Land pollution

Land pollution can be defined as the contamination or destruction of land

through indirect or direct human actions.
It is a serious threat to animals, plants, sea life and also to us humans as well as
to the whole environment. Land pollution has become a serious problem since
the industrial revolution has happened.
Consumption levels have risen dramatically, which leads to more by-products
which have to be disposed and thus to an increase in land pollution. In the
following, the causes, effects and also solutions to the land solution problem are
examined.
Causes for Land Pollution
1. Agriculture
2. Use of fertilizers
3. Use of pesticides
4. Deforestation
5. Mining
6. Industrialization
7. Landfills
8. Sewage
9. Chemicals
10. Nuclear waste
11. Construction
12. Littering
Agriculture
Since our growing population strives for higher consumption levels and demands more
meat and vegetables, in order to meet this demand, farmers have to increase their
yields. However, by doing so, farmers have to get rid of by-products and also have to
overuse their ground. Thus, the soil can be harmed in an adverse manner.
Use of fertilizers
The excessive use of fertilizers can be a big problem since they are washed through the
soil and thus lead to a contamination of our groundwater. It is also washed in our rivers
and lakes and increases the nutrition concentration. As a result, there is an increased
load of algae which in turn leads to a low oxygen environment. Fishes and plants may
die because of that since they are usually quite sensitive to their oxygen demand.
Use of pesticides
A similar problem results through the use of excessive levels of pesticides. These
chemicals harm the environmental system as a whole. They are also washed in our
groundwater and pollute our lakes and rivers. Moreover, part of the crop yield is eaten
by animals. By eating crops treated by pesticides, these animals are contaminated and
may even die.
Deforestation
Deforestation is another serious cause for land pollution. Forest are cut down because
people want more settlement space and also for farming purposes. For example, large
areas of the Amazonian rainforest are burned down intentionally by farmers in order to
get more land for farming. However, deforestation can lead to an increase of soil
erosion and also to an increase of floods since trees hold back large amounts of rain
water.
Mining
Through mining activities, people extract large amounts of coal, iron, gold and other
precious materials out of the ground. This has an adverse effect on the soil as well as
on the wildlife. For the extraction of natural resources, toxic chemicals are often used. If
these chemicals are not removed in an environmental-friendly way, they can lead to a
contamination of plants and animals.
Industrialization
Due to the industrialization and our increased living standards, we need more and more
material goods for our daily lifes. However, this leads to an increased amount of waste
which has to be disposed. Especially in developing countries, this waste is often not
disposed properly and sometimes even disposed in rivers or lakes or on the bare
ground. Thus, our increased demand in consumption contributes to the problem of land
pollution.
Landfills
If landfills are not set up properly, chemicals and other harmful substances can be
washed through the soil in our groundwater and contaminate it. It also may have
adverse effects on the soil itself since through the contamination with chemicals, it may
not be used for other purposes in the future.
Sewage
Sewage has to be treated in a professional way in order to avoid a contamination of the
soil and thus also of our groundwater. Especially in developing countries, technologies
are not good enough to treat the sewage appropriately. Thus, this leads to land as well
as to water pollution.
Chemicals
Chemicals from industrial processes can cause a huge adverse impact on the
environment and can contaminate our lands. In many countries, the chemicals which
had been used in production processes and are just useless by-products after that will
just be dumped somewhere in order to get rid of them. This contaminates the land and
also has harmful effects on animals, plants and on our groundwater.
Nuclear waste
Nuclear waste will become a big problem in the future. With the use of nuclear energy,
large amounts of electricity can be generated. However, the radioactive by-products are
often just stored somewhere beneath the ground. This leads to severe consequences
 since the land near the nuclear waste will be contaminated for many thousands or even
millions of years.
Construction
Construction activities may lead to land pollution if the by-products are not disposed
correctly. Remaining wood, metal or plastic may just be disposed in nearby forest where
they contaminate the ground and also harm local animals and vegetation.
Littering
A common problem, no matter if in cities or in rural areas, is littering. People just throw
their garbage on the ground and seemingly do not care about the adverse effects on the
environment. An example for that is that people just throw their cigarettes on the ground
all the time. This leads to land contamination since cigarettes contain many elements
which are harmful to the environment.
Effects of Land Pollution
1. Climate effects
2. Soil pollution
3. Health effects
4. Wildfires
5. Effects on tourism
6. Air pollution
7. Effects on our groundwater
8. Effects on animals
9. Effects on plants
Climate effects
Land pollution can indirectly cause global warming. For example, deforestation of the
rain forest leads to an increase in global warming since trees absorb CO2. When they
are cut down, large amounts of CO2 are released in the atmosphere and thus the global
warming process is enhanced.
Soil pollution
Another adverse effect of land pollution is the contamination of soil. Damaging the
upper layer of soil through the use of fertilizer and pesticides in agriculture, the
contaminated land can lose its fertility and may no longer be used for agricultural
purposes in the long run.
Health effects
Land pollution can threaten our health in many ways. Through an excessive use of
fertilizers and pesticides, harmful chemicals enter our groundwater and are consumed
from humans in later stages. In addition, part of the crops contaminated by pesticides is
consumed by animals which humans will eventually consume.
 Therefore, humans are indirectly affected by the adverse effects of the use of
pesticides. Moreover, chemicals will make their way in the food chain through
improperly operated landfills.
Wildfires
When areas of land are polluted, they usually become quite dry. Thus, this dry condition
increases the probability of wildfires dramatically. Wildfires can harm the whole
environment and can kill plants, animals and even humans.
Effects on tourism
Due to land pollution, many countries which have big problems with land pollution will
lose their attractivity to tourists. Tourists usually look out for nice places for spending
their vacation. They rather spend their days in a nice clean area than near landfills or in
