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Land Pollution: Welcome to the Compromised Land

Land pollution occurs through human abuse and misuse of the soil through agricultural practices, resource mismanagement and, particularly, improper disposal of household and industrial trash and toxic substances. Solid waste disposal is a global concern, with industrialized countries generating some 90 percent of the annual toxic and hazardous waste. While non-hazardous pollution simply blights the landscape, toxic waste has far-reaching consequences for the planet, as it can lead to deforestation, groundwater contamination and air pollution, which have direct and indirect human health implications.

Households and Industry: Land Pollution Culprits
In 2005, the United States generated 245 million tons of municipal solid waste, which comprises everyday household and commercial trash such as food, packaging and grass clippings. While much of this solid waste is non-hazardous, disposal of toxic substances persists as a challenge to waste management.

The fact that industries generate a lot of hazardous waste surprises no one, but it may not be so obvious that households create quite a bit of their own hazardous and toxic waste. Some of the hazardous materials commonly found in houses include:

• antifreeze
• detergents
• fertilizers
• household cleaners 
• oil
• paints
• pesticides and herbicides
• polishes
• pool chemicals.

The drive for industrial growth has resulted in much direct and indirect contamination of the environment. Industry is accountable for more than four billion pounds of toxic chemicals being released into the environment every year. Of this four billion pounds, 72 million pounds are recognized as carcinogenic, or cancer-causing.

Industrial waste includes heavy metals, solvents and contaminated wastewater. Here are some common industrial soil contaminants:

• arsenic
• cadmium
• copper
• lead
• mercury
• zinc.

When improperly or illegally disposed of, these substances can find their way into the soil. From there, they can taint surface or groundwater and the air.

Even legal means of disposal such as secure landfills are problematic by virtue of their imperfect designs, which lead to the leakage of potentially hazardous leachate and the emission of air-polluting gases. Although the practice of waste reduction, reuse and recycling has reduced the number of landfills, they are still required. While efforts to improve landfills are ongoing, they remain a major source of land pollution.

Public Health Concerns over Land Pollution
Once in the soil, toxic household and industrial waste can poison water systems and pollute the atmosphere with toxic vapors. While toxic substances can affect human health directly through contact, humans are also subject to prolonged, indirect exposure through the consumption of food and water obtained from contaminated environments. The effects of land pollution on human health covers a broad spectrum of ailments, including:

• birth defects
• cancer
• cardiovascular or blood disorders
• endocrine disorders
• gastrointestinal or liver disorders
• immune system disorders
• infectious diseases
• kidneys
• learning disabilities
• muscle and skeleton disorders
• neurological disorders and nerve damage
• reproductive disorders
• respiratory problems
• skin or sense organ disorders.

Agriculture and Land Pollution
Agriculture has to contend with a hazardous substance not generally found in other industries: animal waste. With almost two trillion pounds of animal waste produced annually in the United States, proper disposal of animal waste is paramount. However, because inadequate animal waste treatment practices are often observed at large-scale livestock operations, the environment can be compromised. This can result in outbreaks of E. coli (Escherichia coli), a leading cause of foodborne illnesses.

Preventing Land Pollution
Government endeavors to tackle land pollution are ongoing. However, laws and public education campaigns, while important, require the "greening" of lifestyles on the individual level. A key way for people to help ease land pollution is to cut down on the generation on solid waste. As with any pollution prevention, the mantra "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" applies to land pollution.

Here are a few tips for easing land pollution:

• Buy in bulk.
• Donate rather than dispose of clothes, furniture and other household items.
• Learn how to compost your organic waste, which generates natural fertilizer.
• Never litter.
• Purchase products in reusable containers.
• Purchase products with the least amount of packaging.
• Purchase biodegradable products.
• Purchase organically grown produce.
• Segregate and then properly dispose of household trash.
• Substitute green cleaning practices for cleaning with traditional household chemicals.
• Use non-chemical forms of pest control.

These green practices will help cut down on the spread of landfills, degradation of the environment and poisoning of ecosystems.