PROJECT

ON
SOIL POLLUTION
 Overview

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.
It is part of land degradation caused by the presence of xenobiotics
(human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil
environment. It is typically caused by industrial activity, agricultural
chemicals or improper disposal of waste.
For example,

Excavation showing soil contamination at a disused gasworks in England.

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. 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. There are many different
ways that soil can become polluted, such as seepage from a landfill,
discharge of industrial waste into the soil, percolation of
contaminated water into the soil, rupture of underground storage
tanks, excess application of pesticides, herbicides or fertilizer, and
solid waste seepage. The most common chemicals involved in causing
soil pollution are petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, pesticides,
and solvents. Human activities are the primary cause of soil pollution
and land degradation.
Soil Pollution has gradually become a major challenge that we need to
overcome for establishing a healthy environment. Weathering of the
earth’s crusts by different processes leads to the formation of soil that
accumulates over the centuries. The soil is the home for a large part
of bacterial biodiversity and other microscopic and macroscopic living
organisms.
However, let us consider our very own country India. Indian economy
is largely dependent on agriculture. Thus, we Indians give very high
priority to the development of agriculture, fisheries, and livestock.
Therefore, for surplus production, it is very important to protect crops
from any type of damage that occurs due to insects, weeds, rodents
and other crop diseases.
So, how do we protect crops? The very obvious answer is pesticides
and herbicides. However, do you know these pesticides and herbicides
is a leading cause of soil pollution? Therefore, it is very important to
judiciously use pesticides because it contains lots of different harmful
chemicals. Therefore, to improve soil and prevent soil pollution it is
important to limit the use of pesticides and herbicides.
Soil pollution is an alarming issue. It has been identified as the third
most important threat to soil functions in Europe and Eurasia, fourth
in North Africa, fifth in Asia, seventh in the Northwest Pacific, eighth
in North America, and ninth in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America
(FAO and ITPS, 2015). The presence of certain pollutants may also
produce nutrient imbalances and soil acidification, two major issues in
many parts of the world, as identified in the Status of the World’s Soil
Resources Report (FAO and ITPS, 2015).

Definition

Soil pollution refers to anything that causes contamination of soil and

degrades the soil quality. It occurs when the pollutants causing the
pollution reduce the quality of the soil and convert the soil inhabitable
for microorganisms and macro organisms living in the soil.
It can also be defined as the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or
contaminants) in soil, in high enough concentrations to pose a risk to
human health and/or the ecosystem. In the case of contaminants
which occur naturally in soil, even when their levels are not high
enough to pose a risk, soil pollution is still said to occur if the levels of
the contaminants in soil exceed the levels that should naturally be
present.
The primary cause of soil pollution is a lack of awareness in general
people. Thus, due to many different human activities such as overuse
of pesticides the soil will lose its fertility. Moreover, the presence of
excess chemicals will increase the alkalinity or acidity of soil thus
degrading the soil quality. This will in turn cause soil erosion. This soil
erosion refers to soil pollution (Food and Agriculture Organization of
The United Nations).

Causes of Soil Pollution

Soil pollution, as has been said, can result from both intended and
unintended activities. These activities can include the direct
deposition of contaminants into the soil as well as complex
environmental processes that can lead to indirect soil contamination
through water or atmospheric deposition.
Soil pollution can be caused by a specific event or a series of events
within a particular area in which contaminants are released to the soil,
and the source and identity of the pollution is easily identified. This
type of pollution is known as point-source pollution.
Anthropogenic activities represent the main sources of point-source
pollution. Examples include former factory sites, inadequate waste
and wastewater disposal, uncontrolled landfills, excessive application
of agrochemicals, spills of many types, and many others. Activities
such as mining and smelting that are carried out using poor
environmental standards are also sources of contamination with
heavy metals in many regions of the world.
Diffuse pollution is pollution that is spread over very wide areas,
accumulates in soil, and does not have a single or easily identified
source. Diffuse pollution occurs where emission, transformation and
dilution of contaminants in other media have occurred prior to their
transfer to soil. Diffuse pollution involves the transport of pollutants
via air-soil-water systems.
They are mainly divided into two types: -
 Natural Pollutants

Apart from the rare cases when a natural accumulation of chemicals

leads to soil pollution, natural processes may also have an influence
on the human released toxic chemicals into the soil, overall decreasing
or increasing the pollutant toxicity and/or the level of contamination
of the soil. This is possible due to the complex soil environment,
involving the presence of other chemicals and natural conditions
which may interact with the released pollutants.

