Land Pollution - Introduction

When we hear a person describe a place as 'dirty', what usually comes to our minds is the bad condition of the place. The place, which could be your bedroom, is imagined to have clothes scattered on the floor and books unarranged on the shelf.

However, I define the word 'dirty' in a more specific manner. 'Dirty' in my definition, means that there are rubbish or litter on the floor. This makes the atmosphere of that certain place unpleasant not only to the eye, but also to the mind.

Land pollution is therefore the dirtying of the land. It comes about due to inconsiderate dumping of waste, littering and ineffective waste disposal methods.

Pesticides

First of all pesticides are poisons. They are designed to kill pests (hence the name) but often the only reason it kills pests rather than larger animals is due to the strength of the dose. This is why farmers and others must use protective clothing, gloves and masks when handling these chemicals. Otherwise by the end of the day, especially if handling the concentrated pesticide before it is watered down and sprayed, they can take in harmful amounts of the pesticide and become ill, sometimes seriously ill for a long time. If it can make a large being like a human ill, think of the effect on smaller creatures. It is very difficult to get a chemical that can kill insects that are pests but leave other insects unharmed. It tends to harm all of them; even the ones (like ladybirds and lacewings) that help kill pests.

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The pesticide can also get into streams and rivers and be taken in by the tiny plants and animals there. These are then eaten in large quantities by small fish, which are eaten in large quantities by larger fish and even larger animals such as otters or birds of prey may eat these. Each time the concentration level of the pesticide tends to build up as it goes up the food chain. At the top of the food chain the "top carnivore" may accumulate such a high level of pesticide that it either kills them, or, what often happens, kills ...

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