Soil contamination, degradation and pollution
mean different things even though we often use these terms to mean one thing.
Here is the difference:
Soil pollution is when humans
introduce harmful objects, chemicals or substances, directly or indirectly into
the soil in a way that causes harm to other living things or destroys soil or
water ecosystems.
Soil contamination is when the
concentration of chemicals, nutrients or elements in the soil becomes more than
it normally or naturally is, as a result of human action. If this contamination
goes on to harm living organisms, we can call it pollution.
Soil degradation is when the soil
looses its value (in terms of nutrients, chemical make-up etc) as a result of
over-farming, over-grazing or erosion. For example, if a bush fire wipes out
the vegetation on a piece of land therby exposing the soils, and nutrients in
the soil gets dissolved by rain water run-off, the ability of the soil to
support plant life is reduced. We can call this soil degradation.
What causes contamination?
Pesticides and herbicides (and other farming chemicals) often end up
contamination soils. Direct discharge of wastewater by industries can also
cause that. Leakages in sewage systems, underground storage tanks and leaching
of soluble substances from landfills can also result in contamination.
Rainwater or floods from other polluted lands and water bodies spread
contaminants to soils in other locations.
The effects of soils contamination
Soil contamination can result in soil and land pollution, and affect the health of plants that depend on them. It can also harm living organisms in the soils and humans that come into contact with them by touching, breathing or eating crops from contaminated soils. Contaminants in soils can also get infiltrated into ground water and pollute them.
The effects of soils contamination
Soil contamination can result in soil and land pollution, and affect the health of plants that depend on them. It can also harm living organisms in the soils and humans that come into contact with them by touching, breathing or eating crops from contaminated soils. Contaminants in soils can also get infiltrated into ground water and pollute them.
Depending on the extent and volume of soil
contamination, it can be remedied by
1. Digging out the soils for treatment and disposal
1. Digging out the soils for treatment and disposal
2. Containing it to prevent it from spreading, by placing large plastic
materials over the
affected area.
3. Treating the soils with some safe chemicals to neutralize the
contaminant.