Chemical Engineering Department

Pollution Prevention and Control

Engr. Prof. Mike Agbesi Acheampong

INTRODUCTION OF SOIL POLLUTION

Definition:

Soil pollution is the buildup of persistent toxic compounds, chemicals, salts, radioactive materials,
or disease-causing agents in soils, adversely affecting plant growth and animal health. Soil is the
thin layer of organic and inorganic materials that covers the Earth's rocky surface.

The organic portion, derived from the decayed remains of plants and animals, is concentrated in
the dark uppermost topsoil. The inorganic portion of rock fragments was formed over thousands
of years by bedrock's physical and chemical weathering. Productive soil is necessary for
agriculture to supply the world with sufficient food.

There are many ways that soil can become polluted, such as:

• Seepage from a landfill

• Discharge of industrial waste into the soil
• Percolation of contaminated water into the soil
• Rupture of underground storage tanks
• Excess application of pesticides, herbicides or fertiliser
• Solid waste seepage

The most common chemicals involved in causing soil pollution are:

• Petroleum hydrocarbons
• Heavy metals
• Pesticides
• Solvents

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 CAUSES OF SOIL POLLUTION
Soil pollution is caused by man-made chemicals or other alterations in the natural soil
environment. This type of contamination typically arises from the rupture of underground storage
links, application of pesticides, percolation of contaminated surface water to subsurface strata, oil
and fuel dumping, leaching of wastes from landfills or direct discharge of industrial wastes to the
soil. The most common chemicals involved are petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, pesticides, lead
and other heavy metals. This phenomenon is correlated with the degree of industrialisation and
intensities of chemical usage.

A soil pollutant is any factor that deteriorates the quality, texture, and mineral content of the soil
or disturbs the biological balance of the soil's organisms. Pollution in soil hurts plant growth.

Pollution in soil is associated with

• Indiscriminate use of fertilisers

• Indiscriminate use of pesticides, insecticides and herbicides
• Dumping of large quantities of solid waste
• Deforestation and soil erosion

1. Indiscriminate use of fertilisers:

Soil nutrients are essential for plant growth and development. Plants obtain carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen from air and water. Other necessary nutrients like nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and more must be obtained from the
soil. Farmers generally use fertilisers to correct soil deficiencies. Since the metals are not
degradable, their accumulation in the soil above toxic levels due to excessive use of
phosphate fertilisers becomes an indestructible poison for crops. Over the years, the
overuse of NPK fertilisers reduces the quantity of vegetables and crops grown in the soil.
It also reduces the protein content of wheat, maise, grams, etc., grown on that soil.

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 2. Indiscriminate use of pesticides, insecticides and herbicides:

Plants we depend on for food are attacked by insects, fungi, bacteria, viruses, rodents and
other animals, and must compete with weeds for nutrients. Farmers use pesticides to kill
unwanted populations living in or on their crops. The first widespread insecticide use began
during World War II, including DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and gammaxene.
Insects soon became resistant to DDT, and as the chemical did not decompose readily, it
persisted in the environment. Since it was soluble in fat rather than water, it biomagnified
up the food chain and disrupted calcium metabolism in birds, causing eggshells to be thin
and fragile. As a result, large birds of prey such as the brown pelican, ospreys, falcons and
eagles became endangered. DDT has now been banned in most Western countries.
Pesticides bring toxic effects on humans and animals and decrease soil fertility.

Some pesticides are stable, and their biodegradation may take weeks or months. Pesticide
problems such as resistance, resurgence, and health effects have caused scientists to seek
alternatives. Pheromones and hormones to attract or repel insects and using natural enemies
or sterilisation by radiation have been suggested.

3. Dumping of solid wastes:

Solid waste generally includes garbage, domestic refuse, and discarded solid materials
from commercial, industrial, and agricultural operations. It contains increasing amounts of
paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, old construction material, packaging material, and toxic
or otherwise hazardous substances.

Since a significant amount of urban solid waste tends to be paper and food waste, most is
recyclable or biodegradable in landfills. Similarly, most agricultural waste is recycled, and
mining waste is left on site.

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 4. Deforestation:

Soil Erosion occurs when weathered soil particles are dislodged and carried away by wind
or water. Deforestation, agricultural development, temperature extremes, precipitation,
acid rain, and human activities contribute to this erosion. Humans speed up this process by
construction, mining, cutting timber, over-cropping, and overgrazing. This results in floods
and causes soil erosion.

5. Pollution Due to Urbanisation:

Urban activities generate large quantities of city waste, including several Biodegradable
materials (like vegetables, animal wastes, papers, wooden pieces, carcasses, plant twigs,
leaves, cloth wastes, and sweepings) and many non-biodegradable materials (such as
plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic wastes, glass bottles, glass pieces, and stone/cement
pieces). On a rough estimate, Indian cities produce solid waste of 50,000 - 80,000 metric
tons daily.

EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION

1. Agricultural:

• Reduced soil fertility

• Reduced nitrogen fixation
• Increased erodibility
• Larger loss of soil and nutrients
• Deposition of silt in tanks and reservoirs
• Reduced crop yield
• Imbalance in soil fauna and flora

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 2. Industrial:

• Dangerous chemicals entering underground water

• Ecological imbalance
• Release of pollutant gases
• Release of radioactive rays causing health problems
• Increased salinity
• Reduced vegetation

3. Urban:

• Clogging of drains
• Inundation of areas
• Public health problems
• Polluted drinking water sources
• Foul smell and release of gases
• Waste management problems

4. Environmental Effects:

The toll of contaminated soil is even direr when it comes to the environment. Soil that has
been contaminated should no longer be used to grow food because the chemicals can leach
into the food and harm people who eat it. If contaminated soil is used to grow food, the
land will usually produce lower yields than if it were not. This, in turn, can cause even
more harm because a lack of plants in the soil will cause more erosion, spreading the
contaminants onto land that might not have been tainted before.

Effects of soil pollution in brief:

• Pollutants run off into rivers and kill the fish, plants and other aquatic life
• Crops and fodder grown on polluted soil may pass the pollutants on to the consumers
• Polluted soil may no longer grow crops and fodder
• Soil structure is damaged (clay ionic structure impaired)
• Corrosion of foundations and pipelines
• Impairs soil stability
• May release vapours and hydrocarbon into buildings and cellars
• May create toxic dust
• May poison children playing in the area

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 Control of Soil Pollution

The following steps have been suggested to control soil pollution: To help prevent soil erosion, we
can limit construction in sensitive areas. If we could all adopt the three R's—reduce, reuse, and
recycle—we would need less fertiliser and pesticides, resulting in less solid waste.

1. Reducing chemical fertiliser and pesticide use:

Applying bio-fertilizers and manures can reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and
pesticides. Biological pest control methods can also reduce pesticide use and minimise soil
pollution.

2. Reusing of materials:

Materials such as glass containers, plastic bags, paper, cloth, etc., can be reused
domestically rather than disposed of, reducing solid waste pollution.
3. Recycling and recovery of materials:

This is a reasonable solution for reducing soil pollution. Materials such as paper, plastics,
and glass can be recycled. This decreases the volume of refuse and helps conserve natural
resources. For example, recovering one tonne of paper can save 17 trees.

4. Reforesting:

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 Restoring forest and grass covers can control land loss and erosion, prevent wasteland, soil
erosion, and floods, and improve the land's fertility through crop rotation or mixed
cropping.
5. Solid waste treatment:

Proper methods should be adopted for managing solid waste disposal. Industrial waste can
be treated physically, chemically, and biologically until it is less hazardous. Acidic and
alkaline waste should be first neutralised; if insoluble material is biodegradable, it should
be allowed to degrade under controlled conditions before being disposed of.

CONCLUSION

Soil is a substance found everywhere. Perhaps because it is so commonplace, we often fail

to appreciate its significance in our daily lives fully. Soil comprises mineral and organic
materials and living organisms within these materials.

Soil is a very valuable resource and a significant component of our ecosystem.

Unfortunately, much pollution is caused by careless use or the lack of protection of the
soil. Soil pollution can result from the addition of substances that cause a detrimental
decrease in soil quality, which may cause harm to humans, animals, plants and other life
forms or their habitats. Significant areas of concern involve soil erosion and deposition,
the use of soil to dispose of hazardous wastes, soil contamination by agricultural pesticides
and soil contamination by dangerous chemicals, such as fuels.

Man-induced erosion has become a significant pollutant in our waterways. In New

Brunswick, some say that the most serious cause of ecological damage is suspended solids
within our stream systems due to increased erosion rates. This accelerated soil erosion is
often caused by poor construction or agricultural practices, the clear-cutting of trees or
deforestation along stream banks.

Soil can be polluted by adding a wide variety of chemical substances. These contaminants
can be toxic to animal or plant life, resulting in human sickness and death. It is a common
agricultural practice to add chemicals to the soil to enhance fertility. In some cases,
excessive nutrient additions can cause considerable ecological damage by overloading
adjacent ecosystems and upsetting the natural balance. Pesticides are used to decrease or
eliminate the population of a particular target species. They can become a problem if they
impact non-target organisms or accumulate in the soil. Persistent use of pesticides that don't
break down readily is particularly problematic.

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 Soil is still being used to bury our waste substances. Subsurface drainage, or leachate, can
contaminate surrounding soils if care is not taken, contaminating the area's groundwater
resources.

Soil pollution can also result from atmospheric deposition. Industrial activities that involve
incineration may release toxic substances into the atmosphere. These can fall out as dust
or be stripped from the atmosphere by rainfall, contaminating the soil. In New Brunswick,
some areas are prone to these problems due to the contaminants from electrical power
generation plants, smelters and refineries. Soil contaminated by lead fallout from the
combustion of leaded gasoline was, and still is, a significant problem for many worldwide.

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