In this article of "Soil Pollution and It's Impacts on Ecosystem" at "Home Learning Hub-Great Home Learning For All" we are going to discuss soil as a system, important functions of soil, soil pollution, sources, effects and solution of soil pollution, eutrophication, sewage sludge and much more so let's gets started.
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"Soil Pollution and It's Impacts on Ecosystem"
Outline:
Soil as a system
Important functions of soil
Soil pollution
Sources of soil pollution
Agricultural sources
Fertilizers
Effects of nitrates on humans
Effects of nitrates and phosphates on aquatic ecosystem
Effects of decrease in pH
Eutrophication
Sources of eutrophication
Pesticides
Half life of pesticides
Pesticide impacts on ecosystem
Non-agricultural sources
Municipal refuse and environmental problems
Sewage sludge
Soil Remediation
Physical remediation of soil
Chemical remediation of soil
Biological remediation of soil
Soil as a system:
The term soil can be defined as an unconsolidated upper part of Earth's crust that serves as a medium for plant growth.
Soil consists of:
- Mineral matter, organic matter, air and water
- Living and dead microorganisms and decaying material
- Bacteria, fungi, earthworm, insects, amphibians and reptiles
Important functions of soil:
- Soil supports the growth of higher plants by providing a medium for plant roots and supplying nutrients.
- Soil functions as nature's recycling system.
- Soil markedly influences composition and physical condition of atmosphere.
- Soil provides habitat for living organisms(that improve soil aeration and fertility).
- In human-built ecosystem, soil plays an important role as an engineering medium or materials.
Soil Pollution:
The term soil pollution can be defined as the process in which the soil's biological, chemical and physical properties are formed under natural conditions are significantly but adversely changed.
It can also be defined as any chemical or physical change in the composition of soil that adversely affects or harms the health of plants or other organisms living on and in it.
Soil pollution can damage essential ecological functions of soil such as ecological living space and genetic reserve, filtering, buffering, biomass production, transforming and storing.
Sources of Soil Pollution:
Agricultural sources:
- Use of fertilizers
- Animal wastes
- Use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and nematocides
- Agricultural practices
Fertilizers:
Although use of fertilizers are essential to enhance crop production but the use of inorganic fertilizers can be dangerous for the environment such as those fertilizers that can be converted into nitrates and phosphorous containing fertilizers.
Effects of nitrates on humans:
- Nitrates are taken up by the plants but their higher concentration are dangerous for plants especially when the crops are used for the manufacture of baby food.
- Oxidation of iron into ferric iron decreases its capacity to carry oxygen.
- Oxidized iron converts hemoglobin to methemoglobin.
- Continued oxidative stress results in the ageing of the cells.
Effects of nitrates and phosphates on aquatic ecosystem:
- They can increase the growth and proliferation of primary producers hence resulting in eutrophication of lakes.
- Inorganic nitrates and phosphates can disturb the aquatic ecosystems as it can reach to toxic levels that can impair the ability of water life to survive and reproduce.
Effects of decrease in pH:
- Decrease in the pH of water results in the production of mobile aluminium.
- It can also results in the mobilization of other heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, zinc and lead owing to increased metal mobilization.
- Below the threshold limit of pH range that is 5.5-6.0 living organisms cannot survive.
- Dissolved aluminium ions decreases the availability of orthophosphate and disturbs the phosphorus cycling in water system.
Eutrophication:
Eutrophication is a naturally occurring process and has been occurring more often due to the fertilizer runoff and dumping of sewage and results in:
- Enhance nutrients levels such as phosphates and nitrates,
- Algal bloom
- Loss of water quality
- Death of fish and other sea living organisms
Sources of Eutrophication:
- Discharge of untreated municipal sewage
- Nitrogen compounds produced by factories and automobiles
- Inorganic fertilizer runoff such as nitrates and phosphates
- Discharge of detergents such as phosphates
- Manure runoff from feedlots
- Runoff from streets, lawns and construction lots
- Dissolving of nitrogen oxides
- Runoff and erosion from cultivation, mining, construction, and poor land use.
Pesticides:
The term pesticides include all nematocides, rodenticides, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides and all their names end up with cides meaning to kill or to cut.
Properties of environmentally friendly pesticides include that firstly pesticides must be safe to handle. Secondly, they must be effective but short lived and thirdly they must not be dangerous for human health(non-carcinogenic).
Half life of pesticide:
The term half life of pesticide can be defined as time period required for one-half of a given amount of pesticide to disappear or decompose into other compounds those decomposed compounds can be less, equally or even more harmful than the original compound.
Pesticide impacts on ecosystem:
- Heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium and mercury are common constituents of pesticides and are harmful for the health of living organisms.
- Because of the frequent use of pesticides, pesticide resistance in organisms are developed.
- Negative effects of pesticides include impaired plant growth.
- Contamination and pollution of environment.
Non-agricultural sources:
- Urban sprawl
- Industrial waste
- Waste from food processing plants
- Municipal waste
- Radionuclides(radioisotopes)
- Accidental oil spills
Sewage sludge:
The term sewage sludge can be defined as the product of waste water treatment plants. Sewage sludge is usually a solid waste product with heavy metal content. Some are required for the plants, animals and human beings in a very small amount while some are dangerous to human health.
Soil Remediation:
The term soil remediation can be defined as the process correcting and cleaning the soil from harmful contaminants or pollutants and this can be generally distinguished into physical, chemical and biological remediation.
Physical remediation of soil:
Physical remediation of soil is the process of correcting the problem by physical methods which includes traditional method and covering the polluted site.
Traditional method includes excavation of polluted soil sites and disposing them in landfills. In covering the polluted site, it is done with a layer impermeable to rainwater just to prevent the movement of pollutant to neighboring sites.
Chemical remediation of soil:
Chemical remediation of soil is the process of correcting the soil from pollution or contaminants by chemical means.
Biological remediation of soil:
Biological remediation of soil is the process of cleaning the soil and environment by using different living organisms especially microorganisms that are capable of breaking down pollutants.
Bio-augmentation:
The term bio-augmentation can be defined as the introduction of natural or genetically engineered microbes into the soil for decontamination that is for the removal of pollutant.
Bio-stimulation:
The term bio-stimulation can be defined as the stimulation of existing microbial population for bioremediation of soil such as the addition of nitrogen source that is urea can increase microbial growth.
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