Topic 1
Environmental pollution and Control
1. Water pollution (causes, effects, prevention and control)
Definition of water pollution
Water pollution occurs when harmful substances—often chemicals or microorganisms—contaminate a
stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, degrading water quality and rendering it toxic to
humans or the environment.
2. Classification and types of water pollutants
Types of water pollutants
a. Pathogenic organisms
Pathogens, or disease – causing microorganisms, are excreted in the feces of
infected persons and may be carried into waters receiving sewage discharges. Sewage from
communities with large populations is very likely to contain pathogens of some type.
b. Oxygen – demanding substances
Oxygen-demanding substances are the organic wastes that exert a biochemical
oxygen demand as they are decomposed by microbes. BOD changes the ecological balance
in a body of water by depleting the dissolved oxygen (DO) content.
c. Plant nutrients,
Nutrient pollution is the process where too many nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus,
are added to bodies of water and can act like fertilizer, causing excessive growth of algae. Nutrients
can run off of land in urban areas where lawn and garden fertilizers are used. Pet and wildlife wastes are
also sources of nutrients. Excessive amounts of nutrients can lead to more serious problems such as
low levels of oxygen dissolved in the water.
d. Toxic organics,
Toxic organic chemicals, primarily pesticides, may be carried into water in the surface
runoff from agricultural areas. Perhaps the most dangerous type is the family of chemicals
called chlorinated hydrocarbons. They are very effective poisons against insects that
damage agricultural crops. Unfortunately, they can also kill fish, birds, and mammals,
including humans. And they are not very biodegradable, taking more than 30 years in some
cases to dissipate from the environment.
Toxic organic chemicals can also get into water directly from industrial activity, either
from improper handling of the chemicals in the industrial plant or, as has been more
common, from improper and illegal disposal of chemical wastes. Proper management of toxic
and other hazardous wastes is a key environmental issue, particularly with respect to the
protection of groundwater quality. Poisonous inorganic chemicals, specifically those of the
heavy metal group, such as lead, mercury, and chromium, also usually originate from
industrial activity and are considered hazardous wastes.
e. Sediment
Fine suspended particles cause turbidity in waterways. In other words, they
make the water less transparent, blocking sunlight. The decreased light will
impede the growth of aquatic plants, which provide essential habitat for many
aquatic animals, including young fish. Another way sediment can be harmful is by
smothering the gravel beds where fish lay their eggs. Gravel beds provide a
perfect surface for trout or salmon eggs to be protected, while still allowing for
oxygen to reach the growing embryo. When silt covers eggs, it prevents this
oxygen transfer.
Aquatic invertebrates can suffer from damage to their fragile filtering systems, and
if they are sessile (immobile) they can be buried by sediment. Fine particles can
eventually be transported into coastal zones, where they affect marine invertebrates,
fish, and coral.
f. Radioactive substances,
The radioactive pollution is defined as the physical pollution of living organisms
and their environment as a result of release of radioactive substances into the
environment. There are two sources of radioactive contamination in drinking water. The
first is naturally occurring radionuclides that are contained in the soil that water moves
through. Some areas are susceptible to contamination from phosphate rich soils and
rock.
The second source of radioactive contamination comes from man-made sources
such as during nuclear explosions and testing of nuclear weapons, nuclear weapon
production and decommissioning, mining of radioactive ores, handling and disposal of
radioactive waste, and accidents at nuclear power plants. Nuclear tests are carried out
to determine the effectiveness, yield, and explosive capability of nuclear weapons.
Radionuclides found in drinking water are members of three radioactive series,
uranium, thorium, and actinium and include the naturally occurring elements radium,
uranium, and the radioactive gas radon. These contaminants may cause different types
of biological damage. Radium concentrates in the bones and can cause cancers.
Uranium can cause cancers in the bones and can have a toxic effect on kidneys.
g. Heat,
Heat is considered to be a water pollutant because it decreases the capacity of
water to hold dissolved oxygen in solution, and it increases the rate of metabolism of
fish. Valuable species of game fish (e.g., trout) cannot survive in water with very low
levels of dissolved oxygen. A major source of heat is the practice of discharging cooling
water from power plants into rivers; the discharged water may be as much as 15 °C (27
°F) warmer than the naturally occurring water.
h. Oil
Oil is washed into surface waters in runoff from roads and parking lots, and ground
water can be polluted from leaking underground tanks. Accidental oil spills from large
transport tankers at sea occasionally occur, causing significant environmental damage.
