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Like home air pollution, land pollution is also a common problem worldwide. Land
pollution is the direct result of the activities that humans engage in.

There are a number of major sources of land pollution, not counting the general litter
and trash that people choose not the throw away in a proper receptacle. Among these major
sources are burial sources, insecticides and pesticides, construction wastes, human waste,
herbicides, and mining waste.

Poisons to the land are destructive from the instant they touch the ground and their
pollutant spreads as it travels through the ground. Herbicides, pesticides, and insecticides are
harmful to more than what they are designed to kill or deflect.

When used in large quantities these products can pollute groundwater drinking supplies
as well as rivers and streams. Moreover, they pollute the ground and land surrounding the area
they are used. While these products were originally produced to save the farmers͛ crops,
residential use is at an all time high and the land pollution effects are severe.

Burial is a very common methodology of surrendering the dead. Whether animal or


human, the general digging process leads to erosion especially when the burials happen on
plots within cemeteries. As bodies decompose there is a release of gases and fluids that are
harmful to the ground, causing serious pollution problems for the surrounding land. It͛s not
unusual for the spread of disease caused by decomposition to trigger an investigation into the
nearby burial grounds.

Construction waste is responsible for several types of land pollution. The soil dumping,
which is often removed from a construction site and dumped into a nearby river or bay,
interferes with the natural filtration process that is necessary to keep the waterways cleaner.
On top of that, the oils, paints, and toxic chemicals which are often dumped or run off the
construction site cause major land pollution problems as well as water pollution problems.

The acid that drains from mines it terrible for the surrounding environment. In the
process of mining, gases are released from the ground and the composite chemicals are left to
run through the wild habitats, killing off wildlife and aquatic life, both vegetation and animal.
Mining has been a core industry of some areas for decades, and the urge to offer cleaner
mining techniques is now so vital that refusing to do so could endanger entire states͛ health
prospects.

Human wastes include raw sewage as well as the regular the trash day deposit. It͛s not
unusual for third world countries to become the dumping ground for a percentage of trash that
more powerful countries create. Raw sewage that seeps away from the treatment plant has the
potential to spread disease and harm habitats. Recycling has improved in some areas, but even
this process has been known to contribute to pollution problems.

The biggest problem that land pollution creates is the impact it has on the surrounding
environments. Every form of land pollution kills off the habitats of land animals as well as
aquatic life. The more we deplete these habitats the more the ecosystem is thrown out of
balance.

Without a well balanced ecosystem, more animals die from overpopulation to under
population. Aside from the moral issues associated with this, the survival of the ecosystem is
vital to human survival. We depend on the ecosystem to provide more than merely the air we
breathe, but to provide a wealth and richness that we thrive upon.

Land pollution is often visible, but there are many aspects of land pollution that remain
unseen by the human eye. We can see deforestation, the effects of mining as the surrounding
trees die off, and we can smell the effects on our shorelines and within our cities.

However, what we don͛t see is the senseless suffering of the creatures that we are
killing through our human actions. What we don͛t see is the final death of a flower or the last of
its kind. What we can͛t see is the future impact that our actions are likely to have on our lives as
well as the lives of the animals, fish, insects, and creatures that depend on the environment for
their daily survival. Most often, we don͛t see these things because we simply choose not to.

Land pollution basically is about contaminating the land surface of the Earth through
dumping urban waste matter indiscriminately, dumping of industrial waste, mineral
exploitation, and misusing the soil by harmful agricultural practices. Land pollution includes
visible litter and waste along with the soil itself being polluted. The soil gets polluted by the
chemicals in pesticides and herbicides used for agricultural purposes along with waste matter
being littered in urban areas such as roads, parks, and streets.


 
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Semisolid or solid matters that are created by human or animal activities, and which are
disposed because they are hazardous or useless are known as solid waste. Most of the solid
wastes, like paper, plastic containers, bottles, cans, and even used cars and electronic goods are
not biodegradable, which means they do not get broken down through inorganic or organic
processes. Thus, when they accumulate they pose a health threat to people, plus, decaying
wastes also attract household pests and result in urban areas becoming unhealthy, dirty, and
unsightly places to reside in. Moreover, it also causes damage to terrestrial organisms, while
also reducing the uses of the land for other, more useful purposes.

