UNIT 5

SOIL POLLUTION
Dr. Sayantan D.

Hello. Through this session I would like to introduce you to some important
facts about soil pollution.

Starting with soil, it consists of a mixture of minerals, organic material,

living organism, air and water that together support the biotic community.
The soil formation results from the mechanical weathering of rocks due to
the impacts of temperature changes, abrasion, wind, water flow, glaciers,
chemical weathering activities, and lichens. The best suitable climate for
the development of soil is warm and humid.

The soil is divided into 6 zones, namely O-horizon, A-horizon, E-horizon, B-

horizon, C-horizon and R-horizon.

The O-horizon is also known as surface litter zone, consists of freshly

fallen leaves and organic debris with partially decomposed organic matter.

Coming to A-horizon, this zone is also known as the top soil. The top soil
comprises of partially decomposed organic matter, plant roots, living
matter and some inorganic minerals.

The E-horizon is called the sub-surface layer of soil, which is the zone of
leaching of minerals.

Subsoil, or the B horizon is characterized by unique colours as well as

accumulations of iron, aluminium and humic substances, due to leaching
actions from the above zone.

C-horizon is also known as the parent material, since it consists of partially

broken down inorganic materials.

Finally R-horizon is the zone of bedrocks that is the impermeable layer.

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After knowing about the soil, let us come to know, what are the major
causes of soil degradation, since, it is mainly correlated with the pollution
of soil.

The first cause is soil erosion. Soil erosion is mainly the movement of O
and A horizons of the soils from one place to another, under the natural
influence of wind and flowing water. Anthropogenic causes mainly involve
farming, construction activities, overgrazing by livestock and
deforestation. There are many drawbacks of soil erosion. They mainly
include loss of soil fertility, water pollution, increasing the turbidity of
water bodies leading to the loss of aquatic life.

This erosion can be prevented in various ways. The continuous contour

trenches is helpful in reducing water runoff by infiltrating the flowing
water. These are mainly built in the sloping areas as well as the areas with
the low to medium rainfall.

Similarly, bunds constructed out of stones also conserve soil as well as

fast moving water.

Another cause of soil degradation includes the excess use of fertilizers.

Generally when the soil lacks certain macronutrients, such as nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium, chemical fertilizers are used as substitute.
When the same is used in higher quantity, it leads to the degradation of
quality of soil. The excess fertilizer use cause stunted plant growth.
Furthermore, excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil reaches the
water bodies through the runoffs and leads to the phenomenon of
eutrophication. The eutrophied water bodies are characterized by the
algal bloom leading to the lowering of the dissolved oxygen of water and
further causing death of aquatic organisms.

The third and major cause of soil degradation is the increased use of
pesticides. There are three main reasons for the use of pesticides. The
first reason is the higher yield of crop, that would otherwise be destroyed
by the pests. Secondly, the increase yield of crops compensates the cost

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borne by the farmers for the pesticide purchase. And the third reason
include the overcoming of the health problems due to mosquitoes.

But, along with the killing of pests, pesticides also kill non-target
organisms, for example, the predators of the pests. The pesticides are
infamous for their persistence. The persistent pesticide, although effective
for a longer duration of time, does not degrade naturally.

The pesticide DDT regained its popularity during 1942-1952 when it saved
around 5 million lives primarily because of its use to control disease
carrying mosquitoes. The persistence of DDT is represented by the half life
and is influenced by the soil type, temperature and kinds of soil organisms
present. The persistence of DDT in temperate regions may be 10-15 years
whereas the same pesticide may persist just for 6 months in the tropical
regions. The persistent pesticides become attached to soil particles which
are easily moved by wind and water to different parts thus affecting the
soils elsewhere.

The persistent pesticides may also accumulate in the body of animals by

the phenomenon of bioaccumulation. This accumulation of pesticides keep
on increasing with the increase in the trophic levels, and this phenomenon
is known as biomagnification. Persistent pesticides further cause
resistance among the pests, leading to further increase in the pesticide
use.

The use of harmful persistent pesticides can be reduced by practicing

sustainable agriculture. The sustainable agriculture advocates the use of
methods to produce safe food in an economically viable manner while
maintaining the state of the ecosystem. Organic agriculture is the sole
part of sustainable agriculture which avoids the use of chemical fertilizers
and pesticides. Crop rotation is another way to enhance soil fertility,
reduce erosion and control pests.

Another way to reduce the use of pesticides is by employing integrated

pest management. The integrated pest management promotes the use of
biopesticides that are derived from microbiological, botanical and

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biochemical origins. Microbial pesticides mainly include bacteria, viruses
and fungi that kill the pests when engulfed by them. Biochemical
pesticides mainly include the compounds that affect reproductive
mechanisms of pests.

The excess of salts and water are also responsible for the degradation of
soil. There are certain regions, where the irrigation water contains large
amount of salts. When such water is applied onto the soil, in the drier
climate, the water will evaporate leading to increase in salinity of the soil.
The salinization is responsible for the degradation of soil quality as well as
affects the growth of plants. The best way to control salinization is
flushing of the soil with water.

The greatest problem these days is dumping of solid wastes in the soil.
The solid wastes mainly include paper, food, metals, glass, plastics,
hospital wastes etc. The ill effects of solid waste disposal are soil pollution,
air pollution, water pollution, spread of disease causing microorganisms
and vectors. The microorganisms act on the degradable solid wastes to
produce noxious odours. In the urban areas, the solid wastes clog the
drains creating unhygienic conditions and over flow during rainy season.
The best possible solution is through integrated waste management. The
integrated waste management include waste recycling, reuse of articles
and disposal of residues through composting and sanitary landfills.

I would like to conclude this session by saying that it is our responsibility

to protect the soil from getting polluted and degraded.

Thank you.