Can Soil Pollution Affect Water Pollution?

Soil pollution not only affects the land we live upon, but also the water we drink. Water pollution is greatly affected by the soil pollutants from non-point sources, or sources that release pollutants indirectly into the environment.

Types of Pollutants

• Pesticides and fertilizers can pollute our water channels through rain runoff.

  Soil pollutants that can affect and cause water pollution include fertilizers such as nitrates and phosphates. Sewage from humans and animals can also cause water pollution from land sources. Pesticide pollutants are also found in water from farms applying them to crops.

Non-point Pollutant Sources

• Animal waste can be carried by rain into nearby rivers.

  Non-point soil pollution sources cause water pollution through several means. Runoff from rain can wash fertilizer and pesticides applied to plants in farm locations into waterways. At the same time, runoff can also wash animal waste and bacteria into waterways to further cause water pollution.

Managing Non-point Sources

• Agricultural activities can damage ecological habitats and stream channels. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends handling non-point pollutant sources by managing sedimentation and overgrazing by cattle, controlling confined animal facilities and controlling the use of pesticide.