Land Pollution
Land Pollution
Land Pollution
PRESENTERDR. GOPENDRA
INTRODUCTION Land pollution means degradation or destruction of earths surface and soil,
directly or indirectly as a result of human activities.
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.
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.
2. Agricultural activities:
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 natures 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 local
recycling 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 material is sent to landfill site which
end up in polluting the environment.
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 like Global warming, the Green house effect,
irregular rainfall and flash floods among other imbalances.
7. Effect on wildlife:
The animal kingdom 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 rain etc.
The discharge 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.
MANAGEMENT1. 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 farming and eat organic food that will be grown without the use of
pesticides.
7. Create dumping ground away from residential areas.
THANKS..GO GREEN..