Some of the sources of solid waste that cause land pollution are:

 
,

: This comprises of waste matter produced by crop, animal manure,
and farm residues.

 
c   : Piles of coal refuse and heaps of slag.

 
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: Industrial waste matter that can cause land pollution can include
paints, chemicals, and so on.

 
- 
 : Wastes that are left over after sewage has been treated,
biomass sludge, and settled solids.

,: The residual matter that remains after solid fuels are burned.

.
# : This comprises of waste matter from food that are decomposable and other waste
matter that are not decomposable such as glass, metal, cloth, plastic, wood, paper, and so on.


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Soil pollution is chiefly caused by chemicals in pesticides, such as poisons that are used to
kill agricultural pests like insects and herbicides that are used to get rid of weeds. Hence, soil
pollution results from:

ÔY ànhealthy methods of soil management.


ÔY Harmful practices of irrigation methods.
Land pollution is caused by farms because they allow manure to collect, which leaches into the
nearby land areas. Chemicals that are used for purposes like sheep dipping also cause serious
land pollution as do diesel oil spillages.


 
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Land pollution can affect wildlife, plants, and humans in a number of ways, such as:

ÔY Cause problems in the respiratory system


ÔY Cause problems on the skin
ÔY Lead to birth defects
ÔY Cause various kinds of cancers

  
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ÔY Coming into contact with the skin


ÔY Being washed into water sources like reservoirs and rivers
ÔY Eating fruits and vegetables that have been grown in polluted soil
ÔY Breathing in polluted dust or particles

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ÔY People should be educated and made aware about the harmful effects of littering
ÔY Items used for domestic purposes ought to be reused or recycled
ÔY Personal litter should be disposed properly
ÔY Organic waste matter should be disposed in areas that are far away from residential
places
ÔY Inorganic matter such as paper, plastic, glass and metals should be reclaimed and then
recycled

 
   
 
 
Hazardous wastes are poisonous byproducts of manufacturing, farming, city septic
systems, construction, automotive garages, laboratories, hospitals, and other industries. The
waste may be liquid, solid, or sludge and contain chemicals, heavy metals, radiation, dangerous
pathogens, or other toxins. Even households generate hazardous waste from items such as
batteries, used computer equipment, and leftover paints or pesticides.

The waste can harm humans, animals, and plants if they encounter these toxins buried
in the ground, in stream runoff, in groundwater that supplies drinking water, or in floodwaters,
as happened after Hurricane Katrina. Some toxins, such as mercury, persist in the environment
and accumulate. Humans or animals often absorb them when they eat fish.

   
 
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Hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal is not just an environmental concern,
but a public health hazard that can even exist around the home in unsuspecting products. Even
the proper disposal and remediation of hazardous waste can still pose risks. The best way to
deal with hazardous waste is preventing it in the first place.

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Before you can consider hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal you must first identify
that a product is in fact hazardous waste. This can be tricky because of the broad definition of hazardous
waste: any waste that can cause death or injury if not disposed of properly. In general, a hazardous
waste includes, but is not limited to, anything that is corrosive, flammable, toxic or reactive.

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The main objective when treating, storing or disposing of hazardous waste is to decrease any
risks or dangers the waste may have to the environment or public health, according to the
Environmental Protection Agency. Treatment is always desired for hazardous waste; it can reduce the
amount of waste or make it safer for storing and disposal.

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Burning hazardous waste in an incinerator is one of the most common methods to treat
hazardous waste. This reduces the volume of waste and destroys harmful components. However, this is
only good for biological material, and may still produce hazardous pollutants. Hazardous waste that
cannot be reduced or deactivated, such as metals, are often stored in landfills under strict monitoring by
the EPA.
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Storage is the intermediary stage between treatment and disposal, according to EPA
regulations. One of the most the used storage facilities for hazardous waste is a 55 gallon drum.
Sometimes dangerous waste is simply stored in large piles with lining underneath to prevent toxins from
leaching into the ground. Storage tanks, essentially just metal holding cells, are another popular option.

