Evaluation of degradation of agricultural soils associated with brick burning in selected soil profiles in the eastern region of Bangladesh
2006
Khan, M.H.R.(Okayama Univ. (Japan)) | Rahman, M.K. | Rouf, A.J.M.A. | Oki, Y. | Adachi, T.
Degradation of agricultural soils associated with brick burning (400 to 1000 deg C) was examined based on profile studies of burnt (soil around brick kilns) and unburnt (agricultural land) soils in the Cox's Bazar and Comilla districts, Chittagong division, Moulvibazar district Sylhet division and Dhaka and Mymensingh districts, Dhaka division. The pH values of the unburnt soils increased as a function of the soil depth, except for the sub-soils in Cox's Bazar, where the values decreased. Burning of soils significantly (p-0.05) increased the average pH (8 %) and EC values (520 %). The average sand content of the soil profiles increased by 245 %, while the silt and clay contents decreased by 42 and 36 %, respectively. The average losses associated with the burning of agricultural soils were amounted to 66 % for organic matter, 67 to 90 and 27 to 73 % for available and total N, P, K and S, respectively. This deterioration of soil fertility throughout the 1m deep profile in the area affected by brick factories covering 5000 ha led to a loss of large amounts of nutrients from the soils and to environmental degradation, along with contributing to changes in the global climate.
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