Sample records for wastewater irrigation district

  1. Effects of wastewater irrigation on soil properties and turfgrass growth.

    PubMed

    Castro, Elena; Mañas, Maria Pilar; De Las Heras, Jorge

    2011-01-01

    Reuse of treated wastewater for turf irrigation is often viewed as one way to maximize existing urban water resources. The aim of this study is to evaluate the applicability of treated wastewater for turfgrass and assess the effects of continuous use of treated water on the soil and crop. Two turfgrass plots irrigated with drinking water and treated wastewater were monitored over a two-year period. Physical and chemical parameters in the soil and foliar tissue were analyzed. Plants irrigated with treated wastewater had highest sodium content. There were no negative effects with respect to changes in soil pH but a significant increase in electrical conductivity and sodium content was observed in wastewater-irrigated soil. Treated wastewater could be used as a resource for agricultural irrigation since it contributes phosphorus and organic matter. However, it is necessary to consider that several crops could be negatively affected by wastewater irrigation because of the sodium content and this should be taken into account when water-sprinklers are in use, since this is the case in the present study. The benefits of irrigation with treated urban wastewater include contributing plant nutrients to turfgrass while conserving freshwater.

  2. Tracking antibiotic resistance genes in soil irrigated with dairy wastewater

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In southern Idaho, the application of dairy wastewater to agricultural soils is a widely used practice to irrigate crops and recycle nutrients. In this study, small-scale field plots were irrigated monthly (6 times) with dairy wastewater (100%), wastewater diluted to 50% with irrigation (canal) wate...

  3. Heavy metal accumulation by Corchorus olitorius L. irrigated with wastewater.

    PubMed

    Ahmed, Dalia A; Slima, Dalia F

    2018-05-01

    Many agricultural soils in Egypt irrigated with untreated wastewater. Herein, we investigated the effect of untreated industrial wastewater irrigation on the soil and fodder plant Corchorus olittorius (Jew mallow). It also aimed to assess its effect on the growth measurements as well as analyses of soils, irrigation waters, and plants for heavy metal and nutrient concentrations. Significant differences between irrigation waters and soil irrigated with fresh and wastewater were recognized. Wastewater irrigation leads to remarkable reduction in the growth parameters and reduced its vegetative biomass. The concentration of Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Zn were high significant and above phytotoxic concentrations in leaves (edible part) and roots of wastewater-irrigated plant. The present study indicated that Jew mallow plant tends to phytostabilize (Cd, Ni, and Mn) in its root and had the ability to translocate (Pb, Cu, Cr, Fe, and Zn) to its leaves. Higher concentrations of Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn in the roots than leaves indicate that the roots are hyper-accumulators for Pb, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Zn more than the leaves. The research study recommended that there is a need to protect the soil from contamination through regular monitoring and not to cultivate Jew mallow in wastewater-irrigated soil and that it had a high capacity to accumulate heavy metals in its edible part and causes several harmful health effects for consumers.

  4. Tracking antibiotic resistance genes in soil irrigated with dairy wastewater.

    PubMed

    Dungan, Robert S; McKinney, Chad W; Leytem, April B

    2018-09-01

    The application of dairy wastewater to agricultural soils is a widely used practice to irrigate crops and recycle nutrients. In this study, small-scale field plots were irrigated monthly (6 times) with dairy wastewater (100%), wastewater diluted to 50% with irrigation (canal) water, and diluted wastewater spiked with copper sulfate (50 mg Cu L -1 ), while control plots were irrigated with canal water. In addition, half of all plots were either planted with wheat or were left as bare soil. Biweekly soil samples were collected during this period and processed to determine the occurrence and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes [bla CTX-M-1 , erm(B), sul1, tet(B), tet(M), and tet(X)] and a class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1) via quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Only sul1 and tet(X) were detected in soil (3 out of 32 samples) before the wastewater treatments were applied. However, the occurrence and relative abundance (normalized to 16S rRNA gene copies) of most genes [erm(B), intI1, sul1, and tet(M)] increased dramatically after wastewater irrigation and levels were maintained during the entire study period. bla CTX-M-1 was the only gene not detected in wastewater-treated soils, which is likely related to its absence in the dairy wastewater. Relative gene levels in soil were found to be statistically similar among the treatments in most cases, regardless of the wastewater percentage applied and presence or absence of plants. The key result from this study is that dairy wastewater irrigation significantly enlarges the reservoir of ARGs and intI1 in soils, while detection of these genes rarely occurred in soil irrigated only with canal water. In addition, elevated levels of Cu in the wastewater and treated soil did not produce a concomitant increase of the ARG levels. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. A Real-time Irrigation Forecasting System in Jiefangzha Irrigation District, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cong, Z.

    2015-12-01

    In order to improve the irrigation efficiency, we need to know when and how much to irrigate in real time. If we know the soil moisture content at this time, we can forecast the soil moisture content in the next days based on the rainfall forecasting and the crop evapotranspiration forecasting. Then the irrigation should be considered when the forecasting soil moisture content reaches to a threshold. Jiefangzha Irrigation District, a part of Hetao Irrigation District, is located in Inner Mongolia, China. The irrigated area of this irrigation district is about 140,000 ha mainly planting wheat, maize and sunflower. The annual precipitation is below 200mm, so the irrigation is necessary and the irrigation water comes from the Yellow river. We set up 10 sites with 4 TDR sensors at each site (20cm, 40cm, 60cm and 80cm depth) to monitor the soil moisture content. The weather forecasting data are downloaded from the website of European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The reference evapotranspiration is estimated based on FAO-Blaney-Criddle equation with only the air temperature from ECMWF. Then the crop water requirement is forecasted by the crop coefficient multiplying the reference evapotranspiration. Finally, the soil moisture content is forecasted based on soil water balance with the initial condition is set as the monitoring soil moisture content. When the soil moisture content reaches to a threshold, the irrigation warning will be announced. The irrigation mount can be estimated through three ways: (1) making the soil moisture content be equal to the field capacity; (2) making the soil moisture saturated; or (3) according to the irrigation quota. The forecasting period is 10 days. The system is developed according to B2C model with Java language. All the databases and the data analysis are carried out in the server. The customers can log in the website with their own username and password then get the information about the irrigation forecasting

  6. Risk screening for exposure to groundwater pollution in a wastewater irrigation district of the Mexico City region.

    PubMed

    Downs, T J; Cifuentes-García, E; Suffet, I M

    1999-07-01

    Untreated wastewater from the Mexico City basin has been used for decades to irrigate cropland in the Mezquital Valley, State of Hidalgo, Mexico. Excess irrigation water recharges the near-surface aquifer that is used as a domestic water supply source. We assessed the groundwater quality of three key groundwater sources of domestic water by analyzing for 24 trace metals, 67 target base/neutral/acid (BNA) organic compounds, nontarget BNA organics, 23 chlorinated pesticides, 20 polychlorinated biphenyls, and nitrate, as well as microbiological contaminants--coliforms, Vibrio cholerae, and Salmonella. Study participants answered a questionnaire that estimated ingestion and dermal exposure to groundwater; 10% of the sample reported frequent diarrhea and 9% reported persistent skin irritations. Detection of V. cholerae non-01 in surface waters at all sites suggested a potential risk (surrogate indicator present) of diarrheal disease for canal and river bathers by accidental ingestion, as well as potential Vibrio contamination of near-surface groundwater and potential cholera risk, magnified by lapses in disinfection. High total coliform levels in surface water and lower levels in groundwater at all sites indicated fecal contamination and a potential risk of gastrointestinal disease in populations exposed to inadequately disinfected groundwater. Using chemical criteria, no significant risk from ingestion or dermal contact was identified at the method detection limits at any site, except from nitrate exposure: infants and young children are at risk from methemoglobinemia at all sites. Results suggest that pathogen risk interventions are a priority, whereas nitrate risk needs further characterization to determine if formal treatment is needed. The risks exist inside and outside the irrigation district. The method was highly cost-effective.

