Difference between Land Pollution and Soil Pollution

Key Difference: Land Pollution refers to the degradation or destruction of the surface of the Earth. It is mainly caused directly or indirectly by human’s activities. Soil pollution deals with the contamination or destruction of the topmost ‘soil’ layer of land. Soil pollution is also a cause of land pollution which affects land as well as other entities like forests of a region, productivity of land, etc.

Land Pollution refers to the degradation or destruction of the surface of the Earth. It is mainly caused directly or indirectly by human’s activities. These activities lessen the quality of land drastically. In land pollution, solid or liquid waste materials get deposited on land or underground and further degrade the quality of soil and groundwater. This contamination leads to public health hazards.

Land pollution is mainly caused due to construction, agriculture, domestic waste and industrial waste. Chemicals like metallic pollutants (dyes, soaps, drugs, etc.), agro chemicals (fertilizers, rodenticides, etc.) and radioactive chemicals degrade the quality of land.

Soil pollution refers to alteration that is caused in the natural soil environment. These alterations become threat, if the contamination reaches beyond the threshold concentration level. The main reason for such contamination is due to the man-made waste. It mainly occurs due to the penetration of harmful pesticides and insecticides. It leads to deterioration on the quality of soil. Soil becomes contaminated, and thus becomes unsuitable for further usage. Human made chemicals are mainly to be held responsible for causing soil pollution.

Land pollution deals with both land and soil. Land pollution is mainly caused by release of damaging materials into the land, whereas soil pollution mainly deals with the contamination and destruction of soil of a particular region. Soil pollution is one of the causes of land pollution, and therefore many times they are used interchangeably or in the form of land/soil pollution.

Comparison between Land Pollution and Soil Pollution:

	Land Pollution	Soil Pollution
Definition	Land Pollution refers to the degradation or destruction of the surface of the Earth. It is mainly caused directly or indirectly by human’s activities.	Soil pollution refers to alteration that is caused in the natural soil environment. These alterations become threat, if the contamination reaches beyond the threshold concentration level.
Causes	Deforestation and soil erosion Agricultural activities like use of toxic fertilizers, etc. Mining activities which creates spaces in land. Overcrowded landfills generated by household garbage Waste disposed by industries Nuclear waste Solid waste which is left after the sewage treatment	Improper agricultural practices like overuse of land in terms of grazing, agriculture, etc. Improper disposal of waste Agricultural chemicals Industrial activity Acid rain Nuclear waste Buried wastes Disposal of coal ash Electronic waste
Effects	Climate change, can lead to problems like acid rain, global warming, etc. Extinction of species Boimagnification which refers to the accumulation of non-biodegradable substances in the food chain Effects on biodiversity	Reduction in the fertility of soil Contamination in the public passage by solid waste Contamination of underground and surface drinking water Poisoning of the ecosystem Soil erosion Emission of toxic gases
Generally used in context to	Earth's land surface	Soil of a particular region