Soil Pollution

What are soil pollution, contamination and degradation?

Soil contamination, degradation and pollution mean different things even though we often use
these terms to mean one thing. Here is the difference:
Soil pollution is when humans introduce harmful objects, chemicals or substances, directly or
indirectly into the soil in a way that causes harm to other living things or destroys soil or water
ecosystems.
Soil contamination is when the concentration of chemicals, nutrients or elements in the soil
becomes more than it normally or naturally is, as a result of human action. If this contamination
goes on to harm living organisms, we can call it pollution.
Soil degradation is when the soil loses its value (in terms of nutrients, chemical make-up etc)
as a result of over-farming, over-grazing or erosion. For example, if a bush fire wipes out the
vegetation on a piece of land thereby exposing the soils, and nutrients in the soil get dissolved
by rainwater run-off, the ability of the soil to support plant life is reduced. We can call this soil
degradation.

Types of land pollution

There are different types of land pollution. Many publications group them differently. Let us see
these four main types:
1. Solid Waste
These include all the various kinds of rubbish we make at home, school, hospitals, market and
workplaces. Things like paper, plastic containers, bottles, cans, food and even used cars and
broken electronic goods, broken furniture and hospital waste are all examples of solid waste.
Some of these are biodegradable (meaning they easily rot or decay into organic matter).
Examples include food droppings, paper products as well as vegetation (like grass and twigs).
Others are not biodegradable, and they include plastics, metals and aluminum cans, broken
computer and car parts. Because these do not easily decay, they pile up in landfills (a place
where all the citys rubbish are sent), where they stay for thousands of years. These bring great
harm to the land and people around it.
2. Pesticides and Fertilizers
Many farming activities engage in the application of fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides for
higher crop yield. This is good because we get more food, but can you think of what happens to
the chemicals that end up on the crops and soils? Sometimes, insects and small animals are
killed and bigger animals that eat tiny animals (as in food chains) are also harmed. Finally, the
chemicals may be washed down as it rains and over time, they end up in the water pollution

3. Chemicals
Chemical and nuclear power plants produce waste materials that have to be stored somewhere.
Fertilizer, insecticides, pesticides, pharmaceuticals manufacturers also produce lots of solid and
liquid waste. In many cases, they are stored in an environmentally safe way, but there are some
that find their way into landfills and other less safe storage facilities. Sometimes they also find
their way into leaking pipes and gutters. They end up polluting soils and making crops harmful
to our health.
4. Deforestation
Humans depend on trees for many things including life. Trees absorb carbon dioxide (a
greenhouse gas) from the air and enrich the air with Oxygen, which is needed for life. Trees
provide wood for humans and a habitat to many land animals, insects and birds. Trees also,
help replenish soils and help retain nutrients being washed away. Unfortunately, we have cut
down millions of acres of trees for wood, construction, farming and mining purposes, and never
planted new trees back. This is a type of land pollution.

Causes of Land Pollution

Below are some sources of solid and semi-solid pollutants:
Agricultural sources: These include waste matter produced by crop, animal manure and farm
residues. They also include the chemical left over of all pesticides, fertilisers and insecticides
used for agricultural activities.
Ashes: They are the residual matter that remains after solid fuels are burned. When waste is
burned in incinerators, two types of ashes are produced. Bottom ash is the debris from burnt
metal and glass waste. Bottom ash is not bio-degradable. The second type of ash is called fly
ash. This is the ash that is trapped by filters in the chimney of the incinerators. It is known to be
very toxic (poisonous). Every four trucks of waste burnt produce about one truck of ashes that
end up in the landfill too. Ashes easily leak into the soil and water tables causing land and water
pollution.
Mining sources: This includes piles of coal refuse and heaps of slag and underground debris.
Mining and forestry activities that clear the land surfaces (clearcutting) and use 'skid trails' often
leave the land unrestored. The surface is exposed to erosion which destroys the quality of the
land. Additionally, iron and other chemicals such as copper, mercury and lead from mining
practices leach into the soil, polluting it and leaving it exposed to water bodies as well.
Industrial sources: These include paints, chemicals, metals and aluminum, plastics and so on
that are produces in the process of manufacturing goods.

