Consequences of Soil Pollution

Elevated concern about the health risks presented by soil contamination or other changes in the composition of the natural soil ecosystem is a serious problem worldwide. Soil contamination is the consequence of the introduction of various noxious materials or xenobiotic (man-made) chemicals that are present in concentrations at unacceptable levels.

Contaminated Soil Poses Health Risks

• Ocean life.

  Direct contact with soil that contains contaminates, inhalation of fumes or vapors from the pollutants, or ingestion of contaminated water from soil runoff may have an adverse impact on humans, animals, fowl, fish and other living organisms. Soil used to grow food for human consumption presents the biggest concern; however, soil found in schoolyards, parks and other locations where children may be in direct contact with polluted soil demands reclamation. Heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and chromium in soil present increased incidents of cancer, birth defects and leukemia. There is a growing trend in home gardening to use only organic methods to avoid the dangers of noxious pesticides, toxic herbicides and commercial fertilizers that may contaminate soil.

Soil Pollutants Unbalance the Ecosystem

• Landfills pollute soil.

  Soil contamination is often the result of leaching from landfills, the rupture of underground storage tanks, acidic precipitates, radioactive fallout, fuel dumping, direct discharge of chemicals or the percolation of polluted surface water to subsurface strata. Polluted soil produces meager, stunted crops that may contain health endangering materials. The effects of tainted soil on agriculture is demonstrated in reduced soil fertility, reduced crop yields, reduced atmospheric nitrogen fixation, erosion and unbalance in soil flora and fauna.

Tainted Soil Destroys Animal Life

• High cost of soil reclamation.

  Contaminated soil may lead to the loss of domestic cattle, sheep and other animal food sources, as well as wildlife. Polluted, infertile soil increases the cost of crop production and can diminish wild vegetation that provides shelter and habitat to birds and small animals. When humans consume animals raised on feeds from polluted soil, health risks arise.