Soil is an essential component of the biosphere. Without it, it would be impossible to exist on Earth. Anthropogenic impact is constantly exerted on the soil. Every year, hundreds of tons of various pollutants enter the atmosphere from it. These are exhaust gases and industrial emissions. Once in the soil, pollutants decompose. Some of them go through the profile migration path and fall into water bodies. Dioxides and heavy metals, volatile organic and inorganic compounds and phenols pose the greatest environmental hazard.
Soil cover is a biological sink. In addition, it is able to destroy and neutralize various pollution. However, with a high concentration of toxic elements, this link in the biosphere is subject to destruction. Such exposure can lead to disruption of the vital rhythms of our planet.
Types of pollution
Under certain circumstances, an increase in the concentration of various substances may occur in the soil. If this indicator exceeds the limits of the maximum permissible level, then this will indicate pollution. The presence of this phenomenon can be argued in the case of the presence in the earth of any amount of substances that are not characteristic of it and are classified as harmful.
Soil pollution is classified into six different degrees. Each of them is distinguished by the size of the decrease in productivity of the fertile layer, as well as the amount of biomass produced.
Soils may be contaminated:
- sedimentary rocks and dumps, emissions and garbage;
- heavy metals;
- pesticides;
- mycotoxins;
- radioactive elements.
Sources of soil pollution
The "health" of this most important component of the biosphere is significantly affected by human activities. The result of the development of technological progress is a significant pollution of soils, and the sources of its pollution are primarily industrial waste arising from the production of non-ferrous and ferrous metals, as well as various organic compounds, inorganic chemistry products, etc. They significantly pollute the environment and emissions in atmosphere. From the smoke of industrial enterprises, ash and soot, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, nitrates, sulfates, etc., fall into the air, water, and soil.
The control of soil pollution also indicates that their condition is adversely affected by a variety of technological wastes, which are products worked out during the production cycle. Their composition and quantity are different. However, as a rule, these are various hydrocarbons, the list of which only at transport and industrial enterprises includes more than two hundred names.
Sources of pollution in the case of the production of macromolecular compounds - solvents, monomers, catalysts, dyes, stabilizers, etc. “Health” also takes away the products of this sphere from the soil: plastics and rubber, paints and varnishes, etc.
To a large extent, oil production and oil refining pollute the environment. This natural resource is constantly being poured, which leads to salinization of the soil. Pollution also occurs when associated gas is burned in the fields.
Non-ferrous and heavy metals enter the environment as a result of emissions from such enterprises:
- ferrous metallurgy;
- mechanical engineering;
- metalworking;
- petrochemical, chemical, pulp and paper, woodworking and many other industries.
The control of soil pollution made it possible to find out the fact that as a result of treating the fields with insecticides and pesticides, as well as with fertilizers, the fertile layers are poisoned with a particularly toxic element - arsenic. The same substance enters the environment as a result of the production of glass, pigments, tannins, rodenticides and fungicides.
The environmental situation is significantly deteriorating in the event of accidents in transport and pipelines transporting inorganic and organic substances, as well as in nuclear power plants.
The control of soil pollution made it possible to find out the fact that a significant source of harmful substances are places where industrial, pharmaceutical and household waste is stored and destroyed. Negatively affect the environment and storage of various toxic components.
The need to control soil “health”
Atmospheric air, as well as surface waters, are periodically self-cleaning from pollutants. The soil has a number of specific features. It accumulates harmful components and is not able to cleanse them completely. A significant amount of toxins leads to land degradation and the formation of the so-called man-made desert. This causes a growing environmental hazard and negative consequences, which carry a direct threat to human health. That is why the control of soil pollution is so important, the purpose of which is to identify and prevent negative effects on the biosphere.
The problem of modernity
Today, the issue of human-nature interaction is closely monitored by society. It is indisputable that the problem of soil pollution has taken on particular urgency, and the methods for solving it will help preserve the quality of life of people living on our planet.
Environmental issues should find meaning in human society. This will preserve the productivity and purity of the natural environment, the ozone layer, the biocirculation of substances, etc.
