Ethiopia: Impact of soil contamination that demands attention

Environmental pollution pollutants that prevent an environment from providing the essential services and elements that can be found in the environment, is the release of the soil.

Evidence suggests that the environment can be considered polluted or damaged when these pollutants are damaging an area or when the area is poorly managed.

One type of pollution around the world or in Ethiopia is soil pollution. Experts also say that the problem has been largely ignored from ancient times until now.

Soil and environmental pollution is anything that undermines the quality of the soil according to the definition of Proclamation 300/2009 CE and can be caused by human activity and nature.

Delu Gedei, a soil pollution expert with the Commission on Environment, Forests and Climate Change, said it could be due to the use of pesticides and herbicides.

Soil contamination work began last year and work has been carried out in four regions, Amhara, Oromia, Tigray and South to identify the areas found in the contaminated soil. In collaboration with the Institute for the Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the soil sampling laboratory is being tested, he said.

In addition, it is planned to prepare a roadmap in 2020/21 and work together to monitor and control in all regions to minimize the impact of it.

There are a number of rules in place for factories in the country to control soil pollution. He explained that those who are working beyond the established standard are being aware. Regions are also encouraged to work with relevant stakeholders, Delu said.

According to Delu, soil pollution has not paid as much attention as water and air pollution. There are no institutions that focus on this. Most soil pollution is caused by chemicals released in industrial areas. When these contaminants enter the soil once, they reduce the productivity level of the area.

They also increase the acidity of the soil and cause damage to the environment and it is noted that this can be detrimental to human health.

The combination of indoor and outdoor particulate matter and ozone is a risk factor for many of the leading causes of death, including heart disease, stroke, lower respiratory tract infections, lung cancer, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD).

In particular, air pollution is responsible for the death of 5 million people each year. In the visualization, the world population might have to see the number of deaths per year attributed to each risk factor.

Pollution prevention is not the exclusive job of the commission. It works integrated with various institutions, universities, research institutes and the Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders.

He noted that the relationships established with India and different countries have been essential to gain experience. They say there is a plan to solve the same lab problem.

He also reported that there is a shortage of educated workforce in the sector. Therefore, stakeholders and universities, as well as relevant agencies, need to pay attention to feed it.

The expert in Environmental Protection and Environmental Technology of the Forest and Climate Change Research Institute, Yalemsew Adela, for his part, said that it is still in its infancy in terms of research and development, leading to development and reduction of pollution. .

Yalemsew also noted: “Pollution is considered a luxury because Ethiopians continue to struggle to meet our basic needs. However, environmental work is not only a challenge for our country but also for most developing countries.”

According to Yalemsew, contamination of water, soil, air, or other organisms occurs when toxins or microorganisms are found in excessive amounts or in large amounts in nature in such a way that they can harm humans or plants. And if it is exceeded scientifically, it can be said contaminated.

For example, if the soil is sprayed with pesticides to produce vegetables and other products, the amount of pesticide spread on the soil is measured according to various international standards. If it is below the standard, it is environmental pollution and environmental contact can cause problems. But it is not environmental pollution.

It sticks to the soil in water, plants and animals and insects take it. When exposed to sunlight, the chemical can change into something else. He explained that all these processes can be said to be contaminated when there is a potentially harmful reserve.

According to Yalemsew, there are many things that can contaminate the soil. You mentioned, for example, that there is a chemical called chromium from a tannery. And he pointed out that when a chemical is applied to different soils in different countries, the damage it causes varies by environment.

However, if a milligram of dioxin is found in the soil, it will kill more than 50 percent of all living things and will have the same effect wherever it is found.

Soil pollution does not conform to Ethiopian standards. It has not yet been processed. Soil research is carried out in a variety of ways for soil acidity and fertility.

See what the plants look like in the country, especially in the Akaki Kaliti area. There are fragmented studies on the amount of chromium present in the tomato farm. Most of these studies do not indicate that the soil is contaminated, but that the plants that grow there contain more chemicals than they should.

Signs of technical contamination indicate that soil contamination is coming. He said that when pesticides are sprayed in a field to control insects, 99.9 percent of the soil is exposed to contamination. Ten years later, the soil is in the country, it seems to be contaminated in a large stock. All the experiences shared by the experts suggest that standards are important.

Yalemsew further said that other countries have come to the rescue after polluting the environment. He said: “we have a good opportunity for our country to learn from them.” When environmental pollution arises, it is a signal for the community to act for the sustainable development of the economy and the environment. “It would be a joke to say that community awareness and a serious economic crisis go hand in hand with environmental problems,” he said.

He highlighted: “Do not leave your bathroom in the river so as not to contaminate the community.” The level of awareness in the community about contamination is cause for concern.

He pointed out that the country has policies, regulations, guidelines and strategies. However, even when designing a city, they worry that they haven’t been able to learn anything from Addis Ababa and that there is no modern drainage system.

A scientist-led society is needed to reduce environmental pollution. Ethiopians are not yet free from traditional thinking. The Indians say: “Without a scientific community, there would be no point in doing anything.”

The environment is a community problem and everyone owns the problem. When there are opportunities, a professional can develop the necessary technologies and adapt imported ones, he said.

He added that the impact on the environment, soil, air, water and the community will be studied and analyzed, and that a recommendation will be made to identify the problem and reduce it. The factory owners, the experts hired to conduct the study and the licensing agencies are not doing their part. In the end, the factory is operational and environmental problems are common.

He stressed that the media should play an important role in raising public awareness.

Three things must be done in environmental work. Understanding them includes the tendency to use the knowledge acquired and avoid polluting the environment. Having done this, they can easily protect the commonwealth.

He acknowledged that the health crisis is related to the growing pollution in the area. “Therefore, public awareness must continue to grow in terms of problems related to pollution.”

According to the expert, the environmental protection law must be strictly monitored and factories must be monitored regularly. At the same time, if law, order and knowledge go together, a favorable situation would be created.

“We have a poor environmental management system and most of the development works that we are doing are damaging the environment,” Yalemsew said.

However, the level of soil contamination at the national level has not reached alarming levels. There are water and soil works along the Awash River.

According to the study, many of the nutrients in vegetables are high in chemicals and can be harmful if eaten.

Both experts said that soil in the area where the soil is believed to be contaminated or in contact with the same soil in a safe location away from the factory is less likely to be contaminated.

The rivers of Ethiopia, especially in the Kaliti and Akaki areas, are known to be heavily polluted. Plants in contaminated soil that are used for irrigation or dry or liquid extract contaminated water as well as chemicals that are sprayed on agricultural land.

According to experts, water pollution related to chemicals from factories pollutes the soil in nearby fields. They said that growing vegetables in the soil is an indication of the presence of unwanted foreign substances in the soil.