EVALUATION OF HARMFUL EFFECT OF POLLUTION SOURCES ON SOILS AND PLANTS VIA N, P AND K CONCENTRATION STUDIES AT MIDDLE NORTH DELTA REGION

Fourteen waste water samples (municipal, agricultural and/or industrial) were collected from the extreme parts of middle North Delta region at pump station where pumped their waste water to the Burullus lagoon, bottom sediment samples also taken at the same locations. Fourteen soil profiles also taken which irrigated with the waste water, plant samples which planted on these profiles were taken in April 2010.
                Macronutrient analysis; (N, P and K) of soil profile samples in three layers; 0-30, 30-60 and 60 to water table in centimeter. Plants and bottom sediments were analyzed also. Nitrogenous analysis nitrite, nitrate, ammonia and total nitrogen were analyzed of waste water samples.
The obtained results show that:

Content of N, P and K in soil profiles was higher at location No. 4 than other studied locations, where El-Nasr fertilizer factory discharge their effluent in El-Tawella drain. Nitrogen content was lower in location No. 5 where irrigated with drain No. 3 while the total content of P in profile No. 1 irrigated with drain No. 1. K content and available P were lower in profile No. 3 before El-Nasr Fertilizer Factory.
Content of N, P and K in plants depend on the type of plant and kind of irrigation water source (agricultural, industrial and/or municipal).
Bottom sediments content from of N, P and K were higher than the content of soil profiles which irrigated with the polluted water especially at El-Nasr fertilizer factory.
Surface layer content of N, P and K and were the highest and decreased with soil depth.
All values of ammonia were higher than the maximum recommended level of waste water (0.5 mg/L) as reported by EPA, 1983.
El-Nasr fertilizer factory was the main source of pollution in the studied region.