  7. Risk screening for exposure to groundwater pollution in a wastewater irrigation district of the Mexico City region.

    PubMed Central

    Downs, T J; Cifuentes-García, E; Suffet, I M

    1999-01-01

    Untreated wastewater from the Mexico City basin has been used for decades to irrigate cropland in the Mezquital Valley, State of Hidalgo, Mexico. Excess irrigation water recharges the near-surface aquifer that is used as a domestic water supply source. We assessed the groundwater quality of three key groundwater sources of domestic water by analyzing for 24 trace metals, 67 target base/neutral/acid (BNA) organic compounds, nontarget BNA organics, 23 chlorinated pesticides, 20 polychlorinated biphenyls, and nitrate, as well as microbiological contaminants--coliforms, Vibrio cholerae, and Salmonella. Study participants answered a questionnaire that estimated ingestion and dermal exposure to groundwater; 10% of the sample reported frequent diarrhea and 9% reported persistent skin irritations. Detection of V. cholerae non-01 in surface waters at all sites suggested a potential risk (surrogate indicator present) of diarrheal disease for canal and river bathers by accidental ingestion, as well as potential Vibrio contamination of near-surface groundwater and potential cholera risk, magnified by lapses in disinfection. High total coliform levels in surface water and lower levels in groundwater at all sites indicated fecal contamination and a potential risk of gastrointestinal disease in populations exposed to inadequately disinfected groundwater. Using chemical criteria, no significant risk from ingestion or dermal contact was identified at the method detection limits at any site, except from nitrate exposure: infants and young children are at risk from methemoglobinemia at all sites. Results suggest that pathogen risk interventions are a priority, whereas nitrate risk needs further characterization to determine if formal treatment is needed. The risks exist inside and outside the irrigation district. The method was highly cost-effective. Images Figure 1 PMID:10398590

  8. Wastewater retreatment and reuse system for agricultural irrigation in rural villages.

    PubMed

    Kim, Minyoung; Lee, Hyejin; Kim, Minkyeong; Kang, Donghyeon; Kim, Dongeok; Kim, YoungJin; Lee, Sangbong

    2014-01-01

    Climate changes and continuous population growth increase water demands that will not be met by traditional water resources, like surface and ground water. To handle increased water demand, treated municipal wastewater is offered to farmers for agricultural irrigation. This study aimed to enhance the effluent quality from worn-out sewage treatment facilities in rural villages, retreat effluent to meet water quality criteria for irrigation, and assess any health-related and environmental impacts from using retreated wastewater irrigation on crops and in soil. We developed the compact wastewater retreatment and reuse system (WRRS), equipped with filters, ultraviolet light, and bubble elements. A pilot greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate lettuce growth patterns and quantify the heavy metal concentration and pathogenic microorganisms on lettuce and in soil after irrigating with tap water, treated wastewater, and WRRS retreated wastewater. The purification performance of each WRRS component was also assessed. The study findings revealed that existing worn-out sewage treatment facilities in rural villages could meet the water quality criteria for treated effluent and also reuse retreated wastewater for crop growth and other miscellaneous agricultural purposes.

  9. Reuse of reclaimed wastewater for golf course irrigation in Tunisia.

    PubMed

    Bahri, A; Basset, C; Oueslati, F; Brissaud, F

    2001-01-01

    In Tunisia, golf courses are irrigated with secondary treated effluent stored in landscape impoundments. The impact of the conveyance and storage steps on the physical-chemical and biological quality of irrigation water was evaluated on three golf courses over two years. It was found that the water quality varies all along the water route, from the wastewater treatment plant up to the irrigation site: nutrient and bacteria contents decreased along the route in the three cases. This variation depends on the wastewater quality, the length of the pipes conveying water, the number of regulation reservoirs and ponds, the water residence time in pipes, reservoirs and ponds, and the operation of the ponds. The bacteriological quality of irrigation water deteriorates during the irrigation period in the three golf courses as the ponds are operated as continuous flow reactors. The results obtained in this study indicate the inability of golf water supplies, as currently managed, to properly sanitize reclaimed wastewater and meet target quality criteria recommended by WHO (1989) for water intended for recreational use. For a safe reuse of reclaimed wastewater for golf course irrigation, changes in the design and operation of the ponds should be planned or additional treatment steps provided.

  10. Leaching of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in turfgrass soils during wastewater irrigation.

    PubMed

    Gan, J; Bondarenko, S; Ernst, F; Yang, W; Ries, S B; Sedlak, D L

    2006-01-01

    N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a carcinogenic by-product of chlorination that is frequently found in municipal wastewater effluent. NDMA is miscible in water and negligibly adsorbed to soil, and therefore may pose a threat to ground water when treated wastewater is used for landscape irrigation. A field study was performed in the summer months under arid Southern California weather conditions to evaluate the leaching potential of NDMA in turfgrass soils during wastewater irrigation. Wastewater was used to irrigate multiple turfgrass plots at 110 to 160% evapotranspiration rate for about 4 mo, and leachate was continuously collected and analyzed for NDMA. The treated wastewater contained relatively high levels of NDMA (114-1820 ng L(-1); mean 930 ng L(-1)). NDMA was detected infrequently in the leachate regardless of the soil type or irrigation schedule. At a method detection limit of 2 ng L(-1), NDMA was only detected in 9 out of 400 leachate samples and when it was detected, the NDMA concentration was less than 5 ng L(-1). NDMA was relatively persistent in the turfgrass soils during laboratory incubation, indicating that mechanisms other than biotransformation, likely volatilization and/or plant uptake, contributed to the rapid dissipation. Under conditions typical of turfgrass irrigation with wastewater effluent it is unlikely that NDMA will contaminate ground water.

  11. Effects on crops of irrigation with treated municipal wastewaters.

    PubMed

    Fasciolo, G E; Meca, M I; Gabriel, E; Morábito, J

    2002-01-01

    The fertilizing potential of treated municipal wastewater (oxidation ditch) and crop sanitary acceptability for direct human consumption were evaluated in Mendoza, Argentina. Two experiments were performed on a pilot plot planted with garlic (1998) and onions (1999) using furrow irrigation with three types of water in 10 random blocks: treated effluent (2.5 x 10(3) MPN Escherichia coli/100 ml, 3 helminth eggs/l, and Salmonella (positive); and well water (free of microorganisms), with and without fertilizer. Two responses were evaluated: (1) crop yield, and (2) crop microbiological quality for human consumption at different times after harvest. Crop yields were compared using Variance analysis. Crops' sanitary acceptability was assessed using a two-class sampling program for Salmonella (n=10; c=0), and a three-class program for E. coli (n=5, c=2, M=10(3) and m=10 MPN/g) as proposed by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) for fresh vegetables. Wastewater irrigation acted as well water with fertilizer, increasing garlic and onion yields by 10% and 15%, respectively, compared to irrigation with well water with no fertilizer. Wastewater-irrigated garlic reached sanitary acceptability 90 days after harvest, once attached roots and soil were removed. Onions, which were cleaned immediately after harvest, met this qualification earlier than garlic (55 days). Neither the wastewater-irrigated crops nor the control crops were microbiologically acceptable for consumption raw at harvest.

  12. Expansion of urban area and wastewater irrigated rice area in Hyderabad, India

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gumma, K.M.; van, Rooijen D.; Nelson, A.; Thenkabail, P.S.; Aakuraju, Radha V.; Amerasinghe, P.

    2011-01-01

    The goal of this study was to investigate land use changes in urban and peri-urban Hyderabad and their influence on wastewater irrigated rice using Landsat ETM + data and spectral matching techniques. The main source of irrigation water is the Musi River, which collects a large volume of wastewater and stormwater while running through the city. From 1989 to 2002, the wastewater irrigated area along the Musi River increased from 5,213 to 8,939 ha with concurrent expansion of the city boundaries from 22,690 to 42,813 ha and also decreased barren lands and range lands from 86,899 to 66,616 ha. Opportunistic shifts in land use, especially related to wastewater irrigated agriculture, were seen as a response to the demand for fresh vegetables and easy access to markets, exploited mainly by migrant populations. While wastewater irrigated agriculture contributes to income security of marginal groups, it also supplements the food basket of many city dwellers. Landsat ETM + data and advanced methods such as spectral matching techniques are ideal for quantifying urban expansion and associated land use changes, and are useful for urban planners and decision makers alike. ?? 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

  13. Research on the autumn irrigation schedule of Hetao Irrigation District of China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Y.

    2016-12-01

    Salinization of soil has great influence on the function of crop land, leading to the crop failure to some extent. One of the inducement of salinization is that the water pressure of frozen soil is lower than that of unfrozen, salt is drew up to the frozen layer along with water during the freezing process. To prevent the salinization of soil, people carry out the autumn irrigation in Hetao Irrigation District which located is located in Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia, north of China. Autumn irrigation is an irrigation event before the freezing of soil, the function of autumn irrigation includes soil moisture conservation, loosening the soil and leaching the salt. Among all the crop models, none is designed to simulate the water and salt movement during freezing and thawing progress. So In this study, SWAP (Soil Water Atmosphere Plant) model is modified by adding the freezing and thawing module which enable the model to take into consideration the effect of freezing and thawing on water and salt movement. After validating the modified model using field data and lab test results, the model was used to simulate the results of various autumn irrigation schedules, exploring the influence of different autumn irrigation amounts on the water, salt and heat condition and transportation of soil. Finally, proper autumn irrigation schedule was obtained to instruct the production of Hetao Irrigation District.

