Reusing materials help to reduce the requirement of harvesting resources. Agricultural Land Pollution. We constantly hear about land caving in, which is nothing but nature’s way of filling the spaces left out after mining or extraction activity. The water in that situation becomes unable to support most life forms. Reduce the use of non-biodegradable materials. Also, the contaminated water evaporates and falls back as precipitation with the impurities, advancing the cycle of pollution and contamination. One of the major causes of land pollution is human activities. The discharge of chemicals on land makes it dangerous for the ecosystem too. The effects of land pollution are very hazardous and can lead to the loss of ecosystems. Landfills and dump sites also reduce air quality and can potentially threaten human health. Land pollution can spread in all directions so that it results in an adverse impact on the immediate environments. All Rights Reserved . Apart from the bad smell, landfills are always burning which contributes to air pollution. Why is Biodiversity Important and Reasons For Loss of Biodiversity, Oceanography vs Marine Biology (Are They Same or Different), Can Squirrels Eat Bread? When harmful substances from industrial processes, chemicals are improperly disposed of on the land or in illegal landfills or storages, the chemicals and other substances could end up in the groundwater system. What are Causes and Effects of Environmental Degradation? Furthermore, it occurs mainly due to the indirect and direct effects of human activities. That might not sound a problem where there's plenty of land in rural areas, but it's certainly a concern where productive agricultural land is concerned, especially as the world's population continues to increase. 8. Most importantly, the green cover is reduced. When we talk about air or water pollution, the reactions garnered are stronger. Noise pollution can impair hearing ability. 1. (And Is It Bad For Environment), Are Solar Panels Recyclable? Landfills and scattered dump sites within cities typically give a very bad picture of the residents and the governance of the respective cities. Others have appropriate waste collection systems, but they eventually end up in the landfills without proper regulation. To meet the demand of the growing population, more industries were developed, which led to deforestation. Environmental pollution has a cumulative effect on human health. Also, due to the lack of green cover, the land gets affected in several ways, like soil erosion, which washes away the fertile portions of the land. (And Are They Compostable? Environmental protection agencies indicate that the effects can even be more devastating if wastes in landfills are not separated into reusable, recyclable, or organic waste. The dry conditions created by pollutants in the soil create the perfect environment for wildfires and increases the probability of wildfires dramatically. Land pollution is characterized by the contamination of Earth’s surface, where humans and other creatures live. 2. Breathing in polluted dust or particle can result in a number of health problems related to the respiratory system. The United States loses soil at the rate 17 times higher than it usually takes to generate new topsoil. ), Can You Recycle Trophies? 12. (And Do They Mate With Other Species), Causes and Effects of Marine Habitat Loss, 35+ Outstanding Facts About the Planet Earth, Advantages and Importance of Reforestation, Five Different Atmospheric Layers of the Earth, Causes and Effects of Ozone Layer Depletion, Extraordinary Ways to Protect Coral Reefs, Causes and Effects to Environmental Pollution, Causes and Effects of Ocean Acidification. The city loses its attraction as a tourist destination as landfills do not look good when you move around the city. Land conversion, meaning the alteration or modification of the original properties of the land to make it use-worthy for a specific purpose, is another major cause. As a consequence, some species are posed with a greater risk of extinction. A soil is polluted when it contains an abnormal concentration of chemical compounds potentially dangerous to human health, plants or animals. The more land we use up, the less we have remaining. This is because we can see the effects caused by the pollutants and their extent very clearly. (And 7 Ways to Reuse Them). Land pollution is the cause of many different factors that ultimately pollute the land. When deforestation is committed, the tree cover is compromised. Land Pollution : The Solutions, Causes And Effects Of Land Pollution 1613 Words | 7 Pages. Solid waste mostly made up of products that are non-biodegradable and these are hard to dispose of. As we get deeper into our topic we will go more in depth into how land pollution affects our community and how we can relate to it in our everyday life. As the nutrient-heavy water saps up most of the oxygen in the water, it leaves little oxygen for fish and other marine life. 10. The fires can grow quickly because of the dry conditions and widening area of polluted land, thereby harming the whole environment and killing plants, animals and even humans. Convincing others can motivate every one of us to make a significant contribution to save our environment. (And Almond Butter). A true environmentalist by heart ❤️. Talking about land pollution, it has some of the most annihilating effects on both nature and living existences. This is called leaching. Many of these cause a bad affect on the environment. Trees and plants help balance the atmosphere; without them, we are subjected to various concerns like Global warming, the greenhouse effect, irregular rainfall and flash floods, among other imbalances. It results in soil erosion and desertification. Today, we have brought you the causes and effects of it. Effects on Human Health: Land pollution can lead to the formation of breeding grounds for rodents, flies, and mosquitoes. These factors include solid waste, deforestation, chemical, and agricultural activities. Consequently, some species have died while trying to adapt, some have gone extinct, and several are currently on the verge of extinction. Since cigarettes contain elements harmful to the environment, it leads to land contamination. They can also seep into water bodies used for consumer purposes or could be inhaled by humans from polluted dust. A 2007 Cornell University study estimated that pollution causes 40 percent of all deaths worldwide each year 4. Land pollution affects all the components that rely on fertility, nutrients, and other natural resources of the land, whether it is plant, animals, or human beings. The chemicals contaminate plants and waters which are then consumed by lower animals, and the food chain continues up the ladder in the ecosystem. Farmers often use highly toxic fertilizers and pesticides to get rid of insects, fungi and bacteria from their crops. Land pollution refers to all