Palm oil mill effluents from producing centres have affected all spheres of live including the agricultural soil. In the study, soil samples were impacted with 10%, 50% and 100% (v/w) of the palm oil mill effluents. Soil physicochemical properties, soil stress marker enzymes, soil bacteria populations were studied using standard methods. Analysis of the physicochemical properties of the POME showed that POME in the presence of the reference showed the following: pH, conductivity, BOD5, TDS, TSS, TS at 5.67 ±0.014a , 610±0.023c , 4.87±0.025b, 372.1±0.015c , 539.55±0.04a, 911.6±0.032b mg/ml, respectively dissolved mineral such as Mg, K, Ca and PO3 were recorded at 9.82±0.05b , 14.52±0.05a, 13.23±0.04c and 8.69±0.01bc mg/ml respectively. Total organic carbon and organic matter contents were recorded at 81.87±0.01a and 100.7±0.02c mg/ml respectively. Organismal proliferation increase as the percentage of the POME per gram of the soil increase from 10-50% (v/w) while a downturn in the organismal counts decreases significantly at 100% (v/w). There was a noticeable decrease in the coliform counts/g of the organisms as the incubation days increases from day 0-14. Enzyme activity relatively decreases as the contaminant concentrations increases from 0-100 v/w. Lipases are responsible for hydrolysis of fatty acyl esters in a long chain fatty acids to water and alchohol base while the family of peroxidases (peroxidase, manganese peroxidase and catalase) are house keeping enzymes responsible for dismutation of peroxide and other superoxide to water and release of atmospheric oxygen. Lipases activity was seen relatively low in all the soil at low concentrations of the effluents (0-50 v/w). At high concentrations of the effluents, there was a significant increase in the enzyme activity. POME can be utilized as sustainable source of organic agro fertilizer when quantified; however poor incentive by peasant farmers may lead to abysmal utilization of the waste water and its negative impact in the soil with aftermath of low soil fertility and poor agricultural productivity.

Keywords: Impact; POME; Physicochemical; Stress enzymes; Organismal proliferation.