A master’s thesis at the College of Agriculture examined the assessment of soil pollution near the Laylan Cement Plant in Kirkuk Province and the role of agricultural extension in reducing its negative effects.
The study, presented by student Hind Abdullah Fathi, aimed to evaluate the chemistry of soils surrounding the Laylan Cement Plant by determining the concentrations of cation and anion elements, mapping the distribution of chemical ions in the soil, and identifying the role of agricultural extension in mitigating the plant’s negative impacts on soil from the farmers’ perspective.
The study concluded that the soils surrounding the Laylan Cement Plant were affected by pollution at varying degrees. Results of measuring concentrations of cation and anion elements, as well as compounds such as organic matter, calcium carbonate, gypsum, total dissolved solids, and pH, indicated that all sampled sites around the cement plant recorded higher values compared with the control sample. Furthermore, the role of agricultural extension in reducing the negative impacts of the cement plant on soils in the study area was found to be weak.
