Divine Word College of Bangued

Bangued, Abra
School of Arts, Sciences and Education

LESSON 10
LAND POLLUTION
REVIEW QUESTIONS/THINGS TO DO
1. What are the sources of land pollution?
 Increase in Urbanization:
 Construction uses up forest land. More constructions means increase in demand for raw materials
like timber. This leads to the exploitation and destruction of forests.
 ii. Increase in Agricultural Land:
 As the human population grew there was a greater demand for food. This caused more land
allocated to agriculture. Forests were cut down for this purpose.
iii. Domestic Waste:
 Every single day, tons and tons of domestic waste is dumped ranging from huge pieces of rubbish
such as unused refrigerator to fish bones. If all these wastes are not disposed of properly, the
damage they can do to the environment and humankind can be devastating.
 While waste collected from homes, offices and industries may be recycled or burnt in incinerators,
a large amount of rubbish is neither burnt nor recycled but is left in certain areas marked as
dumping grounds. We throw away more things today and there is an increase in the quantity of
solid waste. This has given rise to problems as new dumping grounds have to be found.
 iv. Agricultural Activities:
 Besides domestic waste, pesticides and herbicides used by farmers to increase crop yields also
pollute the land when they are washed into the soil. Pesticides which are persistent in nature are
chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides e.g., DDT, HCH, endrin, lindane, heptachlor, endosulfan etc.
Residues of these pesticides in soils have long term effects especially under the temperate
conditions.
 v. Industrial Activities:
 Industrial activities also are a contributing factor to land pollution. Industrial wastes are the effluents
discharged from chemical industries, paper and pulp mills, tanneries, textile mills, steel industries,
distilleries, refineries, pesticides and fertilizer industries, pharmaceutical industries, food processing
industries, cement industries, thermal and nuclear power plants, mining industries etc.
 Thermal power plants generate a large quantity of ‘Fly ash’. Huge quantities of these wastes are
dumped on land which cause land pollution. Mining also affects ground and surface waters, the
aquatic life, vegetation, soils, animals, and the human health. Acid mine drainage can cause
damage to streams which in return can kill aquatic life.
 Mining gas and petroleum also pollutes the land. Petroleum extraction and manufacturing
contaminates the soil with bitumen, gasoline, kerosene and mining brine solutions. Open cast
mining, which is a process where the surface of the earth is dug open to bring out the underground
mineral deposits, destroys the topsoil and contaminates the area with toxic metals and chemicals.
Source: https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/land-pollution/land-pollution-sources-effects-and-control-of-
land-pollution-783-words/9951
 Divine Word College of Bangued
Bangued, Abra
School of Arts, Sciences and Education

2. What are the effects of land pollution on the human body? On the environment?
As land pollution and soil erosion progress, animals are forced to shift habitats and adapt to new
conditions. As a result, some species are at risk of extinction. The potential effects of soil
contamination on human health include breathing disorders, birth defects, skin diseases, and
cancer.
Contamination of groundwater, loss of topsoil, water nutrient enrichment and increased risk of
wildfires (because of the dry conditions created by the pollutants in the soil) are among the
consequences of land pollution.

3. How can land pollution be controlled?

To reduce solid waste pollution on land, you can reuse materials such as cloth, plastic bags and
glass in your home rather than disposing of them. By recycling, you reduce the amount of solid
refuse going to landfills and also make a contribution toward saving natural resources.

4. Garbage disposal and collection in urban areas is a big problem. In Abra we are not spared on this
problem especially in Poblacion (centro / ili). If you were the Municipal Mayor, how would you solve
this problem?
If I am the mayor, I must discipline my udder jurisdiction by leading them right, treating them right in
order for them to respect and follow my rules. Disposing the garbage properly is easy as they are
disciplined enough. Because a good leader makes a good follower.