åY !
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Toxic wastes produced from households are not regulated by the EPA due to practicality
reasons. You can take some measures to reduce hazardous with a few habit changes and tips from the
EPA. First, learn about products around the home that contain dangerous chemicals. Light bulbs often
use lethal mercury than might leak if broken in a landfill. Also, consider buying products that will last a
long time vs. one-time use products like Styrofoam cups.

 
 
 
 

  

Many HWs can be recycled into new products. Examples might include lead-acid
batteries or electronic circuit boards where the heavy metals can be recovered and used in new
products. Another example is the ash generated by coal-fired power plants; these plants
produced two types of these residues: fly and bottom ash. Fly ash particles have a low density,
are very fine, and are removed by air pollution control devices. On the other side, bottom ash is
a dense, dark, gravely substance that remains on the bottom of combustion chambers. After
these types of ashes go though the proper treatment, they could bind to other pollutants and
convert them into easier-to- dispose solids, or they could be used as pavement filling. Such
treatments reduce the level of threat of harmful chemicals, like fly and bottom ash, while also
recycling the safe product and helping the environment.

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Another commonly used treatment is cement based solidification and stabilization.


Cement is used because it can treat a range of hazardous wastes by improving physical
characteristics and decreasing the toxicity and transmission of contaminants. The cement
produced is categorized into 5 different divisions, depending on its strength and components.
This process of converting sludge into cement might include the addition of pH adjustment
agents, phosphates, or sulfur reagents to reduce the settling or curing time, increase the
compressive strength, or reduce the leach ability of contaminants.
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Some HW can be processed so that the hazardous component of the waste is


eliminated: making it a non-hazardous waste. An example of this might include a corrosive acid
that is neutralized with a basic substance so that it is no-longer corrosive. (see acid-base
reactions.)Another mean to neutralize some of the waste is pH adjustment. pH is an important
factor on the leaching activity of the hazardous waste. By adjusting the pH of some toxic
materials, we are reducing the leaching ability of the waste.

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A HW may be "destroyed" for example by incinerating it at a high temperature.


Flammable wastes can sometimes be burned as energy sources. For example many cement
kilns burn HWs like used oils or solvents. Today incineration treatments not only reduce the
amount of hazardous waste. They also generate energy throughout the gases released in the
process. It is known that this particular waste treatment releases toxic gases produced by the
combustion of byproduct or other materials and this can affect the environment. However,
current technology has develop ed more efficient incinerator units that control these emissions
to a point that this treatment is considered a more beneficial option. There are different types
of incinerators and they vary depending on the characteristics of the waste. Starved air
incineration is another method used to treat hazardous wastes. Just like in common
incineration, burning occurs, however controlling the amount of oxygen allowed proves to be
significant to reduce the amount of harmful bi products produced. Starved Air Incineration is an
improvement of the traditional incinerators in terms of air pollution. àsing this technology it is
possible to control the combustion rate of the waste and therefore reduce the air pollutants
produce in the process.

 
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A HW may be sequestered in a HW landfill or permanent disposal facility. "In terms of


hazardous waste, a landfill is defined as a disposal facility or part of a facility where hazardous
waste is placed or on land and which is not a pile, a land treatment facility, a surface
impoundment, an underground injection well, a salt dome formation, a salt bed formation, an
underground mine, a cave, or a corrective action management unit (40 CFR 260.10)."

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Some hazardous waste types may be eliminated using pyrolisis in an ultra high
temperature electrical arc, in inert conditions to avoid combustion. This treatment method may
be preferable to high temperature incineration in some circumstances such as in the
destruction of concentrated organic waste types, including PCBs, pesticides and other
persistent organic pollutants.

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