Natural processes leading to soil pollution: -

1. Natural accumulation of compounds in soil due to imbalances
between atmospheric deposition and leaking away with
precipitation water (e.g., concentration and accumulation of
perchlorate in soils in arid environments).
2. Natural production in soil under certain environmental conditions
(e.g., natural formation of perchlorate in soil in the presence of a
chlorine source, metallic object and using the energy generated by
a thunderstorm).

Man-Made Pollutants

Anthropogenic (man-made) soil pollution originates in several types

of processes, some deliberate (industrial) and some accidental.
Human-caused soil pollution can work in conjunction with natural
processes to increase the toxic contamination levels in the soil: -

1. Accidental spills and leaks during storage, transport or use of

chemicals (e.g. leaks and spills of gasoline and diesel at gas
stations);

2. Foundry activities and manufacturing processes that involve

 furnaces or other processes resulting in the possible dispersion of
contaminants in the environment;

3. Mining activities involving the crushing and processing of raw

materials, for instance, heavy metals, emitting toxic substances.
 Effects of Soil Pollution
Soil pollution is not only the problem in India but it is a global problem.
It causes harmful effect on the soil and the environment at large.
Contamination of soil will decrease the agricultural output of a land.
Contaminated or polluted soil directly affects human health through
direct contact with soil or via inhalation of soil contaminants which
have vaporized; potentially greater threats are posed by the
infiltration of soil contamination into groundwater aquifers used for
human consumption, sometimes in areas apparently far removed
from any apparent source of above ground contamination. This tends
to result in the development of pollution-related diseases.

1. Effects of Soil Pollution on Soil Fertility

Soil Pollution has adverse effects on the well-being of humans,
plants and animals. More than 70% of the soil pollutants are
carcinogenic in nature, intensifying the chances of developing
cancer in the humans exposed to the polluted soils.
The most evident and crucial element of the soil is its fertility.
Once the soil is contaminated with chemicals and heavy metals
or degraded due to human activities such as mining, its fertility
 depreciates and might even be lost entirely. The harmful
chemicals and heavy metals in the soil decrease soil microbial
and chemical activity.
The chemical elements can also denature active enzymes that
revitalize healthy soil activities. Soil acidification as a
consequence of pollution also leaches away essential natural
minerals like magnesium and calcium.

