The enzymatic activity of the soil allows to recognize unfavorable changes in the soil and could be an indicator of the degradation processes. Soil in the neighbourhood of 5 different industrial plants located in southeastern Poland was the research subject. The industrial plants were: Machine Factory in Strzyżów (alluvial soil); Thermal-Electric Power Station in Załęż (alluvial soil); Screw Factory in Łańcut (alluvial soil); Magnesite Plant in Ropczyce (gray-brown podzolic soil); and Glassworks in Krosno (brown soil). The soil samples were taken from sides 150-200 m, 250-300 m, and 350-400 m away from the contamination source. The soil near the Machine Factory had the highest activity of the investigated enzymes (dehydrogenase; phophoatase; urease; protease). The lowest enzymatic activity was observed in the soil around the Thermal-Electric Power Station. The soil from the sites located 150-200 m away from the contamination source had the highest content of lead, zinc, copper, and chromium. The enzymatic activity, as well as the content of heavy metals in the soil were directly proportional to the distance from the contamination source in all the investigated sites.