  14. Wastewater Irrigation Increases the Abundance of Potentially Harmful Gammaproteobacteria in Soils in Mezquital Valley, Mexico

    PubMed Central

    Broszat, Melanie; Nacke, Heiko; Blasi, Ronja; Siebe, Christina; Huebner, Johannes; Daniel, Rolf

    2014-01-01

    Wastewater contains large amounts of pharmaceuticals, pathogens, and antimicrobial resistance determinants. Only a little is known about the dissemination of resistance determinants and changes in soil microbial communities affected by wastewater irrigation. Community DNAs from Mezquital Valley soils under irrigation with untreated wastewater for 0 to 100 years were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR for the presence of sul genes, encoding resistance to sulfonamides. Amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes from community DNAs from soils irrigated for 0, 8, 10, 85, and 100 years was performed and revealed a 14% increase of the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in rainy season soils and a 26.7% increase in dry season soils for soils irrigated for 100 years with wastewater. In particular, Gammaproteobacteria, including potential pathogens, such as Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Acinetobacter spp., were found in wastewater-irrigated fields. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 96 isolates from soils irrigated with wastewater for 100 years (48 from dry and 48 from rainy season soils) revealed that 46% were affiliated with the Gammaproteobacteria (mainly potentially pathogenic Stenotrophomonas strains) and 50% with the Bacilli, whereas all 96 isolates from rain-fed soils (48 from dry and 48 from rainy season soils) were affiliated with the Bacilli. Up to six types of antibiotic resistance were found in isolates from wastewater-irrigated soils; sulfamethoxazole resistance was the most abundant (33.3% of the isolates), followed by oxacillin resistance (21.9% of the isolates). In summary, we detected an increase of potentially harmful bacteria and a larger incidence of resistance determinants in wastewater-irrigated soils, which might result in health risks for farm workers and consumers of wastewater-irrigated crops. PMID:24951788

  15. A global, spatially-explicit assessment of irrigated croplands influenced by urban wastewater flows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thebo, A. L.; Drechsel, P.; Lambin, E. F.; Nelson, K. L.

    2017-07-01

    When urban areas expand without concomitant increases in wastewater treatment capacity, vast quantities of wastewater are released to surface waters with little or no treatment. Downstream of many urban areas are large areas of irrigated croplands reliant on these same surface water sources. Case studies document the widespread use of untreated wastewater in irrigated agriculture, but due to the practical and political challenges of conducting a true census of this practice, its global extent is not well known except where reuse has been planned. This study used GIS-based modeling methods to develop the first spatially-explicit estimate of the global extent of irrigated croplands influenced by urban wastewater flows, including indirect wastewater use. These croplands were further classified by their likelihood of using poor quality water based on the spatial proximity of croplands to urban areas, urban wastewater return flow ratios, and proportion of wastewater treated. This study found that 65% (35.9 Mha) of downstream irrigated croplands were located in catchments with high levels of dependence on urban wastewater flows. These same catchments were home to 1.37 billion urban residents. Of these croplands, 29.3 Mha were located in countries with low levels of wastewater treatment and home to 885 million urban residents. These figures provide insight into the key role that water reuse plays in meeting the water and food needs of people around the world, and the need to invest in wastewater treatment to protect public health.

  16. Red cabbage yield, heavy metal content, water use and soil chemical characteristics under wastewater irrigation.

    PubMed

    Tunc, Talip; Sahin, Ustun

    2016-04-01

    The objective of this 2-year field study was to evaluate the effects of drip irrigation with urban wastewaters reclaimed using primary (filtration) and secondary (filtration and aeration) processes on red cabbage growth and fresh yield, heavy metal content, water use and efficiency and soil chemical properties. Filtered wastewater (WW1), filtered and aerated wastewater (WW2), freshwater and filtered wastewater mix (1:1 by volume) (WW3) and freshwater (FW) were investigated as irrigation water treatments. Crop evapotranspiration decreased significantly, while water use efficiency increased under wastewater treatments compared to FW. WW1 treatment had the lowest value (474.2 mm), while FW treatments had the highest value (556.7 mm). The highest water use efficiency was found in the WW1 treatment as 8.41 kg m(-3), and there was a twofold increase with regard to the FW. Wastewater irrigation increased soil fertility and therefore red cabbage yield. WW2 treatment produced the highest total fresh yield (40.02 Mg ha(-1)). However, wastewater irrigation increased the heavy metal content in crops and soil. Cd content in red cabbage heads was above the safe limit, and WW1 treatment had the highest value (0.168 mg kg(-1)). WW3 treatment among wastewater treatments is less risky in terms of soil and crop heavy metal pollution and faecal coliform contamination. Therefore, WW3 wastewater irrigation for red cabbage could be recommended for higher yield and water efficiency with regard to freshwater irrigation.

  17. Unsaturated flow dynamics during irrigation with wastewater: field and modelling study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinez-Hernandez, V.; de Miguel, A.; Meffe, R.; Leal, M.; González-Naranjo, V.; de Bustamante, I.

    2012-04-01

    To deal with water scarcity combined with a growing water demand, the reuse of wastewater effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) for industrial and agricultural purposes is considered as a technically and economically feasible solution. In agriculture, irrigation with wastewater emerges as a sustainable practice that should be considered in such scenarios. Water infiltration, soil moisture storage and evapotranspiration occurring in the unsaturated zone are fundamental processes that play an important role in soil water balance. An accurate estimation of unsaturated flow dynamics (during and after irrigation) is essential to improve wastewater management (i.e. estimating groundwater recharge or maximizing irrigation efficiency) and to avoid possible soil and groundwater affections (i.e. predicting contaminant transport). The study site is located in the Experimental Plant of Carrión de los Céspedes (Seville, Spain). Here, treated wastewater is irrigated over the soil to enhance plants growth. To obtain physical characteristics of the soil (granulometry, bulk density and water retention curve), soil samples were collected at different depths. A drain gauge passive capillary lysimeter was installed to determine the volume of water draining from the vadose zone. Volumetric water content of the soil was monitored by measuring the dielectric constant using capacitance/frequency domain technology. Three soil moisture probes were located at different depths (20, 50 and 70 cm below the ground surface) to control the variation of the volumetric water content during infiltration. The main aim of this study is to understand water flow dynamics through the unsaturated zone during irrigation by using the finite element model Hydrus-1D. The experimental conditions were simulated by a 90 cm long, one dimensional solution domain. Specific climatic conditions, wastewater irrigation rates and physical properties of the soil were introduced in the model as input parameters

  18. Bioenergy from Coastal bermudagrass receiving subsurface drip irrigation with advance-treated swine wastewater.

    PubMed

    Cantrell, Keri B; Stone, Kenneth C; Hunt, Patrick G; Ro, Kyoung S; Vanotti, Matias B; Burns, Joseph C

    2009-07-01

    Coastal bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) may be a potentially important source of bio-based energy in the southern US due to its vast acreage. It is often produced as part of a waste management plan with varying nutrient composition and energy characteristics on fields irrigated with livestock wastewater. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of subsurface drip irrigation with treated swine wastewater on both the quantity and quality of bermudagrass bioenergy. The treated wastewater was recycled from an advanced treatment system and used for irrigation of bermudagrass in two crop seasons. The experiment had nine water and drip line spacing treatments arrayed in a randomized complete block-design with four replicates. The bermudagrass was analyzed for calorific and mineral contents. Bermudagrass energy yields for 2004 and 2005 ranged from 127.4 to 251.4MJ ha(-1). Compared to irrigation with commercial nitrogen fertilizer, the least biomass energy density was associated with bermudagrass receiving treated swine wastewater. Yet, in 2004 the wastewater irrigated bermudagrass had greater hay yields leading to greater energy yield per ha. This decrease in energy density of wastewater irrigated bermudagrass was associated with increased concentrations of K, Ca, and Na. After thermal conversion, these compounds are known to remain in the ash portion thereby decreasing the energy density. Nonetheless, the loss of energy density using treated effluent via SDI may be offset by the positive influence of these three elements for their catalytic properties in downstream thermal conversion processes such as promoting a lesser char yield and greater combustible gas formation.

