SOIL POLLUTION Presented byHakim Asif Haider

Outline of Presentation

•Introduction.•Sources.•Effects.•Diseases•Controls/Preventions.

1. Introduction

• Any undesirable change in the Physical, Chemical , and

Biological characteristics of the air , water , and land or soil

which is harmful to the man directly or indirectly through

animals , plants , industrial units or Raw materials.

• The Waste products of human activities are not efficiently

assimilated decomposed or otherwise removed by natural ,

biological and physical processes( recycling) and the

system is unable to utilize properly so that the balance of

the system gets altered by the addition of such un

degradable pollutants .

1. Pollution is mainly man made , but it can be natural as well

Pollution

Anthropogenic Natural

( Man Made Pollution) Volcanic Eruption,

Industrial pollution, Agricultural pollution UV Radiation, Soil erosion

Dust Storm, Decomposition

Of Organic Matter , Forrest Fires etc.

A Pollutant is a waste material that pollutes air, water or soil , and is the cause of pollution. It can be of two types

Pollutants

Non Degradable Bio – Degradablee.g. Aluminum Pecks, compounds of iron, e.g. Peels , Wood Leaves Mercury, Phenols and D.D.T.

SOIL is the thin layer of organic and inorganic materials

that covers the Earth's rocky surface. The organic portion,

which is derived from the decayed remains of plants and

animals, is concentrated in the dark uppermost topsoil. The

inorganic portion made up of rock fragments, was formed

over thousands of years by physical and chemical weathering

of bedrock. . Several factors contribute to the formation of soil

from the parent material. This includes the mechanical

weathering of rocks due to temperature changes and

abrasion, wind, moving water, glaciers, chemical weathering

activities, and lichens.

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.

2. Sources and Effects

•Municipal Solid Waste (MSW).

•Industrial Waste.

•Agro Waste.

•Radioactive Waste.

•Biological Waste.

2.1 MSW

• Municipal solid waste is solid waste

generated by households, commercial

establishments and offices and does not

include the industrial or agricultural

waste. E.g.

 1)  India’s urban population slated to increase from

the current 330 million to about 600 million by

2030,  the challenge of managing municipal solid

waste (MSW) in an environmentally and

economically sustainable manner is bound to

assume gigantic proportions. The country has over

5,000 cities and towns, which generate about 40

million tonnes of MSW per year today. Going by

estimates of The Energy Research Institute

(TERI), this could well touch 260 million tonnes

per year by 2047.

  Plastic Pollution

 Plastic bags, plastic thin sheets and plastic waste is also a major source

of pollution. A division bench of Allahabad High Court, comprising

Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Arun Tandon, in May 03, 2010

had directed the Ganga Basin Authority and the state government to

take appropriate action to ban the use of polythene in the vicinity of

Ganga in the entire state. Also Plastic Bag Pollution in the Country

is the biggest hazards. On  August 2, 2010, seeking to know whether a

fine should be imposed on paan masala or gutkha packet manufacturers

for polluting and choking the drainage systems, the Supreme Court has

directed the Union government to file its reply in six weeks.

2.2 Industrial Waste

• Industrial waste is a type of waste produced by industrial

activity, such as that of Factories, mills and mines.

• It has existed since the outset of the Industrial Revolution.

• Much industrial waste is neither hazardous nor toxic, such as

waste fibre produced by agriculture and lodging.

• Toxic Waste, Chemical waste, Industrial solid waste and

Municipal Solid Waste are designations of industrial waste.

• Sewage Treatment can be used to clean water tainted with

industrial waste.

Online edition of India's National NewspaperWednesday, Apr 28, 2010

Farmers express concern over pollution

Coimbatore: Farmers in Kurumbapalayam, Kullakkapalayam and Podanur

in Achipatti area of Pollachi have urged the administration to take steps to

control the pollution caused by two companies. Villagers in a signed

memorandum to the Collector pointed out that the pollution emitted by these two

companies was effecting the ground water and agricultural lands. K.

Paramasivam of the PAP irrigation committee said that the metal dust

coming from these two casting units was affecting the agricultural yield in the

nearby farm lands.

In addition, the black smoke that engulfs the villages around the company cause

serious health hazards. The waste that comes out of the units also cause

unbearable stink. The waste generated by these units also choke the

Parambikulam – Aliyar Project (PAP) canal and the water from this canal that

reaches the farms also affect the soil fertility.

Pollution due to Mining

 a) New Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment (CSE) on December 29, 2007 said mining was causing displacement, pollution, forest degradation and social unrest. According to the Centre for Science and Environment ( CSE) report the top 50 mineral producing districts, as many as 34 fall under the 150 most backward districts identified in the country. 

  The CSE report has made extensive analysis of environment degradation and pollution due to mining, wherein it has said, in 2005-06 alone 1.6 billion tonnes of waste and overburden from coal, iron ore, limestone and bauxite have added to environment pollution. With the annual growth of mining at 10.7 per cent and 500-odd mines awaiting approval of the Centre, the pollution would increase manifold in the coming years.    The mines of Mahanadi Coal Fields and NTPC draw about 25 Cr litres of water per day from the River Brahmani and in return they release thousands of gallons of waste water, which contains obnoxious substances like Ash, Oil, Heavy Metals, Grease, Fluorides, Phosphorus, Ammonia, Urea and Sulphuric Acid, into the River Nandira (A tributary of River Brahmani). The effluents from chlorine plant cause chloride and sodium toxicity to the river Rushikulya – the lifeline of southern Orissa. The Phosphoric Fertilizer Industry discharges effluent containing Nitric, Sulphuric and Phosphoric acids into river Mahanadi.

