The use of crop and pasture has been an important if not the main alternative of pig slurry disposal. However, its use has often been made in quantities exceeding the requirements of crops and with sequential applications that can enhance the polluting effect of this waste once the soil has a limited capacity of support. The present study aimed to determine the total content of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn) and cadmium (Cd) in areas that are used as a disposal site of pig slurry. For this, there were collected soil samples in 13 farms in the West Region of Santa Catarina used annually as a disposal site, and which had a history of application of the residue from 4 to 22 years. In addition, it was also conducted soil sampling in an experiment in the municipality of Paraíso do Sul, RS under natural pasture, that during five years received 28 applications of pig slurry. Zinc and copper are the elements that deserve more attention in relation to a possible accumulation in the soil, in areas with application of pig slurry.
small property; successive applications; accumulation in the soil