Blowout accidents at offshore oil wells can release many thousands of tons of oil in a short
period of time. Oil spills at sea may eventually move toward shore, affecting aquatic life and
damaging recreation areas.
Classification of water pollutants
a. Sources of water pollutants: point, non-point sources
A water pollutant can be classified according to the nature of its origin as either a point source or a
dispersed source pollutant (non-point source).
Point source
A point source pollutant is one that reaches the water from a pipe, channel or any other confined
and localized source. The most common example of a point source of pollutants is a pipe that discharges
sewage into a stream or river. Most of these discharges are treatment plant effluents.
Non-point source
A dispersed or non-point source is a broad, unconfined area from
which pollutants enter a body of water. Surface runoff from agricultural areas carries silt,
fertilizers, pesticides, and animal wastes into streams, but not at only one particular point.
These materials can enter the water all along a stream as it flows through the area. Acidic
runoff from mining areas is a dispersed pollutant. Storm water drainage systems in towns
and cities are also considered to be dispersed sources of many pollutants, because, even
though the pollutants are often conveyed into streams or lakes in drainage pipes or storm
sewers, there are usually many of these discharges scattered over a large area.
b. Ground water pollution,
When rain falls and seeps deep into the earth, filling the cracks, crevices, and porous
spaces of an aquifer (basically an underground storehouse of water), it becomes
groundwater—one of our least visible but most important natural resources. People rely on
groundwater, pumped to the earth’s surface, for drinking water. For some people, it’s their
only freshwater source. Groundwater gets polluted when contaminants—from pesticides
and fertilizers to waste leached from landfills and septic systems—make their way into an
aquifer, rendering it unsafe for human use. Ridding groundwater of contaminants can be
difficult to impossible, as well as costly. Once polluted, an aquifer may be unusable for
decades, or even thousands of years. Groundwater can also spread contamination far from
the original polluting source as it seeps into streams, lakes, and oceans.
c. Surface water pollution.
Covering about 70 percent of the earth, surface water is what fills our oceans, lakes,
rivers, and all those other blue bits on the world map. Nearly half of our rivers and
streams and more than one-third of our lakes are polluted and unfit for swimming, fishing,
and drinking. Nutrient pollution, which includes nitrates and phosphates, is the leading type
of contamination in these freshwater sources. While plants and animals need these
nutrients to grow, they have become a major pollutant due to farm waste and fertilizer
runoff. Municipal and industrial waste discharges contribute their fair share of toxins as well.
There’s also all the random junk that industry and individuals dump directly into waterways.
d. Eutrophication,
Eutrophication is when the environment becomes enriched with nutrients. This can
be a problem in marine habitats such as lakes as it can cause algal blooms. Fertilizers are
often used in farming, sometimes these fertilizers run-off into nearby water causing an
increase in nutrient levels. This causes phytoplankton to grow and reproduce more rapidly,
resulting in algal blooms. This bloom of algae disrupts normal ecosystem functioning and
causes many problems. The algae may use up all the oxygen in the water, leaving none for
other marine life. This results in the death of many aquatic organisms such as fish, which
need the oxygen in the water to live. The bloom of algae may also block sunlight from
photosynthetic marine plants under the water surface. Some algae even produce toxins that
are harmful to higher forms of life. This can cause problems along the food chain and affect
any animal that feeds on them.
Figure 1IMAGE SHOWING EUTROPHICATION IN A WATER BODY
e. Landslides
A landslide has impacts far between the obvious visible consequences. Even if the
water in our home isn’t cut off, landslides can still have adverse effects on the freshwater
coming into our taps. The sediment, silt, and heavy metals that go into the water after a
landslide depends on what’s in the terrain. It can be anything from hazardous waste to
excess nitrogen, to carbon, and cadmium. Increased turbidity due to sediments entering the
water also makes it more difficult for the water to be disinfected by the sun’s rays and can
lead to algal blooms that grow toxic cyanobacteria. Landslides can negatively impact
sewage disposal systems and water treatment plants by sending more sediments and
debris into the system than the plant can take out. They also damage fisheries and can kill
off the wildlife in said waters.
