EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND LAND DESERTIFICATION

During past decades, increased wastewater production by human activities intensified the problem of wastewater use without causing undesirable impacts on the environment and human life. However, practice of wastewater use in irrigation crops and green spaces needs careful control because of the potential presence of unwanted constituents such as heavy metals and organic contaminants. This research was designed to evaluate the effects of industrial wastewater on soil properties in Yazd, Iran. For this purpose, two plots were prepared and irrigated for five years, one with industrial wastewater and the other with local groundwater. Finally, soil samples collected from both plots were analyzed in laboratory and important factors and elements including EC, pH, SAR, K, N, P, Ca, Pb, Fe, Cd, CaCO3 and OC (organic carbon) which are important in soil degradation and land desertification were determined. According to the results obtained from this research it should be reported that this type of wastewater may cause soil degradation due to increasingSAR, EC, pH and Pb and also decreasing N, K and OC. It is clear that soil degradation is the main factor which causes and accelerates the process of desertification.