Scope of soil organic carbon sequestration through agro-based industrial wastewater use in different soil types dominated in eastern India

Abstract

Wastewater management is a growing concern for the clean environment. The impact of the agro-based brewery, paper mill, and distillery wastewaters on soil organic carbon (SOC) and its fractions was investigated. Three major soil types of Eastern India were incubated at 100 and 60% of field capacity moisture at room temperature (28-39°C) for a period of 12, 25, 42 and 59 days under laboratory condition. Application of wastewaters improved SOC, registered relatively higher response (4 to 6.67 folds) under low SOC (1.9-2.5 gm/kg) than high SOC (>5.0 gm/kg) soil (one to three folds), enhanced the (mean) degree of humification in a range of 3 to 218 folds in different soils. The microbial biomass carbon was also improved without showing any consistent trend with wastewater treatments or soil types. The study reveals that the agro-based industrial wastewaters could be effectively managed for sustaining SOC and its fractions in different soil types.