3. Effects of water pollution
a. On human health
i. To put it bluntly: Water pollution kills. Contaminated water can also make you ill. Low-
income communities are disproportionately at risk because their homes are often closest
to the most polluting industries.
ii. Waterborne pathogens, in the form of disease-causing bacteria and viruses from human
and animal waste, are a major cause of illness from contaminated drinking water.
Diseases spread by unsafe water include cholera, giardia, and typhoid. Even in wealthy
nations, accidental or illegal releases from sewage treatment facilities, as well as runoff
from farms and urban areas, contribute harmful pathogens to waterways.
iii. The problem goes far beyond Flint and involves much more than lead, as a wide range of
chemical pollutants—from heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury to pesticides
and nitrate fertilizers—are getting into our water supplies. Once they’re ingested, these
toxins can cause a host of health issues, from cancer to hormone disruption to altered
brain function. Children and pregnant women are particularly at risk.
iv. Even swimming can pose a risk. Every year, 3.5 million Americans contract health issues
such as skin rashes, pinkeye, respiratory infections, and hepatitis from sewage-laden
coastal waters, according to EPA estimates.
b. On the environment
In order to thrive, healthy ecosystems rely on a complex web of animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi
—all of which interact, directly or indirectly, with each other. Harm to any of these organisms can create a
chain effect, imperiling entire aquatic environments.
i. When water pollution causes an algal bloom in a lake or marine environment, the proliferation of
newly introduced nutrients stimulates plant and algae growth, which in turn reduces oxygen levels
in the water. This dearth of oxygen, known as eutrophication, suffocates plants and animals and
can create “dead zones,” where waters are essentially devoid of life. In certain cases,
these harmful algal blooms can also produce neurotoxins that affect wildlife, from whales to sea
turtles.
ii. Chemicals and heavy metals from industrial and municipal wastewater contaminate waterways as well.
These contaminants are toxic to aquatic life—most often reducing an organism’s life span and ability to
reproduce—and make their way up the food chain as predator eats prey. That’s how tuna and other big
fish accumulate high quantities of toxins, such as mercury.
iii. Marine ecosystems are also threatened by marine debris, which can strangle, suffocate, and starve
animals. Much of this solid debris, such as plastic bags and soda cans, gets swept into sewers and storm
drains and eventually out to sea, turning our oceans into trash soup and sometimes consolidating to form
floating garbage patches. Discarded fishing gear and other types of debris are responsible for harming more
than 200 different species of marine life.
iv. Meanwhile, ocean acidification is making it tougher for shellfish and coral to
survive. Though they absorb about a quarter of the carbon pollution created each
year by burning fossil fuels, oceans are becoming more acidic. This process
makes it harder for shellfish and other species to build shells and may impact the
nervous systems of sharks, clownfish, and other marine life.
4. Prevention and control of water pollution
a. Legislative approach by the government
This is a government-directed pollution prevention and control methods through policies.
These approaches include implementing policies that:
- Forbid the discharging of wastes into bodies of freshwater, on the ground or under
the ground
- Restricting such discharges through permits, licenses, consents or authorizations
granted by the government
- Charging for the discharging of wastes in such a way that the external costs of
pollution are factored or "internalized" in the discharger's decisions. These
approaches are employed primarily in connection with the control of "point-source"
pollution.
- Prescribing precautionary measures in respect of selected land-based activities.
b. Good agricultural practices regarding the nutrient supply of the plants should be
orientated,
-The type, amount and time of fertilizer and manure application should cover the
plant's nutrient demand, taking into consideration the nutrients available in the soil
and in organic matter. This information may be obtained, for example, from soil and
plant analyses or calculations based on regular plot-dedicated records, the
conditions of the plot and the kind of cultivation.
- Care should be taken to maintain the humus content of soil and adequate lime
supply.
-Fertilizers and manure should be applied properly by using functionally appropriate
technology.
