The Effects of Soil Contamination in the United Kingdom - Research Proposal Example

Soil contamination in UK Student’s Name: Institution: Date: Background and context Soil contamination has become one of the major global issues that a number of countries are currently facing. Majorly, soil contamination is often caused by existence of xenobiotic chemicals or an alteration in the natural soil content through the introduction of other harmful substances. Normally, industrial activities, improper waste disposals, and agricultural chemicals among others cause most soil contaminations (Domínguez 2008). The concerns over soil contamination primarily stems from the health risks associated with direct contact with the polluted soil, the vapors emanating from the contaminants and finally the contamination of water existing in the environment. The consequences of soil contamination are dire, and cannot be easily reversed. Soil contamination has equally been observed as one of the ways through which global warming is increased, thus, it offers the greatest threats not only to the affected nation but also to the entire globe. Recent research has equally proved the effects of soil contamination on both plants and animals are long term and come with severe consequences. The contaminants have been observed to hurt plants directly from the roots as they attempt to grow in the polluted area. Consequently, the contamination can affect both humans and animals, who inhale, ingest or even touch the contaminated soil, or upon consumption of plants and animals already affected by the same. Most animals often get into contact with the contaminated soils when they burrow in the polluted soils; humans too are adversely affected by the contaminated soils when they dig or play in the soil during their daily routines. These contaminants often spread fast upon gaining contact with the skin; relatively, they can also be spread through dusts. They get absorbed into the soil and the soils dries to dust; in this form, it is easy to spread them, and the most vulnerable persons here are humans and animals. The UK being an industrious nation is equally affected with soil contamination. Most of these are caused by human activities such as application of pesticides in the fields, waste products from industries, and improper disposal of waste products and chemicals. The problem is widespread and often of varying intensity and impacts on different regions. There are also a number of proposals that have been made to help contain the effects of this problem. Such are deemed important in sufficiently dealing with the phenomenon and decreasing all the instances of soil contamination. Relatively, industrial and waste disposal policies have been set to help in containing the problem. Prevalence and the rate of soil contamination in the UK are different between urban and rural centers. Urban centers have a tendency of attracting a large number of people who in the long run engage in activities that result into soil pollution. It has always been debated that most soil contaminations occur in urban centers however; this has not yet been justified with facts that have been culminated over the years. This research will thus take into consideration the soil contamination occurring in urban and rural centers and the study will emphasis on two urban parks, which is the Battersea Park, and the Clampham common park, as well as two rural parks, Uxbridge Common and Terra Nova Rural Park. The selected regions have a number of human activities rolled out and such are believed to be the major causes of soil contamination. The parks for instance in the urban centers are maintained using pesticides and herbicides; the chemicals used in this process should always be used in the recommended proportions. Excessive use of these, results in inactivity of soil microorganisms, a factor that diminishes their actions (Mirsal 2007). In other instances, the microorganisms are killed, leaving the soil structure much vulnerable. Soil contamination is thus a global disaster and should be handled with much care and comprehensiveness to ensure total demise. In the face of fighting global warming, soil contamination should be one of the greatest issues to be tackled. As well, doing this will preserve the environment and prevent plants and animals from growing extinct; moreover, the move to control soil pollution will help in preserving safe water for usage by humans, plants, and animals. The research question As observed above, it is evident that soil contamination is rampant in the UK. This occurs both in the rural and in the urban centers respectively. Equally, soil contamination affects both plants and animals in the ecosystem thus resulting into grave impacts, most of which are of great significance to the livelihood on earth. Many environmental activists as well as organizations have stepped up campaigns against soil contamination, terming it dangerous and capable of causing adverse effects to our environment. This has however been seen to be falling on deaf ears as many people continuously pollute the soil. It is worth noting that soil is the source of productivity and contaminating it will lower productive levels of a land by high percentage. Soil also plays an important role in the life circle of living organisms and its contamination will lead to depletion of certain living things from this cycle. Industries as well as individuals have continuously used chemicals that ruin the various soil components hence making it loose its value. The main question that this study seeks to answer is how soil contamination brings effect to the ecosystem. The research will exhaustively focus on various articles magazines, newspaper reports and other research materials in bid to find the solution to this question. Relatively, the research will include the use of a number of research methodologies to analyze the collected data and information. Purpose of study Every indicator points out that the idea of soil contamination is increasingly becoming rampant and catalysts of the process are both from the urban and rural settings. The proposed study therefore intends to explore the various ways through which soil contamination is facilitated. Furthermore, the research intends to propose various ways of ensuring that the above phenomenon is controlled and reduced to significant levels. By highlighting the causes and effects of soil contamination, the study will be spurring various solutions that can be used to effectively address the issue. Justification of the study Soil is a very important part of the ecosystem and should be maintained fairly well. All living organisms, both plants and animals rely on soil for their survival and productivity. Without soil, various components of the food chain would not be available hence the ecosystem would not be complete. It is thus important to ensure that soil composition is maintained at fairly good levels in terms of components, structure and purity. The presence of chemicals as well as other impurities resulting