forms of pollution affecting any type of soil: agricultural, forestry, urban, etc. 5. Earth Eclipse. Landfills also become breeding grounds for mice, rodents, flies, and birds that can transmit diseases. All Rights Reserved . Anthropogenic activities are conducted citing development, and the same affects the land drastically as we witness land pollution. In cities and towns located near huge dump sites and landfill areas, residents have experienced high scores of pungent smell. Land pollution, whether it is a barren space where nothing can grow but a few weeds or a site that harbors garbage and debris, like old tires, gas cans and plastic bags is an aesthetic drain. Landfills and scattered dump sites within cities typically … (And Ways to Dispose of Them), Are Yogurt Cups Recyclable? So in search of more land, potent land is hunted, and its indigenous state is compromised. When we sip water in plastic bottles or dispose plastic cans after sipping juice or soft drinks from them, we don’t realize what damage we have caused to the land that we are part of. (And Can You Sell Them? (And Which Foods Do They Actually Like), How Do Birds Mate? Make people aware of the concept of Reduce, Recycle and Reuse. When deforestation and soil erosion are in progress, animals are forced to move from their natural habitat to find shelter and food. Garbage like aluminum, plastic, paper, cloth, wood is collected and sent to the local recycling unit. The toxic chemicals can reach our body through foods and vegetables that we eat as they are grown in polluted soil. A large amount of solid waste is leftover once the sewage has been treated. Conserve Energy Future. It is the unnecessary materials that contaminate and damage our land. We use a lot of fertilizers as well as pesticides, fungicides, and insecticides on our agricultural land in a bid to maximize yields. The effects of agricultural, healthcare, and chemical wastes are the principal land pollution aspects causing soil pollution. It occurs when waste is … (Albinism), Can Squirrels Eat Almonds? These are some of the effects of land pollution: As an outcome, animals are driven further away and become vulnerable to harmful conditions and predators. The harmful chemicals that can get into the soil … ), Can You Recycle Lotion Bottles? Littering is a common problem, no matter it is a city or a rural region. This process is called biomagnification and is a serious threat to the ecology. Research and development paved the way for modern fertilizers and chemicals that were highly toxic and led to soil contamination. The regeneration process takes at least 500 years for 2.5 centimeters of topsoil. It happens when the chemicals and other toxic substances from the landfills and solid wastes are mostly carried into waterways by surface rainwater runoff. Create dumping ground away from residential areas. Each household produces tonnes of garbage each year. Discharge of various kinds of chemicals on land makes the ecosystem unappealing to the survival of plants and animals within their interactive food chain. A landslide can also be viewed as an example. Deforestation carried out to create drylands is one of the major concerns. Effects of Land Pollution Leaching and Ground Water Poisoning When water soluble chemicals accumulate in the soil, depending on soil structure it percolates through reaching the ground water, causing its contamination. It leads to a loss of revenue for the state government. Drinking water is highly affected by land pollution. These pollute the environment even further and cause dangerous diseases like malaria, dengue, and plague. The constant human activity on land is leaving it polluted, forcing these species to move further away and adapt to new regions or die trying to adjust. The products that cannot be reused can likely be recycled. Deforestation is as well a recipe for increased stormwater runoff and leaching. Air pollution can cause respiratory problems. However, with the overuse of these chemicals, they result in contamination and poisoning of soil. Chemical components such as cadmium, asbestos, mercury, cyanide, arsenic, and chromium commonly found in pharmaceutical, pesticides, and fertilizer industrial wastes also have devastating effects on human health. 6. Chemicals, such as lead that are commonly found in contaminated soil and water, can impact a child’s cognitive development even when the exposure is very low. Similarly, when we misuse the land resources, land pollution happens. Chemicals that are frequently used on agricultural farms, such as nitrogen, end up benefitting the crops only in a small proportion. Land pollution has many long lasting effects. Effect on Tourism Industry. Land that is once converted into dry or barren land can never be made fertile again, whatever the magnitude of measures to redeem it is. They face a serious threat with regard to the loss of habitat and natural environment. Soil pollution is categorized under land pollution. Reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers in agricultural activities. Many of us may not classify human settlements as “land pollution;” however, urbanization marks a significant change to the landscape that can cause land pollution in a variety of subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Due to urbanization, a large number of construction activities are taking place, which has resulted in huge waste articles like wood, metal, bricks, plastic that can be seen by naked eyes outside any building or office which is under construction. The process is known as biomagnification and is reported to be a serious threat to ecological sustainability. We may not be able to see the effects with clarity, but the land is being polluted and abused constantly, and we are unable to calculate the damages incurred. Sonia Madaan is a writer and founding editor of science education blog EarthEclipse. Her passion for science education drove her to start EarthEclipse with the sole objective of finding and sharing fun and interesting science facts. The whole world needs to know about pollution and take steps to reduce it, because the negative effects of pollution are serious and potentially fatal. When land is contaminated with solid agricultural and industrial waste, it leads to increase in landfill sites across the city. Nearly 50% of the world’s population does not have access to safe drinking water, and each year water-based diseases cause up to 10 million deaths. Hazardous chemicals in the soil can potentially wipe out living organisms in the soil. Some of the possible consequences of land pollution include birth defects, skin diseases, breathing disorders, and cancer. Plastic waste, for instance, might contain acrylic, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, and phthalates that are associated with cancers, skin diseases, respiratory disorders, and birth defects for pregnant women. 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