Land pollution is the destruction or deterioration of the Earth's surface in terms of use, landscape and ability to sustain life. This is often caused directly and indirectly by human activity and the misuse of land resources. Land pollution occurs when waste is not disposed of properly or when people dump chemicals into the soil in the form of herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides or any other type of by-product. Mining has also led to a decline in the quality of the earth's surface. This has serious consequences for human health, plant life and soil quality.
A brief introduction to land pollution
Land pollution starts with mining waste, which is a collection of mostly heavy metals and other toxic chemicals dumped into the soil. Without proper disposal methods, these minerals enter into ground water and subsequently into the rivers, lakes and other bodies of water which eventually become polluted. This then affects plants, aquatic life and soil fertility. Remediation methods of land pollution include reclaiming land and reclaiming polluted water as well as groundwater.
Pollutants in land
When someone is using land for their business or trade, they should have the best means of dealing with waste disposal, the methods of production, or even the areas that are prone to pollution, if not the entire region.
The effects of land pollution on humans
Land pollution in the form of over-fertilization and excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides has serious health implications. Excessive use of these by-products in agricultural and livestock activities has led to the depletion of the fertility of the land. Overstocking is a major cause of land pollution, as it keeps forests, grasslands, and non-productive land intact, for the purpose of harvesting animal protein. Pest management practices without the help of organic pesticides has led to the increase in insect resistance to insecticides and to increase in disease transmission to humans. The contamination of wells and faucets with human wastes from urban areas contributes to land pollution in its health impact.
The effects of land pollution on plant life
If land pollution leads to increased chemical usage in the form of herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides, etc., it has serious adverse effects on plants. Chemicals are corrosive to the plant life and have a devastating effect on health. Herbicides cause the death of soil organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, and deprive the soil of essential nutrients for plant growth. On the contrary, the chemical-tolerant plants become resistant to these herbicides, but they do not support healthy soil. It is also the cases of polluters planting harmful trees that result into a complete pollution of the land.
Toxic chemicals tend to build up in soils and leaves and make it poisonous to humans. Even if it is in trace amounts, these chemicals can have dire consequences on human health.
The effect of land pollution on soil quality
The degradation of the quality of land surface can affect the biodiversity, water quality, agricultural productivity and the availability of water for irrigation, amongst other things.
Contamination of water sources by metal residues and nitrogen oxides
Silver fillers, lead, and cadmium are heavy metals which are found in many synthetic substances, such as coatings, plastics, ink, fuel additives, and pesticides. These metals are hazardous to human health as well as to animal life. When these substances are released in the air, they give off toxic substances in the form of ozone, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. Therefore, air pollution can lead to inhaling or even developing problems such as chronic cough, shortness of breath, and skin rashes.
10 reasons why the issue is so important
Natural disasters, climate change, groundwater depletion, climate change, deforestation, increasing demand for the agricultural products like wheat, rice, maize, soy, and meat and milk are some of the biggest contributing factors to land pollution. Currently, 5.7 million hectares of land is added to the surface of the earth every year. Some of the reasons which makes land pollution a threat to humanity and planet are listed below
Compaction
Land pollution is the destruction of the Earth’s surface by loading too much moisture, sand, dirt, etc. on it. The land may not be able to absorb as much water and freeze, thus leading to the formation of ice dams which may cause the water of any river, stream, canal or any open water body to freeze.
Land Pollution affects human health in many ways, including air and water quality, mental and physical well-being, food, and agricultural production.
Johannesburg’s Land Pollution is Not Going to End Soon
It’s very hard to eliminate land pollution in South Africa, however, there is always a way around. Johannesburg’s land pollution cannot be solved immediately, but South Africa can take steps to reduce the amount of land pollution.
Land Pollution affects plant life in many ways, including wildlife habitats, drought resistance, temperature regulation.
Various Forms of Land Pollution
Asides from directly affecting plant life, land pollution can also have a devastating effect on human health by causing diarrheal diseases, skin diseases, respiratory infections, etc. Land pollution can be classified according to the source, whether it is human or the one caused by natural causes. Chemical pollution is caused by humans when toxic chemicals are discharged from factories, or in case of industrial discharges, factory waste spills, chemical spills from pipes and any other means of industrial discharges. Mineral pollution is caused when mineral-processing or mining activities disturb and pollute soil, water and air.
Land Pollution affects soil quality in many ways, including retention of CO2 emissions.
(see; Top 10 Ways to Reduce CO2 Emissions to Save the Planet from Climate Change )
The various effects of land pollution can have devastating impact on the lives of people living in a given area, and it has made up the major source of concern for human activities all over the world. A survey by 2010 found that 53% of the total population of the world believe that land pollution is a major environmental issue.
Land pollution has also contributed to climate change. Land pollution contributes to acid rain which is harmful to soil and leaves the soil toxic.
This has serious consequences for human health, plant life and soil quality.
Of the 300,000 plus chemicals manufactured worldwide, 70% are petroleum-based products. Many of these are used in the production of lubricants. With increasing use of petroleum-based products, this number is expected to increase further. Therefore, human and environmental health is at high risk when this happens. The quantity of chemicals used, the quality of product itself and the route of delivery and use are the three main aspects of use of petroleum-based products. According to global statistics, petroleum-based products are present in all the consumer products and chemicals used.
Global statistics also indicate that the toxic chemical compounds are known to enter the soil and water after use in the form of gas, liquid, solid or powder.
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