EVALUATION OF SOIL PROPERTIES AT DUMPSITES FOR AGRICULTURAL USE IN GWAGWALADA AND BWARI AREA COUNCILS, FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, NIGERIA

Abstract

Studies in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have not been able to determinethe safety of dumpsite soils for agricultural use despite the widespread use of dumpsite soilsas organic manure. A study of soil properties at dumpsites for agricultural use in theGwagwalada and Bwari area councils was carried out with the following objectives: assessthe concentration of soil properties at dumpsites in the study area; and then ascertain thesuitability of soil at dumpsites for agricultural use in the study area. A field survey of threepurposely selected dumpsites (Mpape, Gwagwalada and Kwuba) was conducted for thecollection of soil samples. A total of eighty-one (81) soil samples were collected from thedumpsites and control sites. Three top and subsoil samples were collected at 0 m, 20 m, 40 mand 60 m from the three dumpsites and their control sites. The data were analysed via means,standard deviations and ANOVA. The results show that the mean distributions of soilproperties at the Mpape, Gwagwalada and Kubwa dumpsites were as follows: pH (7.52, 7.52and 7.08), EC (581.35, 264.75 and 906.50 μmol/cm), NO3- (15.11, 11.20 and 10.98 mg/kg),P (4.11 and 3.81 mg/kg), K (14.12 and 14.10 and 13.53 mg/kg), Zn (0.84 and 0.94 mg/kg),Pb (0.15 and 0.24 and 0.03 mg/kg), Cr (0.36 and 0.73 mg/kg), Cd (1.34 and 0.97 and 0.94mg/kg), and Cu (1.75 and 1.49 mg/kg). The distributions of the soil properties were notuniform among the three dumpsites. It was concluded that the soils are not suitable foragricultural purposes. It is recommended, among other things, that soils at dumpsites shouldnot be converted to agricultural use without treatment because of elevated heavy metals atdumpsites.