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What is Land Pollution?
Land Pollution is the disposal of solid or liquid waste on land, causing the contamination of the soil and groundwater. Land Pollution has led to many problems throughout the years such as the increase of barren land plots and the decrease of forest cover.
CAUSES OF LAND POLLUTION:
URBANIZATION
Others classify human settlements as "land pollution," with the reason of people making direct and indirect ways of causing land pollution.
CONSTURCTION ACTIVITIES
A large number of construction activities are occurring due to urbanization. This results in huge waste of items like wood, metal, bricks, plastic that are used in construction.
NUCLEAR WASTE
The leftover radioactive material contains dangerous and toxic chemicals that can harm humans. To avoid any casualties, they are dumped beneath the earth, which is still dangerous.
LITTERING
People just throw their garbage on the ground without thinking about the effects of littering on the environment. This may lead to land contamination since cigarettes contain elements that are toxic to the environment.
DEFORESTATION
Deforestation causes land to dry, and once the land became dry, it can never be fertile again.
AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES
Farmers use highly toxic fertilizers and pesticides. The use of these toxic chemicals and pesticides may result in contamination and poisoning of land or soil.
MINING ACTIVITIES
Mining activities are created beneath the surface, resulting in having spaces below and leaving the spaces left out.
OVERCROWDED LANDFILLS
Every day, people produce tonnes of garbage. While some garbage is sent to recycling units, other items that cannot be recycled become a part of landfills.
Land Pollution may take time for our eyes to notice. It will start small and as time goes, it will become bigger and bigger.
Effects of Land Pollution
Soil Pollution
Upper layer of the soil is damaged or becomes altered. This is caused by the overuse of chemical fertilizers. This is precipitated by running water and other pest control, which leads to loss of fertile land for agriculture, forest cover, etc.
Steps to Lessen Land Pollution
Limit the use of Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides
- materials and substances came from fertilizers and pesticides can easily contaminate the soil. Hence, the best action is to promote the use of bio-fertilizers and homemade alternatives to avoid environmental and health risks.​
Recycle
- reusing of materials such as cloth, plastic bags and glass in your home rather than disposing of them is very beneficial to the environment as you reduce the amount of solid wastes going to landfills.
Avoid littering
- most common reason for land pollution yet disregarded by some people.
Reduce electricity consumption
- the burning of fossil fuel emits nitrogen that leads to soil and water pollution, by simply turning off your devices when unused, buy eco-friendly appliances, monitoring you usage, and etc.
Limit vehicle emission
- vehicle emits a lot of nitrogen, rather than driving everywhere, you can take public transportation, go cycling or walking. Advantageous to the environment as well as to you health.
Plant Trees
- Planting trees can help reduce land pollution by reducing carbon monoxide build up, increase biodiversity, and reduce the possibility of soil erosion.
