SOIL POLLUTION

INTRODUCTION:
Until the 1970s, there was little talk of soil pollution and its devastating effects. In
the 1980s, the U.S. Superfund was created to set guidelines for the handling of
hazardous material and soil contamination cleanup. Today there are more than
200,000 sites awaiting EPA soil cleanup, which is very expensive and labor-
intensive work. Even a small cleanup project can cost $10,000, while larger
areas require millions of dollars to clean it up for future use.

MEANING:
Soil pollution results from the build up of contaminants, toxic compounds,
radioactive materials, salts, chemicals and cancer-causing agents. The most
common soil pollutants are hydrocarbons, heavy metals (cadmium, lead,
chromium, copper, zinc, mercury and arsenic), herbicides, pesticides, oils, tars,
PCBs and dioxins.

CAUSE OF SOIL POLLUTION:

Following WWII and Vietnam, scientists discovered high incidences of mutation,
miscarriage, mental defects, cancer and sickness in areas where nuclear
warheads had been dropped. Food shortages also alerted officials that
something was seriously wrong with the local soil. DDT and Dioxin were two of
the worst pollutants from war aftermath.

In some cases, agricultural processes cause soil pollution. High levels of

radionuclides like nitrogen and phosphorus can be found surrounding farm
centers containing high population densities of livestock. Pesticides applied to
plants can also seep into the ground, leaving lasting effects. Heavy metals can
arrive in the soil by using polluted water to wet crops and by using mineral
fertilizers.

Industry is to blame for some of the biggest soil-pollution disasters. Heavy metals
come from iron, steel, power and chemical manufacturing plants that recklessly
use the Earth as a dumping ground for their refuse. Plants that burn their waste
on-site are guilty of releasing heavy metals into the atmosphere, which come to
settle in the soil, thus leaving behind lasting effects for years to come. Even
companies that try to dispose of their waste properly contribute to the problem
when faulty landfills and bursting underground bins leach undesirable toxins into
the soil.

Mining leaves a tremendous impact on the surrounding communities. The 2001

West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey found that people living near
mines have a 70 percent higher risk of kidney disease, 64 percent higher risk for
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a 30 percent higher risk of high blood
pressure. "People in coal-mining communities need better access
to health care, cleaner air, cleaner water, and stricter enforcement of
environmental standards," concluded Michael Hendryx, Ph.D., associate director
of the WVU Institute for Health Policy Research.

PREVENTION OF SOIL POLLUTION:

Naturally, prevention is the best cure for soil pollution. Most states have enacted
tougher legislation to stop illegal dumping. For instance, one can expect five
years in jail and a fine of $100,000 for soil pollution in Texas.

Educating consumers about the dangers of littering, while encouraging recycling

programs, is a good way to ensure everyone does their part to keep debris where
it belongs. Consumers can also make a concerted effort to buy organic foods to
demand that chemical pesticides aren't used on their foods.

People who grow their own food can keep excess nitrogen and phosphorus out
of the soil by choosing crops that do not need as many nutrients from the soil, by
applying fertilizer during the growing season to replenish the soil, by shortening
the grazing season / cattle density, by using organic compost, by keeping the
surface moist and mulched, and by choosing fruiting crops like tomatoes,
squash, peas and corn. Gardens should be situated away from old painted
buildings and roadways. Outer leaves of lettuce should be discarded and all
vegetables should be washed before eating.

Over the years, stronger and more indestructible bins were created to store
hazardous materials. Researchers will continue to look for ways to improve
manufacturing and agricultural processes to avoid the need for toxic byproducts.
Business leaders, miners and community officials will work together to reduce
wastefulness and contaminants to keep the world a clean place for future
generations.
Comprises the pollution of soil with
materials.

CONCLUSION:

Soil pollution is dangered for the environment.It also can effects our
health.It also can cause congenital disorder or can cause other chronics
health conditions.Industrial or man-made concentration of naturally-
occurring substances,associated with livestock manure from agricultural
operations.Not unexpectedly,soil contaminants can have significant
deleterious consequences for ecosystems.So that we have to decrease the
activities that cause soil pollution.

REFERENCES:
http://www.soil pollution.com.my
http://www.buzzle.com/soil pollution
NOISE POLLUTION

INTRODUCTION :

In USA during the 1960’s, noise pollution was a distant cousin in the
family of environmental issues and, as history will relate, it had
remained outside the mainstream of the environmental movement
ever since. A massive public
opinion survey taken in the early 1970’s revealed that the public
ranked noise pollution as a serious problem, but noise control
advocates were unable to develop the same type of organized
constituency that developed to support
clean air and water. One reason was that although “air and water
pollution was shown actually to kill” the supporters of noise control
could not demonstrate a “direct cause and effect relationship”
between excessive noise and death.
Internationally, Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment
(SCOPE), a committee of a non governmental group of scientific
organizations and the
International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) are among the most
leading expert bodies which have established comprehensive research
projects on acoustics. In Malaysia, there have been very few studies
and researches conducted on the subject of noise pollution. It is
because the awareness
towards the noise pollution is still below normal. However, in her
advances towards a developed country in year 2020, Malaysia has not
been spared from
environmental problems. Its population explosion and social economic
changes have contributed to increasing noise levels in community.
Modern technology has
furnished its own funfair – an ever-increasing din that disturbs our
sleep, interrupts our conversation, creates anxiety and sometimes
damages hearing. But for far too long, noise has been regarded as a
necessary price
of technological ‘progress’. This fact is confirmed by referring to DOE
annual quality report which demonstrates the accelerated growth rate
of pollution complaints between 1986 to 1994. However, transportation
noise is
not the highest complaints. Industries and commercial is the two major
causes. Wherever there are expanding technologies, new noise
sources tend to appear such as transportation.

