S. Nizammuddin A. Sridevi and G. Narasimha
Abstract
Effect of dairy factory effluents on physico-chemical, biological and enzymatic activities like protease, amylase and cellulase of soil was assessed in the present study. Discharge of effluents from milk dairy factory alters the physicochemical, biological and enzymatic properties of soil, These changes included higher in pH of the soil from 6.96 to 7.94 and water holding capacity 0.3 - 0.6 in control and polluted soil respectively. There is increase in electrical conductivity and soil texture like clay, organic carbon, total nitrogen and phosphorus in contaminated soil. Enzyme activities were measured with addition of substrates, casein for protease, starch for amylase and cat-boxy methyl cellulose for cellulase to soils, and accumulation of hydrolytic product tyrosine and glucose formed from substrates in the soil was estimated at periodic intervals.Activities of enzymes such as protease, amylase and cellulase were relatively higher in soil polluted with dairy effluents than the control soil. Three fold reduced bacterial and fungal population was recorded in polluted soil than control.