areas with high plastic pollution. Through the loss of tourists, apart from the land
pollution problem, affected areas are also likely to suffer from adverse economic
impacts since they won’t be able to provide value for tourists.
Air pollution
Land pollution also causes air pollution. Since a high portion of garbage worldwide is
burned and the by-products and harmful gases are released into the air, this harms the
air quality and can also cause serious health conditions for people living near waste
incineration plants.
Effects on our groundwater
Through the disposal of large amounts of harmful substances from industrial processes
in illegal landfills or storages, toxic chemicals will enter our groundwater system which in
turn can affect the health of animals, plants and also of humans.
Effects on animals
Animals are affected by land pollution in several ways. They are harmed by the
excessive use of fertilizer and pesticides since they eat the crops of plants and therefore
get contaminated by harmful chemicals. Moreover, animals lose their natural habitat
through deforestation. They either have to move and search a new living space or they
will die since their natural environment has been destroyed.
Through the dumping of industrial waste in nearby rivers and lakes, animals are
contaminated with toxic substances since they drink the water. Animals are also
adversely affected by wildfires which result indirectly from land pollution which causes
them to lose their natural habitat or even their death.
Effects on plants
Also, many plants are adversely affected by land pollution. Since they contamination
leads to a change in the soils‘ properties and plants are usually quite sensitive to these
parameters, this may lead to the extinction of certain plants. For example, an excessive
use of fertilizer can cause a more acid soil. Since the local plants are not used to this
acidity, they may not be able to reproduce properly and eventually die off.
Solutions to the Land Pollution Problem
1. Reduce the use of fertilizers
2. Reduce the use of pesticides
3. Reuse and recycle
4. Reduction in consumption
5. Switch to organic food
6. Organic gardening
7. Avoid plastic
8. Avoid littering
9. Proper waste disposal
10. Education
11. Convince people
Reduce the use of fertilizers
Through the reduction of fertilizer use, the land pollution issue can be mitigated since
less harmful chemicals are washed in our groundwater. Moreover, through a reduction
in the use of fertilizer, the development of algae is also mitigated which leads to better
living conditions for fishes and other water animals since the oxygen concentration
stays on a higher level.
Reduce the use of pesticides
Similar to a reduction of the use of fertilizer, using a smaller amount of pesticides will
also reduce the land pollution problem since our groundwater as well as our lakes and
rivers are discharged. Moreover, animals which eat crops contaminated with pesticides
may suffer illness or even death. Through the reduction in pesticides, the harm to these
animals will be reduced.
Reuse and recycle
In our daily lifes, we have many items which we just throw away even when they are still
working quite well but we want always have the newest version. In this case, rather than
just to deposit it in the garbage, trying to give it to other people who then reuse it may
be the better option.
If no one you know wants this item, you still can throw it away. However, make sure that
you dispose it in a way that it can be effectively recycled! This way, our resources can
be used more effectively and less waste has to be deposited in landfills which in turn
contribute to land pollution.
Reduction in consumption
Another related measure against the issue of land pollution is a change in our
consumption behavior. Since the industrial revolution, our consumption levels have
risen dramatically.
However, this increase in consumption leads to various kinds of environmental issues,
including land pollution.
In order to fight land pollution, we have to reduce our consumption levels. We should
stop buying stuff that is trendy. Instead, we should use our belongings as long as they
are functional.
Switch to organic food
Replacing conventional with organic food is another measure in order to mitigate land
pollution. By doing so, we avoid the use of pesticides and thus the reduction of pollution
in our rivers, lakes and also in our groundwater.
Organic gardening
You can also plant crops in your garden. This would further release our environment
since part of the land that is currently used for the production of your vegetables can
now be used for other purposes.
Avoid plastic
The amount of plastic packaging or other forms of plastic we use in our daily lifes is
ridiculously high. It doesn’t matter what we buy. From vegetables to meat or many other
products, most of them are covered with plastic. This significantly contributes to the land
pollution problem since we have to get rid of all this plastic material somehow.
Avoid littering
Littering heavily contributes to the land pollution problem. People often just throw their
garbage on the ground, not at all caring about the adverse consequences to our
environment. A good example is the disposal of cigarettes.
We see it every day that people, after using their cigarettes, they just throw them on the
ground, no matter where they are standing. Since there are many harmful elements in
cigarettes, this has an adverse impact on the soil. Moreover, through rain, these
chemicals are also washed in our groundwater.
Proper waste disposal
The disposal of waste in a proper way is an important measure against land pollution
both for private people as well as for industries. In our daily lifes, we have to make sure
that our garbage is separated so that it can be disposed in the most effective way.
Industries have to make sure that they get rid of their waste in a way that there is no
adverse effect on the environment.
Education
Education is key in order to mitigate the problem of land pollution. We have to show
people the adverse effects of land pollution and how we can mitigate them. This
education should start at an early age in school.
Children will likely also convince their parents regarding the problem of land pollution
and maybe also parents may change their behavior. Therefore, education can make a
big difference in order to reduce the land pollution issue and its implied adverse effects.
Convince people
You are already taking measure against the land pollution problem? Good! However,
you can do much more than that. Convincing other people on the importance of
mitigating land pollution is crucial in order to scale your impact. By convincing others,
everyone of us can make a big contribution in order to save our environment.
Conclusion
Land pollution has become a big problem to our environment, especially after the
industrialization period. Land pollution has an adverse effect on animals, plants and also
on humans. Every one of us can contribute to the mitigation of the land pollution
problem in our daily lifes. It is our responsibility to reduce land pollution and thus to
sustain a livable future for the next generation.

