Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Soil contamination, soil pollution, or land pollution as a part of land degradation is caused by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. It is typically caused by industrial activity, agricultural chemicals or improper disposal of waste .
Uranium is a naturally occurring element found at low levels within all rock, soil, and water. This is the highest-numbered element to be found naturally in significant quantities on Earth. According to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation the normal concentration of uranium in soil is 300 μg/kg to 11.7 mg/kg.
A 2021 report in Frontiers in Conservation Science proposed that population size and growth are significant factors in biodiversity loss, soil degradation and pollution. [38] [39] Some scientists and environmentalists, including Pentti Linkola, [40] Jared Diamond and E. O. Wilson, posit that human population growth is devastating to biodiversity.
Lead exposure can occur from contact with lead in air, household dust, soil, water, and commercial products. [25] Leaded gasoline has also been linked to increases in lead pollution. [99] [100] Some research has suggested a link between leaded gasoline and crime rates. [101] [102] Man-made lead pollution has been elevated in the air for the ...
In the 2022 IPCC report, [19] land degradation is responding more directly to climate change as all types of erosion and SOM declines (soil focus) are increasing. [20] Other land degradation pressures are also being caused by human pressures like managed ecosystems. These systems include human run croplands and pastures. [20]
Transport through soil can be facilitated by the presence of preferential flow paths (macropores) and dissolved organic compounds. [31] Plants are exposed to toxic metals through the uptake of water; animals eat these plants; ingestion of plant- and animal-based foods are the largest sources of toxic metals in humans. [32]
Cadmium is a naturally occurring toxic metal with common exposure in industrial workplaces, plant soils, and from smoking. Due to its low permissible exposure in humans, overexposure may occur even in situations where only trace quantities of cadmium are found.
Microplastics in the soil are a risk not only to soil biodiversity but also food safety and human health. Soil biodiversity is important for plant growth in agricultural industries. Agricultural activities such as plastic mulching and application of municipal wastes contribute to the microplastic pollution in the soil. Human-modified soils are ...