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What is pollution? Pollution is the introduction of a contaminant into the environment. It is created mostly by human actions, but can also be a result of natural disasters. Pollution has a detrimental effect on any living organism in an environment, making it virtually impossible to sustain life. Why are the different types of pollution? Pollution harms the Earths environment and its inhabitants in many ways. The three main types of pollution are: Land Pollution Land pollution is pollution of the Earths natural land surface by industrial, commercial, domestic and agricultural activities. What are the sources of land pollution? Some of the main contributors to land pollution are: Chemical and nuclear plants Industrial factories Oil refineries Human sewage Oil and antifreeze leaking from cars Mining Littering Overcrowded landfills Deforestation Construction debris Facts about Land Pollution Here are a few facts about land pollution: Every year one American produces over 3285 pounds of hazardous waste Land pollution causes us to lose 24 billion tons of top soil every year Americans generate 30 billion foam cups, 220 million tires and 1.8 billion disposable diapers every year We throw away enough trash every day to fill 63,000 garbage trucks Every day Americans throw away 1 million bushels of litter out their car window Over 80% of items in landfills can be recycled, but theyre not How to Prevent Land Pollution The best way to prevent land pollution is to recycle. Here are a few other ways you can reduce land pollution: Reuse any items that you can Buy biodegradable products Store all liquid chemicals and waste in spill-proof containers Eat organic foods that are grown without pesticides Dont use pesticides Use a drip tray to collect engine oil Buy products that have little packaging Dont dump motor oil on the ground

Soil Pollution

By guest writer, N. M. P. Soil pollution is one of the major problems taking place today. Our earth is increasingly getting contaminated and polluted! And there is no one else to blame, but ourselves. The pollution of soil is the result of the presence of contaminants, including toxic compounds, radioactive materials and other foreign and harmful chemicals, in the soil. As a result, the soil loses its structure and chemical (content of oxygen, nitrogen, etc) and biological (e.g. ability to support life) properties. Some of the common soil pollutants are hydrocarbons, heavy metals (e.g. cadmium, lead, chromium, copper, zinc, mercury and arsenic), herbicides, pesticides, oils, tars, Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) and dioxins. Main causes of Soil Pollution y Soil pollution is often associated with indiscriminate use of farming chemicals, such as pesticides, fertilizers, etc. Pesticides applied to plants can also leak into the ground, leaving long-lasting effects. Read about the dangers of pesticides. In turn, some of the harmful chemicals found in the fertilizers (e.g. cadmium) may accumulate above their toxic levels, ironically leading to the poisoning of crops. Heavy metals can enter the soil through the use of polluted water in watering crops, or through the use of mineral fertilizers. Faulty landfills, bursting of underground bins and seepage from faulty sewage systems could cause the leakage of toxins into the surrounding soil. Acid rains caused by industrial fumes mixing in rain falls on the land, and could dissolve away some of the important nutrients found in soil, as such changing the structure of the soil. Industrial wastes are one of the biggest soil-pollution factors. Iron, steel, power and chemical manufacturing plants which irresponsibly use the Earth as a dumping ground often leave behind lasting effects for years to come. Fuel leakages from automobiles, which get washed by rain, can seep into the nearby soil, polluting it. Deforestation is a major cause for soil erosion, where soil particles are dislodged and carried away by water or wind. As a result, the soil loses it structure as well as important nutrients found in the soil.

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Effects of Soil Pollution The effects of pollution on soil are quite disturbing and can result in huge disturbances in the ecological balance and health of living beings on earth. Some of the most serious soil pollution effects are: y y y Disturbance in the balance of flora and fauna inhabiting in the soil. Contaminated soil decreases soil fertility and hence there is decrease in the soil yield. Normally crops cannot grow and flourish in a polluted soil. However if some crops manage to grow, then these crops might have absorbed the toxic chemicals in the soil and might cause serious health problems in people consuming them.

Sometimes the soil pollution is in the form of increased salinity of the soil. In such a case, the soil becomes unhealthy for vegetation, and often becomes useless and barren. When soil pollution modifies the soil structure, deaths of many beneficial soil organisms (e.g. earthworms) in the soil could take place. Other than further reducing the ability of the soil to support life, this occurrence could also have an effect on the larger predators (e.g. birds) and force them to move to other places, in the search of food. People living near polluted land tend to have higher incidences of migraines, nausea, fatigue, skin disorders and even miscarriages. Depending on the pollutants present in the soil, some of the longer-term effects of soil pollution include cancer, leukemia, reproductive disorders, kidney and liver damage, and central nervous system failure. These health problems could be a result of direct poisoning by the polluted land (e.g. children playing on land filled with toxic waste) or indirect poisoning (e.g. eating crops grown on polluted land, drinking water polluted by the leaching of chemicals from the polluted land to the water supply, etc).

Preventing Pollution of Soil y y Strong regulatory programs to minimize soil contamination need to be introduced. Reuse and recycle unwanted items. Or even better, reduce consumption and reduce your trash. The less rubbish we create the less chance the waste will end up in our soil. There is a need to educate the public about the harms done when they litter. If you are a gardener, make use of organic fertilizers and organic pesticides, because they are usually made of natural substances, are bio-degradable and do little harm to the natural balance in the soil. Insist on buying natural and organic food, because chemical pesticides and fertilizers are not used in their growing process. Not only are organic foods healthier for the environment, they are also healthier for you and your family. Read about the benefits of organic food. Cut down your usage of paper. Or use recycled paper. In this way, fewer trees need to be cut down and there would be reduced deforestation. Read about the benefits of recycling to the environment.

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Human beings take part in making land pollution. We as people use things that are useful and then we discard them, by putting them in the trash. After they are in the trash they are buried under the ground. A few years later the earth will absorb the harmful chemicals from our trash. This is one form of land pollution. Land pollution has gotten to a high point and can get even higher. In 1994 the Russian republic set the record of the worse land pollution ever. On August 17, 1994 an oil spill had occurred. It had destroyed 5,213 acres. The cause of the accident was due the to poor pipes used to transport the oil. Land pollution incidents have a major impact on the environment in England. The number of incidents is on the increase. In 2000 there were 8 incidents compared with 22 in 2001 and 31 in 2002 in England. That is a major amount

of damage to the land in this country. If you run a small business or any kind of business, you may need a land pollution control permit. If your business produces waste and you do not dispose or store it, you will not need a land pollution control permit. There are different types of waste, if you handle certain kinds of waste your business will need a permit, the need for a permit depends upon the type of waste and what you do with the waste and the location of the activity. If you accept waste from someone else for treatment, transfer, storage or disposal you will need a permit. There are three different types of land permits. There is a solid waste permit, special waste permit and a hazardous waste permit.

Land pollution the action of environmental contamination with man-made waste on land. Americans generate five pounds of solid waste every day, furthermore creating one ton of solid waste each year. (Kaufman and Franz) In an average day in the United States, people throw out 200,000 tons of edible food and throw 1 million bushels of litter out of their automobiles. (Kaufman and Franz) The main human contributor to pollution are landfills. Approximately half of our trash is disposed in landfills. (Dubay et al) Only 2% of our waste is actually recycled.

It is possible that land pollution might also contaminate the air and/or the water or vice versa. In the picture above, for example, some of the trash may end up getting washed into the lake adjacent to it. In another situation, chemical waste may not be disposed of properly and toxic substances may seep into the ground. These seeping chemicals can potentially contaminate a local body of water. It is also possible that these chemicals may give off a toxic vapor, thereby contributing to air pollution as well.