Soil contamination

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/soil-contamination

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary drivers?Industrial processes, agricultural chemical application, and inadequate waste management practices
2. Why does soil become contaminated?It happens mainly from old factories that dumped waste and from farms that use many synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, especially after the Industrial Revolution.
3. How does contaminated soil affect plants and animals?It can stop plants from growing, upset the tiny microbes that help recycle nutrients, and let toxins move up the food chain, hurting wildlife.

Xenobiotic: Chemical substances foreign to a living organism or biological system, typically of anthropogenic origin.
Bioaccumulation: The gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism.
Leaching: The process by which soluble substances are dissolved and carried away by water or other liquids, often through soil.