-Proper land-use management, including crop rotation systems and the proportion of
the land area devoted to permanent crops relative to annual tillage crops;
- The maintenance of a minimum quantity of vegetation cover during rainy periods to
protect the soil from erosion and reduce leaching of nitrates;
- The prevention of water pollution from run-off and the downward water movement
beyond the reach of crop roots in irrigation systems.
c. Education training and advice the public on good environmental practices such as:
Picking up litter and throw it away in a garbage can.
Blowing or sweeping fertilizer back onto the grass if it gets onto paved areas.
Don't put fertilizer on the grass right before it rains. The chemicals will wash into
storm drains and waterways.
Mulch or compost grass or yard waste. Or, leave it in your yard if you can't
compost. Don't blow leaves into the street. This clogs and damages storm
drains.
Washing cars or outdoor equipment where it can flow to a gravel or grassed
area instead of a street.
Don't pour your motor oil down the storm drain. Take it to the nearest auto parts
store. This is free!
Never clean up a spill by hosing it into a storm drain. Use dry methods like
placing kitty litter, sand, or another absorbent on the spill. Once the liquid
becomes solid - sweep it up and throw it in a garbage can.
References
http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/mod/page/view.php?id=7071
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know#whatis
https://www.britannica.com/science/water-pollution
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/nutpollution.html#:~:text=Nutrient%20pollution
Air pollution (causes, effects, prevention and control)
a. Definition: Air pollution refers to the release of substances into the air that are detrimental to human health
and the planet as a whole.
b. Causes of air pollution:
Natural causes
-Natural sources of pollution include dust carried by the wind from locations
with very little or no green cover, gases released from the body processes of
living beings (Carbon dioxide from humans during respiration, Methane from
cattle during digestion, Oxygen from plants during Photosynthesis).
-Smoke from the combustion of various inflammable objects, volcanic
eruptions, etc. along with the emission of polluted gases also makes it to the
list of natural sources of pollution.
Man-made Sources
While looking at the man-made contributions towards air pollution, it can be further divided into:
1. Outdoor pollution sources
2. Indoor pollution sources
Outdoor Pollution Sources
The major outdoor pollution sources include power generation, vehicles, agriculture/waste incineration,
industry and building heating systems. Smoke features as a prominent component. The smoke emitted
from various forms of combustion, like in biomass, factories, vehicles, furnaces, etc.
Indoor Pollution Sources
In low- and middle-income countries, mostly burning fuels such as dung, coal and wood in inefficient stoves
or open hearths produces a variety of health-damaging pollutants. These include carbon monoxide,
methane, particulate matter (PM), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and volatile organic compounds
(VOC).
Even burning kerosene in simple wick lamps also produces significant emissions of fine particles and other
pollutants. Exposure to smoke from cooking fires causes 3.8 million premature deaths each year.
Causes of Air pollution
1. The Burning of Fossil Fuels
Sulfur dioxide emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum for energy in power plants,
and other factory combustibles is one the major cause of air pollution.
Billions of vehicles run on roads are powered by gasoline and diesel engines that burn petroleum for
releasing energy. Petroleum is made up of hydrocarbons, and engines don’t burn them cleanly.
As a result, pollutants such as PM, nitric oxide and NO2 (together referred to as NOx), carbon monoxide,
organic compounds, and lead emit from vehicles including trucks, jeeps, cars, trains, airplanes, causing a
high level of pollution. These modes of transportation form part of our daily basic needs, so we rely on them
heavily.
But, their overuse is killing our environment as dangerous gases are polluting the atmosphere. Carbon
Monoxide caused by improper or incomplete combustion and generally emitted from vehicles is another
major pollutant along with Nitrogen Oxides, that is produced from both natural and man-made processes.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), exposure to outdoor air pollution contributes to as much as
0.6 to 1.4 percent of the burden of disease and 4.2 million deaths every year.
2. Agricultural Activities
Ammonia is a very common byproduct of agriculture-related activities and is one of the most hazardous
gases in the atmosphere. The use of insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers in agricultural activities has
grown quite a lot. They emit harmful chemicals into the air and can also cause water pollution.
Farmers also set the field and old crops on fire in order to keep them clean for the next round of sowing.
The burning to clean fields is said to cause pollution by releasing harmful gases in the air.