from excavation works often leave the soil exposed and void of the micro organisms that help in decomposition. The chemicals kill the soil microorganisms hence preventing the process of decomposition; such a soil cannot yield crops and is not equally suitable for any farming activity. It is thus imperative that soil contamination be reduced to significant levels and soil be protected from such pollutions. This study helps in illuminating the various soil contamination means and proposes recommendations for the same to improve the livelihood of both plants and animals in the ecosystem. The continuous human activities are increasing and likely to cause dire impacts on the soil in terms of contamination. Addressing the matter at an early stage can help in finding viable solutions that will prevent further spread of this. The research is therefore justified and will lead to adoption of measures that will have positive impacts to the environment. Literature Review Soil contamination both in the urban and rural centers have become some of the most common causes of high rates of poverty in various countries. Most of these contaminations often occur in industrial areas as well as places where excavation has taken place. Other instances resulting to soil contamination are weed and pest control activities using herbicides and pesticides respectively. In this regard, companies often emit chemicals that are harmful into the soil resulting to the death of soil microorganisms. Persons engaging in pest and weed control activities also engage in these dangerous activities and in the end, important soil microorganisms are destroyed (SÌŒasÌŒek 2009). Excavation on the other hand leaves the soil exposed without its micro organisms. Due to this, the soil gets highly vulnerable to erosion as well as inability to decompose the various nutrients required for plant growth and development. The water retention capacity of the soil is often reduced by the actions of such soil contamination. Looking at the urban perspective of the case, both the Battersea Park and Clapham Common Park are some of the urban places in the UK where cases of soil contamination have been immense. The fields attract and host various human activities, most of which affect the soil. During maintenance of the parks, man activities take place, for instance use of heavy machinery during excavation and erection of structures, use of chemicals to maintain the park in terms of weed and pest control etc. In the case of Battersea Park, the location is near Battersea power station which has been argued to be one of the greatest pollutants in the region. The park has been used in performing a great deal of activities most of which have been attributed to its scenic view. Despite this, there are alleged fears that the chemicals as well others products are slowly leaking into the soil structure in the region resulting into destruction of soil structure and killing of microorganisms. The same effects could be easily extended to the buildings around the region causing instability. The Thames River is equally close to the power station making it easy to transfer chemicals contacted from the power station around the regions. The Clapham Common Park is equally placed in a conducive location. However, there are a number of land activities that greatly interferes with the bacterial activities in the region. These include excavation during the construction of various parts of the park, explosion of pipes that carry chemical wastes from industries. Pollutions of this nature endanger the life if organisms in the soil as well as the ability of the soil to be practically capable of productivity. Under the same perspective, soil pollution is often considered to have occurred in instances where chemicals are present in the soil at levels above the normal. The use of pesticides has equally been applauded by many people especially in the management of the Clapham Common Park. Pesticides are used in the maintenance of the park in terms of eliminating the pests existing therein. The use of such pesticides at rates above the normal often affects the soil structure and composition (Ware 2010). In this sense, microorganisms in the soil cannot effectively carryout their activities and compactly hold the soil structures together. Moreover, there are chemical fertilizers that are used in the maintenance of the parks. Such need to be used in the appropriate proportions so as not to inactivate the activities of bacteria in the soil (SÌŒasÌŒek 2009). It is worth noting that most soil contamination take place without direct addition of the contaminants into the soil. Most if these such as the maintenance in the parks come as a result of efforts to eliminate some pests or to add fertilizers in the soil. It is thus imperative that the activities such as application of pesticides and fertilizers be keenly monitored to prevent any form of soil interference. It can therefore be deduced that the intensity of the pollution caused at the Battersea Park is higher than that at the Clapham Common Park. The main cause of this great distinction is the presence of the former Battersea power station which left a great pollution impact in the region. From the same perspective, the rural areas also contribute a great deal to soil pollution. Most factors that cause pollution in the urban centers are equally the ones that cause pollution in the rural areas. Excavation is one of the most common factors that lead to soil contamination in these regions. There are a number of activities such as construction of roads and buildings, most of which require stones and soil. The process of excavating these in most cases, lead to destruction of soil structure hence making it vulnerable to erosion which in the long run makes it unproductive. The Uxbridge common is among the places that experience great farming activities. These regions also have numerous contractions which lead to destruction of soil structures. Relatively, there is the use of chemical farming which is done in large scales (Ware 2010). The chemicals used in the fields act as both pesticides and herbicides to control weeds and pests respectively. The main problem arises when the proportion of these insecticide exceed the recommended proportions. The Uxbridge Park is faced with the dilemma of maintenance in which case, excessive use of these herbicides results into contamination of soil. The other rural region Terra Nova Rural Park is equally under similar situations. The use of pesticides is the most common ways through which soil contamination occurs. Excessive use of pesticides makes it difficult for soil microorganisms to survive. As well, there are fertilizers that are used in maintaining the plants growing in the park. Most of these are acidic in nature and increases or lowers the soil PH, under such extreme PH values, most soil microorganisms get inactive and cannot actively induce decomposition of soil matter. From the above discussion, it is evident that soil micro organisms play a very major role in