Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: This study reveals chemical and physical properties of soils collected from a remote site at Karachi, Pakistan.Altogether 23 parameters were determined.Out of 12 soil samples 11 were categorised as sand or sandy loams, pH varied between 7.35-8.49,density ranged between 1.61-2.39gm/cm 3 , the conductivity of 1:2 water extracts varied up to a great extent i.e., between 0.437-16.47mS/m 3 .Sodium (Na) contents were higher in ammonium acetate extract when compared with 1:2 water extract.The bicarbonate (HCO3) contents were ranged between 0.17-1.73ppm.The organic matter contents were low (0.81-2.21%); these soils were also deficient in their macronutrient contents.Specifically, the ranges of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulphur (S) were 0.04-1.16%,0.25-15.99ppm, 4.40-135.89ppm, 0.001-0.199%,0.001-0.019%and 0.01-0.143%,respectively.Heavy metals were determined in diethylene-triamine-pentaacetic acid (DTPA) extracts and the levels of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) in these samples were 1.86-32.80ppm, 1.68-7.69ppm, 16.51-75.28and 0.25-20.75ppm, respectively.Toxic heavy metals, lead (Pb) and nickel (Ni) contents were also estimated and their concentration was found low ranging between 0.91-5.63ppm and 0.32-1.26ppm, respectively.
Institution: Pakistan Council of Scientific & Industrial Research
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3171609623