Chapter 4:SOIL POLLUTION

Soil pollution or contamination is largely caused by the presence of man-made chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. This type of contamination typically arises from the failure caused by intensification of agriculture, irrigation methods, application of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, percolation of contaminated surface water to subsurface strata, oil and fuel dumping, disposal of coal ash, leaching of wastes from landfills or direct discharge of industrial wastes to the soil, and corrosion of underground storage tanks (including piping used to transmit the contents). This chapter focuses attention on the importance of soil as natural resources, soil and land pollution, the classification and description of major soil pollutants, factors causing soil pollution, health and environmental impacts, and management.