WHAT IS SOIL POLLUTION? ITS CAUSES AND EFFECTS.

• Soil pollution can be define as a land degradation which is caused by the presence of toxic substances and chemicals such as solvents, pesticides, lead, and other heavy metals etc.
• It is important to understand that If soil contains compounds that are toxic then it is very harmful for human beings and other living organisms.

      Main causes for soil pollution

1. Urban waste :

• Both the domestic and commercial wastes are considered as urban waste. All urban solid wastes are commonly termed as "Refuse" which contains garbage and rubbish material like papers, fibers, plastics, glasses, leaves, abandon vehicle parts etc.
• We are in our daily life escapes those stuffs from our house and some are from our house and some are organic debris. 

2. Industrial waste :

• Industrial waste contributes more quantity of solid and liquid waste to soil.  The industrial wastes are major source of soil pollution. 
• Industrial wastes mainly contains organic and inorganic compounds along with non-biodegradable materials.
• Most common waste from industries are effluents and their accumulation in soil promote soil pollution.

3. Agricultural waste :

• In modern agriculture, the use of pesticides are on high level to grow more copes. Pesticides are substances (or mixtures of substances) that are used to kill or inhibit the growth of pests. 
• Common types of pesticides used in agriculture include:
• Herbicides – used to kill/control weeds and other unwanted plants.
• Insecticides – used to kill insects.
• Fungicides – used to kill parasitic fungi or inhibit their growth.

4. Soil conditioner :

• The soil conditioners are used to increase fertility of soil. Generally these contains toxic metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury.

5. Radioactive waste :

• Generally storage and disposal of radio-active waste causes penetration and accumulation of radio-active materials and causes soil pollution.

6. Biological agent :

• Soil gets large quantities of human, animal and birds excreta, which consist the major source of soil pollution by biological agent.
• The pathogenic organisms that pollute the soil may be classified into three category and these are follows.

1. Pathogenic organisms occurring in contaminated soil.
2. Pathogenic organisms excreted by humans.
3. Pathogenic organisms excreted by animals.

      Effects of soil pollution :

1.  Effect on Health of Humans:

Crops and plants are grown on polluted soil. these will absorb much of the pollution by the crops and then pass these on to human when they consume it. It can be cause for Headaches, nausea, vomiting,Coughing, pain in the chest, and Irritation of the skin and the eyes in humans.

2.  Decreased Soil Fertility:

The toxic chemicals present in the soil can decrease soil fertility and therefore decrease in the soil yield. The contaminated soil is then used to produce fruits and vegetables which lacks quality nutrients and may contain some poisonous substance to cause serious health problems in people consuming them.

3. Toxic Dust:

The emission of toxic and foul gases from landfills pollutes the environment and causes serious effects on the health of some people. The unpleasant smell causes inconvenience to other people.

4.  Effect on Growth of Plants:

Most plants are unable to adapt when the chemistry of the soil changes so radically in a short period of time. Fungi and bacteria are produced in this kind of soil which decline the growth of plants.