Impact of Technogenic Saline Soils on Some Chemical Properties and on the Activity of Selected Enzymes

Abstract

The study was based on saline soils with surface mineral layers impacted by the waste produced by the soda plant in Poland. The activity of selected enzymes (catalase CAT, alkaline AlP, and acid phosphatase AcP), pH in KCl, content of the clay, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total exchangeable bases (TEB), electrical conductivity (ECe), CaCO3, and concentration of available phosphorus AP were investigated in the soil next to the soda plant. Based on the enzyme activity, the following were calculated: enzymatic pH indicator AlP/AcP, the resistance index (RS), resilience index (RL), relative changes (RCh), and the time index (TI). The soil was sampled from the mineral horizon in spring and autumn from eight (S1–S8) soil sampling sites in the area of the soda plant and from the control point (C). Soil is characterized by alkaline reaction. Statistical analysis (ANOVA, η2 effect size) showed significant variation in parameters under the influence of different sites next to soda plant. The content of TOC ranged from 4.70 to 47.7 g kg−1, and TN from 19 to 4.36 g kg−1. ECe next to the soda plant ranged between 6.87 and 204 mS cm−1. The highest values were confirmed in the soil of S1 both in spring and autumn. Higher TEB values were noted in the soil in autumn. In the soil within the impact of the soda plant, the AP content decreased and in the soil from sites S1, S3, S6, and S8 (in spring), the lowest AP content was recorded at 1.20, 4.14, 5.98, and 0.99 mg kg−1, respectively. The highest activity of AlP in spring was noted at site S1 and in autumn at site S4. In the soil next to the soda plant, the activity of AcP decreased, as compared to the control which is seen from the negative values of the coefficient of relative changes (RCh). The analysis of RCh in the catalase activities showed that in the soil from sites S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5, the activity increased, as compared to the control. The lowest values of the resistance index (RS) for phosphatases were reported in the soil of S6. Research shows that the activity of enzymes and their indexes make it possible to conduct long-term monitoring and identify the processes in soil.