Variability of edaphic parameters in the area affected by a municipal waste landfill

A b s t r a c t. Monitoring the soil quality in municipal landfill sites is critical.It poses challenges because of the diversity of municipal waste, soil properties, and hydrogeological conditions at a landfill.This study aimed to assess the variability of soil properties in the zone of impact of a municipal waste landfill in the city of Bydgoszcz (Poland, Central Europe).The soil material was taken from ten sampling points, including the control sample located in a nearby forest that was not influenced by the municipal waste landfill.The basic physicochemical properties of soils, the content of selected heavy metals and enzymatic activities were determined.To evaluate the risk resulting from the toxicity of heavy metals in the soils, the contamination factor (CF), enrichment factor (EF), Nemerow's pollution index (PN) and pollutant load index (PLI) were calculated.Additionally, the soil quality indices, i.e. the geometric mean of enzyme activities (GMea), total enzyme activity index (TEI), and metabolic activity index (MAI), were calculated.The study showed that the heavy metal content in the soils was acceptable, with the following order of concentration: Cd < Pb < Ni < Cu < Cr < Zn.Some enrichment was noted and the enzymatic analysis indicated that anthropogenic activities significantly influenced the activity of soil dehydrogenases and phosphatases.The findings highlight the complexity of soil dynamics in such areas and emphasise the importance of long-term monitoring.