Effects of Cement Dust on Soil Chemical Properties in the Calabar Environment, Southeastern Nigeria

Abstract

Some chemical properties of soils around the Calabar Cement Company operational area were studied from three profile pits sited at the crest, upper slope, and middle slope topographic positions. The results showed that the soil pH was moderately to slightly acid (mean 5.8), organic‐matter content was moderate (mean 2.54%), total N (N) content was low (mean 0.04%), and available phosphorus (P) was high (mean 87.43 mg/kg). Exchangeable calcium (Ca) content was moderate to high (3.02 to 7.44 cmol/kg) in the surface soil; most samples had low magnesium (Mg) content (mean 0.25 cmol/kg), medium concentration of exchangeable potassium (K) (mean 0.10 cmol/kg), and medium to high exchangeable sodium (Na) (0.27 to 1.38 cmol/kg). The exchange acidity was low (mean 1.58 cmol/kg), and effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) had low to medium (2.50 to 15.17 cmol/kg) values. The percentage of base saturation was high with most soils having values greater than 50% (mean 70.8%). The moderate to high content of Ca and the favorable pH in the soils of the study area are uncommon in the coastal plain soils of southern Nigeria; these, therefore, were readily attributable to the continuous deposition of cement dusts on the surface and leaching into deeper horizons.

Keywords:

• Calabar environment
• cement dust
• fly ash
• limestone