2. Increase in Soil Salinity

The increase in soil salinity, salinization, is an effect of salt
accumulation in the soil. Salts occur naturally in the soil.
However, increased accumulations are linked to soil pollution.
Irrigation and agricultural processes that discharge nitrate and
phosphate deposits in the soil are the primary contributors to
increasing salt levels in the soil.
Increased soil salinity makes it difficult for plants to absorb soil
moisture and reduces groundwater quality. Crops and plants
grown in these regions combined with other soil pollutant
effects are highly poisonous and can cause severe health
disorders when consumed.
3. Economic Losses
Crops and plants grown on polluted soils can accumulate poison
to an extent deemed unfit for human consumption.
Consequently, it leads to enormous economic losses. In some
parts of the world, heavily polluted soils with metals and
chemicals such as lead, asbestos, and sulphur are considered
unfavourable for crop production and cannot be used to grow
crops.
4. Endangering Human Health
Soil is an important and vibrant unit in our ecosystem. One-gram
fertile soil contains about 100 million bacteria and fungus
equivalent to 500 meters. In addition, soil system is also a refuge
site for thousands of other types of algae cells, viruses,
arthropods, and other organisms such as earthworms. The use
of chemicals, pesticides and toxic elements to increase the
nutrition power of soil adversely affects the health of animals
and humans through dietary cycle.
 Soil pollutants can also cause skin diseases, muscular blockage,
and central nervous system disorders. Humans can be affected
indirectly due to bioaccumulation or food poisoning. It happens
when people consume crop produce that is grown in the
polluted soils or when they consume animal products that eat
plants from polluted soils. As a result, humans suffer from acute
illnesses and may experience premature death.
For example, high concentrations of lead or mercury in the soil
can endanger the functionality of kidneys and liver. It can also
hamper brain development in children and cause adverse
neurological disorders.
5. The Problem of E-Waste
Nowadays another pollutant that has made its presence felt in
the world is e-waste. Electronic devices are now part of the
modern lifestyles. Earlier in general, the garbage was generated
out of the newspaper, old clothes, iron etc, but now with old
CDs, TVs, ovens, refrigerators, laptops, keyboards, mouse,
 condenser, microchips, computers, electronic toys and many
plastic items, there is an accumulation of e-waste.
According to Global E-Waste Monitoring-2014, a United Nations
report released in April 2015, India is at the fifth place in the
world in spreading e-waste. This report says that the waste
spread by electronic equipment in the next three years is likely
to increase up to 21%.
The disposal of e-waste is, in fact, the biggest problem.
Therefore, we should promote green computing through the use
of computers and related resources in green environment. There
are many advantages of this: one can reduce global warming and
reduce the electricity bill. If a computer is running 24 hours on
an average, it costs an average of Rs. 6000 to Rs. 8500 for the
entire year, and the carbon dioxide emitted from it, which is
approximately 680 kilograms, dissolves in the environment. If
the computer is shut down at night, the quantity of carbon
dioxide emanating from it will be approximately 340 kg, i.e., half
and half of the electricity bill will also be saved. Due to less
pollution, there will also be a reduction in diseases which will
save the cost of medicines and reduce the risk of life.
6. Impact on water sources
When the quantity of polluted substances increases in the soil,
they reach the water sources and increase the concentration of
salts and other harmful substances in them, as a result of which
such water sources are not able to provide potable water.
 Dirt contaminated with high level nitrogen and phosphorus is
stored in the waterway. As a result, aquatic plants die due to lack
of oxygen.
7. Phenomenon of Soil Erosion
Regular new construction and deforestation taking place on
fertile land has accelerated the process of flood and soil erosion.
Erosion itself is responsible for soil pollution. It takes 100 to 400
years to build up to 10 centimetres of upper soil. So, the
destruction of soil is in a way loss of limited and non-renewal
property.
In India, the population is growing faster than our resources, so
We need more yield. Due to indiscriminate use of chemical
fertilizers in the fields, lack of time difference in the production
of two crops, soil pollution is increasing. In addition to it,
continuous erosion of trees is also a major reason for soil
pollution and environmental imbalance. Soil erosion is also
leading to frequent floods and droughts.

