Soil pollution

What is soil pollution?

Soil environment is one of the main factors affecting plant growth and human activities. It is an important part of the surface of the earth, including the complex formed by the rock layer of the atmospheric hydrosphere and the influence of various natural environments and man-made conditions on organisms above it.

 

Soil pollution: Hidden threats and the quest for sustainable farming Soil, as one of the natural resources we depend on for survival, plays a key role in supporting agriculture, maintaining ecological balance and providing food. However, in recent years, the problem of soil pollution has gradually surfaced, causing people to pay attention to its potential threat. This article will delve into the sources, effects, treatment of soil pollution and the prospects for sustainable farming, with the aim of calling for greater environmental protection to ensure soil health and sustainability.

1. Sources and types of soil pollution

Soil pollution refers to the phenomenon that the concentration of harmful substances in soil exceeds the natural level and threatens human health and environmental stability. The pollutants mainly come from industrial emissions, pesticide use, waste disposal and traffic exhaust. Common soil contaminants include heavy metals (e.g., lead, cadmium, mercury), organic contaminants (e.g., pesticides, petroleum compounds), and radioactive substances.

2. Effects of soil pollution on ecological environment and human health Soil pollution causes extensive harm to ecosystems and human health. First of all, pollutants will affect the microbial and biological diversity in the soil, disrupting the ecological balance. Secondly, contaminated soil can cause crops and vegetation to absorb harmful substances, which can affect the food chain and thus threaten human health. In addition, groundwater pollution can also be caused by soil pollution, exacerbating the crisis of water resources.

3. Soil pollution control and sustainable farming

In the face of soil pollution, scientists and policy makers are actively seeking effective treatment methods. Soil remediation technologies, including biological remediation, chemical remediation and physical remediation, are expected to degrade pollutants into harmless substances. In addition, sustainable farming practices can reduce the risk of soil pollution. Methods such as organic farming, rotary tillage and crop rotation help preserve soil quality and reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers.

4. Prospects and challenges of sustainable farming

Sustainable farming is an important way to solve the soil pollution problem. It not only helps to reduce the risk of soil pollution, but also improves the quality and yield of agricultural products. However, sustainable farming still faces some challenges in practice, including raising farmers' awareness, strengthening technical support and improving policy support.

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Soil pollution is a global problem, which directly affects agricultural production, ecological environment and human health. By adopting proactive soil pollution control measures and sustainable farming practices, we can work together to protect the health and sustainability of our soil and create a greener, healthier living environment for the future. To protect the soil is to protect the precious resources on which we depend.

What are the main sources of soil pollutants?

Soil pollutants, mainly from industrial and urban wastewater and solid waste, pesticides and fertilizers, livestock excreta and biological residues, atmospheric fallout, etc.

(1)Industrial and municipal wastewater and solid waste: sewage irrigation and sludge application as fertilizer often make the soil contaminated by heavy metals, inorganic salts, organic matter and pathogens. Industrial waste dumps are often a source of soil pollution. For example, in 1977, the United States surveyed 50 landfills, 43 of which contaminated nearby soil and groundwater with heavy metals and organic poisons.

(2) Pesticides and fertilizers: modern agriculture uses a lot of pesticides and fertilizers. Organochlorine insecticides, such as DDT and BHC, can remain in soil for a long time and accumulate in organisms. Nitrogen, phosphorus and other chemical fertilizers, all the nutrients that are not absorbed and utilized by plants and not absorbed and fixed by the soil in the root layer, accumulate below the root layer, or transfer to groundwater, becoming potential environmental pollutants. Soil erosion is an important reason for the expansion of soil pollution. All pesticides and nitrogen and phosphorus compounds that remain in the soil will be transferred to other places when surface runoff or soil wind erosion occurs, expanding the scope of soil pollution

(3) Livestock excrement and biological residues: manure from livestock farms and waste from slaughterhouses, similar in nature to human excrement. If these wastes are used as fertilizers, the parasites, pathogens and viruses in them can cause soil and water pollution and endanger human health through water and crops if they are not treated physically and biochemical.

 

(4)Atmospheric fallout: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter in the atmosphere fall to the ground through sedimentation and precipitation. For example, in the southern part of northern Europe and the northeastern part of North America, the rain acidity increases, causing soil acidification and reducing soil base saturation. Fallout from atmospheric nuclear tests can cause radioactive contamination of soil. The half-life of 90Sr and 137Cs is longer, and they are easily adsorbed by soil, and their retention time is longer.