Studies on Municipal Solid Wastes Dumping on Soil Anions, Cations and Selected Enzymes Activities at Njoku Sawmill Waste Dumpsite, Owerri Municipal, Imo State, Nigeria

In this study, the physicochemical parameters, anions, exchangeable cations, tracemetals concentrations and selected soil enzymes activities of Njoku solid waste dumpsite Owerri municipal, Nigeria were investigated. Soil temperature (28.8 ± 0.04 – 33.9±0.01oC), pH of the heavily polluted points (7.3 ± 0.01 – 7.4±0.03) moisture content (26.74±0.10) were significantly higher (P< 0.05) compared to control soil samples. Similarly dumpsite soil nitrate level, percentage organic carbon, organic matter, sulphate and phosphate ions were significantly (P<0.05) increased with increased waste dumping. All the exchangeable cations and trace metals concentrations investigated were higher (P<0.05) than control levels. However, while the dumpsite soil alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity remained unaffected by waste dumping (p>0.05), acid phosphatase, dehydrogenase, lipase, hydrogen peroxidase and urease enzymes activities were enhanced (p<0.05) at the heavily polluted points of the dumpsite compared to control samples. Although the dumping of solid wastes increased the soil nutrients, most were made unavailable to plants and microorganisms.