Soil Pollution

Soil pollution is the presence of materials in the soil which are harmful to the living beings when they cross their threshold concentration levels. 

Causes

The main causes of soil pollution are mentioned below:

  • Municipal solid waste
  • Hospital waste
  • Excessive use of pesticides / fertilizers / herbicides
  • Disposal of industrial solid waste on open land

Effects

The adverse effects of soil pollution are:

  • Loss in fertility
  • Accumulation of pollutants in edible crops
  • Leaching of harmful contaminants
  • Surface and ground water contamination

Remedies

To control soil pollution, following simple remedies must be considered always:

  • Management of municipal solid waste
  • Waste grading and recycling
  • Setting-up landfills and composting sites
  • Incineration for hospital infectious wastes