International Science Community Association Research Journal of Recent Sciences 2277 - 2502 6 7 2017 06 2 How metal concentrations could affect enzyme activities: a case study of a range, near Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria 40 52 EN Tamiru Sisay Misganaw 1 Department of Development and Environmental Management Studies, University of Gondar, PoBox 196, Gondar, Ethiopia Khuraijam Pushpa 1 Department of Extension Education and Communication and Research Centre, Smt. VHD Central Institute of Home Science (Autonomous), Seshadri Road, Bangalore-560 001, Karnataka, India R. Srilakshmi 2 Department of Extension Education and Communication and Research Centre, Smt. VHD Central Institute of Home Science (Autonomous), Seshadri Road, Bangalore-560 001, Karnataka, India H.S. Surendra 3 Department of Statistics, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore-560 065, India Shaikh Vasim R. 1 School of Chemical Sciences, North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon-425001, India Hundiwale Dilip G. 2 School of Chemical Sciences, North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon-425001, India Patil Kesharsingh J. 3 School of Chemical Sciences, North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon-425001, India Bharda Sheetal 1 Department of Fisheries Resource Management, College of Fisheries, Junagadh Agricultural University, Veraval, Gujarat, India Desai A.Y. 2 College of Fisheries, Junagadh Agricultural University, Veraval, Gujarat, India Kumar P. Tandel Rutvik 3 Department of Fisheries Resource Management, College of Fisheries, Junagadh Agricultural University, Veraval, Gujarat, India Kumar T. Tandel Jitendra 4 Post Graduate Institute of Fisheries Education and Research, Kamdhenu University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India Singh Veerendra 1 ICAR- Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Versova, Mumbai-400061, Maharashtra, India and College of Fisheries, Junagadh Agricultural University, Veraval - 362 265, Gujarat, India A.W. Verla 1 Department of Chemistry, Imo state University, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria E.N. Verla 2 Department of Environmental Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria V.O. Nwaugo 3 Department of Environmental Resources and Technology, Abia State University, Nigeria K.E. Leizou 4 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Niger Delta University, Nigeria > Case Study 2016 11 29 2017 06 2 Heavy metals released from military exercise and training could affect soil enzyme activity. In this study, five composite soil samples collected near Port Harcourt were analyzed in triplicates for physicochemical properties, heavy metals, and enzyme activities. Data was analyzed to determine the level of contamination and to find out the trend of enzyme activity in the presence of certain heavy metals in the natural environment. Heavy metal pollution index ranged from edge (0.71) to center (1.43) indicating multi-element contamination within the range. Contamination factors showed that cadmium was the most polluting element with a degree of contamination that ranged from edge (35.4) to center (118.7). Lead and copper showed higher values while zinc and copper were only higher than the control. Soil enzymes, dehydrogenase, urease, phenol-oxidase and acid phosphatase showed a negative correlation with heavy metal concentrations. Dehydrogenase with a range of 0.79 - 8.24mg/g dry soil 6h-1 was the most affected while acid phosphatase, 0.42 - 2.11 µMo – p – nitrophenol was the least affected. Results obtained suggest that the activities of shooting range have a negative effect on soil enzyme activity following decreasing metal concentrations from center to edge. Copyright@ International Science Community Association