पृथ्वी विज्ञान एवं जलवायु परिवर्तन जर्नल

अमूर्त

Assessment of Soil Contamination near Samanabad Sewage Drain and its Nutritional Potential for Aesthetic Beauty

Hamid Raza H.M1, Sidra Khawer2, Umar Farooq1, Makshoof Athar1, Saima Atif3

Soils are the primary component of urban ecosystems. Pollution of soil caused usually due to xenobiotic materials and alteration in the environment natural soils, which is due to improper waste disposal, agriculture chemicals and industrial activities. The present study is to monitor the soil pollution and the suitability of contaminated soil to be used to enhance floral beauty of land adjacent to Samanabad Sewage Drain, Lahore. Total 6 km of land was divided into 8 sites, 4 on each side of the drain. A total of 32 samples were collected from four different depths: 0-15 cm, 15-30 cm, 30-60 cm and 60-90 cm. Soil quality parameters: Saturation percentage, electrical conductivity, moisture content, organic content, potassium, phosphorus and heavy metals in soil samples were analyzed and compared with different available standards statistically. Results showed that the soil electrical conductivity, potassium, phosphorus, organic contents and heavy metals were relatively higher than standards. Due to high nutritional value, soil can be used as compost or fertilizer to enhance floral beauty through selective planting of salts and metal tolerant ornamental plants.