Removal of useful components from the soil and the addition of other substance, i.e. fertilisers, pesticides, which adversely affect the fertility of the soil and kill the various organisms in it, is called soil pollution. Causes of Soil Pollution: Soil pollution is caused by solid wastes and chemicals. The slag heaps from mines spoil the beauty of mining sites The major sources of soil pollution are the industries, such as pulp and paper mills, sugar mills, oil refineries, power plants, chemicals and fertiliser manufacturing units, iron and steel plants, plastic and rubber industries and many more. Most industrial furnaces and thermal power stations produce fly ash, which is a grey, powdery residue of unburnt material, and causes pollution. Our domestic waste includes a large amount of solid waste. They include food scraps, vegetable remains, packing materials, cans, rags, papers, cinders, ash, broken gadgets, wood, metals, plastics, polythene bags, ceramics, glass, aluminium, rubber, leather, construction rubbish, bricks, sand and other junk materials.
