Soil pollution is the adverse alteration of soil by the addition or removal of substances that reduce soil productivity and groundwater quality. It usually results from various human activities such as dumping of wastes, use of agrochemicals, mining operations and urbanization.
Soil Pollution: Causes and Effects
• Industrial solid waste and sludge contain toxic organic and inorganic compounds as well as poisonous metals. • Radioactive waste from nuclear power plants and nuclear explosions also contaminate soil. • Fly ash contains fine particulates that are released from thermal power plants. It settles on the ground and causes pollution. • Domestic garbage is rich in organic matter and underdecomposition. • Hospital waste contains a variety of pathogens that can seriously affect human health.
Soil Pollution: Causes and Effects
Agricultural chemicals like insecticides, pesticides and inorganic fertilizers can pollute drinking water and alter the chemical properties of soil by adversely affecting soil organisms.
Control of Soil Pollution
• Soil waste management involves collection and classification of wastes. Recovery of resources like scrap metals, plastics, etc. for recycling and reuse. Safe disposal and safe disposal with minimum environmental impact is to be followed. • Other notable methods of waste disposal include incineration (burning in the presence of oxygen) and pyrolysis (burning in the absence of oxygen). • Afforestation and reforestation should be done on a large scale to prevent soil erosion and loss of soil nutrients.
Emission of protons, electrons and electromagnetic radiations released by the disintegration of radioactive substances like radium, thorium, uranium, etc. Causes air, water and land pollution. Effects: • Ionizing radiations may cause mutations. • Strontium-90 causes bone cancer in bones. • Iodine-131 may damage bone marrow, spleen, lymph nodes and cause leukemia (blood cancer).
Radioactive Pollution: Preventive Measures
• Care should be taken to prevent leakage of radioactive substances from reactors. Nuclear • Radioactive waste should be disposed of safely. • Strict measures should be followed in construction and maintenance of nuclear power plants to prevent nuclear accidents. • Control or prevention of nuclear tests.
• Noisemaybedefined as an unwanted and unpleasant sound that may have adverse effects on animals and humans. • The unit of sound level is decibel (dB). • Noise level above 120 dB is considered harmful to human beings.
Noise Pollution Sources and Effects
Sources • Various sources associated with noise pollution are industrial machinery, road, rail and air transport, loudspeakers, construction equipment, domestic appliances, firecrackers, etc.
Effects • Noise seriously affects heartbeat, breathing, and can cause constriction of blood vessels. • It can cause headache, sleeplessness, irritability, nervousness and can seriously affect the productive performance of human beings. • Loud noise (above 130 dB) can cause damage to ear drum, hair cells of cochlea (organ of hearing) and result in fading or permanent loss of hearing. • Itcanalso seriously affect the concentration of students during learning.
Noise Pollution: Control Measures
• Industries should be set up away from residential areas. • Trees should be planted on the roadside or along highways to reduce the noise level. • Industrial machinery and motor vehicles should be properly maintained to reduce noise. • Use of loudspeakers and bursting of firecrackers should be restricted. • Efforts should be made to create awareness among people about the harmful effects of noise and the need to control it.
• India currently produces 55 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually. • Per capita generation of waste varies from 200 grams to 600 grams per capita/day. • Average generation rate in cities is 0.4 kg per capita per day. • Collection efficiency ranges between 50% to 90% of the solid waste generated.
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