3. Waste in Landfills
Landfills are land areas in which waste is deposited or buried. These deposited or buried wastes generate
methane. Methane is a major greenhouse gas that is highly flammable and very hazardous.
E-waste is another grave concern involving a lot of unscientific dismantlings such as chemical leaching,
burning wires and others.
4. Exhaust From Factories and Industries
Manufacturing industries release a large amount of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, organic compounds,
and chemicals into the air, thereby depleting the quality of air.
Manufacturing industries can be found at every corner of the earth, and there is no area that has not been
affected by it. Petroleum refineries also release hydrocarbons and various other chemicals that pollute the
air and also cause land pollution.
5. Mining Operations
Mining is a process wherein minerals below the earth are extracted using large equipment. During the
process, dust and chemicals are released in the air causing massive air pollution.
This is one of the reasons which is responsible for the deteriorating health conditions of workers and
nearby residents.
6. Indoor Air Pollution
Household cleaning products, painting supplies emit toxic chemicals in the air and cause air pollution. Have
you ever noticed that once you paint the walls of your house, it creates some sort of smell that makes it
literally impossible for you to breathe?
Suspended particulate matter popular by its acronym SPM, is another cause of pollution. Referring to the
particles afloat in the air, SPM is usually caused by dust, combustion, etc.
Around seven million premature deaths caused every year due to the combined effects of ambient
(outdoor) and household air pollution cause, WHO says.
7. Natural Events
There are certain natural events such as volcanoes, forest fires, and dust storms, which are nature-born
and cause air pollution.
c. Effects of air pollution
1. Respiratory and Heart Problems
The effects of air pollution are alarming. They are known to create several respiratory and heart
conditions like asthma chronic bronchitis, emphysema, heart attacks and strokes along with
cancer, among other threats to the body. Several million are known to have died due to the direct
or indirect effects of Air pollution.
2. Child Health Problems
Air pollution is detrimental to your health even before you take your first breath. Exposure to high air
pollution levels during pregnancy causes miscarriages as well as premature birth, autism, asthma and
spectrum disorder in young children.
3. Global Warming
Another direct effect is the immediate alterations that the world is witnessing due to global warming.With
increased temperatures worldwide, an increase in sea levels and melting of ice from colder regions and
icebergs, displacement, and loss of habitat have already signaled an impending disaster if actions for . Acid
RainHarmful gases like nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides are released into the atmosphere during the
burning of fossil fuels. When it rains, the water droplets combine with these air pollutants, becomes acidic
and then falls on the ground in the form of acid rain. Acid rain can cause great damage to humans, animals,
and crops.
4. Greenhouse effects
The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when gases in Earth's atmosphere trap the Sun's
heat. This process makes Earth much warmer than it would be without an atmosphere. The
greenhouse effect is one of the things that makes Earth a comfortable place to live. s you might
expect from the name, the greenhouse effect works … like a greenhouse! A greenhouse is a
building with glass walls and a glass roof. Greenhouses are used to grow plants, such as tomatoes
and tropical flowers.
A greenhouse stays warm inside, even during the winter. In the daytime, sunlight shines into the
greenhouse and warms the plants and air inside. At nighttime, it's colder outside, but the
greenhouse stays pretty warm inside. That's because the glass walls of the greenhouse trap the
Sun's heat.
Illustration of a greenhouse in the snow with rays of sunlight entering it. The greenhouse is
capturing the heat. A snowman is off to the side of the greenhouse.
A greenhouse captures heat from the Sun during the day. Its glass walls trap the Sun's heat, which
keeps plants inside the greenhouse warm — even on cold nights.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The greenhouse effect works much the same way on Earth. Gases in the atmosphere, such as
carbon dioxide, trap heat just like the glass roof of a greenhouse. These heat-trapping gases are
called greenhouse gases.During the day, the Sun shines through the atmosphere. Earth's surface
warms up in the sunlight. At night, Earth's surface cools, releasing heat back into the air. But some
of the heat is trapped by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. That's what keeps our Earth a
warm and cozy 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius), on average.
Illustration of the Earth's atmosphere capturing some of the Sun's heat with a thermometer on the
side.
