Long-term wastewater irrigation alters soil composition and accumulates contaminants.
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Peer-reviewed studies confirm that long-term wastewater irrigation significantly alters soil chemical and microbial composition and leads to the accumulation of heavy metals, minerals, and organic contaminants.
The use of treated wastewater (TWW) for crop irrigation has increased worldwide as an alternative to preserving freshwater resources. However, choosing this alternative still requires more data about its impact on the environment, crop quality, and human health. In this regard, the present study aimed to assess the irrigation impact with TWW for a long time (35 years) on soil properties and on cereal and bean yield. To evaluate this effect, two sites were studied: the first one irrigated with TWW (S1) and the second irrigated with tap water (S2). Soil analysis from S1 revealed higher salinity and high levels of inorganic and organic pollutants compared to FAO standards (3.39 ± 0.45 µg/g MS for Cd and 68 ± 1.9 µg/g MS for Cu, respectively). In TWW, the concentrations were 1.15 ± 0.05 µg/L for Cd, 0.32 ± 0.18 µg/L for Ni, and 1.11 ± 0.01 µg/L for Pb, respectively. Additionally, high concentrations of organochlorine compounds were detected with chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in TWW, such as Aldrin (0.01 µg/mL) and γ-HCH (0.016 µg/mL), as well as in soil (0.883 µg/g). These compounds exceeded the Tunisian standards (NT: 106.03) and the FAO guidelines for irrigation. Also, irrigation with TWW over 35 years increased the aerial biomass of Triticum turgidum and Hordeum vulgare but negatively affected the plant growth of Medicago sativa L. Organic contaminants, such as pesticides, reduced soil fertility and biodiversity. Furthermore, mineral pollutants accumula
Frequent and severe droughts intensify water scarcity in arid and semi-arid regions, creating an urgent need for alternative water resources in agriculture. Treated wastewater (TWW) has emerged as a sustainable option; however, its long-term use may alter soil properties and pose risks if not carefully managed. This study tested the hypothesis that long-term TWW irrigation increases soil salinity, alters fertility, and affects microbial quality, with rainfall partially mitigating these effects. Soil samples (n = 96 at each time point) were collected from two calcareous soils in Jordan, silt loam (Mafraq) and silty clay loam (Ramtha), under four treatments (control and 2, 5, and 10 years of TWW irrigation) at three depths (0–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm). Sampling was conducted at two intervals, before and after rainfall, to capture the seasonal variation. Soil indicators included the pH, electrical conductivity (EC), sodium (Na+), chloride (Cl−), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), and microbial parameters (total coliforms (TC), fecal coliforms (FC), and Escherichia coli). Data were analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model with repeated measures, and significant differences were determined using Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference (HSD) test at p < 0.05. The results showed that rainfall reduced Na+ by 70%, Cl− by 86%, EC by 73%, the ESP by 28%, and the SAR by 30%. Furt
Urban stormwater is a crucial resource at a time when climate change and population growth threaten freshwater supplies; but there are health risks from contaminants, such as toxic metals. It is vitally important to understand how to use this resource safely and responsibly. Our study investigated the extent of metal contamination in vegetable crops irrigated with stormwater under short- and long-term conditions. We created artificially aged gardens by adding metal-contaminated sediment to soil, simulating accumulation of metals in the soil from irrigation with raw stormwater over zero, five a
The growing scarcity of clean water resources has driven increased interest in the use of treated wastewater (WW) as an alternative source for agricultural irrigation. While WW provides essential nutrients that can support plant growth and soil fertility, its long-term application may lead to the accumulation of heavy metals in soil, posing environmental and health risks. This study aimed to assess the effects of a four-year field experiment using different ratios of treated wastewater (WW) and clean water (CW) mixtures on soil heavy metal accumulation. Additionally, these effects were evaluat
Treated wastewater (TWW) may contain toxic chemical constituents that pose negative environmental and health impacts. In this study, soil samples under treated wastewater irrigation were studied. For this purpose, six plots were made in an irrigated area in north of Tunisia and treated with two water qualities: fresh water (FW) and treated wastewater (TWW). Five soil depths were used: 0-30, 30-60, 60-90, 90-120 and 120-150 cm. The TWW irrigation increased significantly (P≤0.05) the soils’ EC, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, SAR, Cu, Cd and Ni and had no significant (P ≤0.05) effect on the soils’ pH, Zn, Co
Antibiotics can be entrained onto agricultural land through the application of organic wastes or wastewater for irrigation. In order to evaluate the impacts on soil microorganisms of exposure to antibiotics (ATB), replicated plots treated each year with a mixture of sul- famethazine, chlortetracycline and tylosin at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 10 mg/kg, were initiated in 1999 at the AAFC research farm in London ON. Plots were seeded with soybeans. Soybean nodules were collected in 2012, after 14 annual ATB treatments. The bradyrhizobia strains were characterized by serology and molecula
Heavy metal contamination in wastewater-irrigated agricultural fields poses significant environmental, agronomic, and public health risks. A multiscale method for assessing the amount and effects of heavy metal contamination in crops and soils that receive wastewater irrigation is presented in this research. The research combines laboratory analysis, field surveys, and geographical mapping to evaluate the content and distribution of heavy metals in different crops and soil profiles, including cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni). By examining the infl
Use of wastewater for irrigation has become indispensable worldwide due to accelerating water scarcity, and it also carries a social dimension of poverty reduction in developing countries. However, the impacts of wastewater irrigation on soil properties are still insufficiently understood, especially with regard to change in soil microbial community characteristics. The present study presents an assessment of soil bacterial communities subjecting to different irrigation waters. We conducted soil sampling in farmlands irrigated with wastewater, river water and groundwater respectively in an ari
Water is a vital, finite resource whose quantity and quality are deteriorating as the world population increases. The current study aims to investigate the concentration of heavy metals (HM) in surface water for irrigation purposes with associated human health risks and pollution sources near the marble industry in Malakand, Pakistan. Twenty-seven water samples were randomly collected and analyzed for HM concentration by inductively coupled plasma‒optical emission spectrometry (ICP‒OES). pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), biological oxygen demand (BOD), and chemica
This report is included in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) environmental protection technology series which describes research performed to develop and demonstrate instrumentation, equipment and methodology. This work provides the new or improved technology required for the control and treatment of pollution sources to meet environmental quality standards. Specific application techniques addressed include irrigation, overland flow and infiltration - percolation of industrial and municipal wastewater. Other sections of this report deal with wastewater and site characteristics, syste
This book is an open access book on micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) in soil and crop systems addresses a critical knowledge gap as plastic pollution increasingly infiltrates terrestrial ecosystems. It compiles the information on how MNPs enter agricultural systems through practices like plastic mulching, wastewater irrigation, and sludge application, offering insights into their long-term environmental effects. This book also highlights the potential disruptions MNPs cause to soil health, such as reduced fertility, impaired nutrient cycling and altered water retention. It also investigates the
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