Land Pollution
Land pollution is a build up of toxic chemical compounds, radioactive materials or solid wastes. These solid wastes include; garbage, paper, plastic and other synthetic materials, metals and wood. Each year, billions of solid waste is thrown out. Pesticides, spilled chemicals and acid rain all contribute to land pollution.
What causes land pollution?
Solid waste
Solid waste can be unwanted paper, plastics and other synthetic materials, wood and metal that we don’t need any more. Some of these things get incinerated, recycled or dumped in a land fill.
The best option for solid waste is recycling. Recycling means that we can use materials again and again. Items are often melted down and shaped again. If solid waste is not recylced it generally ends up rotting in a land fill. Land fill isn't a great option for our waste because the rubbish just sits there and more and more rubbish is piled on top of it until the hole in the ground is full. Once the hole is full it is covered up and another piece of land is found for the rubbish. Disposing of rubbish this way needs plenty of spare land, which many countries and towns don't have and it is also bad for the environment because whatever is in the dumped rubbish breaks down and embeds itself into the earth. When using landfill dumps, all of the rubbish that is either dumped or buried rots and produces methane gas which can seriously harm the Ozone layer.
Incinerating is another way to dispose or solid waste, it is still bad but not as bad as a land fill. When items are incinerated, the rubbish pretty well burns away to nothing but toxic chemicals can be given off in the process creating air pollution.
Chemicals
Farmers spraying pesticides to product their crops pollute the land and soil. Pesticides when sprayed, depending on the weather and the quantity that is sprayed, sink into the soil and into the water table. If rain occurs pesticides can also run off into creeks and rivers. Pesticides seep through the soil and into the water table. The water table is where plants with big long roots get most of there water from, people in houses or businesses who have spear pumps get there bore water from the water table also.
Spraying pesticides to protect plants therefore has a secondary negative affect. It can actually cause poisoning of plants, animals and people.
A variety of other pollutants can also seep into the soil including oil, petroleum,
How does land pollution affect us?
We now know that pollution can kill or sicken plants, animals and people. Pollutions can also change the environment. If all wastes are not disposed of properly, the damage they can do to the land is very high. The land is often polluted without us even knowing. If the land is polluted with chemicals when it rains the posioned soil can travelling to different areas poisioning other places on the way. The plutted soil can also get into the waterways killing the creatures living in creekes and rivers.