What is land pollution?
Land pollution basically is about contaminating the land surface of the
Earth through dumping urban waste matter indiscriminately, dumping of
industrial waste, mineral exploitation, and misusing the soil by harmful
agricultural practices. Land pollution includes visible litter and
waste along with the soil itself being polluted. The soil gets polluted
by the chemicals in pesticides and herbicides used for agricultural
purposes along with waste matter being littered in urban areas such as
roads, parks, and streets.
Land Pollution Comprises Of: Solid Waste and Soil Pollution
Solid Waste: Semisolid or solid matter that are created by human
or animal activities, and which are disposed because they are hazardous
or useless are known as solid waste. Most of the solid wastes, like
paper, plastic containers, bottles, cans, and even used cars and
electronic goods are not biodegradable, which means they do not get
broken down through inorganic or organic processes. Thus, when they
accumulate they pose a health threat to people, plus, decaying wastes
also attract household pests and result in urban areas becoming
unhealthy, dirty, and unsightly places to reside in. Moreover, it also
causes damage to terrestrial organisms, while also reducing the uses of
the land for other, more useful purposes.
Some of the sources of solid waste that cause land pollution are:
Wastes from Agriculture: This comprises of waste matter produced
by crop, animal manure, and farm residues.
Wastes from Mining: Piles of coal refuse and heaps of slag.
Wastes from Industries: Industrial waste matter that can cause
land pollution can include paints, chemicals, and so on.
Solids from Sewage Treatment: Wastes that are left over after
sewage has been treated, biomass sludge, and settled solids.
Ashes: The residual matter that remains after solid fuels are
burned.
Garbage: This comprises of waste matter from food that are
decomposable and other waste matter that are not decomposable such as
glass, metal, cloth, plastic, wood, paper, and so on.
Soil Pollution: Soil pollution is chiefly caused by chemicals in
pesticides, such as poisons that are used to kill agricultural pests
like insects and herbicides that are used to get rid of weeds. Hence,
soil pollution results from:
- Unhealthy methods of soil management.
- Harmful practices of irrigation methods.
What are the Consequences of Land Pollution?
Land pollution can affect wildlife, plants, and humans in a number of ways, such as:
- Cause problems in the respiratory system
- Cause problems on the skin
- Lead to birth defects
- Cause various kinds of cancers
- Coming into contact with the skin
- Being washed into water sources like reservoirs and rivers
- Eating fruits and vegetables that have been grown in polluted soil
- Breathing in polluted dust or particles
- People should be educated and made aware about the harmful effects of littering
- Items used for domestic purposes ought to be reused or recycled
- Personal litter should be disposed properly
- Organic waste matter should be disposed in areas that are far away from residential places
- Inorganic matter such as paper, plastic, glass and metals should be reclaimed and then recycled