  19. 2. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT DAM, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    2. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT DAM, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF DRAWING, PLAN, SHEET 5 OF 5, 1924 (on file at the Idaho State Office of Water Resources, Boise, Idaho) - Snake River Valley Irrigation District, East Side of Snake River (River Mile 796), Shelley, Bingham County, ID

  20. Human health risk from heavy metal via food crops consumption with wastewater irrigation practices in Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Khan, Muhammad Usman; Malik, Riffat Naseem; Muhammad, Said

    2013-11-01

    The current study was designed to investigate the potential human health risks associated with consumption of food crops contaminated with toxic heavy metals. Cadmium (Cd) concentration in surface soils; Cd, lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) in the irrigation water and food crops were above permissible limits. The accumulation factor (AF) was >1 for manganese (Mn) and Pb in different food crops. The Health Risk Index (HRI) was >1 for Pb in all food crops irrigated with wastewater and tube well water. HRI >1 was also recorded for Cd in all selected vegetables; and for Mn in Spinacia oleracea irrigated with wastewater. All wastewater irrigated samples (soil and food crops) exhibited high relative contamination level as compared to samples irrigated with tube well water. Our results emphasized the need for pretreatment of wastewater and routine monitoring in order to avoid contamination of food crops from the wastewater irrigation system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Accumulation and leaching potential of some pharmaceuticals and potential endocrine disruptors in soils irrigated with wastewater in the Tula Valley, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Gibson, Richard; Durán-Álvarez, Juan C; Estrada, Karina León; Chávez, Alma; Jiménez Cisneros, Blanca

    2010-12-01

    The reuse of wastewater for irrigation of agricultural land is a well established practice but introduces many contaminants into the terrestrial environment including pharmaceuticals and personal care products. This study reports the persistence and leaching potential of a group of acidic pharmaceuticals, carbamazepine, and three endocrine disruptors in soils from the Tula Valley in Mexico, one of the largest irrigation districts in the world that uses untreated wastewater. After irrigation of soil columns with fortified wastewater over the equivalent of one crop cycle, between 0% and 7% of the total added amounts of ibuprofen, naproxen, and diclofenac and between 0% and 25% of 4-nonylphenol, triclosan, and bisphenol-A were recovered from the soil profiles. Carbamazepine was more persistent, between 55% and 107% being recovered. Amounts in leachates suggested that movement through the soil was possible for all of the analytes, particularly in profiles of low organic matter and clay content. Analysis of soil samples from the Tula Valley confirmed the general lack of accumulation of the acidic pharmaceuticals (concentrations from below the limit of detection to 0.61 μgkg(-1)) and endocrine disruptors (concentrations from below the limit of detection to 109 μgkg(-1)) despite continual addition through regular irrigation with untreated wastewater; there was little evidence of movement through the soil profiles. In contrast, carbamazepine was present in horizon A of the soil at concentrations equivalent to several years of additions by irrigation (2.6-7.5 μgkg(-1)) and was also present in the deeper horizons. The persistence and mobility of carbamazepine suggested a potential to contaminate groundwater. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. 4. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF DRAWING, ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    4. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF DRAWING, PROPOSED SECTION OF DIVERSION DAM ACROSS SNAKE RIVER, SHEET 1 OF 5, 1924 (on file at the Idaho State Office of Water Resources, Boise, Idaho) - Snake River Valley Irrigation District, East Side of Snake River (River Mile 796), Shelley, Bingham County, ID

  3. 3. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF DRAWING, ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    3. SNAKE RIVER VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT, PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF DRAWING, PROFILE AND ALIGNMENT OF DAM ACROSS WEST CHANNEL OF SNAKE RIVER, SHEET 3 OF 5, 1924 (on file at the Idaho State Office of Water Resources, Boise, Idaho) - Snake River Valley Irrigation District, East Side of Snake River (River Mile 796), Shelley, Bingham County, ID

  4. Impact of long-term wastewater irrigation on sorption and transport of atrazine in Mexican agricultural soils.

    PubMed

    Müller, K; Duwig, C; Prado, B; Siebe, C; Hidalgo, C; Etchevers, J

    2012-01-01

    In the Mezquital Valley, Mexico, crops have been irrigated with untreated municipal wastewater for more than a century. Atrazine has been applied to maize and alfalfa grown in the area for weed control for 15 years. Our objectives were to analyse (i) how wastewater irrigation affects the filtering of atrazine, and (ii) if the length of irrigation has a significant impact. We compared atrazine sorption to Phaeozems that have been irrigated with raw wastewater for 35 (P35) and 85 (P85) years with sorption to a non-irrigated (P0) Phaeozem soil under rainfed agriculture. The use of bromide as an inert water tracer in column experiments and the subsequent analysis of the tracers' breakthrough curves allowed the calibration of the hydrodynamic parameters of a two-site non equilibrium convection-dispersion model. The quality of the irrigation water significantly altered the soils' hydrodynamic properties (hydraulic conductivity, dispersivity and the size of pores that are hydraulically active). The impacts on soil chemical properties (total organic carbon content and pH) were not significant, while the sodium adsorption ratio was significantly increased. Sorption and desorption isotherms, determined in batch and column experiments, showed enhanced atrazine sorption and reduced and slower desorption in wastewater-irrigated soils. These effects increased with the length of irrigation. The intensified sorption-desorption hysteresis in wastewater-irrigated soils indicated that the soil organic matter developed in these soils had fewer high-energy, easily accessible sorption sites available, leading to lower and slower atrazine desorption rates. This study leads to the conclusion that wastewater irrigation decreases atrazine mobility in the Mezquital valley Phaeozems by decreasing the hydraulic conductivity and increasing the soil's sorption capacity.

  5. Abattoir Wastewater Irrigation Increases the Availability of Nutrients and Influences on Plant Growth and Development.

    PubMed

    Matheyarasu, Raghupathi; Bolan, Nanthi S; Naidu, Ravi

    This study evaluated the effects of abattoir wastewater irrigation on plant growth and development. The soils used in this study were collected from Primo Smallgoods Abattoir (Port Wakefield, South Australia) at different sites such as currently irrigated (CI), currently not irrigated (CNI) and soil outside the irrigation area as control (CTRL). A completely randomised block design was employed for the plant growth experiment, where four crops (Pennisetum purpureum , Medicago sativa , Sinapis alba and Helianthus annuus ) were grown separately on three different soils (CI, CNI and CTRL) in plastic pots. Two types of water (tap water and wastewater) and two loadings were applied throughout the planting period based on the field capacity (FC 100 and 150 %). The overall dry matter yield was compared between the soils and treatments. Under wastewater irrigation, among the four species grown in the CI soil, P. purpureum (171 g) and H. annuus (151 g) showed high biomass yields, followed by S. alba (115 g) and M. sativa (31 g). The plants grown under tap water showed about 70 % lower yields compared to the abattoir wastewater irrigation (AWW). Similar trends in the biomass yields were observed for CNI and CTRL soils under the two water treatments, with the biomass yields in the following order CI > CNI > CTRL soils. The results confirm the beneficial effects of AWW at the greenhouse level. However, a proper cropping pattern and wastewater irrigation management plan is essential to utilise the nutrients available in the wastewater-irrigated land treatment sites. The increase in fertility is evident from the effects of wastewater on biomass growth and also the abundance of nutrients accumulated in plants. A mass balance calculation on the applied, residual and the plant-accumulated nutrients over a few cropping periods will help us in understanding the nutrient cycling processes involved in the abattoir-irrigated land treatment sites, which will serve as an effective

  6. Exposure factors for wastewater-irrigated Asian vegetables and a probabilistic rotavirus disease burden model for their consumption

    PubMed Central

    Mok, Hoi-Fei; Hamilton, Andrew J.

    2014-01-01

    Many farmers in water-scarce regions of developing countries use wastewater to irrigate vegetables and other agricultural crops, a practice that may expand with climate change. There is a number of health risks associated with wastewater irrigation for human food crops, particularly with surface irrigation techniques common in the developing world. The World Health Organization recommends using quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) to determine if the irrigation scheme meets health standards. However, only a few vegetables have been studied for wastewater risk and little information is known about the disease burden of wastewater-irrigated vegetable consumption in China. To bridge this knowledge gap, an experiment was conducted to determine volume of water left on Asian vegetables and lettuce after irrigation. One hundred samples each of Chinese chard (Brassica rapa var. chinensis), Chinese broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra), Chinese flowering cabbage (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis), and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) were harvested after overhead sprinkler irrigation. Chinese broccoli and flowering cabbage were found to capture the most water and lettuce the least. QMRAs were then constructed to estimate rotavirus disease burden from consumption of wastewater-irrigated Asian vegetables in Beijing. Results indicate that estimated risks from these reuse scenarios exceed WHO guideline thresholds for acceptable disease burden for wastewater use, signifying that reduction of pathogen concentration or stricter risk management is necessary for safe reuse. Considering the widespread practice of wastewater irrigation for food production, particularly in developing countries, incorporation of water retention factors in QMRAs can reduce uncertainty regarding health risks for consumers worldwide. PMID:24576153

  7. Assessment of nitrogen losses through nitrous oxide from abattoir wastewater-irrigated soils.

    PubMed

    Matheyarasu, Raghupathi; Seshadri, Balaji; Bolan, Nanthi S; Naidu, Ravi

    2016-11-01

    The land disposal of waste and wastewater is a major source of N 2 O emission. This is due to the presence of high concentrations of nitrogen (N) and carbon in the waste. Abattoir wastewater contains 186 mg/L of N and 30.4 mg/L of P. The equivalent of 3 kg of abattoir wastewater-irrigated soil was sieved and taken in a 4-L plastic container. Abattoir wastewater was used for irrigating the plants at the rates of 50 and 100 % field capacity (FC). Four crop species were used with no crop serving as a control. Nitrous oxide emission was monitored using a closed chamber technique. The chamber was placed inside the plastic container, and N 2 O emission was measured for 7 days after the planting. A syringe and pre-evacuated vial were used for collecting the gas samples; a fresh and clean syringe was used each time to avoid cross-contamination. The collected gas samples were injected into a gas chromatography device immediately after each sampling to analyse the concentration of N 2 O from different treatments. The overall N 2 O emission was compared for all the crops under two different abattoir wastewater treatment rates (50 and 100 % FC). Under 100 % FC (wastewater irrigation), among the four species grown in the abattoir wastewater-irrigated soil, Medicago sativa (23 mg/pot), Sinapis alba (21 mg/pot), Zea mays (20 mg/pot) and Helianthus annuus (20 mg/pot) showed higher N 2 O emission compared to the 50 % treatments-M. sativa (17 mg/pot), S. alba (17 mg/pot), Z. mays (18 mg/pot) and H. annuus (18 mg/pot). Similarly, pots with plants have shown 15 % less emission than the pots without plants. Similar trends of N 2 O emission flux were observed between the irrigation period (4-week period) for 50 % FC and 100 % FC. Under the 100 % FC loading rate treatments, the highest N 2 O emission was in the following order: week 1 > week 4 > week 3 > week 2. On the other hand, under the 50 % FC loading rate treatments, the highest N 2 O emission was

  8. Mercury and cadmium contamination of irrigation water, sediment, soil and shallow groundwater in a wastewater-irrigated field in Tianjin, China.

