The decrease in soil fertility and loss of its characteristics is called soil pollution. This degradation is caused by the presence of toxic chemicals and pollutants in the soil which is harmful to all living organisms including humans, plants and animals.
Soil pollution can be caused by a variety of factors, such as industrial activities, improper waste disposal, agricultural practices, and natural disasters, etc.
Any substance that reduces or destroys soil fertility or its quality is called a soil pollutant. Soil pollutants can include heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, petroleum products, and other hazardous chemicals.
Soil pollution can have serious environmental and health consequences, such as decreased soil fertility, reduced crop yields, water pollution, and negative effects on human and animal health.
Cause of soil pollution
- Domestic waste, animal waste, industrial human waste and agricultural waste are the major factors of soil pollution.
- The toxic chemicals and garbage dumped in the soil completely pollute the soil around them. Contaminated soil can also contaminate underground water.
- Excessive use of plastic bags is another major and important source of soil pollution.
- Oxides of sulfur and nitrogen produced by burning some fuels such as petrol, diesel and coal also cause sulfate and nitrate formation in the soil.
- Lead compounds released from vehicles also settle in the soil, due to which the soil gets polluted.
- Some farmers also use many chemicals to increase the yield of crops. Used chemical fertilizers and pesticides also increase soil pollution and we also become sick by consuming fruits and other food items grown by these chemicals.
Measures to prevent soil pollution
We can take many measures to prevent soil pollution like-
- The waste of domestic animals, humans and agriculture should not be thrown directly into the soil but should be used to increase the fertility of the soil by making manure from it.
- No garbage should be thrown directly in the soil but it should be recycled.
- We should not use plastic bags at least or at all, instead of that we should use jute, paper and cloth bags.
- Fuels like petrol, diesel and coal should be used in limited quantity.
- The use of vehicles should also be reduced, due to which air pollution also remains under control.
- To increase the yield of crops, chemical fertilizers and pesticides should not be used or even if they are being used, they should be done in limited quantity.
- We should plant more and more trees and stop cutting trees.
Apart from this, there are many other measures by which we can prevent soil pollution, not only soil pollution, but by doing those measures, we can also prevent other and many other pollution so that our earth can remain pollution free.
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