Marty Jablos BSME III September 6, 2016

What is Land Pollution?

When we talk about air or water pollution, the reactions
garnered are stronger. This is because we can see the
effects caused by the pollutants and their extent very
clearly. It is normal human psychology to believe in what
you see first hand. Our land on the other hand is living a
nightmare too. We may not be able to see the effects with
clarity, but land is being polluted and abused constantly
and we are unable to calculate the damages incurred. Land
Pollution has come to become one of the serious concerns
that we collectively battle.
Land pollution, in other words, means degradation or
destruction of earth’s surface and soil, directly or
indirectly as a result of human activities. Anthropogenic
activities are conducted citing development, and the same
affects the land drastically, we witness land pollution; by
drastic we are referring to any activity that lessens the
quality and/or productivity of the land as an ideal place
for agriculture, forestation, construction etc. The
degradation of land that could be used constructively in
other words is land pollution.
Land Pollution has led to a series of issues that we have
come to realize in recent times, after decades of neglect.
The increasing numbers of barren land plots and the
decreasing numbers of forest cover is at an alarming ratio.
Moreover the extension of cities and towns due to
increasing population is leading to further exploitation of
the land. Land fills and reclamations are being planned and
executed to meet the increased demand of lands. This leads
to further deterioration of land, and pollution caused by
the land fill contents. Also due to the lack of green
cover, the land gets affected in several ways like soil
erosion occurs washing away the fertile portions of the
land. Or even a landslide can be seen as an example.
Causes of Land Pollution
Below are the sources of land pollution:
1. Deforestation and soil erosion: Deforestation carried
out to create dry lands is one of the major concerns. Land
that is once converted into a dry or barren land, can never
be made fertile again, whatever the magnitude of measures
to redeem it are. Land conversion, meaning the alteration
Marty Jablos BSME III September 6, 2016

or modification of the original properties of the land to

make it use-worthy for a specific purpose is another major
cause. This hampers the land immensely. Also there is a
constant waste of land. Unused available land over the
years turns barren; this land then cannot be used. So in
search of more land, potent land is hunted and its
indigenous state is compromised with.
2. Agricultural activities: With growing human population,
demand for food has increased considerably. Farmers often
use highly toxic fertilizers and pesticides to get rid off
insects, fungi and bacteria from their crops. However with
the overuse of these chemicals, they result in
contamination and poisoning of soil.
3. Mining activities: During extraction and mining
activities, several land spaces are created beneath the
surface. We constant hear about land caving in; this is
nothing but nature’s way of filling the spaces left out
after mining or extraction activity.
4. Overcrowded landfills: Each household produces tonnes of
garbage each year. Garbage like aluminum, plastic, paper,
cloth, wood is collected and sent to the
localrecycling unit. Items that can not be recycled become
a part of the landfills that hampers the beauty of the city
and cause land pollution.
5. Industrialization: Due to increase in demand for food,
shelter and house, more goods are produced. This resulted
in creation of more waste that needs to be disposed of. To
meet the demand of the growing population, more industries
were developed which led to deforestation. Research and
development paved the way for modern fertilizers and
chemicals that were highly toxic and led to soil
contamination.
6. Construction activities: Due to urbanization, large
amount of construction activities are taking place which
has resulted in large waste articles like wood, metal,
bricks, plastic that can be seen by naked eyes outside any
building or office which is under construction.
7. Nuclear waste: Nuclear plants can produce huge amount of
energy through nuclear fission and fusion. The left over
radioactive material contains harmful and toxic chemicals
that can affect human health. They are dumped beneath the
earth to avoid any casualty.
8. Sewage treatment: Large amount of solid waste is
leftover once the sewage has been treated. The leftover
Marty Jablos BSME III September 6, 2016

material is sent to landfill site which end up in polluting

the environment.
Effects of Land Pollution
1. Soil pollution: Soil pollution is another form of land
pollution, where the upper layer of the soil is damaged.
This is caused by the overuse of chemical fertilizers, soil
erosion caused by running water and other pest control
measures; this leads to loss of fertile land for
agriculture, forest cover, fodder patches for grazing etc.
2. Change in climate patterns: The effects of land
pollution are very hazardous and can lead to the loss of
ecosystems. When land is polluted, it directly or
indirectly affects the climate patterns.
3. Environmental Impact: When deforestation is committed,
the tree cover is compromised on. This leads to a steep
imbalance in the rain cycle. A disturbed rain cycle affects
a lot of factors. To begin with, the green cover is
reduced. Trees and plants help balance the atmosphere,
without them we are subjected to various concerns
likeGlobal warming, the green house effect, irregular
rainfall and flash floods among other imbalances.
4. Effect on human health: The land when contaminated with
toxic chemicals and pesticides lead to problem of skin
cancer and human respiratory system. The toxic chemicals
can reach our body through foods and vegetables that we eat
as they are grown in polluted soil.
5. Cause Air pollution: Landfills across the city keep on
growing due to increase in waste and are later burned which
leads to air pollution. They become home for rodents, mice
etc which in turn transmit diseases.
6. Distraction for Tourist: The city looses its attraction
as tourist destination as landfills do not look good when
you move around the city. It leads to loss of revenue for
the state government.
7. Effect on wildlife: The animal kingdom has suffered
mostly in the past decades. They face a serious threat with
regards to loss of habitat and natural environment. The
constant human activity on land, is leaving it polluted;
forcing these species to move further away and adapt to new
regions or die trying to adjust. Several species are pushed
to the verge of extinction, due to no homeland.
Other issues that we face include increased temperature,
unseasonal weather activity,acid rains etc. The discharge
Marty Jablos BSME III September 6, 2016

of chemicals on land, makes it dangerous for the ecosystem

too. These chemicals are consumed by the animals and plants
and thereby make their way in the ecosystem. This process
is called bio magnification and is a serious threat to the
ecology.
Solutions for Land Pollution
1. Make people aware about the concept of Reduce, Recycle
and Reuse.
2. Reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers in
agricultural activities.
3. Avoid buying packages items as they will lead to garbage
and end up in landfill site.
4. Ensure that you do not litter on the ground and do
proper disposal of garbage.
5. Buy biodegradable products.
6. Do Organic gardening and eat organic food that will be
grown without the use of pesticides.
7. Create dumping ground away from residential areas.
Several creatures survive under the land too. Disrupting
the harmony of the land, is disrupting their habitat. This
has led to several creatures reaching the endangered status
like the Gilbert’s Potoroo in Australia.