What Causes Soil Pollution? Soil Pollution is characterized as chemicals, salts, poisonous compounds, and radioactive contaminants that stay in the Soil and have negative impacts on animal health and plant growth. Pollution of Soils can occur in a variety of ways. These are the following:Industrial garbage is dumped on the Earth's surface.A landfill seeps water. Underground storage tanks are bursting, Contaminated water seeps into the ground, Seepage of solid waste, heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, and insecticides are examples of chemicals. Soil pollutant is a factor that causes Soil to deteriorate owing to a reduction in the texture, mineral, or quality content of the Soil. This also disrupts the biological equilibrium of Soil-dependent organisms. Furthermore, Soil Pollution has negative consequences for plant growth. Soil contamination is usually produced by man-made applications such as contaminated surface water percolation, pesticides, fuel dumping, oil dumping, and so on.Other operations include the leaching of pollutants from landfills, the direct dumping of industrial wastes into the Soil, and so on. Solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons, lead, pesticides, and various heavy metals are among the most prevalent compounds implicated. As a result, the occurrence of the phenomenon is highly correlated with the intensities and industrialisation of chemical use.

The following are some of the most common sources of Soil Pollution:

Fertilizer usage is increasing, Insecticides, herbicides, and pesticides are used indiscriminately. Solid waste disposal, deforestation, etc.

As we go about our lives, we disregard the devastating effects of Soil Pollution on the Ecosystem and inevitably our health. When we consume the food grown on such polluted Soil the crop absorbs it and then is passed on to us and leads to fatal diseases overtime. Soil loses its fertility and stunts the growth of the plants and when they are harvested the contaminated Soil becomes futile as it is no longer useful for further cultivation as such lands become incompetent to support life and are deserted leaving more space to dump such harmful waste this cyclical nature of cause and effect is deadly. The food that is produced from such lands also lacks good nutrients and thus creates another generation of malnourished children which hinders their natural growth physically and mentally.The underground Soil water when it meets the natural aquatic bodies, it does a great deal of damage to aquatic life, both plants that grow underwater and animals.

Some radioactive pollutants from nuclear reactors, explosions, hospitals, science labs, and other sources penetrate deeply into the Soil, where they linger for a long time and pollute the Soil. False agricultural practices involving advanced agro-technology entail the use of massive volumes of harmful fertilisers such as herbicides, weedicides, insecticides, and other chemicals, which improve Soil fertility while gradually reducing Soil physio-chemical and biological qualities. Other forms of Soil Pollution include municipal rubbish, food processing waste, mining practices, and many others. Soil Pollution is extremely detrimental to one's health since poisonous substances enter the body through the food chain and disrupt the entire inner body system. Individuals, particularly industrialists, should adopt all effective control measures, including environmental protection regulations, in order to reduce and minimise Soil Pollution. People should encourage the recycling and reuse of solid waste, as well as the planting of as many trees as possible. The most important step in starting to solve this problem is by creating awareness and informing people about the dire consequences, and how their contribution can do good to the ecosystem and human nature. The possible solutions to these problems are-No excess use of fertilizers, and other chemicals used. As these are useful only in required quantities and when overdone leads to the damage so one can avoid overuse of the harmful substances containing chemicals. Encouraging afforestation i.e. the planting of trees as the more trees planted the Erosion of Soil will be less and this will help in retaining the useful chemicals in the Soil and hence increasing the fertility of the Soil as well. Recycling and reusing of waste materials will help a great deal and lessen the harm to a greater degree.

As the saying goes Prevention is better than cure, it is better to take steps in creating a safer environment instead of regretting later. India being Agricultural Land, we can take steps to organize programs and educate the farmers and other locals to use natural manure, and make them aware of the problems caused by chemicals used.