Most of us are now fairly well informed about climate change and environmental pollution, but did you know that soil pollution is also a huge issue for the planet and the food we grow and eat? Here’s what you need to know.
What is soil pollution?
When we think about soil as the earth’s protective mantle, it becomes easy to see how quickly it can become damaged by human activity. Pollutants in the air, the water and on the surface of the earth all end up in the soil and this can cause severe damage.
What happens to polluted soil?
When soil becomes damaged in this way, soil remediation is the only solution, from experts such as Soilfix. However, it is a highly complex and specific process that is not the entire answer to a global problem
What sort of pollutants damage the soil?
Think about fertilisers, pesticides, oil and chemicals, as well as man-made substances and heavy metals and you can see that everyday activities and industries have a profound effect on the earth. Over-farming also removes its mineral and nutritional content, making it hard to grow food with any true nutritional value. This is now becoming a global issue, where soil quality is steadily decreasing as a result of over-farming.
Where is soil pollution most serious?
Soil remediation is now a priority across much of the world, but it’s particularly serious in Asia, Europe, Eurasia and North Africa, as confirmed by the United Nations. The UN has stated that over a third of the world’s soil is now affected and in need of intensive soil remediation. Recovery is a very slow process otherwise – it takes more than 1,000 years to create just a few centimetres of clean arable soil for farming.
In short, soil pollution is one of the most pressing challenges facing the world today, and global solutions are needed to cease and reverse the current damage and prevent further degradation. Without that, the world cannot hope to sustain farming and natural life for the longer term.
Eleena Timmons