What is soil contamination?
Soil contamination is a major global problem. No one country or continent is exempt from this--soil contamination ultimately affects us all. But how does it affect us?
Soil contamination occurs when a hazardous substance, either liquid or solid, mixes with naturally occurring soil. It becomes a real problem when the concentration of nutrients, elements, and/or chemicals in the soil becomes unbalanced. Soil contamination usually occurs as the result of human action, but it has the ability to harm all living organisms. When contaminated soil is capable of harming living creatures, this problem becomes soil pollution. Contamination occurs when the natural balance of soil is disrupted and pollution is what happens when living things can be harmed by the altered soil. Humans, either directly or indirectly, are often to blame for the introduction of harmful chemicals or substances in the soil. By extension, humans--you and me--are also to blame for the soil contamination that results in the damage and destruction of other living things and ecosystems. So what can we do to help diminish our impact in the soil?
First, we should educate ourselves. Soil contamination can occur in a number of different ways, some common and others not so much Some of the more usual causes behind soil contamination include the use of pesticides and herbicides for farming, runoff from heavy rainfall,and hazardous substances being absorbed into the soil. Sometimes, contamination can be a combination of sources. For example, it can occur when water washes a contaminant away from one area and deposits it in the soil that is flows through or over. Heavy rainstorms and floods can be the catalyst for these events. Farmers are often responsible for the presence of pesticides, which can easily find their way into the soil and damage it. There are also some less than usual sources of soil contamination. The United States Environmental Protection Agency lists smokestacks as uncommon contamination sources, explaining that,“soil can become contaminated when small particles containing hazardous substance are released from a smokestack and are deposited on the surrounding soil as they fall out of the air” (US Environmental Protection Agency).
Soil contamination doesn’t just stop at runoff from farms. There are also man-made industries that contribute to the global problem. Industrial activity, such as extracting minerals from the Earth, often leaves waste to linger in the soil surface long after, and oil spills, in which chemicals from oil make soil completely unsuitable when they collide, are both examples of preventable causes of soil contamination. Of course, these examples only scrape the tip of the iceberg. For more information--including ways to solve the problem that is soil contamination--please feel to explore our website and find out how you can help make a change.
Soil contamination is a major global problem. No one country or continent is exempt from this--soil contamination ultimately affects us all. But how does it affect us?
Soil contamination occurs when a hazardous substance, either liquid or solid, mixes with naturally occurring soil. It becomes a real problem when the concentration of nutrients, elements, and/or chemicals in the soil becomes unbalanced. Soil contamination usually occurs as the result of human action, but it has the ability to harm all living organisms. When contaminated soil is capable of harming living creatures, this problem becomes soil pollution. Contamination occurs when the natural balance of soil is disrupted and pollution is what happens when living things can be harmed by the altered soil. Humans, either directly or indirectly, are often to blame for the introduction of harmful chemicals or substances in the soil. By extension, humans--you and me--are also to blame for the soil contamination that results in the damage and destruction of other living things and ecosystems. So what can we do to help diminish our impact in the soil?
First, we should educate ourselves. Soil contamination can occur in a number of different ways, some common and others not so much Some of the more usual causes behind soil contamination include the use of pesticides and herbicides for farming, runoff from heavy rainfall,and hazardous substances being absorbed into the soil. Sometimes, contamination can be a combination of sources. For example, it can occur when water washes a contaminant away from one area and deposits it in the soil that is flows through or over. Heavy rainstorms and floods can be the catalyst for these events. Farmers are often responsible for the presence of pesticides, which can easily find their way into the soil and damage it. There are also some less than usual sources of soil contamination. The United States Environmental Protection Agency lists smokestacks as uncommon contamination sources, explaining that,“soil can become contaminated when small particles containing hazardous substance are released from a smokestack and are deposited on the surrounding soil as they fall out of the air” (US Environmental Protection Agency).
Soil contamination doesn’t just stop at runoff from farms. There are also man-made industries that contribute to the global problem. Industrial activity, such as extracting minerals from the Earth, often leaves waste to linger in the soil surface long after, and oil spills, in which chemicals from oil make soil completely unsuitable when they collide, are both examples of preventable causes of soil contamination. Of course, these examples only scrape the tip of the iceberg. For more information--including ways to solve the problem that is soil contamination--please feel to explore our website and find out how you can help make a change.