IMPACT OF TREATED AND UNTREATED WASTE WATERS ON SOIL PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND MICROBIAL PROPERTIES

The quality of water used for the irrigation of agricultural crops has significant effects on soil properties. This experiment was conducted to examine the impact of treated and untreated waste waters on the physicochemical and microbial properties of soil. Waste waters (fish pond effluent and municipal waste water) including water from borehole, were subjected to physical filtration using sole and combination of filtration materials (granite, charcoal, rice husk, and river sand). The treated and untreated waste waters were deployed to irrigate potted cucumber plants arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD). Soil samples were collected for analysis after the experiment. The results obtained showed that soil organic carbon, available P, Ca and N were highest in soil irrigated with fish pond effluent filtered with rice husk (T5). Organic carbon and CEC were higher for soil irrigated with municipal waste water filtered with charcoal (T9). Similarly, treated waste waters (T5 and T11) improved the soil texture. Furthermore, significant differences (P˂0.05) were observed in soil pH among the treatments. Bacteria, yeast and fungi populations were significantly higher for soil irrigated with untreated fishpond effluent (T1) and untreated municipal waste water (T7). Filtered waste waters (fish pond effluent and municipal waste water) using sole and combination of filtration materials improved soil physical and chemical, and also help in reducing pathogenic organisms that could be harmful to other useful microbes in the soil. Therefore, wastewater treated with sole and combined filtration materials has no detrimental effects on soil physical and chemical properties.