ANALYSIS OF SOILS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF EFFLUENTS: PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL IN ITAPETINGA-BA

Abstract

Soil is a natural resource essential for the balance of the Earth's ecosystem, interacting directly with the atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. Its functions include providing nutrients, regulating water, mitigating contaminants, controlling gas emissions, and influencing human and animal health. Soil analysis is crucial for diagnosing soil fertility, enabling appropriate planning for the application of amendments and fertilizers, avoiding nutritional imbalances, and minimizing environmental impacts such as water contamination from excess fertilizers. Soil pollution, caused by chemicals or waste, impairs its physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, compromising its use and affecting living beings. Protecting the soil and limiting degradation processes is essential to ensure its sustainability. This study aims to analyze soil samples from the campus of the State University of Southwest Bahia, investigating aspects such as: density, moisture, pH, water retention capacity, organic matter, and the presence of microorganisms.