    PubMed

    Wu, G-H; Cao, S-S

    2010-03-01

    We investigated the concentrations of Hg, Cd, Pb and As in samples of irrigation water, sediment, soil and groundwater from a field in Tianjin that was irrigated with wastewater. The results showed that the concentrations (Hg, 0.82 microg/L; Cd, 0.18 microg/L; Pb, 1.5 microg/L; As, 8.02 microg/L) in the irrigation water did not exceed the China Surface Water Quality Standard or the maximum concentrations in irrigation water recommended by the FAO. The concentrations of metals in the groundwater of wells (Hg, 0.016 microg/L; Cd, 0.128 microg/L; Pb, 0.25 microg/L; As, 4.65 microg/L) were lower than China Groundwater Quality Standard and the WHO guideline values for drinking water. The groundwater had not yet been contaminated through vertical infiltration-induced leaching. However, a substantial buildup of Hg and Cd in river sediments (I(geo) for Hg and Cd; 5.24 and 3.04, respectively) and wastewater-irrigated soils (I(geo) for Hg and Cd; 2.50 and 3.09, respectively) was observed. Taken together, these results indicated that irrigation with wastewater damaged the soil quality over the long term and that metals more easily accumulated in vegetable fields than rice fields.

  9. Microbial risk in wastewater irrigated lettuce: comparing Escherichia coli contamination from an experimental site with a laboratory approach.

    PubMed

    Makkaew, P; Miller, M; Fallowfield, H J; Cromar, N J

    This study assessed the contamination of Escherichia coli, in lettuce grown with treated domestic wastewater in four different irrigation configurations: open spray, spray under plastic sheet cover, open drip and drip under plastic sheet cover. Samples of lettuce from each irrigation configuration and irrigating wastewater were collected during the growing season. No E. coli was detected in lettuce from drip irrigated beds. All lettuce samples from spray beds were positive for E. coli, however, no statistical difference (p > 0.05) was detected between lettuces grown in open spray or covered spray beds. The results from the field experiment were also compared to a laboratory experiment which used submersion of lettuce in wastewater of known E. coli concentration as a surrogate method to assess contamination following irrigation. The microbial quality of spray bed lettuces was not significantly different from submersed lettuce when irrigated with wastewater containing 1,299.7 E. coli MPN/100 mL (p > 0.05). This study is significant since it is the first to validate that the microbial contamination of lettuce irrigated with wastewater in the field is comparable with a laboratory technique frequently applied in the quantitative microbial risk assessment of the consumption of wastewater irrigated salad crops.

  10. 77 FR 13585 - Three Sisters Irrigation District; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-07

    ...: The proposed Three Sisters Irrigation District Hydroelectric Project would be located on the north pipe of the Three Sisters Irrigation District's Main Canal Pipeline in Deschutes County, Oregon. The... of Project: The Three Sisters Irrigation District Hydroelectric Project would consist of: (1) An...

  11. Effects of spray-irrigated municipal wastewater on a small watershed in Chester County, Pennsylvania

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schreffler, Curtis L.; Galeone, Daniel G.

    2005-01-01

    Spray irrigation is a method for disposing of secondary treated municipal wastewater by spraying it on the land surface (fig. 1). The sprayed wastewater either evaporates into the air, soaks into the soil, or percolates through the soil and recharges the ground water. Land application of wastewater has advantages over conventional means of disposal by direct discharge to streams because the wastewater recharges the ground-water system and increases base flow in streams. Additional benefits are derived from the "natural" treatment of the wastewater that takes place in the soil when plants and other biota remove some nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from the wastewater (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 2003). The removal of nutrients is one advantage spray irrigation has to conventional disposal methods like instream discharge.

  12. Health risk assessment of potentially harmful elements and dietary minerals from vegetables irrigated with untreated wastewater, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Zia, Munir H; Watts, Michael J; Niaz, Abid; Middleton, Daniel R S; Kim, Alexander W

    2017-08-01

    In the developing world, vegetables are commonly grown in suburban areas irrigated with untreated wastewater containing potentially harmful elements (PHEs). In Pakistan, there is no published work on the bioaccessibility aspect of PHEs and dietary minerals (DMs) in sewage-irrigated soil or the vegetables grown on such soils in Pakistan. Several industrial districts of Pakistan were selected for assessment of the risk associated with the ingestion of vegetables grown over sewage-irrigated soils. Both the total and bioaccessible fraction of PHEs (Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, and Pb) and DMs (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Ca, Mg, and I) in soils and vegetable samples were measured. The concentrations of these PHEs and DMs in sewage-irrigated and control soils were below published upper threshold limits. However, compared to control soils, sewage irrigation over the years decreased soil pH (7.7 vs 8.1) and enhanced dissolved organic carbon (1.8 vs 0.8 %), which could enhance the phyto-availability of PHEs and DMs to crops. Of the PHEs and DMs, the highest transfer factor (soil to plant) was noted for Cd and Ca, respectively. Concentrations of PHEs in most of the sewage-irrigated vegetables were below the published upper threshold limits, except for Cd in the fruiting portion of eggplant and bell pepper (0.06-0.08 mg/kg Cd, dry weight) at three locations in Gujarat and Kasur districts. The bioaccessible fraction of PHEs can reduce the context of dietary intake measurements compared to total concentrations, but differences between both measurements were not significant for Cd. Since the soils of the sampled districts are not overly contaminated compared to control sites, vegetables grown over sewage-irrigated soils would provide an opportunity to harvest mineral-rich vegetables potentially providing consumers 62, 60, 12, 104, and 63 % higher dietary intake of Cu, Mn, Zn, Ca, and Mg, respectively. Based on Fe and vanadium correlations in vegetables, it is inferred that a significant proportion

  13. Sorption of pathogens during sub-surface drip irrigation with wastewater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Levi, Laillach; Gillerman Gillerman, Leonid; Kalavrouziotis, Ioannis; Oron, Gideon

    2017-04-01

    Water scarcity continues to be one of the major threats to human survival in many regions worldwide, such as Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the State of California in the US. Due to a mixture of factors such as population growth, reduction in water resources availability and higher demand for high quality waters in these regions these countries face water shortage issues that stem from overuse, extensive extraction of groundwater, and frequent drought events. In addition, there are increases in environmental and health awareness that have led to intensive efforts in the treatment and reuse of nonconventional water sources, mainly wastewater and greywater. One approach to water shortages issues is to use wastewater as means to close the gap between supply and demand. However, the need to treat wastewater and to disinfect it forces additional economic burden on the users, primarily for agricultural irrigation. A possible solution might be to use the soil as a sorbent for the contained pathogens. Under sub-surface drip irrigation, not allowing the wastewater to reach the soil surface, the pathogens will remain in the soil. It was as well shown in field experiments that the opening size of roots will not allow pathogens to penetrate into the plants. Additional advantages such as water saving, protection of the pipe systems and others are also important. Field experiments in commercial fields just emphasize the main advantages of sub-surface drip irrigation.

  14. The assessment of treated wastewater quality and the effects of mid-term irrigation on soil physical and chemical properties (case study: Bandargaz-treated wastewater)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaboosi, Kami

    2017-09-01

    This study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of inflow and outflow wastewater of the Bandargaz wastewater treatment plant on the basis of the data collection of operation period and the samples taken during the study. Also the effects of mid-term use of the wastewater for irrigation (from 2005 to 2013) on soil physical and chemical characteristics were studied. For this purpose, 4 samples were taken from the inflow and outflow wastewater and 25 quality parameters were measured. Also, the four soil samples from a depth of 0-30 cm of two rice field irrigated with wastewater in the beginning and middle of the planting season and two samples from one adjacent rice field irrigated with fresh water were collected and their chemical and physical characteristics were determined. Average of electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, sodium adsorption ratio, chemical oxygen demand and 5 days biochemical oxygen demand in treated wastewater were 1.35 dS/m, 707 ppm, 0.93, 80 ppm and 40 ppm, respectively. Results showed that although some restrictions exist about chlorine and bicarbonate, the treated wastewater is suitable for irrigation based on national and international standards and criteria. In comparison with fresh water, the mid-term use of wastewater caused a little increase of soil salinity. However, it did not lead to increase of soil salinity beyond rice salinity threshold. Also, there were no restrictions on soil in the aspect of salinity and sodium hazard on the basis of many irrigated soil classifications. In comparison with fresh water, the mid-term use of wastewater caused the increase of total N, absorbable P and absorbable K in soil due to high concentration of those elements in treated wastewater.

