5/31/2017 WhatIsSoilPollution|EnvironmentalPollutionCenters

WhatIsSoilPollution?
DEFINITION

Soilpollutionisdefinedasthepresenceoftoxicchemicals(pollutantsorcontaminants)insoil,in
highenoughconcentrationstoposearisktohumanhealthand/ortheecosystem.Inthecaseof
contaminantswhichoccurnaturallyinsoil,evenwhentheirlevelsarenothighenoughtoposea
risk,soilpollutionisstillsaidtooccurifthelevelsofthecontaminantsinsoilexceedthelevelsthat
shouldnaturallybepresent.

TypesofPollution

RADIATION

CHEMICAL

OILSPILL

NOISEPOLLUTION

SoilPollutionCauses

NATURAL
POLLUTANTS Types
Naturalprocesses ofSoil
canleadtoan
accumulationof
toxicchemicalsin
thesoil.Thistypeof
contaminationhas
onlybeenrecorded

Allsoils,whetherpollutedorunpolluted,containavariety inafewcases,such
ofcompounds(contaminants)whicharenaturally astheaccumulation
present.Suchcontaminantsincludemetals,inorganic ofhigherlevelsof

ionsandsalts(e.g.phosphates,carbonates,sulfates, perchlorateinsoil

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nitrates),andmanyorganiccompounds(suchaslipids, fromtheAtacama
proteins,DNA,fattyacids,hydrocarbons,PAHs,alcohols, DesertinChile,a
etc.).Thesecompoundsaremainlyformedthroughsoil typeofaccumulation
microbialactivityanddecompositionoforganisms(e.g., whichispurelydue
plantsandanimals).Additionally,variouscompoundsget tonaturalprocesses
intothesoilfromtheatmosphere,forinstancewith inaridenvironments.
precipitationwater,aswellasbywindactivityorother
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typesofsoildisturbances,andfromsurfacewaterbodies
andshallowgroundwaterflowingthroughthesoil.When
theamountsofsoilcontaminantsexceednaturallevels
(whatisnaturallypresentinvarioussoils),pollutionis MANMADE
generated.Therearetwomaincausesthroughwhichsoil POLLUTANTS
pollutionisgenerated:anthropogenic(manmade) Manmade
causesandnaturalcauses. contaminantsare
themaincausesof
soilpollutionand
consistofalarge
varietyof
contaminantsor
chemicals,both
organicand
inorganic.Theycan
pollutethesoileither
aloneorcombined
withseveralnatural
soilcontaminants.
Manmadesoil
pollutionisusually
causedbythe
improperdisposalof
wastecomingfrom
industrialorurban
sources,industrial
activities,and
agricultural
pesticides.

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Pollutants
Soilpollutionconsistsofpollutantsandcontaminants.Themainpollutantsofthesoilarethebiological
agentsandsomeofthehumanactivities.Soilcontaminantsareallproductsofsoilpollutantsthat
contaminatethesoil.Humanactivitiesthatpollutethesoilrangefromagriculturalpracticesthatinfest
thecropswithpesticidechemicalstourbanorindustrialwastesorradioactiveemissionsthat
contaminatethesoilwithvarioustoxicsubstances.

BIOLOGICAL AGRICULTURAL RADIOACTIVE URBAN INDUSTRIAL

AGENTS PRACTICES POLLUTANTS WASTE WASTE
Biological Thesoilof Radioactive Urbanwaste Steel,
agentswork thecropsis substances consistsof pesticides,
insidethe pollutedtoa suchas garbageand textiles,
soilto largeextent Radium, rubbish drugs,glass,
introduce with Thorium, materials, cement,
manuresand pesticides, Uranium, driedsludge petroleum,
digested fertilizers, Nitrogen,etc. andsewage etc.are
sludge herbicides, caninfiltrate from producedby
(comingfrom slurry,debris, thesoiland domesticand papermills,
thehuman, andmanure. createtoxic commercial oilrefineries,
birdand effects. waste. sugar
animal factories,
excreta)into petroleum
thesoil. industries
andothers
assuch.

ExamplesofSoilContaminants
Thereisalargevarietyofpollutantsthatcouldpoisonthesoil.Examplesofthemostcommonand
problematicsoilpollutantscanbefoundbelow.

LEAD(PB) MERCURY ARSENIC COPPER ZINC(ZN)

(HG) (AS) (CU)
Potential Potential
sources:lead Potential Potential Potential sources:
paint,mining, sources: sources: sources: mining
foundry mining, mining,coal mining, foundry
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activities, incineration firedpower foundry activities

vehicle ofcoal,alkali plants, activities construction
exhaust, andmetal lumber construction activities
construction processing, facilities, activities
activities, medical electronics
agriculture wastev, industry,
NICKEL
activities olcanoesand foundry (NI)
geologic activities,
Potential
deposits, agriculture,
sources:
accumulation natural
mining
inplants& accumulation
foundry
vegetables
activities
grownon
construction
pollutedsoils
activities

PAHS HERBICIDES/INSECTICIDES
(POLYAROMATIC TheEffectsofSoilPollution
HYDROCARBONS)Potential
sources:
Potential Soilpollutionaffectsplants,animalsandhumansalike.
agricultural
sources:coal Whileanyoneissusceptibletosoilpollution,soilpollution
activities
burning, effectsmayvarybasedonage,generalhealthstatusand
gardening
vehicle otherfactors,suchasthetypeofpollutantor
emissions, contaminantinhaledoringested.However,childrenare
accumulation usuallymoresusceptibletoexposuretocontaminants,
inplants& becausetheycomeinclosecontactwiththesoilby
vegetables playinginthegroundcombinedwithlowerthresholdsfor
grownon disease,thistriggershigherrisksthanforadults.
polluted Therefore,itisalwaysimportanttotestthesoilbefore
soils allowingyourkidstoplaythere,especiallyifyouliveina
cigarette highlyindustrializedarea.
smoke
wildfires,
DiseasesCausedbySoilPollution
agricultural
burning
Humanscanbeaffectedbysoilpollutionthroughthe
wood
inhalationofgasesemittedfromsoilsmovingupward,or
burning,
throughtheinhalationofmatterthatisdisturbedand
constructions
transportedbythewindbecauseofthevarioushuman
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activitiesontheground.Soilpollutionmaycausea
varietyofhealthproblems,startingwithheadaches,
nausea,fatigue,skinrash,eyeirritationandpotentially
resultinginmoreseriousconditionslikeneuromuscular
blockage,kidneyandliverdamageandvariousformsof
cancer.

SoilPollutionFacts
Soilactsasanaturalsinkforcontaminants,by
accumulatingandsometimesconcentrating
contaminantswhichendupinsoilfromvarious
sources.Tinyamountsofcontaminantsaccumulatein
thesoilanddependingontheenvironmentalconditions
(includingsoiltypes)andthedegradabilityofthe
releasedcontaminantcanreachhighlevelsandpollute
thesoil.Ifthesoiliscontaminated,homegrown
vegetablesandfruitsmaybecomepollutedtoo.This
happensbecausemostofthesoilpollutantspresentin
thesoilareextractedbytheplantsalongwithwater
everytimetheyfeed.Thus,itisalwaysprudenttotest
thesoilbeforestartingtogrowanythingedible.Thisis
especiallyimportantifyourgardenislocatednearan
industrialorminingarea,orwithin1mileofamain
airport,harbor,landfill,orfoundry.

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