Risk assessment of irrigated lacustrine & calcareous soils by treated wastewater

• Main Authors: Ibrahim H. Elsokkary, Alaa F. Abukila
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2014-10-01
• Series: Water Science
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110492914000174

The objectives of this study were to explore the effect of irrigation by treated wastewater (TWW) on some chemical characteristics of cultivated lacustrine and calcareous soils, the growth and macronutrients contents of soybean, corn, faba bean and wheat; and the chemical composition and quality of drainage waters from these soils. For this, greenhouse experiments, using PVC tank of 50 kg soil capacity were carried out. The soils were irrigated by FW, TWW or 1:1 FW/TWW. The results suggest that tested plants can be irrigated with reused water since visual damage is minimal, which seems to be related to the plant's low accumulation of saline ions. The dilution of TWW with FW reduced the negative effects observed. The results have also shown a significant increase in the concentration of EC and in the counts of TC and FC in soils of the upper layer (0–20 cm) than in those of the lower layer (20–40 cm). Keywords: Water reuse, Risk assessment, Fecal coliform, Soil salinization