Wastewater Management in Agriculture

• Published in: Water (Basel) Vol. 14; no. 21; p. 3351
• Main Authors: Rusănescu, Carmen Otilia, Rusănescu, Marin, Constantin, Gabriel Alexandru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.11.2022
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agricultural wastes; Agriculture; Availability; bacteria; Bulk density; Calcium carbonate; Chemical oxygen demand; Climate change; Crops; Drinking water; Drought; Electrical conductivity; Electrical resistivity; Environmental impact; Fertilizer industry wastewater; Fresh water; Freshwater resources; Households; Irrigation; Magnesium; Micronutrients; Moisture content; Organic fertilizers; Organic matter; Organic phosphorus; Organic soils; Oxygen consumption; Phosphorus; Pollutants; Pollution; Potassium; Precipitation; Purification; Sewage; Sodium; soil; Soil density; Soil fertility; Soil water; Treated water; Viruses; Waste management; Wastewater; Wastewater irrigation; Wastewater management; Wastewater treatment; water management; Water quality; Water shortages; Water supply; Water treatment; Romania; United States > US; China; Israel
• ISSN: 2073-4441; 2073-4441
• DOI: 10.3390/w14213351

Considering the global climate changes that have disrupted the availability of fresh water and led to the emergence of drought, an effective management strategy for water quality must be implemented. In this work, we analyzed the possibility of used and treated water being reused and the effect of its use on soil on the development of plants. In the case of irrigation with treated wastewater, the following parameters increased: calcium carbonate equivalent, organic matter, content of phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium, nitrogen, biochemical oxygen consumption; chemical oxygen demand (COD), decreased sodium absorption rate, soil electrical conductivity, pH, magnesium content, and soil bulk density. Due to the micronutrients it contains, the use of treated wastewater in irrigation can be an organic fertilizer for the soil. Wastewater is a source of soil water supply. Untreated wastewater may contain, depending on the source (industry, pharmacies, medicine, households), toxic compounds, bacteria, viruses, and helminths, which, if used for long periods of time in irrigation, can have a negative impact on health and the environment, reaching the soil, the roots of the crops, and then the underground water. Therefore, these waters must be used after adequate treatment. Global climate change disrupts the availability of fresh water and negatively influences the occurrence of floods, droughts, and water quality, which is why any water source must be managed correctly.