Land Pollution

Land Pollution

There are many types of pollution that are damaging the earth; air pollution, water pollution, and even light pollution. Yet one of the main types of pollution hurting the earth is called land pollution, meaning the earth's surface and soil. The basic definition of land pollution is the destruction and contamination of earth surface and soil; directly or indirectly resulted by human activities.

Causes of Land Pollution

Excessive Agricultural & Farming Activities

Agricultural has its way of yielding into the rising demand for food, with the use of fertilizers and pesticides to increase the rate of production. Although these products increase the rate for a short period of time, in the future the soil turns poisonous. if we continue degrading the soil, it will lead the soil into a condition called soil salinization. Soil salinization is salt content in the soil.

Deforestation For Developmental Activities

Most of the activities that cause pollution to the land were required for the land to be cleared. Hinting at the fact that our next topic is deforestation for development activities. Deforestation can expose the land, which leads to rapid soil erosion, the forest plays a vital role in protecting the piles of earth soil from the heat of the sun. the forest prevents soil degradation. Deforestations, not only damages the soil, but the many life forms depended on the forest.

Construction Related Activities

Construction-related activities have a major impact on land pollution, with the loitering it leaves. Construction sites littered with metal, wood, bricks, plastic, etc, which is buried beneath the ground. All the while, dust particles, and other chemicals keep escaping out into the environment and polluting it.

Mining & Extraction Activities

Mining can cause soil contamination, by releasing the many toxic chemicals used in mining. Therefore brings to shame to the land by destroying its structure. As well as it requires a lot of drilling, land clearing, etc in mining, which could cause the land to soil erosion but also lead to the commonly heard cases of land caving in at mining sites. Not only the earth is in danger, the people as well.

Overflowing Landfills

Lastly, but not any less important, the base of where all waste, from around the world goes to — landfills. Tons of trash are collected in a significant amount of land where it will sit for decades at a time. Therefore the garbage will soon leak many substances; toxic chemicals, paints, oils, metals, etc. and officially contaminating the composition of the soil.

Effects of Land Pollution

Groundwater Poisoning

Leaching is when chemical waste molds its way into the ground by some sort of liquid, mostly by rainwater. Groundwater poisoning is leaching it can happen in places like; farms, industrial sites, and landfills.

Water Nutrient Enrichment

On farms, chemicals, such as nitrogen are used and although most of it is used the rest goes into the waters of lakes or ponds. This will kill fishes, algae and other lifeforms that may be in the water. The nutrient-heavy water saps up most of the oxygen in the water, which leaves little for fish and other life.

Loss of Topsoil

Although Chemicals fertilizers and pesticides to keep our crops secure the topsoil degrades. The soil becomes more susceptible to harmful fungus species and begins to erode. The important of the matter is to conserve our soil instead of degrading our land.

Shifting Habitat

Shifting Habits are based on deforestation because animals are forced to move environments. When animals shift their habitats the change is too traumatic, and this has led to some dying. All because of deforestation, it can increase the risk of more extinct animals.

Increased Risk of Wildfires

Based on the chemicals waste entering the soil cause the land to be dry and create the perfect environment for wildfires. Wildfires are fast growing, which could lead to more deforestation and could cause more animal to move environments to live in.

Solutions

Reduce

As we all now know a great way to save the earth is to use the 3 R’s; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We will be talking about each of the 3 R’s individually, getting more in-depth of the meaning of the 3 R’s. First off we will talk about Reduce, reducing is when the use of non-biodegradable, lessen. For example, plastic is a non-biodegradable product, we, as a community must replace plastic products with metal or glass ones. In order to eliminate land pollution.

Reuse

Reuse is the second R that we will be discussing, reuse is when that object can be used again or in other words more than once. Avoid throwing away anything that is reusable. Reusing will not only save the planet but will also save tons of money.

Recycle

Recycle is the last R and quiet the important one, recycle converts waste into reusable material. Recycling plays an integral role in curbing the disposal of non-biodegradable waste on the Earth’s surface. Land pollution isn't the only solution, that recycling can help with, it can prevent other types of pollution. Like air and water pollution.

Proper Waste Disposal

The 3 Rs are a great way to help the environment, yet the 3 Rs can't do anything if we have poor waste disposal. Having proper waste disposal will be less work for the people to sort out the difference. Proper waste disposal is one of the effective ways of curbing land pollution.

Integrated Pest Management

Lastly IPM aka Integrated Pest Management involves using non-pesticide techniques such as crop rotation to eradicate pests. That means IPM suggest that everyone should plant in an alternate year. Those pesticides won't ruin the soil or destroy the plants.

Conclusion

The negative impacts that land pollution produces can be reduced by the help of people around the world. Its never to late to make a change for the world, and us the people can make a conscious decision in making that true. Little by little, the world will become a greater and cleaner place for the future of humanity.

Sources:

Land Pollution: Causes, Effects, And Solutions For The Futurehttps://www.conservationinstitute.org/land-pollution/

Land Pollution: An Introduction To Causes, Effects, and Solutionshttps://www.explainthatstuff.com/land-pollution.html

Types and Solutions Of Land Pollutionhttps://www.eartheclipse.com/environment/types-solutions-land-pollution.html

The Main Causes Of Land Pollutionhttps://greentumble.com/the-main-causes-of-land-pollution/

Top 10 Causes Of Land Pollution — It's Not Just Our Ocean We Are Killing!https://ibanplastic.com/top-10-causes-of-land-pollution/

Integrated Pest Management (ipm)http://npic.orst.edu/pest/ipm.html