Earth's atmosphere traps some of the Sun's heat, preventing it from escaping back into space at
night. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
5. Depletion of the Ozone Layer
Ozone exists in the Earth’s stratosphere and is responsible for protecting humans from harmful ultraviolet
(UV) rays. Earth’s ozone layer is depleting due to the presence of chlorofluorocarbons,
hydrochlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere. As the ozone layer becomes thin, it will emit harmful rays
back on earth and can cause skin and eye-related problems. UV rays also have the capability to affect
crops.
d. Prevention and control of air pollution
-Government regulations
- Using public transport- Using public transport is a sure short way of contributing to less air pollution as it
provides with less gas and energy, even carpools contribute to it. In addition to less release of fuels
and gas, using a public transport can also help in saving money.
-Turning off the lights when not in use- The energy that the lights take also contribute to air pollution,
thus less consumption of electricity can save energy. Use energy saving fluorescent lights to help the
environment.-
-
-Recycle and Reuse The concept of recycle and reuse is not just conserve resources and use
them judicially but also is helpful for air pollution as it helps in reducing pollution emissions. The
recycled products also take less power to make other products.
-Implement Afforestation- Last but not the least, plant and grow as many trees as possible. The
practice of planting trees provides a lot of benefits to the environment and helps with the release
of oxygen.
Soil pollution (causes, effects, prevention and control)
a. Definition: Soil pollution is defined as the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or contaminants) in soil,
in high enough concentrations to pose a risk to human health and/or the ecosystem.
b. Causes of soil pollution:
Industrial waste- Industries are by far the worst polluters of the soil with all the
chemicals they release into the environment be it in liquid or solid form.
Deforestation- Clearing of trees leaves soil exposed to the elements so they are
easily carried away by soil erosion. This leaves land barren and incapable of
supporting vegetation.
Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides-The increased demand for food has
forced farmers to use fertilizers and pesticides that release nothing but toxins into the
soil, killing useful microorganisms that are important in plant growth.
Garbage pollution-Garbage that cannot be recycled is disposed of carelessly and
this is not only an eyesore but pollutes the land. Some of this waste can literally take
thousands of years to decompose.
c. Effects of soil pollution:
Damage to health
Soil pollutants enter our body through the food chain, causing illnesses to appear. Moreover, the
spread of antibiotics in the environment increases the pathogens' resistance to these drugs.
Poorer harvests
Soil pollution agents jeopardise world food security by reducing the amount and quality of harvests.
Climate change
In the first decade of the 21st century, soil degradation released between 3.6 and 4.4 billion tonnes
of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Water and air pollution
Soil degradation affects the quality of air and water, particularly in developing countries.
Population displacement
Soil degradation and climate change will have driven between 50 and 700 million people to
emigrate by 2050.
Species extinction
Soil contamination is one of the main causes that could trigger the sixth mass extinction event in
history — the population of land vertebrates fell by 38 % between 1970 and 2012 —.
Desertification
The number of inhabitants in the most arid areas of the earth could account for 45 % of the world's
population in 2050, while world wetland areas have decreased in size by 87 % over the last three
centuries.
Economic impact
Global economic losses caused by soil degradation are expected to exceed 10 % of the world's
annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
d. Prevention and control of soil pollution
Reforestation- Most countries have policies that require its citizens to plant more trees where one
has been cut. This is an effective measure to curb soil erosion. Governments should also take
punitive action against those who cut down trees without a care in the world.
Controlled farming practices- Too much of anything is dangerous. The same concept applies to
farming practices in that they should be carried out in moderation. Practices such as overcropping
and overgrazing should be avoided since they increase soil erosion.
Bioremediation-This is the introduction of microorganisms into the soil that break down
contaminants. This is a perfectly environmental friendly approach since it allows nature to take its
course thus restoring balance.
Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse-Items that can be used again should not be disposed of; things made
of paper, glass, aluminum and the like should be recycled; lastly, where excesses such as the use
of polythene paper can be avoided, then, by all means, reduce their use.
Use biodegradable products- Where possible, opt to use biodegradable products such as cartons
for packaging; if they were to be disposed of, they would easily be broken down to become part of
the soil.
Reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers- Pesticides and fertilizers are major contributors to soil
contamination so cutting down on their usage could do a world of good to the soil.
