A Study of the Soil Properties Contaminated with Sewage Water in the New Residential Neighborhoods at Al-Zafaraniya District

Abstract

The present investigation was performed to investigate the impact of untreated sewage water discharged from the new residential neighborhoods to the adjacent areas in the study area in “Al-Zafaraniya city” on the physicochemical properties of the soil. Samples were  gathered at a 10-15 cm depth at various distances to determine Calcium, Magnesium and chloride, in addition to analyzing soil electrical conductivity, pH, total dissolved salts, and total hardness. The study results revealed that the concentration of calcium, magnesium and chloride elements increased significantly in soil samples close to the main source of pollution and affected by untreated sewage, compared to soil samples collected from another location (D) located 100 meters from the main source. It was also observed that the concentration of dissolved salts increased in the soil, coinciding with the increase in the concentration of these elements, which in turn was considered the reason for the increase in the total hardness and conductivity of this soil. This indicates that the soil near the main stream is polluted, as this pollution seriously affects human, plant and animal life in the area. The importance of the study lies in the need to find urgent solutions to reduce water pollution, whether for human use or for agriculture, by equipping a sewage treatment plant for the residential neighborhood in Zafaraniya and any similar city, directing the construction of sewage networks in residential neighborhoods to the nearest sewage treatment plant, and not discharging untreated water directly into the soil to ensure environmental safety.