Analysis and Characteristics of Soils Underlying Open Dumpsites in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria: Their Agricultural and Environmental Implications

Open dumpsites are naturally connected to climate change, soil pollution and loss of biodiversity, problems described as triple planetary crisis. Despite this, dumping of wastes in open dumpsites is a common practice in Akwa Ibom State and indeed in most developing parts of the world. This study evaluated the impacts of various dumpsite waste materials on the physicochemical characteristics of the underlying soils in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria with the aim of determining their agricultural and environmental implications. Nine dumpsites were identified and sampled in Etinan, Uyo and Ikot Ekpene Local Government Areas (LGA) of the State: one each for automechanic, paints processing, and abattoir wastes per LGA. An area believed to have no history of any of the wastes’ contamination was used as the control in each of the LGAs. Wastes samples were collected from the wastes piles while soil samples were collected from predetermined depths (0-20, 20-40 and 40-60) cm underneath the wastes piles and analyzed using standard laboratory procedures. The results had revealed that the continuous dumping of the automechanic, paint-processing, and abattoir wastes over the years have greatly modified the physicochemical characteristics of soils beneath the dumpsites in Akwa Ibom State. The pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, exchangeable cations, and nutrient changes showed a direct relationship between waste compositions and soil pollution. Abattoir wastes were found to have enriched the impacted soils with organic matter and basic cations; paints processing wastes were outstanding in causing alkalinity in the impacted soils which can interfere with nutrients uptake. These changes can have serious impact on soil health and the entire ecosystem. As such intervention strategies of sustainable segregation of wastes, controlled disposal, and bioremediation must be done as a matter of urgency to ameliorate the impact already caused by the open dumpsites.