Table 16.1 Major anthropogenic and natural sources of organic and inorganic pollutants in soil
No. Types of pollutants
Major sources
Organic pollutants
1.
Phenols
Distilleries, pulp and paper industries, coal mines, oil refineries,
wood preservation, plants, pharmaceuticals, coke-oven
batteries, herbicides, pesticides and their wastewaters
2.
Petroleum
hydrocarbons
Refineries, industries and transportation
3.
Endocrine-disrupting
chemicals
As plasticizers in industries, plastic resins’ factories and
polyurethane polymers manufacture
4.
Chlorinated phenols
Pulp and paper industries, tanneries, distilleries, dyes, paint
manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries
5.
Pesticides
Industries, factories and agricultural applications
6.
Azo dyes
Textile, leather, paint, acrylic, cosmetics, plastics and
pharmaceutical industries
7.
Melanoidins
Agro-based industries especially from cane molasses-based
distilleries and fermentation industries
Inorganic pollutants
1.
Aluminium
Mining and metallurgical industries and municipal, hospital and
electronic wastes
2.
Iron
Metallurgical and mining, batteries, volcanic emissions and
municipal and hospital wastes
3.
Zinc
Fertilizer, mining and metallurgical industries and municipal
and hospital wastes
4.
Molybdenum
Combustion of fossil fuels and mining and metallurgical
industries
5.
Magnesium
Mining, agriculture, fertilizers and municipal and hospital
wastes
6.
Manganese
Municipal and agricultural wastes, combustion of fossil fuels
and mining and mineral processings
7.
Cobalt
Wood preservatives and volcanic emissions
8.
Copper
Mining and metallurgical industries, municipal wastes
incineration, carbon black production, electronics, wood
preservatives and architecture
9.
Beryllium
Combustion of fossil fuels, electronics, municipal waste
incineration, weathering of rocks, beryllium alloy and chemical
industries
10.
Nickel
Metal electroplating and nickel mining industries, oil refineries,
municipal wastes and combustion of fossil fuels
11.
Selenium
Incineration, coal, oil and mining, milling and metallurgical
industries
12.
Lead
Mining and metallurgical industries, plastics, paints, pipes,
batteries, gasoline and automobiles
13.
Cadmium
Fertilizers, plastics, pigments, oil refineries and mining and
metallurgical industries
14.
Chromium
Tanneries, paints, pigments, fungicides and mining and
metallurgical industries
15.
Mercury
Coal, vinyl chlorides, electrical batteries and thermometers
(continued)
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