollution

3. Control of pollution due to garbage

4. Control of acid rains

5. Control of radioactive based soil pollution

6. Discharge of hot liquids and oil leakage in the soil should be avoided.

7. Sewage should be biologically treated and converted into manure instead of its uncontrolled release into the soil.

1. Control of pesticide pollution • Lowering its use in agriculture• Use of degradable insecticides like organic phosphates• Adopting Biological control• Use of short lived chemical pesticides.• Rotation and diversification of crops etc.

2. Control of fertilizer pollution

• Natural procedures to boost soil fertility, e.g. Fallowing of fields, growing leguminous crops (to increase soil nitrogen), crop rotation use of organic fertilizers or farm yard manures or bio fertilizers

3. Control of pollution due to garbage • Sanitary landfills methods• Burning of garbage• Organic wastes can be used for preparing manure and biogas

4. Control of acid rains can be achieved by controlling air pollution

5. Control of radioactive based soil pollution, by controlling disposition of radioactive isotopes and minimisation of their us

Policy & Legislative Framework

Policies

•Policy Statement on Abatement of Pollution, 1992•National Conservation Strategy, 1992•National Environmental Policy ,2006

Legislation

•Water(Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974•Water(Prevention &Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977•Air(Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981•Environment (Protection) Act, 1986•Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991•National Green Tribunal Act, 2010