How to avoid soil pollution

How to avoid soil pollution

By Dr. Kyle Muller

Soil or earth pollution is a global problem, because although there are more damaged areas the water that circulates through contaminated soils will stop other parts of the world. Contaminated soils include contaminated water and this produces infertile soils, droughts, waters not suitable for use and more problems. The reasons for this pollution are basically human activities. As every day worsens the situation of the environment and in danger planet, it is better that we look for ways to stop these damages and prevent their worsening. Therefore, in Ecology Verde we explain to you How to avoid soil pollution And what are the consequences of this environmental problem, that is, the reasons why you have to get worse and put a solution, as well as the main causes that are points where you have to influence to solve this type of pollution.

What is soil pollution and its causes

Soil pollution is defined as the Earth’s quality degradation due to the presence of harmful chemicals. When there is an increase in toxic or harmful chemical components for the soil in a terrestrial area, this land is damaged to the point that there are serious consequences in all that ecosystem and even in neighboring ecosystems. These polluting elements can be solid, liquid or gaseous and affect everything, starting on the ground but also the minerals are altered, vegetation, waters of the area, animals and humans.

Thus, the cause of soil pollution It is the discharge of polluting substances in it, but specifically these are materials of anthropogenic origin, that is, they are derived from human activities and, in short, we are directly humans who pollute.

Some of human activities and accidents During these that produce soil pollution are:

  • Toxic spills, whether directly overturned to the ground or by an accident, such as oil, solvents, pesticides, plastics, heavy metals and other protagonists of natural disasters caused by man.
  • The use of toxic chemical pesticides and pesticides for much more than the pests that seek to fight.
  • The blind wells.
  • The leaks of the gray and sewer waters.
  • Accumulation of waste and garbage in landfills.
  • Accumulation of industrial products and radioactive products.
  • Radioactive leaks.
  • Forest fires.
  • Extraction and use of non -renewable energies.
  • Acid rain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpqdxuk64cs

Consequences and effects of soil pollution

The loss of soil quality due to pollution results in a series of very negative consequences for the planet in general, including we see us affected very directly. These are the main consequences and effects of soil pollution:

  • Nutrients are missing on Earth.
  • Infertile soils.
  • It does not grow vegetation or naturally.
  • Loss of terrestrial ecosystems.
  • Loss of biodiversity.
  • Impossibility of growing.
  • Soils not suitable for livestock.
  • Unstable soils.
  • Impossibility of building.
  • Increased environmental catastrophes.
  • Landscape deterioration.
  • Millionaire economic losses in affected countries.

How to avoid soil pollution - Consequences and effects of soil pollution

How to avoid soil pollution – solutions and advice

For Avoid soil pollutionthat is to say that this worsen and reduce the already present, you have to take into account what are the possible solutions for soil pollution. Thus, these are some points to consider to get it:

  • Reduce: We must remember the 3R of ecology and start by reducing the amount of materials and goods we consume, we must take responsibility and only consume what is necessary not to waste because waste and waste pollute and accelerate the wear of the planet. Thus, it begins by reducing and saving in energy, materials, food and other products.
  • Re-use: The next R is to reuse. It is important that each product we have on hand we use everything possible, extending its life and utility to the maximum. This greatly reduces consumption and poor resource expense.
  • Recycle: Finally, the third R reminds us that the materials must be recycled when we can no longer reuse them anymore. In this way they will be treated in special recycling plants and this material will return to its basic state to re -manufacture another new product, which we will give the maximum use again. With these first three steps, soil pollution is decreased considerably.
  • Stop deforestation: Another important action to avoid the pollution of the earth is to help the maximum reduce deforestation, to get only trees when it is really necessary and not to achieve a greater offer in an already saturated market, since we are leaving entire areas of the world without vegetation.
  • Plant plants and trees: Planting trees and all kinds of plants is one of the best ways to help avoid pollution of the earth, since vegetation protects soils and helps maintain balance in them. In addition, vegetation is the best way to clean the air, which will also help avoid the worsening of this problem and have more possibilities to solve it.
  • Have gardens and orchards: Therefore commented in the previous point, if you have the possibility of at home have a garden and/or garden do it. It is also important to promote that from administrations such as municipalities create green areas, gardens and urban gardens. The proper use of the Earth will help prevent it from being contaminated by eliminating the pollutants that may already be in it.
  • Use biofertilizers: If you have an orchard or garden when you use fertilizers, fertilizers or even insecticides or pesticides, ensure that they are totally natural and that they do not contain sulfates and other aggressive chemicals with the earth, the vegetation, the animals and the entire entone, being able to be toxic to us also for us. Thus, be aimed at organic farming and use biofertilizers, organic or natural fertilizer, natural pesticides, and so on.
  • Avoid contaminated waters: To water the plants and the garden always uses clean water, to avoid polluting spills on the ground. If you collect rainwater, which is a very common ecological practice, make sure it is not acid rainwater or, of course, use water used to clean the home or clothing that wears soaps.
  • Consume organic, ecological and local products: Something also very important to avoid soil or land pollution is that you choose to consume local products of ecological or organic production. This, apart from helping the economy and the people of the place, is a reduction in air pollution, water, soil, and so on. The use of transport is significantly reduced, therefore of CO2 emissions and other polluting gases, the use of chemicals in crops, etc.
  • Help clean affected areas: Finally, when a land begins to be contaminated it is vital that we help to stop the origin of the pollution and to clean the area, as well as if it is already very polluted land we act in the same way so that it does not continue to get worse and solve.

Other tips to avoid soil pollution

Finally, we leave you more ideas and Tips to avoid soil or earth pollution:

  • Do not burn waste or garbage on the ground and for the same reason do not use rockets and fireworks.
  • Try good maintenance of your car or motorcycle to try to contaminate as little as possible. If you are possible, use clean transport, such as the bicycle.
  • Do not throw garbage and waste directly to the ground, much less crystals or plillas that can produce fires.
  • Do not smoke or reduce your consumption to the maximum if you do, since it is one of the activities that a large amount of world population does daily and several times a day and emits polluting smoke, the butts contaminate the soil a lot, more than it may seem to the naked eye because it contains different materials, including oil derived from oil, among others, and are also causes of fires. Another option if you decide to reduce your consumption is that you opt for possible more natural products, reducing the amount of oil derivatives.
  • It reduces the use of household cleaning products that are of completely chemical origin for the environment. There are countless natural products with natural and non -toxic chemistry that do not damage the environment but are equally effective to disinfect and clean. In addition, using the natives you can take advantage of the water you use in cleaning to water.
  • Take the waste that you do not know in which recycling container throw directly to a clean point or green point. In this way you avoid that they end up thrown into a landfill contaminating the ground.

To expand information about this type of damage to the environment, we recommend you read this other ecology article about soil pollution: causes, consequences and solutions.

How to avoid soil pollution - Other tips to avoid soil pollution

If you want to read more articles similar to How to avoid soil pollutionwe recommend that you enter our pollution category.

Kyle Muller
About the author
Dr. Kyle Muller
Dr. Kyle Mueller is a Research Analyst at the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department in Houston, Texas. He earned his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University in 2019, where his dissertation was supervised by Dr. Scott Bowman. Dr. Mueller's research focuses on juvenile justice policies and evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing recidivism among youth offenders. His work has been instrumental in shaping data-driven strategies within the juvenile justice system, emphasizing rehabilitation and community engagement.
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