Monitoring of soil pollution shows that changes in the content of trace elements occur in it. This affects human health, leading to a violation of metabolic processes in his body and causing endemic local pathologies. So, carcinogens that enter the soil as a result of exhausts cause tumor diseases.
Soil regeneration and conservation methods
In order to localize pollutants, sedimentation tanks and storages are used. These facilities allow using the method of localization of toxins that worsen the ecological situation. However, the control of soil pollution convincingly proves that the best way to combat components harmful to our health is to eliminate them. Toxic products can be disposed of directly at their places of storage. To do this, methods such as burning hydrocarbons, removing pollutants into the atmosphere, washing the soil with various mineral solutions are used. In the case where the toxic products are organic elements, a biological method can be applied. Pollutants are sometimes transported to points specially created for their processing and neutralization.
Control Places
Soil surveys are conducted in agricultural areas. They are also required in areas close to cities and industrial enterprises. In addition, soil pollution control, carried out at the background level, is of no small importance. It reflects data on air pollution, and, as a consequence of this, the soil layer.
The basic principle of control measures
Soil research in the sanitary protection zone of any enterprise aims at identifying the values of maximum permissible discharges and emissions. Requirements for the control and protection of soils from pollution include checking for the presence of carcinogens. Their presence is determined by the presence of benzapirene. This position is fixed in GOST 17.4.2.01-81.
According to current regulatory documents, soil pollution control in recreation areas, kindergartens and health care facilities is carried out at least twice a year - in autumn and spring. At the request of GOST, test sites near industrial enterprises should be marked along existing wind rose vectors.
Various departments draw up their own instructions for monitoring the state of soils, applied at enterprises in this industry. So, Minneftegazprom developed recommendations for the protection of zones located in the places of oil products extraction. They provide for continuous monitoring of pollution, as well as describe the actions required to be carried out in various emergency situations.
Control methods
In order to determine the contamination of the study area, soil samples are taken. Recommendations for the control of soil pollution, which can be found in specially designed instructions, indicate the need for their chemical analysis. It will determine the maximum permissible concentration of toxic substances. At the same time, it is quite effective to use indirect methods of controlling soil pollution. Their list includes:
- analysis of the behavior and distribution of various types of microorganisms, invertebrates and plants, which are indicators of the "health" of the soil layer;
- visually obtained assessment of the state of phytogenesis.
Contamination of soil
Radionuclides, having a long half-life, enter the earth from the outside, from the atmosphere, and accumulate in its upper layers. This problem of soil pollution and methods for solving it are very relevant for humanity. These substances pose a danger to human health and can significantly worsen the environmental situation. In this regard, constant monitoring of radioactive contamination of soils is required.
For its implementation, the method of soil sampling is used, which are subjected to laboratory gamma-spectrometric analysis. Control can also be carried out in the field. For this, a gamma-spectrometric analysis is also carried out using portable Bella or SRP-88 devices.
Pesticide control
In order to control weeds, unwanted insects and fungal diseases, fertile soils are treated with insecticides, fungicides and insecticides. All of them, as well as repellents and fumigants that increase productivity, are pesticides. These substances are biologically active, and with an increase in their concentration, significant environmental damage is caused.
That is why constant monitoring of soil pollution with pesticides is necessary. Today, specific instructions and sampling methods have been developed for this. They make it possible to determine the micro-quantity of herbicides and pesticides. The main points that allow for quality control of agricultural land can be found in the Rules developed by the Institute of Experimental Meteorology of Roshydromet. This document is an instruction explaining the main stages of the preparation of control, as well as its implementation and obtaining the necessary results.
Microbiological soil control
The land of the territories of cities, towns, as well as agricultural land should not contain microbiological organisms that pose a danger to humans. To this end, specific indicators of the maximum permissible level have been developed and are operating, which are enshrined in hygienic standards and sanitary rules.
The methods used for microbiological control of the soil are described in the methodological recommendations compiled by the employees of the Federal Center for State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision of the Ministry of Health of Russia and the Federal Scientific Center named after F.F. Erisman, as well as the SSES Center in the Krasnodar Territory.