Soil contamination, in different

environments
Mery Gómez
Autor
Geopolitics and environment
Abril 2023
 Resumen
The term “soil contamination” refers to the presence in the soil of a
chemical or a substance out of place and/or present in a higher than
normal concentration that has adverse effects on any organism for which
they are not intended. The contamination of soil often cannot be directly
assessed or visually perceived, making it in hidden danger.
 Problem situation
 The National Planning Department (DNP) updated the study to
2015, which presents the costs of deaths and illnesses
associated with environmental degradation in Colombia, May
7, 2017 (@DNP_Colombia) - Health costs associated with
degradation environmental protection in Colombia increased to
$20.7 trillion pesos, equivalent to 2.6% of GDP in 2015,
related to 13,718 deaths and close to 98 million symptoms and
illnesses.
 Pollution contributed 75%, with $15.4 trillion pesos (1.93% of
GDP in 2015) associated with 10,527 deaths and 67.8 million
symptoms and illnesses. This is indicated by Simón Gaviria
Muñoz, director of the National Planning Department (DNP).

Logotipo
Impact
 According to reports, the direct entry of pollutants (discharge of effluents into
the soil) or indirectly (irrigation of crops with contaminated water)
contaminates vast expanses soil and groundwater, affecting both crop
production and health human and animal through food contamination (Saha
et al., 2017).

 The intensification of agriculture to produce food, fiber and biofuels

enough has given rise to a heritage of contaminated soils. In China, the
content of heavy metals has grown considerably in the last 30 years, with
values that oscillate between 48 percent for Zn to more than 250 percent if
we compare the Cd with their 1990 reference levels (Zeng, Li and Mei,
2008).
 Causes
A significant part of antibiotics – widely used in agriculture and in the field of human
health – are released into the environment after being excreted from the organism to
which they were administered. These antibiotics can leach into the soil and spread in
the environment. This produces antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, which decreases the
effectiveness of antibiotics. Each year, some 700,000 deaths are attributable to
antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. By 2050, if the problem is not tackled, antimicrobial
resistance will kill more people than cancer and will cost more globally than the
current size of the world economy.
 Diseases due to contamination of toxic
substances handled in agriculture.
 Cardiovascular accidents, ischemic heart disease, cancer,
chronic lung diseases, respiratory infections, diarrheal
diseases and malaria are some of the most common diseases
that are generated by soil and environmental contamination.
 Soil contamination, chemical exposure, climate change, and
ultraviolet radiation are among the risk factors for 100 of the
most well-known injuries or illnesses.