There’s a good deal of discussion concerning air pollution and how it is hurting our planet, but not a lot of talk about soil pollution. Soil pollution is a problem that is just as critical as air pollution. As soil pollution is in the ground, it isn’t that easy to detect. Soil can be examined for contaminants and to what degree are the pollutants present.
When water has been tainted, its run off could cause pollution of the soil. If this takes place, plants are not going to grow well at all and you may not get any flowers or fruit production. Many of the foods we consume have been impacted by pollution in the soil and are not very healthy to eat. Furthermore, without healthy plants, flowers and trees growing around us, air pollution is even worse, because they eliminate carbon monoxide from the air. Human error and neglect are the main causes to the soil pollution we have today. What has happened is leaky storage tanks filled with various chemicals are buried in the ground thus leaking dangerous chemicals into the soil. Quite often, anything able to grow is destroyed, and nothing is grown there for a long period.
Other pollutants enter the ground from many sources including landfill. For a very long time, waste would be dumped with wild abandon and no concern for the possible health implications. With rainwater or snowfall, the water could flush any number of chemicals into the ground. This would be bad enough if it remained there, but underground the water can flow anywhere, taking the nasty chemicals with it. Nowadays, a lot of modern landfills are built to prevent chemicals from leaking into the ground and restricting certain garbage from being dumped there.
The use of pesticides and the effects on soil and wildlife have been documented. There are several organizations that are trying to persuade the government to take measures to safeguard the soil. With the boost in organic farming and rigid laws for many pesticides, there’s a chance that the soil quality will improve. Companies have had to make changes, including using more things that are naturally degradable. The US has the most severe soil pollution trouble in the world. Breakthroughs in technology and disregard for the environment are the reasons of the polluted soil.
With more education, folks are starting to be more aware of soil pollution, and several things are being done about it. Many programs in the United States are trying to find ways to lessen the soil pollution. It helps that most people are now into organic gardening, and being more mindful about their health.
