Soil pollution

• Soil pollution is defined as the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or contaminants) in soil, in high enough concentrations to pose a risk to human health and/or the ecosystem.
• Soil pollution is the removal of useful substances from the soil or the addition of harmful substances to it.
• Garbage, cotton clothes, newspapers, trees waste, are the causes of soil pollution. Plastic, glasses, metal objects, are also caused by soil pollution.
• Agricultural practices such as the use of non-organic products in crop and livestock production lead to soil pollution.
• Onshore drilling is the practice of drilling deep under the surface of the earth, whereas offshore drilling involves drilling underneath the seabed.
• Hence, we may say that offshore drilling doesn't affect soil whereas Eutrophication consists of marine water pollution, not soil pollution.

Noise pollution

• Noise pollution is caused when noise, which is an unpleasant sound.

• It is caused by machines in industries, loud music, traffic, car horns, etc.
• Human ears cannot bear sound above certain decibels and frequency.
• Hence, such sound causes damage to the ear and temporary or permanent hearing loss often called 'a temporary threshold shift'.
• Noise greater than 75 dB over long exposure can cause hearing damage.
• Noise above 120 dB can cause biochemical changes in human bodies.

Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules 2021

• Earlier, the Ministry had notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021.
• These rules prohibit specific single-use plastic items which have “low utility and high littering potential” by 2022.
• It mandates producers of plastic packaging material to collect all of their produce by 2024 and ensure that a minimum percentage of it be recycled as well as used in subsequent supply.
• Producers of plastic will be obliged to declare to the government, via a centralised website, how much plastic they produce annually.

Radioactive pollution

• Radioactive pollution refers to the physical pollution of living organisms and their environment.
• Radioactive contamination sources include the mining and testing of radioactive materials, nuclear power stations, nuclear weapons as well as medical diagnostics and treatment procedures.
• The key causes of emissions are radionuclides; they release beta particles and gamma rays, radioactive substances, etc.
• Causes of Radioactive Pollution:

1. Nuclear Accidents From Nuclear Power Plants
2. Usage of Radioisotope
3. Mining Sectors
4. Radioactive Materials Spillage
5. Radiation Checks
6. Defensive Weapon Development

Solid Waste Management Rules 2016

• It replaced the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, which were in place for the past 16 years.
• These rules are the sixth category of waste management rules brought out by the ministry, as it has earlier notified plastic, e-waste, biomedical, hazardous and construction and demolition waste management rules.
• The source segregation of waste has been mandated to channelize the waste to wealth by recovery, reuse and recycle.
• Responsibilities of Generators have been introduced to segregate waste into three streams, Wet (Biodegradable), Dry (Plastic, Paper, metal, wood, etc.) and domestic hazardous wastes (diapers, napkins, empty containers of cleaning agents, mosquito repellents, etc.) and handover segregated wastes to authorized rag-pickers or waste collectors or local bodies.
• Integration of waste pickers/ rag pickers and waste dealers/ Kabadiwalas in the formal system should be done by State Governments, and Self Help Group, or any other group to be formed.
• No person should throw, burn, or bury the solid waste generated by him, on streets, open public spaces outside his premises, or in the drain, or water bodies.
• The generator will have to pay ‘User Fee’ to the waste collector and for ‘Spot Fine’ for Littering and Non-segregation.