  15. Risk assessment of consuming agricultural products irrigated with reclaimed wastewater: An exposure model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Ginneken, Meike; Oron, Gideon

    2000-09-01

    This study assesses health risks to consumers due to the use of agricultural products irrigated with reclaimed wastewater. The analysis is based on a definition of an exposure model which takes into account several parameters: (1) the quality of the applied wastewater, (2) the irrigation method, (3) the elapsed times between irrigation, harvest, and product consumption, and (4) the consumers' habits. The exposure model is used for numerical simulation of human consumers' risks using the Monte Carlo simulation method. The results of the numerical simulation show large deviations, probably caused by uncertainty (impreciseness in quality of input data) and variability due to diversity among populations. There is a 10-orders of magnitude difference in the risk of infection between the different exposure scenarios with the same water quality. This variation indicates the need for setting risk-based criteria for wastewater reclamation rather than single water quality guidelines. Extra data are required to decrease uncertainty in the risk assessment. Future research needs to include definition of acceptable risk criteria, more accurate dose-response modeling, information regarding pathogen survival in treated wastewater, additional data related to the passage of pathogens into and in the plants during irrigation, and information regarding the behavior patterns of the community of human consumers.

  16. Water quality-scarcity relationships in irrigated agriculture: Health risks and adaptation strategies associated with indirect wastewater reuse

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thebo, A.

    2016-12-01

    Urban wastewater provides a reliable, nutrient rich source of irrigation water for downstream agricultural producers. However, globally, less than ten percent of collected wastewater receives any form of treatment, resulting in the widespread indirect reuse of untreated, diluted wastewater from surface water sources. This research explores these links between water scarcity, anthropogenic drivers of water quality, and adaptation strategies farmer's employ through a case study in Dharwad, a mid-sized South Indian city. This study took an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating survey based research with geospatial analysis, and molecular methods (for waterborne pathogen detection) to develop a systems level understanding of the drivers, health risks, and adaptation strategies associated with the indirect reuse of wastewater in irrigated agriculture. In Dharwad, farmers with better access to wastewater reported growing more water-intensive, but higher value vegetable crops. While farmers further downstream tended to grow more staple crops. This study evaluated levels of culturable E. coli and diarrheagenic E. coli pathotype gene targets to assess contamination in irrigation water, soil, and on produce from farms. Irrigation water source was a major factor affecting the concentrations of culturable E. coli detected in soil samples and on greens. However, even when irrigation water was not contaminated (all borewell water samples) some culturable E. coli were present at low concentrations in soil and on produce samples, suggesting additional sources of contamination on farms. Maximum temperatures within the previous week showed a significant positive association with concentrations of E. coli on wastewater irrigated produce. This presentation will focus on discussing the ways in which urban wastewater management, climate, irrigation practices and cultivation patterns all come together to define the risks and benefits posed via the indirect reuse of wastewater.

  17. Assessing the ecological risk of soil irrigated with wastewater using in vitro cell bioassays.

    PubMed

    Yu, Guo; Xiao, Ruiyang; Wang, Donghong; Zhou, Jun; Wang, Zijian

    2008-12-01

    In the most recent research work, the accumulation of toxicants in soil was always assessed through concentration level of the target contaminants. However, assessments based on chemical analysis were limited in numbers and in their unpredictable bioavailability. An alternative assessment could be based on toxicity assessment. It means that a screening bioassay is a necessary tool for identifying and defining contaminants at the sites, which should warrant further attention. In the present study, three in vitro cell bioassays, including the SOS/umu bioassay for genotoxic effects, human estrogen receptor recombinant yeast bioassay for estrogenic effects, and ethoxyresorfin O-deethylase (EROD) with H4IIE rat hepatoma cells bioassay for Ah-receptor agonistic effects, were used for the evaluation of the accumulation of toxicants in soils irrigated with wastewater in the suburb of Beijing, China. The results indicated that there were significant increases of genotoxic, estrogenic, and Ah-receptor agonistic effects in soils irrigated with wastewater, as compared with soils irrigated with groundwater. There was the decreased effect gradient following the increase of the distances from the inlet of the wastewater. It was concluded that wastewater irrigation could cause accumulation of genotoxic, estrogenic, and Ah-receptor agonistic chemicals in soil.

  18. Matching agricultural freshwater supply and demand: using industrial and domestic treated wastewater for sub-irrigation purposes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bartholomeus, Ruud; van den Eertwegh, Gé; Worm, Bas; Cirkel, Gijsbert; van Loon, Arnaut; Raat, Klaasjan

    2017-04-01

    Agricultural crop yields depend largely on soil moisture conditions in the root zone. Climate change leads to more prolonged drought periods that alternate with more intensive rainfall events. With unaltered water management practices, reduced crop yield due to drought stress will increase. Therefore, both farmers and water management authorities search for opportunities to manage risks of decreasing crop yields. Available groundwater sources for irrigation purposes are increasingly under pressure due to the regional coexistence of land use functions that are critical to groundwater levels or compete for available water. At the same time, treated wastewater from industries and domestic wastewater treatment plants are quickly discharged via surface waters towards sea. Exploitation of these freshwater sources may be an effective strategy to balance regional water supply and agricultural water demand. We present results of two pilot studies in drought sensitive regions in the Netherlands, concerning agricultural water supply through reuse of industrial and domestic treated wastewater. In these pilots, excess wastewater is delivered to the plant root zone through sub-irrigation by drainage systems. Sub-irrigation is a subsurface irrigation method that can be more efficient than classical, aboveground irrigation methods using sprinkler installations. Domestic wastewater treatment plants in the Netherlands produce annually 40-50mm freshwater. A pilot project has been setup in the eastern part of the Netherlands, in which treated wastewater is applied to a corn field by sub-irrigation during the growing seasons of 2015 and 2016, using a climate adaptive drainage system. The chemical composition of treated domestic wastewater is different from infiltrating excess rainfall water and natural groundwater. In the pilot project, the bromide-chloride ratio and traces of pharmaceuticals in the treated wastewater are used as a tracer to describe water and solute transport in the

  19. Contribution of Wastewater Irrigation to Soil Transmitted Helminths Infection among Vegetable Farmers in Kumasi, Ghana.

    PubMed

    Amoah, Isaac Dennis; Abubakari, Amina; Stenström, Thor Axel; Abaidoo, Robert Clement; Seidu, Razak

    2016-12-01

    Wastewater irrigation is associated with several benefits but can also lead to significant health risks. The health risk for contracting infections from Soil Transmitted Helminths (STHs) among farmers has mainly been assessed indirectly through measured quantities in the wastewater or on the crops alone and only on a limited scale through epidemiological assessments. In this study we broadened the concept of infection risks in the exposure assessments by measurements of the concentration of STHs both in wastewater used for irrigation and the soil, as well as the actual load of STHs ova in the stool of farmers and their family members (165 and 127 in the wet and dry seasons respectively) and a control group of non-farmers (100 and 52 in the wet and dry seasons, respectively). Odds ratios were calculated for exposure and non-exposure to wastewater irrigation. The results obtained indicate positive correlation between STH concentrations in irrigation water/soil and STHs ova as measured in the stool of the exposed farmer population. The correlations are based on reinfection during a 3 months period after prior confirmed deworming. Farmers and family members exposed to irrigation water were three times more likely as compared to the control group of non-farmers to be infected with Ascaris (OR = 3.9, 95% CI, 1.15-13.86) and hookworm (OR = 3.07, 95% CI, 0.87-10.82). This study therefore contributes to the evidence-based conclusion that wastewater irrigation contributes to a higher incidence of STHs infection for farmers exposed annually, with higher odds of infection in the wet season.

  20. 68. LITTLE ROCK AND PALMDALE IRRIGATION DISTRICT, LITTLE ROCK DAM: ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    68. LITTLE ROCK AND PALMDALE IRRIGATION DISTRICT, LITTLE ROCK DAM: STRESS SHEET, SHEET 4; MAY, 1918. Littlerock Water District files. - Little Rock Creek Dam, Little Rock Creek, Littlerock, Los Angeles County, CA

  1. Microbiological quality of spinach irrigated with reclaimed wastewater and roof-harvest water

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Aims: The effect of reclaimed wastewater (RCW) and roof-harvest rainwater (RHW) on microbiological quality of irrigated spinach was investigated. Methods and Results: Spinach grown in controlled environment chamber was irrigated by RCW, RHW, or creek water (CW; control water) for four weeks, and th...

