| dc.description.abstract | One of the most serious environmental problems in urban and rural areas is the huge generation of municipal solid wastes due to the increasing global population and improvement in the standard of living of people. Many incidences of negative impacts of open dumping have come into light especially in terms of soil and water contamination, thereby leading to negative impacts for Agriculture and commerce. A study was conducted at Entebbe Open dumpsite to assess the impact of open dumping on soil properties at the site. Composite samples were collected from 6 distance categories (blocks) and taken to Makerere University Soil analytical Laboratory where soil physical and chemical properties were determined. The results show that soil pH was generally high, organic carbon and available phosphorus were low, percentage nitrogen was slightly high while the exchangeable bases (Na, Ca, K) were high in the soils. The soil texture was sandy loam. However, there were no significant differences in soil properties between the distances. The soil pH, organic carbon, available phosphorus and Na were way above the critical levels, hence may not be suitable for general crop production while percentage N, Ca and K are suitable for production of most crops. In conclusion, dumping of wastes at the site affected the soil properties which may have an impact on crop production and may also affect the nearby Lake Victoria. | en_US |
