Sources of Soil Pollution

The major sources that pollute the soil are discussed in the sub-sections below: artificial fertilizers, pesticides (further split into insecticides, fungicides and herbi …

Artificial fertilizers. Soil nutrients are useful for the growth of plants. Plants obtain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen from air or water, whereas other essential nutrients -- like nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur -- are absorbed from the soil. To remove any deficiency of nutrients in the soil, farmers add artificial fertilizers. But increased use of phosphate fertilizers, or excess use of artificial f …

Pesticides are chemicals used to kill, or stop the growth of, unwanted organisms. But these pesticides can also affect the health of human beings. They are further classified as insecticides, fungicides and herbicides …

Industrial wastes. Industrial activity has been the biggest contributor to soil pollution, especially mining and manufacturing activities. A large number of toxic wastes are released from industries -- including cyanides, chromates, acids, alkalis, and metals like mercury, copper, zinc, cadmium and lead. These industrial wastes lie on the soil surface for a long time and make it unfit for use. (The same heavy-metal producing factories that pollute soil this way are al …