Discuss with your partner what you know about soil pollution. Write as many reasons of soil pollution as you can. Compare what other pairs have written.
Skim the text to check your ideas.
Soil pollution
Soil pollution! The earth itself is getting contaminated and polluted. Collectively, aren't we all responsible for this? The conquest of utilizing land and soil resources and conducting experiments on it, for our benefits, is quite understandable, but it certainly is not, at the cost of its health and wellness! Mankind has been trying out several different things and has made several arrangements in the soil, to make life happy and comfortable. However, how often have we thought of contamination of soil? It’s never too late in life, so I think this is the right time, to know about soil pollution causes and effects.
Soil pollution can be described as the contamination of soil of a particular region. Soil pollution mainly is a result of penetration of harmful pesticides and insecticides, which on one hand serve whatever their main purpose is, but on the other hand, bring about deterioration in the soil quality. But there are many other leading causes of soil pollution too. Let us have a look at some of them.
Soil pollution is a result of many activities and experiments done by mankind:
· Industrial wastes, such as harmful gases and chemicals.
· Agricultural pesticides, fertilizers, insecticides, heavy metals and solvent s.
· Leakages from sanitary sewage.
· Acid rains.
· Fuel leakages from automobiles.
As the world becomes more industrialized, the long term effects of soil pollution are becoming more of a problem all over the world. It is thought that a full 150 million miles of China's farmland is contaminated.
Even when soil is not being used for food, the matter of its contamination can be a health concern. This is especially so when that soil is found in parks, neighborhoods or other places where people spend time.Health effects will be different depending on what kind of pollutant is in the soil. It can range from developmental problems, such as in children exposed to lead, to cancer. Some soil contaminants increase the risk of leukemia, while others can lead to kidney damage, liver problems and changes in the central nervous system. Those are just the long term effects of soil pollution. In the short term, exposure to chemicals in the soil can lead to headaches and skin rashes.
If contaminated soil is used to grow food, the land will usually produce lower harvest than it would if it were not contaminated. This, in turn, can cause even more harm because a lack of plants on the soil will cause more erosion, spreading the contaminants into land that might not have been tainted before. 
In addition, the pollutants will change the makeup of the soil and the types of microorganisms that will live in it. If certain organisms die off in the area, the larger predator animals will also have to move away or die because they've lost their food. Thus it's possible for soil pollution to change whole ecosystems.
Soil pollution can be cured by transporting the contaminated soil layer to some remote place, thus making it once again fit for use. Harmful chemicals from the soil can also be removed by aerating it. These are just 'tentative solutions'. However, let us remember the proverb, 'prevention is better than cure' and follow soil management system, maintain sewage systems and avoid the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides in the soil. So let us begin the movement of soil pollution prevention from our own lands itself!
