13th March, 2024
SOUMI MITRA
● Reliance on Chemicals: Heavy use of pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers. ● Monocultures: Growing vast fields of single crops depletes soil and fosters pests. ● Industrial Livestock: Factory farms create enormous pollution, contaminating soil and water.
● Designed to Kill: Pesticides kill insects, weeds, and fungi but harm beneficial soil organisms. ● Residues Remain: Chemicals linger in the soil and can be absorbed by crops. ● Runoff Danger: Pollutes waterways, harming aquatic life and drinking water.
● Chemical Fertilizers: Provide only a few basic nutrients, neglecting the complex needs of the soil. ● Soil Microbe Decline: Healthy soil is ALIVE with bacteria and fungi – essential for plant nutrition and health. ● Empty Food: Depleted soils may lead to crops with less nutritional value.
● Industrial Legacy: Past mining, factory waste, and even old paint can leave residues like lead, cadmium, and arsenic. ● Non-biodegradable: Heavy metals persist in the soil, accumulating over time. ● Plants as Collectors: Some plants absorb heavy metals, which enter our food chain.
● Superbugs Emerge: Overuse of antibiotics in livestock breeds resistant bacteria that survive in manure. ● Soil Contamination: Manure as fertilizer pollutes the soil with these superbugs. ● Threat to Humans: These bacteria can potentially cause untreatable infections in people.
● Fertile Topsoil Lost: Wind and rain easily carry away nutrient-rich topsoil when vegetation is sparse. ● Double Trouble: Erosion worsens pollution, carrying chemicals and sediment into rivers and lakes. ● Farming made Harder: Eroded land is less productive, requiring more crop growth inputs.
● Pervasive Problem: Microplastics are everywhere, including agricultural soils. ● Sources: Break down from larger plastic waste, sewage sludge used as fertilizer, and atmospheric pollution. ● Long-Term Impacts: Effects on soil organisms and their potential to enter the food chain are still being studied.