Soil Pollution – What is it about? 

In this week’s blog post, we will be exploring more about soil pollution. The entire idea of soil pollution is very new to me, so I am spending some time reading up on this topic, and hopefully share some of the insights. 

A healthy soil is essential to meet the world’s demand for naturally grown food. Facing threats, arable soil across the world is depleting at an alarming rate (Woods, 2017). Soil is also a finite resource, meaning its loss and degradation is not recoverable within a human lifespan. According to the University of Sheffield’s Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, Earth has lord a third of arable land due to erosion or pollution in the past 40 years (Oliver, 2015). It is a potentially disastrous consequence as global demand for food surges. Soil affects the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. Hence, it is important for us to educate ourselves on this desired consequence. 

What causes soil pollution? 

Firstly, what is soil pollution? It refers to the presence of toxic chemicals in soil, in high enough concentration to pose a risk to human health/ or the ecosystem. Hazardous toxic wastes from septic systems, the automotive industry, and hospitals all find their way into the soil, greatly contributing to worldwide soil pollution (Li & Xing, 2020). These can be attributed to an individual’s improper disposal of old batteries or electronics. The continued process leads to the degradation of the environment and surrounding ecosystems (Woods, 2017). Most of the soil pollution can be traced to the agriculture industry. Toxins from fertilizers harm the soil and diminish fertility, which in turn affects the crop output.  

Poor soil management is also another factor that causes soil pollution. Unregulated practices by farmers cause our soil’s fertility to decrease at a rapid rate. These include irrigating water high in salt, poor drainage system allowing for too much evaporation from the soil surface, or even continual ploughing of field.  

Effects of Soil Pollution 

The most obvious effect of soil pollution is the diminished fertility of the soil. It threatens the food and supply chain. For many less-developed countries, agriculture comprises a large portion of their GDP and threatens livelihood. Whether we’re eating organic fruits and vegetables, or livestock animals are grazing on contaminated grass, all living things are affected. The erosion of the soil also has a devastating effect on the environment. Toxic dust of soil pollution hurts urban populated areas. It is created when landfills release toxic gases into the atmosphere. It causes illness and when humans are exposed to it for a long period of time, it can result in breathing difficulties or even worse birth defects (Woods, 2017). 

 

References 

Li, G., & Xing, J. (2020). The present situation of soil pollution in agricultural production and the Countermeasures. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 512(1), 012032. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/512/1/012032

Woods (2017). Causes and effects of soil pollution. Retrieved from https://blog.arcadia.com/causes-effects-soil-pollution/

Oliver (2015). Earth has lost a third of arable land in past 40 years, scientist say. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/02/arable-land-soil-food-security-shortage

ReliefWeb (2018). Soil pollution: A hidden reality – world. (n.d.). ReliefWeb. Retrieved April 1, 2022, from https://reliefweb.int/report/world/soil-pollution-hidden-reality