Assessment of macro and micro nutrients around brick kilns agricultural environment

Abstract

Brick kiln is well known as one of the main sources of air pollution; however, the pollutants produced from it do not remain in the air, they ultimately fall down to the soil and pollute the surroundings, therefore, this study was carried out to assess the status of macro (N, P, K and S) and micro nutrients (Fe, Mn and Zn, Cu) in the agricultural environment near the brick kilns of Young Brahmaputra and Jamuna Floodplain soils. Composite soil and plant samples were collected from four distances such as 250m, 500m, 1000m, and 1500m in three different sites. Sulphur (2352–3378mgkg−1), Zn (86–156mgkg−1) and Cu (24.7–46.9mgkg−1) are found in the elevated levels near brick kiln soils that is released due to burning of poor quality coal and fire woods. The alarming news is that plant uptake of S and micro nutrients in the nearest areas of the brick kilns are significantly higher than the areas far from the brick production and their concentration ranges from 23mgkg−1 to 101mgkg−1 for Zn, 10–41mgkg−1 for Cu, 35–1309mgkg−1 for Fe, 26–126mgkg−1 for Mn and 2590–mgkg−1 for S. Data indicates both soil and plant received maximum amount of micronutrients and S concentrations within 500–1000m distances from brick kilns. Iron and Mn concentrations vary within a permissible limit but the plant uptake is high. Nitrogen concentrations is increasing with the distance from the brick kilns in both soils and plants but no definite pattern of P and K accumulation was found. Research suggested avoiding agricultural practice nearby brick kiln soils due to micronutrient contamination in order to preserve adjoined agricultural environment.