2.3 Agricultural Wastes•Pollution of agricultural soils due to

excessive use of chemicals, salt and water are the prime reasons behind soil pollution.

•Pesticides are applied on the crops in an indiscriminate manner for increasing food production and increase in yield which have done great damage to soil. Most important amongst pesticides are chlorinated hydrocarbons such as DDT and BHC.

2.3 a Erosion

•Soil erosion can be defined as the movement

of surface litter and topsoil from one place to

another. While erosion is a natural process,

often caused by wind and flowing water, it is

greatly accelerated by human activities such

as farming, construction, overgrazing by

livestock, burning of grass cover, and

deforestation.

 In India about 130 million hectare of land (45% of total

geographical area) is affected by serious soil erosion through ravine

and gully, shifting cultivation, cultivated wastelands, sandy

areas, deserts and water logging ( Govt. of India, 1989).

Of the 16 rivers of world which experience severe erosion and carry

heavy sediment load, 3 rivers, namely Ganges, Brahmaputra and

Kosy  occupy the 2nd, 3rd and 12th position respectively

Pie Chart For Erosion

2.4) Radioactive wasteThe radioactive pollution is defined as the physical pollution of soil and the other radioactive materials.

Environmental Radiation 

Natural Man Made (Background radiations) (plutonium and thorium)(Radium, Uranium, Thorium, Radon, Potassium and Carbon)It occur in the rock, soil and water.

In early April, 2010 a machine from Delhi

University containing cobalt-60, a

radioactive metal used for radiotherapy in

hospitals, ended up in a scrap yard in the city.

The death from radiation poisoning of a scrap

yard worker in Delhi has highlighted the lax

enforcement of waste disposal laws in India.

The International Atomic Energy Agency

said it was the worst radiation incident

worldwide in four years. 

India being used as a dumping ground for hazardous

waste, from foreign countries. Twenty containers with

goods were detained by the officials of Special

Intelligence and Investigation Branch attached to

the Customs Department here recently. Packs of

broken toys, used diapers, empty perfume

bottles, used battery cells, thermocol, used

aluminium foil packing materials and coloured

surgical gloves were found in the containers. It

could also lead to contamination and spread of

communicable diseases. 

2.5) Biological WastesIn developing countries, excreta-related diseases are very

common, and faecal sludges and wastewater contain

correspondingly high concentrations of excreted pathogens –

the bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and the helminths

(worms) that cause gastro-intestinal infections (GI) in

man. There are approximately thirty excreted infections of

public health importance, and many of these are of specific

importance in excreta and wastewater use schemes. The risks

from transmission of excreted pathogens using human wastes

in agriculture and aquaculture have been and continue to be

widely studied and reported about.

Summary Of Causes• Polluted water discharged from factories

• Runoff from pollutants (paint, chemicals, rotting organic material)

leaching out of landfill

• Oil and petroleum leaks from vehicles washed off the road by the rain

into the surrounding habitat

• Chemical fertilizer runoff from farms and crops

• Acid rain (fumes from factories mixing with rain)

• Sewage discharged into rivers instead of being treated properly

• Over application of pesticides and fertilizers

• Purposeful injection into groundwater as a disposal method

• Interconnections between aquifers during drilling (poor technique)

• Septic tank seepage

• Lagoon seepage

• Sanitary/hazardous landfill seepage

• Cemeteries

• Scrap yards (waste oil and chemical drainage)

• Leaks from sanitary sewers

3. Effects

a) Agricultural.b) Industrial.c) Urban.d) Environmental Long Term Effects of

Soil Pollution.

a) Agricultural..

• Reduced soil fertility

• Reduced nitrogen fixation

• Increased erodibility

• Larger loss of soil and nutrients

• Deposition of silt in tanks and

reservoirs

• Reduced crop yield

• Imbalance in soil fauna and flora

b) Industrial

• Dangerous chemicals entering underground

water

• Ecological imbalance

• Release of pollutant gases

• Release of radioactive rays causing health

problems

• Increased salinity

• Reduced vegetation

c) Urban

• Clogging of drains

• Inundation of areas

• Public health problems

• Pollution of drinking water sources

• Foul smell and release of gases

• Waste management problems

d) Environmental Long Term Effects of Soil Pollution.

• pollution runs off into rivers and kills the fish, plants and other

aquatic life

• crops and fodder grown on polluted soil may pass the pollutants on

to the consumers

• polluted soil may no longer grow crops and fodder

• Soil structure is damaged (clay ionic structure impaired)

• corrosion of foundations and pipelines

• impairs soil stability

• may release vapours and hydrocarbon into buildings and cellars

• may create toxic dusts

• may poison children playing in the area

4) Diseases

1. Cancer

2. Brain and Nerve Damage

3. Kidney and Liver Disease

4. Malaria

5. Other Diseases

5. Control / Prevention

The following steps have been suggested to control soil pollution.

•Reducing chemical fertilizer and pesticide use

•Reusing of materials•Recycling and recovery of materials•Reforesting•Solid waste treatment

Anaerobic/aerobic decomposition of biodegradable municipal and domestic waste is also being done and gives organic manure. Cow dung which releases methane into the atmosphere, should be processed further in 'gobar gas plants' to produce 'gobar gas' and good manure.

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