What is soil pollution?
- When the concentration of pollutants on the surface becomes so high that it harms land biodiversity and endangers health (particularly through food)
- Farmers use chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers that pollute the land
- A gobal threat (particularly serious in regions like Europe, Eurasia, Asia and North Africa)
- It's already affecting one third of the world's soil
Causes and types of soil pollution
Erosion, loss of organic carbon, increased salt content, compacting, acidification and chemical pollution are the major causes of current soil degradation
Specific pollution: accounted for by particular causes, occurring in small areas the reasons for which can be easily identified. Land pollution such as this is normally found in cities, old factory sites, around roadways, illegal dumps and sewage treatment stations.
Widespread pollution: covers extensive areas and has several causes the reasons for which are difficult to identify. Cases such as these involve the spreading of pollutants by air-ground-water systems and seriously affect human health and the environment.
Consequences of soil pollution
Damage to health
Soil pollutants enter our body through the food chain, causing illnesses to appear. Moreover, the spread of antibiotics in the environment increases the pathogens' resistance to these drugs.
Poorer harvests
Soil pollution agents jeopardise world food security by reducing the amount and quality of harvests.
Climate change
In the first decade of the 21st century, soil degradation released between 3.6 and 4.4 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Water and air pollution
Soil degradation affects the quality of air and water, particularly in developing countries.
Population displacement
Soil degradation and climate change will have driven between 50 and 700 million people to emigrate by 2050.
Species extinction
Soil contamination is one of the main causes that could trigger the sixth mass extinction event in history — the population of land vertebrates fell by 38 % between 1970 and 2012 —.
Desertification
The number of inhabitants in the most arid areas of the earth could account for 45 % of the world's population in 2050, while world wetland areas have decreased in size by 87 % over the last three centuries.
Economic impact
Global economic losses caused by soil degradation are expected to exceed 10 % of the world's annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Solutions to reduce soil pollution
- Eat sustainable foodstuffs, properly recycle batteries, produce homemade compost and dispose of drugs in the places authorised for this purpose.
- Encourage a more eco-friendly model for industry, farming and stock breeding, among other economic activities
- Improve urban planning and transport planning and waste water treatment.
- Improve the management of mining waste, restore the landscape and conserve topsoil.
- Involve local communities and indigenous peoples in the design, implementation and assessment of sustainable land and soil management.
Source
[1] What is soil pollution?
[2] Introduction soil pollution