Prevention of Soil Pollution

Soil is an invaluable natural resource, on which the whole world

is dependent. In an agricultural country like India where there is
 serious problem of soil erosion, soil conservation is an essential
and urgent task. Soil conservation is a process under which
efforts are made not only to maintain the quality of soil, but also
to prevent soil pollution.
Pollution leads to the loss of soil fertility as a result of loss of
topsoil and nutrients, loss of organic matter and clay and the
consequent loss of the soil’s capacity to retain nutrients and
water. There are two methods of soil conservation: -
(A) Biological Method: -
(i) Crop Related
1. Crop rotation – It implies frequent succession of crop on
the same portion of land in a given time-frame. Crop mixes
such as wheat mustard, Groundnut, maize+ cowpea etc.,
can be grown. Thus, after a harvest of one crop there is
another growing up or covering the soil so that the soil is
never bare or exposed.
2. Planting along the contours – Leguminous plants, cowpea
and cereal crops can be grown in a particular way to check
soil erosion. This helps farmers get maximum profit with
least investment and increases the fertility of the soil.
3. Strip cropping – This reduces the velocity of water flow and
prevents erosion.
4. Steep farming – This prevents erosion by reducing sludge.
This leads to the use of hilly land for cultivation.
5. Crop Residues – By laying a thin layer of 10-15 cm of crop
residues in farming, erosion and vaporization can be
prevented. With this method, Rabi crop can be increased
up to 30 percent. After a crop we should leave the stubble
in the field. Then untimely rains and wind don’t destroy
much.
(ii) Forest Implantation Method: -
 1. First, develop forests in new areas for increasing the
soil fertility and formation. This reduces the erosion
of rain water and air.
2. Second, new forestry should be adopted where there
is excessive pollution of forests, excessive animal feed
and surface degradation.
(B) Mechanical Method
This method is relatively expensive but effective too.
Contour holding system – In this, the fields are planted in the
right direction of the sloping direction, so that the water flowing
through the slopes cannot erode the soil.
Making bunds – Bunds across the slopes prevent erosion in
excessive sloping place.
Gully control – (i) By stopping the flooding water (ii) by increasing
the vegetative cover and (iii) creating new pathways for runoff.
Government efforts for soil conservation
Soil erosion results in the sealing of soil surface giving lower
infiltration rates and increased runoff. There are many areas
worldwide where erosion has led to serious degradation of the
land and made it unfit for crop production. With the introduction
of the first Five Year Plan in India, many steps were taken in this
direction. The problem area is being identified with the help of
remote sensing technology.
Organic Farming
Organic farming is a good option for reducing soil pollution. If
the fertile capacity of the land is reduced, the day is not far when
the problem of getting food will become common. To avoid this,
we should try to safeguard the environment and reduce soil
pollution. We should promote such farming where there is no
harm to the environment. Today, in most industrial agriculture,
 there is excessive use of chemical fertilizer and insecticides.
Though many types of pollutants are responsible for destroying
the fertility of the land, excessive use of chemical fertilizers is one
of the main reasons.
Measures to Control or Reduce Soil Pollution at Glance
The following measures should be taken to prevent soil pollution:
1. Arrangements for collection, and disposal of garbage should be
tightened.
2. The deposition of wastes should be done in a proper manner and
the sewage sludge from the factories should be treated before
reaching the ground.
3. Priority should be given to the waste deposition by the
Municipality and the Municipal bodies.
4. Throwing garbage on the streets should be declared an offence.
5. The use of chemical fertilizers should not be promoted.
6. The use of insecticides, fungicides, and herbivorous etc. should
be minimized.
7. General public should be given information about the ill effects
of soil pollution.
8. The public should be motivated to put the garbage in bins in the
house and the villagers should throw it in the fertilizer pits.
9. To prevent soil erosion, plantations, dam-bands etc. should be
made.
RESEARCH
Soil Pollution along Kalwa Bridge at Thane Creek of
Maharashtra, India
By
1. Pravin U. Singare (Department of Chemistry, Bhavan’s
College, Mumbai, India)
2. Ram S. Lokhande (Department of Chemistry, University of
Mumbai, Mumbai, India)
3. Pragati P. Pathak (Department of Chemistry, Dnyansadhana
College, Mumbai, India.)
Abstract
The present investigation deals with the assessment of pollution
status along the wetland of Thane Creek, which has been
subjected to a lot of pollution from the Asia’s biggest Thane—
Belapur Industrial Complex located at the south of Mumbai
harbour along the west coast of India. In the present
investigation, the pH, electrical conductivity, bulk density,
alkalinity and chlorinity values recorded were observed to be
high during dry seasons and low during rainy season. The soil
samples were also analyzed for their heavy metal contents like
nickel, zinc, cadmium, copper, iron, arsenic and mercury. It was
observed that, the concentration of these heavy metals
increases gradually in dry seasons, followed by sharp decrease
during rainy season. These heavy metals have a marked effect
on the aquatic flora and fauna which through bio magnification
enter the food chain and ultimately affect the human beings as
well. The present experimental data on heavy metal pollution in
soil samples collected along Kalwa bridge of Thane Creek points
out to the need of regular monitoring of water resources and
further improvement in the industrial waste water treatment
methods. If the present conditions continue for a long period,
the creek may soon become ecologically inactive.
1. Introduction
Waste management strategies adopted in India have failed to
keep pace with the industrial growth and urbanization. This
has resulted in the accumulation of toxic metallic
contaminants with a consequent loss in quality of soil, for the
past few decades. The problem of environmental pollution
due to toxic metals has begun to cause concern now in most
major metropolitan cities. Heavy metals like Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni and
other trace elements are important for proper functioning of
bio- logical systems and their deficiency or excess could lead
to a number of disorders [1]. Food chain contamination by
heavy metals has become a burning issue in recent years
because of their potential accumulation in biosystems
through contaminated water, soil and air. Therefore, a better
understanding of heavy metal sources, their ac- cumulation in
the soil and the effect of their presence in water and soil seem
to be particularly important issues of present-day research on
risk assessments [2]. The main sources of heavy metals to
vegetable crops are their growth media (soil, air, nutrient
solutions) from which these are taken up by the roots or
foliage. Most of our water resources are gradually becoming
polluted due to the addition of foreign materials from the
surroundings. These include organic matter of plant and
animal origin, land surface washing, and industrial and
sewage effluents. Rapid urbanization and industrialization
with improper environmental planning often lead to
discharge of industrial and sewage effluents into lakes. The
lakes have a complex and fragile ecosystem, as they do not
have self- cleaning ability and therefore readily accumulate
pollutants. It has been reported that sewage effluents of
municipal origin contain appreciable amount of major
essential plant nutrients and therefore the fertility levels of
the soil are improved considerably under sewage irrigation of
 crop fields [2]. The increasing trend in concentration of heavy
metals in the environment has created considerable attention
amongst ecologists globally during the last decades.
Several factors, like discharge of agricultural, domestic and
industrial wastes, land use practices, geological formation,
rainfall patterns and infiltration rate are reported to affect the
quality of soil along the creek area. As the quality of soil along
the creek area greatly affect the vegetation, it is necessary to
analyse the chemical parameters of soil.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1 Area of Study

