The toxic chemicals present in the soil can decrease soil fertility and therefore decrease in the soil yield. The contaminated soil is then used to produce fruits and vegetables, which lacks quality nutrients and may contain some poisonous substance to cause serious health problems in people consuming them.

Air pollutants have a negative impact on plant growth, primarily through interfering with resource accumulation. Air pollutants that are first deposited on the soil, such as heavy metals, first affect the functioning of roots and interfere with soil resource capture by the plant.

Soil pollution causes a chain reaction. It alters soils’ biodiversity, reduces soil organic matter and soils’ capacity to act as a filter. It also contaminates the water stored in the soil and groundwater, and causes an imbalance of soil nutrients.

Illegal dumping of the solid wastes, polluted water absorbed by the soil, use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, dumping of minerals, oils, and radioactive wastes are the major causes of soil pollution (Cachada et al.

Soil treating chemicals are of types depending on their chemical naturea. Pre-emergence chemical: There are chemicals which are phytotoxic and can be used as pre-emergence drenches e.g. Formaldehyde, Methyl bromide (MB), Chloropicrin, Vapam, Ehylene dibromide(EDI3), D-D (Dichloropropane-Dichloropropane).

Soil is our life support system. Soils provide anchorage for roots, hold water and nutrients. Soils are home to myriad micro-organisms that fix nitrogen and decompose organic matter, and armies of microscopic animals as well as earthworms and termites. Soil plays a vital role in the Earth’s ecosystem.

Treatments for Soil Acidity Soil acidity can be ameliorated and the pH of the soil increased by the addition of lime/limestone (calcium carbonate) and similar compounds that have been ground fine for use. Dolomitic limestone. Quicklime. Hydrated lime.

Two materials commonly used for lowering the soil pH are aluminum sulfate and sulfur. These can be found at a garden supply center. Aluminum sulfate will change the soil pH instantly because the aluminum produces the acidity as soon as it dissolves in the soil.

Soil pH can be reduced most effectively by adding elemental sulfur, aluminum sulfate or sulfuric acid. The choice of which material to use depends on how fast you hope the pH will change and the type/size of plant experiencing the deficiency.

Signs of Acidic Soil (Low pH):

• Yellow spots in your lawn.
• Wilting grass blades.
• Leaf blight (fungal disease).
• Stunted grass growth.
• High volume of oak and pine trees. These trees grow well in areas with acidic ground.
• Weeds and moss – both thrive in acidic lawns.

A lawn in acidic soil may become yellowed and limp. The lawn may also thin out and have bare patches. Also, highly acidic soil reduces the effectiveness of fertilizer, so if you have been faithful with application but your lawn still looks unhealthy, it is time to get a soil test done.

Lawns need lime when low soil pH starts inhibiting the availability of nutrients. Soil pH preferences vary between regional lawn grasses, but most grasses prefer soil pH between 5.8 and 7.2. Warm-season grasses tolerate slightly lower pH, while cool-season grasses prefer pH slightly higher.

At a higher pH, soil builds up toxic levels of certain nutrients. For example, molybdenum, typically a plant nutrient, becomes poisonous to plants in large amounts. Molybdenum soil levels increase in a high pH environment. Introducing a plant food that results in high pH levels can be toxic to that plant.

Soils may be alkaline due to over-liming acidic soils. Also, alkaline irrigation waters may cause soil alkalinity and this is treatable, but alkaline soils are primarily caused by a calcium carbonate-rich parent material weathering (developing) in an arid or dry environment.

Using Vinegar on Soil To lower the pH level of soil and make it more acidic, vinegar can be applied by hand or using an irrigation system. For a basic treatment, a cup of vinegar can be mixed with a gallon of water and poured over soil with a watering can.

The best soil pH is 7, plants can’t grow in soils that are too acidic or too alkaline/basic. As soil pH becomes lower (more acidic), cation exchange capacity diminishes, nutrients leach away and soil instead may supply plants with harmful aluminum ions.

Exchangeable acidity has to do with the H+ ions that are left over in the soil making the soil more acidic which is why liming is a good practice in the soils so that it adds Ca++ to change places with 2 H+ ions and raise the pH of the soil.

Active acidity is the quantity of hydrogen ions that are present in the soil water solution. The second pool, exchangeable acidity, refers to the amount of acid cations, aluminum and hydrogen, occupied on the CEC.

The exchangeable acidity is an important parameter used to monitor the state of acid soils. Usually, it is determined by potentiometric titration of salt extracts from soils. Potassium ions substitute the hydrogen ions and metal cations of soil adsorption complex, transferring them into liquid phase.

Exchangeable acidity of soils has previously been measured by titration of soil extracts to a phenolphthalein endpoint at pH 8.3. The use of standard hydrogen and aluminium solutions indicates that this is inaccurate and a preferred technique, differential potentiometric titration is proposed.

Soil pH and available Ca are usually directly correlated. For example, as pH increases the base saturation increases, thus the amount of exchangeable Ca, Mg, and K increase.