ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY

Lecturate
Unit 7:
Soil and Land Pollution

Presented By
Husnain Afzal
Executive Engineer (Civil), WAPDA
Soil and Land Pollution
 Soil pollution occurs when the presence of toxic chemicals,
pollutants or contaminants in the soil is in high enough
concentrations to be of risk to plants, wildlife, humans and
of course, the soil itself.
 The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization
states that annually, 75 billion tons of soil, the equivalent
of nearly 10 million hectares, of arable land is lost to
erosion, water-logging and salination and another 20
million hectares is abandoned because its soil quality has
been degraded.
Soil and Land Pollution
 Land Pollution refers to the degradation or destruction of
the surface of the Earth. Land pollution is mainly caused
due to construction, agriculture, domestic waste and
industrial waste. Chemicals like metallic pollutants (dyes,
soaps, drugs, etc.), agro chemicals (fertilizers etc.) and
radioactive chemicals degrade the quality of land.
 Soil pollution deals with the contamination or destruction
of the topmost ‘soil’ layer of land. It is the alteration that is
caused in the natural soil environment. It mainly occurs
due to the penetration of harmful pesticides and
insecticides.
Soil and Land Pollution
Types of Soil Pollution
Acidification
 Soil acidification is a process where the soil pH decreases
over time. This process is accelerated by the application of
high levels of ammonium-based nitrogen fertilizers to
naturally acidic soils, this can affect both the surface soil
and subsoil.
 During growth, crops absorb basic elements such as
calcium, magnesium, and potassium to satisfy their
nutritional requirements leaving the field comparatively
more acidic than before.
Types of Soil Pollution
Controlling Acidification
 'liming' the soil. The most commonly used liming material
is agricultural limestone, which is most economical
method of ameliorating soil acidity.
Salinization
 Salinization refers to a build up of salts in soil, eventually
to toxic levels for plants. (3,000 - 6,000 ppm salt results in
trouble for most cultivated plants.) Salt in soils decreases
the osmotic potential of the soil so that plants can't take up
water from it.
Types of Soil Pollution
 Irrigation water contains dissolved salts derived as it
passed over and through the land, and rain water also
contains some salts.
 Evaporation of water from the dry surface of the soil
leaves the salts behind.
 Poorly drained soils and where the groundwater is within 3
m or less of the surface, water rises to the surface by
capillary action, rather than percolating down through the
entire soil profile, and then evaporates from the soil
surface.
Types of Soil Pollution
Controlling Salinization
 By improving drainage, minimizing saline water
irrigation, leaching salts,, growing halophytes(Plant
growing naturally in very salty soil), and employing good
soil/water management (drip irrigation, irrigation
scheduling,, applying organic matter).
Heavy metals
 Cadmium, fluoride, radioactive elements like uranium are
regularly found in the parent minerals from which the
fertilisers are obtained. Dangerous metals such as Mercury,
Lead, Arsenic, Chromium, and Nickel are seen in traces in
Zinc rich wastes from the steel industries which are used as
fertilizers.
Types of Soil Pollution
 Industries are by far the worst polluters of the soil with all
the chemicals they release into the environment be it in
liquid or solid form. The lack of regulation is often
exploited by owners of industries who discharge their
waste directly into soil or water bodies.
THANK YOU!!