The study was carried out in a creek near Mumbai City, which
is one of the most heavily populated and industrialized cities
of India. The creek, known as “Thane Creek” separates the
Island City of Mumbai in the west from the mainland in the
east and houses industrial areas at a distance of about 25 Km
north-east of Mumbai city. It is a triangular mass of brackish
water which widens out and opens to the Arabian Sea in the
South.
The creek could be considered as an estuary during southwest
monsoon period when the land drainage and river run-offs
are considerable. This area is also highly bio productive and
yields about 2 to 3 thousand metric tons of fish annually.
This area was developed by the state government essentially
for the chemical industries towards the beginning of the
sixties and at present about25 large industries and about 300
medium and small-scale units using hazardous chemicals is
located out of the total of 2000 units located in this zone. The
main water source for the industrial consumption is
Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation. The
industrial area utilizes about 45000 m3/day of fresh water.
The effluent discharge, treated and untreated amounts to
28750 m3/day i.e. 64% of the total industrial effluents
generated in Thane Creek area. Except for a few major
industries, the medium and the small-scale industries
discharge their treated or untreated effluents through the
unlined surface drains into the Thane Creek. In addition to
this, domestic sewage discharges from suburbs of Mumbai
City meet the Thane Creek from the west side. Also,
atmospheric fallout from the chimneys and stacks and vehicle
exhausts estimated to be 22000 t/day over the city, reach the
creek after washout. The problem is furthered by un-
restricted dumping of solid waste, construction debris and
other waste. Because of all this, the soil as well as water of
Thane Creek region has become severely polluted. This has
created health hazards not only for local population but also
resulted in disturbances of mangrove ecosystem.
2.2 Climatic Conditions
The weather of Thane is typical coastal sultry and humid.
Most parts of Thane lie in the plain at the sea level. The
average rainfall of Thane records from 1500 mm to 2000 mm.
The place experiences the onset of the monsoon in the month
of June and experiences monsoon till the end of September.
The average temperature recorded in Thane varies from 25 to
37 degrees.
2.3 Soil Sampling, Preparation and Analyses
The study period of nine months was divided into two: pre
monsoon (dry seasons) i.e., from December 2007 to May
2008 and monsoon (wet season) i.e., from June 2008 to
August 2008. Eighty soil samples were randomly collected
along Kalwa bridge of Thane Creek for both dry and wet
seasons and at different depths. Soil samples from the top
layer (0-15 cm) and sub layer (15-30 cm) were sampled
separately. The soil samples were collected by hand-pushing
plastic core tubes (7 cm diameter). The soil samples were air
dried for 8 days, ground using agate mortar and sieved with a
0.5 mm mesh size sieve to remove stones, plant roots and
have soil of uniform particle size. Soil samples were kept in
polythene bags and kept in a dry place until analyses. Well-
mixed samples of 2 g each were taken in 250 mL glass beakers
and digested with 8 mL of aqua regia on a sand bath for 2 h.
After evaporation to near dryness, the samples were
dissolved with 10 mL of 2% nitric acid, filtered through
Whatman’s No.1 filter paper and then diluted with deionized
water to give final volumes de- pending on the suspected level
of the metals [3]. The soil samples were subjected to nitric
acid digestion using the microwave-assisted technique,
setting pressure at 30 bar and power at 700 Watts [4,5].
2.4 Heavy Metal Analysis
 The analysis for the majority of the trace metals was done by
Perkin Elmer Analyst 200 Flame Atomic Ab- sorption
Spectrophotometer (2003 model), but arsenic was
determined by hydride generation coupled with an atomic
fluorescence detector. Mercury was analysed with a cold-
vapour atomic adsorption spectrophotometer.
2.5 Quality Control/Assurance
Soil samples were collected with plastic-made implements to
avoid contamination. Samples were kept in polythene bags
that were free from heavy metals and organics and well
covered while transporting from field to the laboratory to
avoid contamination from the environment. Reagent blanks
were used in all analyses to check reagent impurities and
other environmental contaminations during analyses.
Analytical grade reagents were used for all analyses. All
reagents were standardized against primary standards to
determine their actual concentrations. All glassware used
were soaked in appropriate dilute acids overnight and washed
with teepol and rinsed with deionised water before use.