decomposition, as well as determining the value of soil nutrients and contents. Most activities that lead to soil degradation are mostly caused by humans and can be easily prevented upon institution of certain policies. With the rise in industries, it is quite evident that soil contamination is likely to increase due to human activities. It is thus imperative that strict measures and policies be instituted to ensure that soil preservation is given the first priority. Theoretical framework The significance of soil preservation not only in the UK but to the entire globe has inspired numerous research studies on the prevailing trends that can be followed to ensure exceptional performance is achieved. Due to this many researchers have come up with various ideologies and opinions that can predict the occurrence of this process and effective measures that can significantly be used to regulate the human activities leading to soil contamination. The proposed study intends to analyze the impacts of soil contamination on the ecosystem. The study will take into consideration both the rural and the urban centers and perform in depth analysis on both. The rural areas that the study will put under scrutiny are the Uxbridge Common and the Terra Nova Rural Park. Moreover, there are a number of concepts that can be used to ensure that activities leading to soil contamination are significantly reduced. Giving a global approach to the issue of soil contamination can be a great milestone towards preservation of the mother earth. In this way, both animals and the other living things will have a perfect ecosystem for their existence. Research methodologies The proposed study is intended to make an inquiry into the issues effects of soil contamination to the ecological environment. By virtue of its purpose, the study shall be investigative in nature since it seeks to bring to light issues that may seem obvious to some but are elusive to others. Addressing the research question calls for in depth analysis of the materials presented and involvement of a good research methodology. The scope of the study further dictates the nature of data that will be available to the researcher. Most of the materials that will be used in this research are the secondary data from various sources. The materials used for the research will include a number of books on soil contamination from the Kingston library, academic Journals that are always published on regular basis, with the most current information regarding the problem in question, academic databases, and internet sources among others. The above sources of secondary data are regarded to be comprehensive and will offer sufficient details regarding the subject matter. The techniques for numerical data analysis may therefore not be applicable to this case; however, the selected theoretical framework will offer a platform through which issues regarding soil contamination in the mentioned rural and urban areas are critically analyzed. This approach is believed to be capable of efficiently addressing the research question. The proposed research methods will be divided into five major parts; these are the hypothesis, statistical analysis of the collected data, true experiments and interpretation of data. The research has been disintegrated into parts to facilitate easy analysis of the facts presented therein and make conclusions divisively on the problem under study. Formulation of hypothesis will be the starting point for performing the research. The hypothesis may include statements such as “soil contamination is the leading cause of high rate of extinction for both plants and animals within the ecosystem.” With this stated hypothesis, building a research that revolves around this point becomes easy and can be effectively addressed from various perspectives. Another hypothesis that can be deduced is that most soil contamination occurs in the urban areas rather than the rural areas. The proposed chapter outline The proposed study will be divided into five chapters. The initial chapter will comprise of the introduction, and will offer the basis upon which the research is done. It will also lay emphasis on the purpose of the research and its relevance in the current global situation. The second art of this research will be dealing with the review of the relevant literatures presented for this study. It will also focus on the theoretical framework for this study and will help in the findings of the research. The third chapter of the research will focus on the study findings. These are the pertinent issues that surround soil contamination, and the manner in which the issues can be addressed. The final chapter will offer a brief discussion ion the subject matter and recommend a few ways of dealing with the same. Conclusion From this research proposal, it is evident that soil contamination is rampant in the UK and is among the leading cause of depletion of certain microorganisms from the ecological system. Both the rural areas and the urban centers have high propensity of causing soil contamination (Dubois 2008). It is thus imperative to ensure that proper measures are put in place to prevent soil contamination. Moreover, the major causes of soil contamination are the use of pesticides, fertilizers and soil excavation practices that rid soil of the microorganisms in it. From this proposal, there are a number of things that justify this study. Most of these revolve around the facts that soil is the home of various living organisms in the world and any activity resulting to soil degradation adversely affects the microorganisms. On similar opinion, human livelihood is equally dependent on the existence of soil. Ranging from crop production to construction activities, soil plays the basic role. The role of soil in the human lives is thus incontestable and justifies implementation of plans that will help in reduction of soil contamination. Ironically, most soil contamination activities are xenobiotic, meaning they are caused by humans. Many people are ignorant of the role played by soil in the life cycle and therefore they engage in activities not knowing the repercussions. This research will highlight such activities and ensure that they are significantly controlled and managed. This study lay focus on the United Kingdom, but the results should benefit people globally. References Domínguez, J. B., 2008, Soil contamination research trends. New York, Nova Science Publishers. Mirsal., 2007, Soil pollution: Origin, Monitoring & Remediation. Berlin, Springer. Dubois, A. N., 2008, Soil contamination: new research. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Fedorov,2004, Pesticides the chemical weapon that kills life : the USSR's tragic experience. Sofia: Pensoft. SÌŒasÌŒek, V., 2009, The utilization of bioremediation to reduce soil contamination: problems and solutions. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Ware, G. W., 2010, Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Continuation of Residue Reviews. New York, NY: Springer New York :. Read More