Sewage Treatment: Wastes that are left over after sewage has been treated, biomass sludge,
and settled solids. Some of these are sent directly to landfills whiles other treatment plants burn
them to generate electricity. Both end up polluting the environment.
Garbage or waste: These include household or municipal waste such as glass, metal, cloth,
plastic, wood, paper, and so on. Some of these can decay and others cannot. They are usually
collected and sent to landfills where the pollution action begins.
Construction sources: These include waste like debris, wood, metals and plastics that are
produced from construction activities.
Deforestation: This is when trees are cut down for economic purposes, mining, farming and
construction. In forests areas, trees absorb and reflect about 20% of the intense heat from the
sun, protecting and preserving its surface soils. Cutting down trees mean that the land is
exposed to direct sunlight and rain, resulting in soil erosions, desertification and land
degradation
Chemical and Nuclear Plants: These include chemical waste from chemical industries that are
disposed of into land spills
Oil Refineries: When crude oil is refined into usable petrol, gas or diesel, there are by-products
that end up as waste.

Effects of Land Pollution

There can be catastrophic consequences of land pollution in relation to humans, animals, water
and soils. The effects are even worse if the garbage is not separated into organic, reusable and
recyclable waste.
Contaminated lands and environments can:

Cause problems in the human respiratory system.

Cause problems on the skin.
Cause various kinds of cancers.

The toxic materials that pollute the soil can get into the human body directly by:

Coming into contact with the skin.

Being washed into water sources like reservoirs and rivers.
Eating fruits and vegetables that have been grown in polluted soil.
Breathing in polluted dust or particles.

Dump sites and landfills also come with serious problems like

Very bad smell and odor in the town.

Landfills breed rodents like rats, mice and insects, who in turn transmit diseases.
Landfills in towns do not attract tourists to the town. The town will lose revenue.
Many landfills are always burning and they can cause to a further air pollution.

How to prevent land pollution

Like many other challenges, the best way to solve problems is to understand it. This means
learning about it (like what you are doing now) is the greatest step forward.
Here are a few other tips on how you can help reduce land pollution:

People should be educated and made aware of the harmful effects of littering. Discuss
with friends and family and talk about it.
Reuse any items that you can. Items like clothing, bottles, wrapping paper and shopping
bags can be used over and over again, rather than buying new things.
The greatest prevention to land pollution is in the three R's
Reduce Waste, Reuse things and Recycle things. This is true even for governments.
They can also use the three R rule to minimize the amount of waste that ends up in
landfills. After the three 'R's, remember to turn the rest of the garbage into compost.
Personal litter should be disposed properly. We can separate household waste at home
for recycling. More than half of our household waste could be recycled or re-used but
once it is mixed up, it becomes more difficult to separate different components for
recycling. This is also true for the waste we make at school or hospitals.
Buy biodegradable products.
Store all liquid chemicals and waste in spill-proof containers.
Eat organic foods that are grown without pesticides. Look out for fertilizer or pesticide
free products when you go to the market.
Dont use pesticides if you can.
Use a drip tray to collect engine oil.
Buy products that have little packaging.
Dont dump motor oil on the ground.

Laws Regarding Land Pollution

1. REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9003 (ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ACT OF
2000)
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR AN ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM, CREATING THE NECESSARY INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS
AND INCENTIVES, DECLARING CERTAIN ACTS PROHIBITED AND
PROVIDING PENALTIES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES.

2. PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 984 [PROVIDING FOR THE REVISION OF REPUBLIC

ACT NO. 3931, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE POLLUTION CONTROL LAW, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES]
2.1 WHEREAS, there is a need to modify the organizational structure of the National
Pollution Control Commission to make it more effective and efficient in the discharge
of its functions and responsive to the demands of the times occasioned by the
accelerative phase of the countrys industrialization program;
2.2 WHEREAS, there is an imperative need to strengthen this Commission to best
protect the people from the growing menace of environmental pollution, and
2.3 WHEREAS, it is urgently necessary to maintain the role of the Commission as

the primary agency responsible for the prevention and control of

environmental pollution;
3. PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 825 (November 7, 1975)
PROVIDING PENALTY FOR IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE AND
OTHER FORMS OF UNCLEANLINESS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
4. PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1151 [PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY]
5. PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1152 PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENT CODE]

References:
1. http://eschooltoday.com/pollution/land-pollution/what-is-land-pollution.html
2. Philippine Constitution