3. Results and Discussion
the pH of the soil samples collected for different sessions ranged
from 8.10 to 8.94 this may be due to the high buffering capacity
of the system. This is in accordance with earlier study by Wetzel
[6], who reported that the pH values of Indian waters ranges
from 8 to 9 units. Ganga River recorded relatively high pH of
water in winter months attributing to increased primary-
productivity in which carbonates, sulphate, nitrates and
phosphates are converted to hydroxyl ions. In the present
investigation the pH of soil samples were observed to be high in
dry seasons (average 8.81) and lower during monsoon (average
8.13). The low pH was mainly due to high turbidity and dilution.
The measurement of soil water content and soil water fluxes is
critical to a wide range of environmental studies including
acidification, pollution and nutrient uptake [7]. There is a major
current concern in the effective conservation and protection of
water, and this interest is likely to increase with attention being
focused on the effects of climate change. As a consequence, soil
water content is an important component in many modelling
studies.
The % moisture content is soil samples collected for different
seasons were found to be low in dry seasons (average 3.84%)
and increases sharply during wet season (average 4.02%)
starting from June to August.
Variation in bulk density is attributable to the relative proportion
and specific gravity of solid organic and inorganic particles and
to the porosity of the soil. Although bulk densities are seldom
measured, they are important in quantitative soil studies. In the
present investigation the bulk density of soil was found to
increase gradually in dry seasons (average 0.725 g/cm3) and
then decreases sharply in rainy season (average 0.531 g/cm3).
The increase in bulk density of soil samples in dry sea- sons might
be due to concentration of heavy metals, which are washed out
in rainy season in to the creek water resulting in decrease in bulk
density.
The higher chlorinity is considered to be an indicator of higher
pollution due to higher organic waste of animal origin. Munawar
[8] observed a direct correlation between Cl concentration and
pollution level in fresh water ponds of Hyderabad. In the present
investigation, the chlorinity level of soil samples collected for
different seasons varies between averages of 23-31 mg/L. The
chlorinity level was found to be low during rainy season (average
23 mg/L) and observed to increase sharply during dry seasons
(average 31 mg/L).
In the present investigation the concentration of heavy metals
like iron, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, zinc, nickel and copper
were observed to increase gradually in dry season and was found
to be maximum in summer, while their concentration decreases
sharply in rainy season.
Arsenic occurs naturally or is possibly aggravated by over
powering aquifers and by phosphorus from fertilizers. Human
activities have also intensified arsenic accumulation in the
environment. Arsenic usually accumulates in soil, water and
airborne particles, from which it is taken up by various
organisms. Plants absorb arsenic fairly easily, so that high-
ranking concentrations may be present in food. Organs most
susceptible to arsenic toxicity are those involved with
absorption, accumulation or excretion, including the skin,
circulatory system, gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidney.
Arsenic is associated with multiple health effects, including
Blackfoot diseases, diabetes, hypertension, peripheral
neuropathy and multiple vascular diseases. In the present case
study, the concentration of arsenic was observed to vary from
minimum of 228 µg/g in rainy season to maximum of 253 µg/g
in dry seasons.
The acute lethal dose for most inorganic mercury compounds for
an adult is 1-4 g (or 14 to 57 mg/Kg) for a 70 Kg person [9].
Exposure to mercury and its com- pounds therefore can have
acute adverse health problems. It may permanently damage the
brain, kidneys and developing foetus. Effects on brain
functioning may results in irritability, tremors, changes in vision
or hearing, and memory problems.
4. Conclusions
The experimental data on the soil pollution status along the
Kalwa bridge of Thane creek suggest a need to implement
common objectives, compatible policies and programmes for
improvement in the industrial waste water treatment
methods. The high level of pollution along the creek area also
suggest a need of consistent, internationally recognized data
driven strategy to assess the quality of aquatic body and
generation of international standards for evaluation of
contamination levels. If the present conditions continue for a
long period, the Thane creek area may soon become
ecologically inactive.
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