SOIL POLLUTION
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Soil is one of the most valuable natural resources.
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It can get polluted by various means, including careless human activities.
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Necessary measures should be adopted to control soil pollution.
Sources of Soil Pollution:
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Acid rain and acid water from factories, mines, and industries.
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Improper dumping of garbage and sewage wastes in soil.
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Excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers, which get accumulated in soil.
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Waste materials such as plastic and metals which do not decay easily.
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Spilling or leakage of chemicals.
Control of Soil Pollution:
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Solid wastes should not be dumped on land. They should be recycled and proper measures for disposal of sewage should be adopted.
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Animal and domestic wastes should be used to produce biogas (an eco-friendly fuel).
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Instead of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, organic pesticides should be used.
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Liquid wastes from factories and mines should be properly treated before they are released into water bodies such as rivers and lakes.
FACTS/ BRASS TACKS
Cemented ground is porous to some extent. But the porosity of a cemented floor is very low as compared to soil and, therefore, water absorption is very slow. Most of the water that falls on a cemented floor evaporates or runs off, and only a very small amount seeps through it. Cemented ceilings have to be specially treated to make them waterproof, otherwise water logging would result in seepage.
Hydroponics is a technique with the help of which plants can grow without soil. Plants are grown in mineral nutrient solutions.
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