What Is Solid Waste Management?

Solid waste management is defined as the discipline associated with control of
generation, storage, collection, transport or transfer, processing and disposal of solid
waste materials in a way that best addresses the range of public health,
conservation, economic, aesthetic, engineering, and other environmental
considerations.

In its scope, solid waste management includes planning, administrative, financial,

engineering, and legal functions. Solutions might include complex inter-disciplinary
relations among fields such as public health, city and regional planning, political
science, geography, sociology, economics, communication and conservation,
demography, engineering, and material sciences.

Solid waste management practices can differ for residential and industrial producers,
for urban and rural areas, and for developed and developing nations. The
administration of non-hazardous waste in metropolitan areas is the job of local
government authorities. On the other hand, the management of hazardous waste
materials is typically the responsibility of those who generate it, as subject to local,
national, and even international authorities.

Objectives of Waste Management

The primary goal of solid waste management is reducing and eliminating adverse
impacts of waste materials on human health and the environment to support
economic development and superior quality of life. This is to be done in the most
efficient manner possible, to keep costs low and prevent waste buildup.

6 Functional Elements of the Waste Management System

There are six functional components of the waste management system, as outlined
below:

1. Waste generation: This encompasses any activities involved in identifying

materials that are no longer usable and are either gathered for systematic
disposal or thrown away.
2. Onsite handling, storage, and processing: This relates to activities at the
point of waste generation, which facilitate easier collection. For example, waste
bins are placed at sites that generate sufficient waste. 
3. Waste collection: A crucial phase of waste management, this includes
activities such as placing waste collection bins, collecting waste from those bins,
and accumulating trash in the location where the collection vehicles are emptied.
Although the collection phase involves transportation, this is typically not the
main stage of waste transportation.  
4. Waste transfer and transport: These are the activities involved in moving
waste from the local waste collection locations to the regional waste disposal site
in large waste transport vehicles.
5. Waste processing and recovery: This refers to the facilities, equipment, and
techniques employed to recover reusable or recyclable materials from the waste
stream and to improve the effectiveness of other functional elements of waste
management.
6. Disposal: The final stage of waste management. It involves the activities
aimed at the systematic disposal of waste materials in locations such as landfills
or waste-to-energy facilities. 
7. Sanitary Landfill
This is the most popular solid waste disposal method used today. Garbage
is basically spread out in thin layers, compressed and covered with soil or
plastic foam. Modern landfills are designed in such a way that the bottom
of the landfill is covered with an impervious liner which is usually made
of several layers of thick plastic and sand. This liner protects the ground
water from being contaminated because of leaching or percolation. When
the landfill is full, it is covered with layers of sand, clay, top soil and
gravel to prevent seepage of water.