Abstract
In recent years, wastewater irrigation is getting popularity, particularly in those region s where freshwater is insufficient to meet the water demand. However, wastewater contains toxic substances which may deteriorate soil properties, plant quality, and subsequently compromise the public health, particularly when used without adequate management. The current investigation was undertaken to characterize wastewater used for growing vegetables as well as the impact of its long-term use on soil properties and plant elemental composition in Sargodha district. Each sampling site was marked with Global Positioning System. Wastewater characterization indicated electrical conductivity (EC), 1.19-3.15 dS m-1 ; sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), 5.22- 12.67 (mmol L-1 ) 1/2; residual sodium carbonate (RSC), 1.04-2.70 meq L-1 ; biological oxygen demand (BOD), 38.4-77.5 mg L-1 ; chemical oxygen demand (COD), 165.3-199.9 mg L-1 ; total nitrogen (N), 33.09-99.09 mg L-1 ; total phosphorus (P), 6.92-20.31 mg L-1 ; lead (Pb), 2.45 to 4.07 mg L-1 ; arsenic (As), 0.04-0.16 mg L-1 ; nickel (Ni), 0.06-0.27 mg L-1 ; cadmium (Cd), 0.006-0.023 mg L-1 , and chromium (Cr), 0.052-0.109 mg L-1 ; Soil characterization revealed EC, 2.14-6.04 dS m-1 ; SAR, 7.64-18.59 (mmol L-1 ) 1/2; organic matter, 0.68-1.15%; N, 1.12-1.85 mg g-1 ; available P, 7.68-12.73 mg kg-1 ; Pb, 6.02-15.67 mg kg-1 ; As, 2.21-6.43 mg kg-1 ; Ni, 7.09- 20.60 mg kg-1 ; Cd, 0.65-1.90 mg kg-1 ; and Cr, 54.96-142.24 mg kg-1 ; Plant characterization of major vegetables grown in Sargodha district indicated N, 22.29-32.4 mg g-1 ; P, 5.21-8.43 mg g-1 ; K, 14.52-21.12 mg g -1 ; Pb, 0.283-0.576 mg kg -1 ; As, 0.121-0.352 mg kg-1 ; Ni, 30.3-81.9 mg kg-1 ; Cd, 0.219-0.434 mg kg-1 and Cr, 0.109-0.316 mg kg-1 . Wastewater used for irrigation in Sargodha district was found mostly unfit in terms of salt index, As and Cd, and continuous use of such wastewater without adequate management may cause public health dilemma by deteriorating soil, water and food quality
Muhammad Ashraf, Muhammad Bilal Ahmad, Sher Muhammad Shahzad, Muhammad Imtiaz, Muhammad Atif, Muhammad Asif, Ahsan Aziz. (2021) Characterization of wastewater and soil and vegetable plants exposed to long-term wastewater irrigation, The Journal Soil & Environment , Volume 40, Issue 1.
-
Views
491 -
Downloads
37
Article Details
Journal
Volume
Issue
Type
Language
Received At
Accepted At
