SOIL POLLUTION

PRESENTED BY : POOJA JAISWAL POOJA GAMBHIR

CONTENTS
Soil Soil texture Soil contents Soil pollution Sources & Causes of soil pollution Effects of soil pollution Control measures

What is SOIL?
Soil is the thin layer of organic and inorganic materials that covers the Earth's rocky surface.
The organic portion, which is derived from the decayed remains of plants and animals, is concentrated in the dark uppermost topsoil.

contd

The inorganic portion made up of rock fragments, was formed over thousands of years by physical and chemical weathering of bedrock.
Productive soils are necessary for agriculture to supply the world with sufficient food.

SOIL CONTENTS
Most soils contain four basic components: mineral particles water air organic matter Organic matter can be further subdivided into humus roots living organisms.

SOIL CONTENTS

SOIL TEXTURE
The texture of a soil refers to the size distribution of the mineral particles found in a representative sample of soil.

Sand

Silt

Clay

SOIL TEXTURE
Particle size ranges for sand, silt, and clay
Type of Mineral Particle Sand Silt Clay

Size Range
2.0 - 0.06 millimeters 0.06 - 0.002 millimeters less than 0.002 millimeters

A fourth term, loam, is used to describe a roughly equal concentration of sand, silt, and clay, and lends to the naming of even more classifications, e.g. "clay loam" or "silt loam."

SOIL LAYERS

SOIL POLLUTION
Definition:

Soil pollution is defined as the build-up in soils of persistent toxic compounds, chemicals, salts, radioactive materials, or disease causing agents, which have adverse effects on plant growth and animal health.

SOURCES OF SOIL POLLUTION

1. Chemical pollutants 2. Industrial effluents 3. Biological agents 4. Metallic pollutants 5. Agricultural wastes 6. Radioactive pollutants 7. Pesticides and fertilizers

CAUSES OF SOIL POLLUTION

CAUSES OF SOIL POLLUTION

Natural Causes CAUSES By Artificial or Human Intervention

Natural Causes of Soil Pollution

1) The ash from volcanic eruptions contain toxic elements which once settled on the ground pollute it and made it unfit for agricultural purposes.

Natural Causes of Soil Pollution

2) Decaying living organisms also cause pollution as the fluids from the organism act as poisonous pollutants.

Natural Causes of Soil Pollution

3) When a tornado descends it dumps the debris in that location causing soil pollution.

Soil Pollution due to Human Intervention

Indiscriminate use of fertilizers

Indiscriminate use of pesticides, insecticides and herbicides

 Dumping of large quantities of solid waste

Deforestation

 Soil erosion

Pollution due to urbanization

EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION

EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION

AGRICULTURAL Reduced soil fertility Reduced nitrogen fixation

EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION

AGRICULTURAL
Larger loss of soil and nutrients Reduced crop yield

EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION

AGRICULTURAL Imbalance in soil fauna and flora

EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION

INDUSTRIAL Dangerous chemicals entering underground water Ecological imbalance

EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION

INDUSTRIAL Release of pollutant gases Release of radioactive rays causing health problems

EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION

INDUSTRIAL

Increased salinity

Reduced vegetation

EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION

URBAN

Clogging of drains

Inundation of areas

EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION

URBAN Pollution of drinking water sources

Public health problems

EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION

URBAN Foul smell and release of gases Waste management problems

CONTROL OF SOIL POLLUTION

CONTROL OF SOIL POLLUTION

Reducing chemical fertilizer and pesticide use

Reusing of materials

CONTROL OF SOIL POLLUTION

Recycling and recovery of materials

Reforesting

CONTROL OF SOIL POLLUTION

Solid waste treatment

Undertaking many pollution awareness programmes

CONTROL OF SOIL POLLUTION

Ban on deforestation

Encouraging forest replantation programmes

CONTROL OF SOIL POLLUTION

Ban on use of plastic bags (below 20 microns thickness) - which are major cause of pollution in cities