Question 14
Do you observe any soil pollution in your neighbourhood? What efforts will you make for controlling the soil pollution?
Major sources of soil pollution are industrial wastes and agricultural pollutants such as pesticides, fertilizers, etc.
It is very important to maintain the quality and fertility of soil to ensure and sustain the growth of plants and food crops.
Insecticides like DDT are not soluble in water. For this reason, they remain in soil for a long time, contaminating the root crops. Pesticides like Aldrin and Dieldrin are non-biodegradable and highly toxic in nature. They can enter the higher trophic levels through food chains, causing metabolic and physiological disorders. The same is true for industrial wastes that comprises of several toxic metals like Pb, As, Hg, Cd, etc.
Hence, the best way to check soil pollution is to avoid direct addition of pollutants to the soil. Also, wastes should undergo proper treatment. They should be recycled and only then, allowed to be dumped.
