Pollution and our society
Land Pollution:
Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials are called pollutants.
Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic ash. They can also be created by
human activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants
damage the quality of air, water, and land.
Land Pollution:
The deposition of solid or liquid waste materials on land
or underground in a manner that can contaminate the soil and groundwater, threaten public health, and cause unsightly conditions and nuisances is termed as
land pollution.
The Main Causes of Land Pollution
While there are many causes of land pollution, the main
contributors include litter, waste, urbanization, construction, mining,
extraction, and agriculture. Let’s dive into how these different issues lead to
increased land pollution.
1. Litter and Waste
Litter
Littering, the improper disposal of waste products, is
unfortunately common. According to a study by Litter in America, litter cleanup
costs the U.S. more than an estimated $11.5 billion each year. Every cigarette
butt tossed on the ground or food wrapper tossed out of a car window is a small
contribution to a monumental issue. According to the 2020 Keep America Beautiful
study, there is an estimated 50 billion pieces of litter along U.S. roadways
and waterways. Not all litter, however, is intentional. A large volume of
litter also comes from unsecured items that fall off the back of vehicles or
out of trash receptacles.
Illegal dumping also contributes to land pollution.
Oftentimes people will dump waste illegally in places such as forests, open
fields and ditches rather than in approved dumping areas. Common types of
illegally dumped waste include asbestos waste, cars and waste that can be
recycled or reused.
All litter, whether intentional or not, causes pollution by
releasing chemicals and microparticles as it degrades.
Waste
Even if you throw your trash into the bin and take it out to
be picked up by the garbage truck, its journey is not complete. Your trash has
to go somewhere and where it typically goes is a landfill. When not managed
propertly, landfills can also contribute to land pollution.
For example, it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that solid
wastes were collected with the environment in mind. Prior to that, waste was
typically left on top of the ground in open dumps, which resulted in rats,
mosquitoes and other disease infestations, as well as foul smells and windblown
debris.
There are now significantly safer practices for disposing of
waste, including the recovery and use of landfill gas for electricity.
The Texas Disposal Systems Landfill, located just outside of
Austin, Texas, is unique by design and combines natural and manmade barriers to
meet stringent environmental protection regulations. The landfill structure
features a performance-based linear system with a leachate collection system
and thick re-compacted clay sidewall liners. The liner system easily meets the
standards of the performance-based landfill liner system currently required by
both the EPA and the TCEQ.
2. Urbanization and Construction
Large quantities of people living close together, producing
trash, and littering in a dense area does inevitably lead to land pollution. To
accommodate our increasing population, construction activities also occur,
which result in large waste materials, such as metal, plastic, wood and bricks.
When these materials are not properly disposed of, it
contributes to the land pollution of that area. To help reduce the
environmental impact of construction sites, it’s important to work with
partners that offer comprehensive solutions to achieve cost-effective
construction recycling and waste disposal plans.
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