Fighting Against Soil Pollution

The Austrian soil scientist Winfried Blum explains the lack of opinion to the threat soil pollution. Given the increasing erosion of the toxicity of soil and groundwater and the salinization of agricultural land, nothing or very little is done. The international community should quickly become aware of the danger because humanity is destroying the very basis of its survival.

Soil Threats

The earth produces food for us to eat. It stores everything that we produce, the filtered and the transformed. It protects the water, raw materials, substances and living gases which form the basis of human activity. The erosion increases with the transformation of landscapes. Industrial sites pollute the nature and cause leaks and toxic metals in the soil. Intensive farming makes the soil sterile in the long term and diffuse number of insecticides and fertilizers that reach groundwater. Today it is estimated that 3.5 million sites in Europe may be contaminated.

Pollution consequences are quite a lot. The decrease in the number of organic materials is the main consequence causing a loss of unparalleled biodiversity. With urbanization, the soil becomes impermeable causing flooding and mudslides after torrential rainfalls. Increased erosion is a phenomenon resulting in 25 billion tonnes of land per year loss of land. Another major threat is the soil salinity after the overexploitation of water resources. The land is drained and becomes completely barren and nothing is done to tackle the phenomenon.

How can a polluted land be cleaned?

Many techniques exist to treat polluted land. There are biological treatments using certain micro-organisms that feed on the pollutants and transform them into water or carbon dioxide. It sometimes involves bio-venting, the extraction of gas from soil, which also stimulates the micro-organisms. Scientists also use plants known for their ability to cure minerals with their roots.

Chemical treatments are available where entire aquifers are pumped, treated and released. This technique is quite expensive and takes a long period of time. Only North America has created a effective industry to remedy the situation by using other hazardous chemicals which is very effective.

15% of degraded land on the planet

The European Union in 2006 proposed a joint strategy for soil protection after realizing that only nine Member States have specific legislation to fight against land pollution. The directive received a mixed reaction, knowing that member countries want to retain their sovereignty over the land use issue.

It only 15% of the total mass of earth that has been treated and yet nothing has been done by the international community. How will it therefore be aware of the extent of damage done to hectares of polluted land?

Sources:

http://www.scientificjournals.com/sj/all/AutorenAnzeigeESS/autorenId/4432