DEFINATION OF NOISE POLLUTION:

Noise pollution (or environmental noise) is displeasing human, animal or
machine-created sound that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal
life. The word noise comes from the Latin word nauseas, meaning seasickness.

The source of most outdoor noise worldwide is

mainly construction and transportation systems, including motor
vehicle noise, aircraft noise and rail noise.[1][2] Poor urban planning may give rise
to noise pollution, since side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result
in noise pollution in the residential area.

Indoor and outdoor noise pollution sources include car alarms, emergency
service sirens, mechanical equipment, fireworks, compressed air horns,
groundskeeping equipment, barking dogs, appliances, lighting hum, audio
entertainment systems, electric megaphones, and loud people

US HISTORY ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Noise Pollution generally refers to unwanted sound produced by human
activities—unwanted in that it interferes with communication, work, rest,
recreation, or sleep. Unlike other forms of pollution, such as air, water, and
hazardous materials, noise does not remain long in the environment. However,
while its effects are immediate in terms of annoyance, they are cumulative in
terms of temporary or permanent hearing loss. Society has attempted to
regulate noise since the early days of the Romans, who by decree prohibited
the movement of chariots in the streets at night. In the United States,
communities since colonial days have enacted ordinances against excessive
noise, primarily in response to complaints from residents.
COLUMBIA ENCYCLOPEDIA
noise pollution, human-created noise harmful to health or welfare.
Transportation vehicles are the worst offenders, with aircraft, railroad stock,
trucks, buses, automobiles, and motorcycles all producing excessive noise.
Construction equipment, e.g., jackhammers and bulldozers, also produce
substantial noise pollution.

CAUSES OF NOISE POLLUTION:

• Traffic noise is the main source of noise pollution caused in urban areas. With
the ever-increasing number of vehicles on road, the sound caused by the cars
and exhaust system of autos, trucks, buses and motorcycles is the chief reason
for noise pollution.
• With the low flying military aircrafts soaring over the national parks, wasteland
and other vacant areas, the level of noise pollution has drastically increased in
these previously unaffected zones.
• People living beside railway stations put up with a lot of noise from locomotive
engines, horns and whistles and switching and shunting operation in rail yards.
• Though not a prime reason, industrial noise adds to the noise pollution.
Machinery, motors and compressors used in the industries create a lot of noise
which adds to the already detrimental state of noise pollution.
• Plumbing, boilers, generators, air conditioners and fans create a lot of noise in
the buildings and add to the prevailing noise pollution.
• Household equipments, such as vacuum cleaners, mixers and some kitchen
appliances are noisemakers of the house.
Office equipment
- Factory machinery
- Construction work
- Groundskeeping Equipment
- Barking animals
PREVENTION OF NOISE POLLUTION:
To prevent Noise Pollution, Industrial and Residential areas should be kept apart,
Noise barriers should be used, Vehicles and other transports such as
Aeroplanes, Trucks etc should use techniques that causes less sound, Airports
should be at big distance from residential areas, Events should take place away
from residential areas, Use of Television etc should not exceed sound limit
enough to reach neighbours.

Keep your stereo turned down so that if you are in your driveway, you
cannot hear it. Of course, if you live in the country, isolated from
neighbors, then you can blast away though you may be polluting the
birds' habitats.
Roll your windows up if you enjoy listening to loud music when you drive. If you
drive a convertible and insist on cranking up the volume, then get a small pair of
earphones and wear one of the earpieces. You should be able to hear any traffic you need
to stay safe with one ear.
Replace a noisy muffler. Street noise is one of the toughest to tackle, and you can
eliminate some by making your vehicle as quiet as possible. In your home, close heavy
curtains to filter out some of the noise.
Use electric yard tools when you can since they are quieter than gas-run models. When
you must you a gas-powered tool, such as a lawn mower, turn it off when not in use.
Build a solid fence or wall, or plant trees and bushes beside a chain link fence to buffer
noise around your home.
Find out what your city or town offers in the way of protection. Call police when
neighbors exceed acceptable noise limits, especially when they disturb your sleep.

REFERENCES:
http://www.noise pollution.com.my
http://www.blurtit.com
http://www.helium.com/knowledge
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/noise pollution-causes
http://www.answer.com/topic/noise pollution

CONCLUSION :
Noise pollution is the one of the major of pollution.There’s the way to prevent
noise pollution.based on people to do it.There’s many ways to avoid from this
pollution occur.We can give a public education to the society.We also have
opportunity to check up it in the internet.