The Effects of Physicochemical Parameters on Analysed Soil Enzyme Activity from Alice Landfill Site

Abstract

The soil pollution as a product of xenobiotics, industrial action, agricultural chemicals, or inappropriate disposal of waste can change the natural environment of soil indices and trigger life-threatening situations. Soil enzyme activity is the suitable bio-indicator or parameter for monitoring soil pollution due to their sensitivity that quickly responds to any soil disturbances. Also, they are known to play an essential role in maintaining soil health and a quality environment. This study aimed to determine the levels of enzyme activity in soil from polluted and unpolluted sites and study the relationship between the physicochemical properties and soil enzyme activity to manage soil pollution. Four selected enzymes (Urease, Invertase, Catalase, and Phosphatase) were examined for their activity from forty samples using the assay method for 24 h; the colorimetry spectrophotometer measured their activity. The obtained data revealed that Invertase activity was a predominant enzyme in all soil samples. Whereas, the urease activity had obtained in low amounts for all collection sites, especially on Site A1. Soil pH had discovered to range between 5.8 and 8.51, moisture content values recorded to vary from 0.12% to 9.09%, and soil organic carbon recorded to fluctuate between 0.08% and 1.54%. Urease and phosphatase activity correlated positively with all soil physicochemical properties except for moisture content, which correlated negatively (r = −0.297; p ≥ 0.05). The invertase activity negatively associated all soil physicochemical properties, excluding the moisture content that correlated positively and significantly with invertase activity. We noted that the dumpsite soil contains low enzyme activity levels, which might attribute to the type of waste disposed off. Also, only the phosphatase activity reported correlating positively with all examined physicochemical parameters entirely.