  2. Hydrochemical characterization of a groundwater aquifer and its water quality in relation to irrigation in the Jinghuiqu irrigation district of China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xiuhua; Li, Lin; Hu, Anyan

    2013-03-01

    The Jinghuiqu irrigation district is located in the semi-arid regions of northwestern China, where groundwater is the most important natural source for local industry, agriculture and residents. The present work was conducted in the Jinghuiqu irrigation district to characterize the groundwater aquifer, which has undergone long-term flood irrigation for over 2000 years. Isotopic and hydrochemical analyses, along with geological and hydrogeological tools, were used to determine the chemical properties and evolutionary processes of the groundwater aquifer. Results showed that the groundwater chemistry had changed significantly from 1990 to 2009. Water with concentrations of CaMgSO4 had decreased significantly, from 60% to 28% of the total water samples, during the period, while water with concentrations of NaSO4 and NaCl increased significantly, from 28% to 72%. The salinity of the groundwater increased rapidly and the affected area had expanded to most of the irrigation district. Stable isotope studies showed that most of the groundwater concentrations were derived from sulfate mineral dissolution. The minerals saturation indices (SI), ion ratios and oxygen isotope values of the groundwater indicated that the shallow groundwater had mainly experienced mineral dissolution, cation exchange, and mixing of the irrigated surface waters and groundwater. The groundwater quality had continuously evolved toward salinization as concentrations of SO4(2-) and Na+ grew to dominate it. Water quality risk analyses showed that most of the saline groundwater is not suitable for domestic and irrigation uses, especially in the middle and eastern parts of the irrigation district. These findings indicate that the irrigation district should strengthen the groundwater resources management.

  3. Contribution of Wastewater Irrigation to Soil Transmitted Helminths Infection among Vegetable Farmers in Kumasi, Ghana

    PubMed Central

    Abubakari, Amina; Stenström, Thor Axel; Abaidoo, Robert Clement; Seidu, Razak

    2016-01-01

    Wastewater irrigation is associated with several benefits but can also lead to significant health risks. The health risk for contracting infections from Soil Transmitted Helminths (STHs) among farmers has mainly been assessed indirectly through measured quantities in the wastewater or on the crops alone and only on a limited scale through epidemiological assessments. In this study we broadened the concept of infection risks in the exposure assessments by measurements of the concentration of STHs both in wastewater used for irrigation and the soil, as well as the actual load of STHs ova in the stool of farmers and their family members (165 and 127 in the wet and dry seasons respectively) and a control group of non-farmers (100 and 52 in the wet and dry seasons, respectively). Odds ratios were calculated for exposure and non-exposure to wastewater irrigation. The results obtained indicate positive correlation between STH concentrations in irrigation water/soil and STHs ova as measured in the stool of the exposed farmer population. The correlations are based on reinfection during a 3 months period after prior confirmed deworming. Farmers and family members exposed to irrigation water were three times more likely as compared to the control group of non-farmers to be infected with Ascaris (OR = 3.9, 95% CI, 1.15–13.86) and hookworm (OR = 3.07, 95% CI, 0.87–10.82). This study therefore contributes to the evidence-based conclusion that wastewater irrigation contributes to a higher incidence of STHs infection for farmers exposed annually, with higher odds of infection in the wet season. PMID:27923048

  4. [Effects of irrigation of untreated livestock farm wastewater on accumulation and vertical mig- ration of nitrogen and phosphorus in paddy soil].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ming-kui; Ahmed Elgodah; Bao, Chen-yan

    2014-12-01

    Although a series of process techniques for treating wastewater from livestock and poultry breeding have been developed in China and overseas, it is still common in China's rural areas for utilization of the untreated wastewater to irrigate farmland directly because of economic reasons. The impact of untreated wastewater irrigation on accumulation and vertical migration of nitrogen and phosphorus in paddy soil is concerned. Consequently, four representative paddy fields with different histories of livestock farm wastewater irrigation (0, 4, 7, 13 years) were selected for collecting profile soil samples to study the effects of long-term irrigation of untreated livestock farm wastewater on various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus in the soils at different vertical depths. As compared with control field without any irrigation of wastewater, long-term irrigation of untreated livestock farm wastewater significantly increased the accumulation of N and P in the soils with increasing the irrigation year, and the increment of total P in the soil was greater than that of total N. Total P content in surface soil from fields with 4, 7, and 13 years irrigation was increased by 43.6%, 95.2%, and 148.4%, while total N increased by 7.6%, 16.9%, and 28.4%, respectively. Different forms of soil N were increased in order of NH4+ -N, NO3- -N > acid hydrolyzable N > non-acid hydrolyzable N, and soil available P changed much more than total P. Long-term irrigation of untreated livestock farm wastewater could promote vertical migration of soil nitrogen and phosphorus, and increase the pollution risk for groundwater.

  5. Application of soil quality indices to assess the status of agricultural soils irrigated with treated wastewaters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morugán-Coronado, A.; Arcenegui, V.; García-Orenes, F.; Mataix-Solera, J.; Mataix-Beneyto, J.

    2012-12-01

    The supply of water is limited in some parts of the Mediterranean region, such as southeastern Spain. The use of treated wastewater for the irrigation of agricultural soils is an alternative to using better-quality water, especially in semi-arid regions. On the other hand, this practice can modify some soil properties, change their relationships, the equilibrium reached and influence soil quality. In this work two soil quality indices were used to evaluate the effects of irrigation with treated wastewater in soils. The indices were developed studying different soil properties in undisturbed soils in SE Spain, and the relationships between soil parameters were established using multiple linear regressions. This study was carried out in three areas of Alicante Province (SE Spain) irrigated with wastewater, including four study sites. The results showed slight changes in some soil properties as a consequence of irrigation with wastewater, the obtained levels not being dangerous for agricultural soils, and in some cases they could be considered as positive from an agronomical point of view. In one of the study sites, and as a consequence of the low quality wastewater used, a relevant increase in soil organic matter content was observed, as well as modifications in most of the soil properties. The application of soil quality indices indicated that all the soils of study sites are in a state of disequilibrium regarding the relationships between properties independent of the type of water used. However, there were no relevant differences in the soil quality indices between soils irrigated with wastewater with respect to their control sites for all except one of the sites, which corresponds to the site where low quality wastewater was used.

  6. Quality of wastewater reuse in agricultural irrigation and its impact on public health.

    PubMed

    Al-Hammad, Bushra Ahmed; Abd El-Salam, Magda Magdy; Ibrahim, Sahar Yassin

    2014-11-01

    This study is planned to perform a sanitary survey of the largest sewage treatment plant in Riyadh, KSA, fortnightly for 6 months to examine its effluent quality as an example for the growing dependence on reuse of treated municipal wastewater in agricultural irrigation purposes to cope with increasing water shortage. The biological and physico-chemical parameters of 12 wastewater samples from the plant were examined using standard methods. The physico-chemical analysis indicated that the surveyed municipal wastewater treatment plant contained some of the studied parameters, such as turbidity, total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and residual chlorine above the maximum permissible wastewater limits set by the Saudi Standards. However, heavy metal concentrations in all samples were lower than the recommended standards. Total and faecal coliform counts were above the permissible limits indicating poor sanitation level. Fifty percent of all wastewater samples were contaminated with faecal coliforms but, surprisingly, Escherichia coli were only detected in 8.3 % of the samples. Regular monitoring and enhancement of microbial and physico-chemical parameters of the wastewater quality served by different wastewater treatment plants for reuse in agricultural irrigation is recommended to preserve the environment and public health.

  7. Developing an Integrated Understanding of the Relationship Between Urban Wastewater Flows and Downstream Reuse in Irrigated Agriculture: A Global Perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thebo, A.; Nelson, K.; Drechsel, P.; Lambin, E.

    2015-12-01

    Globally, less than ten percent of collected wastewater receives any form of treatment. This untreated wastewater is discharged to surface waters where it is diluted and reused by farmers and municipalities downstream. Without proper safeguards, the use of these waters can present health risks. However, these same waters also provide a reliable and nutrient rich water source for farmers, often in regions where water is already physically or economically scarce. Case studies show the prevalence and diversity of motivations for indirect reuse, but are difficult to interpret in aggregate at the global scale. This study quantifies the global extent and characteristics of the reuse of wastewater in irrigated agriculture through three main components: Quantifying the global extent of urban and peri-urban irrigated and rainfed croplands; Evaluating the contribution of urban wastewater production to available blue water at the catchment scale; Developing an irrigation water quality indicator and classifying irrigated croplands downstream of cities on the basis of this indicator. Each of these components integrates several global scale spatial datasets including MIRCA2000 (irrigated croplands); GDBD (stream channels and catchments); and compilations of water use, sewerage and wastewater treatment data. All analyses were conducted using spatial analysis tools in ArcGIS and Python. This analysis found that 60 percent of all irrigated croplands (130 Mha) were within 20 km of cities. Urban irrigated croplands were found to be farmed with greater cropping intensity (1.48) as compared to non-urban irrigated croplands. Ten percent of the global catchment area is in catchments where domestic wastewater constitutes greater than five percent of available blue water. In contrast, 25 percent of irrigated croplands are located in catchments where domestic wastewater exceeds five percent of available blue water. Particularly in the water scarce regions of North Africa and East Asia, a

  8. Formation of nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) during chlorine disinfection of wastewater effluents prior to use in irrigation systems.

