need writing essay

05/03/2018

Soil is a very important component of the environment; it provides survival for human beings as well as other creatures. Several aspects of human life are attached to soil in one way or the other, be it social welfare or health. Over the past few years’ soil pollution has been very high in most parts of the world. basically soil pollution which is also known as soil pollution refers to part of land degradation which is usually occurs as a result of presence of chemicals which are human made chemicals or any other change in the natural soil. Soil pollution is mainly caused by improper disposal of waste, excessive use of agricultural chemicals, and also some industrial activities which are not environment friendly. The most common chemicals which are involved soil pollution are aromatic hydrocarbons, petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, lead and any other heavy metal. Soil pollution is correlated with the level of chemical usage as well as the degree of industrialization, in other words the higher the level of chemical utilization the higher the level of soil pollution and also the higher the level of industrialization the higher the level of soil pollution. The concern over soil contamination is as a result of the health risks which are associated with soil pollution, either from direct contact with polluted soil, or vapors from soil contaminants, and also from secondary contaminants of water supplies which are within the underlying the soil (Yaron, et al 216).

Soil pollution has several effects and that why we should come together and seek remedies for soil pollution. First, soil pollution greatly affects human health, bearing the fact that soil enables us to sustain our lives, and hence its contamination has various effects on our health. Plants and crops which are planted on polluted soil tend to absorb much of the pollutants and then pass them to human beings when they consume the products of the crops. This basically explains why most people face small and terminal illnesses of a sudden. The second effect of soil contamination is that it affects the rate at which crops grow, the ecological balance of any system gets affected as a result of the widespread contamination of the soil and hence the rate at which crops grow is affected. When soil is polluted, its fertility diminishes slowly and hence making land unsuitable for production of crops and also the survival of local vegetation becomes hard when soil is polluted. The soil pollution makes large pieces of land to become useless to human beings because they are risky to human health (Luo and Du 126). As compared to deserts, which are suitable for some local vegetation, polluted soils do not support various forms of life.

The third effect of soil pollution is that it leads to decrease in fertility of the soil, the poisonous chemicals which are available in the soil leads to reduction in the soil fertility and hence reducing the soil yield. If polluted soil is used to production of vegetables and fruits, the fruits may contain some poisonous substances and also lack quality nutrients and may also lead to serious health problems in people who consume them. Lastly polluted soil leads to toxic dust and emission of foul and toxic gases from landfills, this pollutes the environment and results to serious effects on health of people who stay in that particular region. The unpleasant foul smell also causes inconvenience to other people. Since soil pollution has wide effects on human health I think it is very vital to come up with methods which will help in reducing soil erosion, because failure to this will make our living environment unfriendly and so much hazardous to our lives as well as the life of all other living organisms which depend on soil for survival. Human beings should emphasize in fight against soil pollution because soil is one of the vital components of the environment which is highly depended by human beings and crops for survival. If soil pollution is reduced a good environment for agriculture is created due to the increase in fertility of the soil which further leads to production of fruits and vegetables which are not contaminated and a good for human consumption, because they don’t have any health effect. Soil pollution should be reduced by all means in order to ensure that human beings are able to survive without so much struggle due to health hazards which occur as a result of soil pollution. There are several types of soil pollution which are evident in most parts of the world, the first type of soil pollution which occurs in most parts of the world is the water runoff soil pollution, and this type of pollution takes place when some amounts of fertilizers and other chemical additives are used on the fields. The main bulk mixes in the runoff water and flows into the watercourses which are near. This is majorly in the form of phosphates and nitrates. The second and very common type of soil pollution is leaching, this type of pollution occurs when chemicals levels accumulate in the soil, depending on the soil structure and the soil water solubility level, it percolates by reaching the ground water, hence polluting the solution. The last mechanism of solution pollution is as a result of barrenness of the ground, in several occasions the ground becomes barren and hence it cannot support any fauna or flora on it (Hocking 23).

Since soil pollution is very harmful to human health as well as the environment, there are several steps which can be taken in order to prevent the pollution from taking place. The first step which should be applied in order to curb soil pollution is regulating and managing chemical waste which is disposed by most of the industries, because it is important to soil health. This can also be achieved by treating industrial waste before it is disposed, the treatment is meant for removal of heavy metals and chemicals, and this should be done at any if we wish to reduce pollution of the soil. The second action which can be taken in order to prevent soil pollution is proper planning of fertilizer application, it is recommended to apply fertilizers in the right quantity and at the right time, the correct methods of application should be used in order to use minimize the accumulation of chemicals in the soil. Soil pollution can also be reduced by properly managing the correct disposal of animal and human and wastes and treatment of the sewage before it is released plays a big role in the prevention of soil pollution and water pollution.

Another method which can be used to reduce soil pollution is planting clovers and certain grasses which can absorb and recycle the nutrients which are added into the soil, this will help in prevention of soil erosion as well as soil pollution. Also, planting shrubs and rows of trees around fields and across the borders of the stream or lake helps in prevention soil pollution by absorbing the additional nutrients. The last action which can be taken in prevention of soil pollution is by applying the following methods; solid liquid separation, composting, lagoons and anaerobic digestion in order to manage animal manure. In this case anaerobic digestion is the most effective method which is used in management of animal waste because it involves utilization of heat and anaerobic bacteria. This process leads to production of nutrient rich liquid which is usually used as fertilizer and methane gas which is used in production of heat and electricity. Anaerobic digestion is one of the best methods which is used in controlling the bad smell which associated with management of manure.

CONCLUSION

Whether we like it or not, we must make a worthwhile effort in eradication soil pollution because soil pollution is very hazardous to human health as well as the environment in general. Since we rely on the land for our food we should always try to prevent soil pollution, pollution from the soil is transferred to human beings in this manner, the plants absorb the toxins and we consume them from the products of the plant, this leads to excessive of accumulation of toxins takes place in our bodies, this leads to chronic poisoning, which later leads to various diseases. Since all human being is dependent on the land for their survival, everyone is affected by soil pollution. As soil pollution continues without any reduction, malnourishment continues to increase all over. The soil pollution leads to high yield of crops products which have very low or no nutritional content. Advancement in technology is helping in control soil pollution.

Works Cited

Hocking, M B. Handbook of Chemical Technology and Pollution Control. Academic, 2005.

Luo, Yongming, and Zhen Du. Twenty Years of Research and Development on Soil Pollution and Remediation in China. 2018.

Yaron, Bruno, et al. Soil Pollution: Processes and Dynamics. Springer, 1996.