ABSTRACT
Due to rapid industrial development during the last few decades, the disposal of industrial effluents from industries such as distillery, pulp and paper, textile and tannery, etc. has become a serious concern. The effluents from these industries may vary in composition and contain essential nutrients and some toxic substances. In recent years, the application of these industrial wastes to lands has become an alternative means of disposal as well as treatment, since effluents not only supplies water but also essential nutrients like N, P, K, S and Ca, etc., which are necessary for plant growth. But, when these effluents are discharged into the environment without treatment, they may directly cause degradation in the pedosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. The direct discharge of contaminated water certainly reduces the soil productivity and negatively affects the level of crop production in the surrounding agricultural lands. Thus, in this chapter, the change in soil properties, including soil infiltration rate, hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, porosity, pH and nutrient contents has been discussed.
