Land pollution

Land pollution is the degradation of Earth's land surfaces often caused by human activities and their misuse of land resources. It occurs when waste is not disposed properly. Health hazard disposal of urban and industrial wastes, exploitation of minerals, and improper use of soil by inadequate agricultural practices are a few factors. Urbanization and industrialization are major causes of land pollution. Here are some factors of land pollution.

The first factor is increased mechanization. The major increase in the concentration of population in cities, along with the internal combustion engine, led to the increased number of roads and all the infrastructure that goes with them.

As the demand for food has grown exponentially with the increase of the human population, there is an increase in field size and mechanization. The increase in field size makes it economically viable for the farmer but results in loss of person and shelter for wildlife, as hedgerows and copses disappear. When crops are harvested, the naked soil is left open to wind after it has been compacted by heavy machinery. Another consequence of more intensive agriculture is the move to monoculture. This is unnatural, will deplete the soil of nutrients, allows diseases and pests to spread and, as it happens; it quickly exhausts all the natural resources in an area, causing the introduction of chemical fertilizers and foreign substances to the soil that poisons it. The chemical fertilizers in the soil cause its infertility.

The next factor is the use of pesticides. A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. A pesticide may be a chemical substance, biological agent (such as a virus or bacteria), antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest. Although there are benefits to the use of pesticides, there are also drawbacks, many of the chemicals used in pesticides are persistent soil contaminants, whose impact may endure for decades.

The last factor is the increased waste disposal. When solid wastes are dumped in drainage channels and gutters, they block the flow of the sewerage. This may cause flooding. At the same time, solid wastes also affect soil drainage which hinders the growing of crops.

Next I shall be talking about how to minimise land pollution. We can minimise land pollution by the 3 Rs, reduce reuse and recycle. By doing so, we can minimise waste disposal. We should also refrain from using pesticides and try to find a more environmentally-friendly way to get rid of pests like using predators and genetically engineered plants. We should also use high-tech agriculture methods so that lesser land is used for agriculture. Technology has also allowed soilless agriculture like hydroponics. This will minimise land pollution caused by mechanization.