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Impact of land uses on soil pollution in a part of eastern Indian Terai region
Summary
Researchers studying soil in an eastern India region found that urban and semi-urban areas had significant contamination from heavy metals (like zinc, copper, and cadmium), excess fertilizer chemicals, and microplastics—while nearby farmland, tea gardens, and forests stayed relatively clean. This matters because polluted soil near cities can spread to farmland and food crops, and people living in these urban areas face direct exposure to these contaminants, potentially through skin contact, dust, or groundwater. The study suggests regular soil testing and stricter waste management rules could help prevent this contamination from spreading further into the food sup
Urbanization, faulty waste disposal, and improper management contribute to soil pollution in many Indian cities, while excessive fertilizer use contaminates the cropland and plantation soils. This study on soil pollution was conducted in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, located in the eastern Terai region of India. This region features diverse land uses, including urban peri-urban areas (UPA), extensive croplands, tea gardens, and several forests. The aim was to understand how different land uses influence soil pollution, considering the bioavailable forms of heavy metals, NO nitrogen, available phosphorus (PO), and microplastics as pollutants. Results showed a significant presence (above critical limit) of bioavailable (DTPA-extractable) heavy metals such as Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Cd, and Cr, along with high microplastic contamination in UPA soils. Besides, the soils of UPA and tea gardens showed elevated levels of NO nitrogen and available phosphorus. Using empirical pollution indices such as the Average Pollution Index, Nemerow Pollution Index, Pollution Load Index, and Vector Modulus of Pollution Index, combined with their spatial mapping, revealed that forest, cropland, and tea garden soils were not polluted, whereas UPA soils were contaminated with heavy metals. This study also proposed a novel weighted soil pollution index, which considered heavy metals and other pollutants. This index also distinctly indicated considerable soil pollution in UPA areas, while the soils of other land uses appeared clean. Urban pollution affects human health through direct exposure to contaminants, while soil pollution in peri-urban areas poses risks due to potential food-chain contamination from agricultural activities. Further, the UPA soil pollution may spread to neighboring ecosystems. This study recommended soil pollution monitoring at the district or state level and implementation of regulatory measures based on that.