    PubMed

    Pehlivanoglu-Mantas, Elif; Hawley, Elisabeth L; Deeb, Rula A; Sedlak, David L

    2006-01-01

    The probable human carcinogen nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is produced when wastewater effluent is disinfected with chlorine. In systems where wastewater effluent is used for landscape or crop irrigation, relatively high chlorine doses (i.e., up to 2,000,mg-min/L) are often used to ensure adequate disinfection and to minimize biofouling in the irrigation system. To assess the formation of NDMA in such systems, samples were collected from several locations in full-scale wastewater treatment systems and their associated irrigation systems. Up to 460 ng/L of NDMA was produced in full-scale systems in which chloramines were formed when wastewater effluent was disinfected with chlorine in the presence of ammonia. Less than 20 ng/L of NDMA was produced in systems that used free chlorine (i.e., HOCl/OCl(-)) for disinfection in the absence of ammonia. The production of NDMA in ammonia-containing systems was correlated with the concentration of NDMA precursors in the wastewater effluent and the overall dose of chlorine applied. Much of the NDMA formation occurred in chlorine contact basins or in storage basins where water that contained chloramines was held after disinfection. When landscape or crop irrigation is practiced with ammonia-containing wastewater effluent, NDMA production can be controlled by use of lower chlorine doses or by application of alternative disinfectants.

  9. 75 FR 74697 - Central Oregon Irrigation District; Notice of Competing Preliminary Permit Application Accepted...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-01

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 13858-000] Central Oregon Irrigation District; Notice of Competing Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments and Interventions November 22, 2010. On October 6, 2010, Central Oregon Irrigation District filed...

  10. Wastewater use in agriculture: irrigation of sugar cane with effluents from the Cañaveralejo wastewater treatment plant in Cali, Colombia.

    PubMed

    Madera, C A; Silva, J; Mara, D D; Torres, P

    2009-09-01

    In Valle del Cauca, south-west Colombia, surface and ground waters are used for sugar cane irrigation at a rate of 100 m3 of water per tonne of sugar produced. In addition large quantities of artificial fertilizers and pesticides are used to grow the crop. Preliminary experiments were undertaken to determine the feasibility of using effluents from the Cañaveralejo primary wastewater treatment plant in Cali. Sugar cane variety CC 8592 was planted in 18 box plots, each 0.5 m2. Six were irrigated with conventional primary effluent, six with chemically enhanced primary effluent and six with groundwater. For each set of six box plots, three contained local soil and three a 50:50 mixture of sand and rice husks. The three irrigation waters were monitored for 12 months, and immediately after harvest the sugar content of the sugar cane juice determined. All physico-chemical quality parameters for the three irrigation waters were lower than the FAO guideline values for irrigation water quality; on the basis of their sodium absorption ratios and electrical conductivity values, both wastewater effluents were in the USDA low-to-medium risk category C2S1. There was no difference in the sugar content of the cane juice irrigated with the three waters. However, the microbiological quality (E. coli and helminth numbers) of the two effluents did not meet the WHO guidelines and therefore additional human exposure control measures are required in order to minimize any resulting adverse health risks to those working in the wastewater-irrigated fields.

  11. An integrated approach to assess the dynamics of a peri-urban watershed influenced by wastewater irrigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahesh, Jampani; Amerasinghe, Priyanie; Pavelic, Paul

    2015-04-01

    In many urban and peri-urban areas of India, wastewater is under-recognized as a major water resource. Wastewater irrigated agriculture provides direct benefits for the livelihoods and food security of many smallholder farmers. A rapidly urbanizing peri-urban micro-watershed (270 ha) in Hyderabad was assessed over a 10-year period from 2000 to 2010 for changes in land use and associated farming practices, farmer perceptions, socio-economic evaluation, land-use suitability for agriculture and challenges in potential irrigated area development towards wastewater use. This integrated approach showed that the change in the total irrigated area was marginal over the decade, whereas the built-up area within the watershed boundaries doubled and there was a distinct shift in cropping patterns from paddy rice to paragrass and leafy vegetables. Local irrigation supplies were sourced mainly from canal supplies, which accounted for three-quarters of the water used and was largely derived from wastewater. The remainder was groundwater from shallow hard-rock aquifers. Farmer perception was that the high nutrient content of the wastewater was of value, although they were also interested to pay modest amounts for additional pre-treatment. The shift in land use towards paragrass and leafy vegetables was attributed to increased profitability due to the high urban demand. The unutilised scrubland within the watershed has the potential for irrigation development, but the major constraints appear to be unavailability of labour and high land values rather than water availability. The study provides evidence to support the view that the opportunistic use of wastewater and irrigation practices, in general, will continue even under highly evolving peri-urban conditions, to meet the livelihood needs of the poor driven by market demands, as urban sprawl expands into cultivable rural hinterlands. Policy support is needed for enhanced recognition of wastewater for agriculture, with flow

  12. Greenhouse cultivation mitigates metal-ingestion-associated health risks from vegetables in wastewater-irrigated agroecosystems.

    PubMed

    Cao, Chun; Chen, Xing-Peng; Ma, Zhen-Bang; Jia, Hui-Hui; Wang, Jun-Jian

    2016-08-01

    Wastewater irrigation can elevate metal concentrations in soils and crops and increase the metal-associated health risks via vegetable ingestion in arid and semiarid northwestern China. Here, we investigated the As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations in four vegetable species from Dongdagou and Xidagou farmlands in Baiyin, Gansu, China. We evaluated the effects of irrigation type (Dongdagou: industrial wastewater; Xidagou: domestic wastewater) and cultivation mode (open field and greenhouse) on the vegetable metal concentration, metal partitioning, soil-to-plant bioconcentration factor (BCF), and the health risk index. All stream waters, soils, and vegetables were found most severely polluted by As and Cd, with higher severity in the industrial-wastewater-irrigated Dongdagou than the domestic-wastewater-irrigated Xidagou. All vegetables had higher or, at least, comparable metal mass allocated in the shoot than in the root. Greenhouse cultivation could reduce metal-ingestion-associated health risks from edible vegetable biomass by decreasing the soil to plant bioaccumulation (BCF) and the metal concentration. This effect was always significant for all vegetables within Xidagou, and for carrot within Dongdagou. This mitigation effect of greenhouse cultivation could be attributed to the metal sorption by a higher level of soil organic matter and faster growth rate over metal uptake rate in greenhouses compared to open fields. Such mitigation effect was, however, insignificant for leafy vegetables within Dongdagou, when much more severely polluted water for irrigation was applied in greenhouses compared to open fields within Dongdagou. The present study highlights greenhouse cultivation as a potential mitigating approach to providing less-polluted vegetables for residents in the severely polluted area in addition to the source pollution control. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. 76 FR 35886 - Orange Cove Irrigation District, and Friant Power Authority; Notice of Availability of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-20

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 11068-014--California] Orange Cove Irrigation District, and Friant Power Authority; Notice of Availability of Environmental... has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) regarding Orange Cove Irrigation District's and Friant...

  14. Irrigating okra with secondary treated municipal wastewater: Observations regarding plant growth and soil characteristics.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Vinod; Chopra, A K; Srivastava, Sachin; Singh, Jogendra; Thakur, Roushan Kumar

    2017-05-04

    The present study was carried out to probe the agronomic response of hybrid cultivar of okra (Hibiscus esculentus L. var. JK 7315) grown in secondary treated municipal wastewater irrigated soil with field investigations. The concentrations of the municipal wastewater viz., 10%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% along with the control (groundwater) were used for the irrigation of the H. esculentus. The study revealed that the concentrations of the municipal wastewater showed significant (p < 0.05/p < 0.01) effect on the soil parameters after wastewater fertigation in comparison to groundwater in both the seasons. The maximum agronomic performance of the H. esculentus was recorded with 60% concentration of the municipal wastewater in both the seasons. The contamination factor of heavy metals varied in the H. esculentus plants and soils. In the H. esculentus plants, following fertigation with municipal wastewater, the contamination factor of manganese was the highest, while that of chromium was the lowest. Intermediate contamination factor were observed for zinc, copper, and cadmium. Therefore, secondary treated municipal wastewater can be used as an agro-fertigant after appropriate dilution (up to 60%) to achieve the maximum yield of the H. esculentus.

  15. Salinity effect of irrigation with treated wastewater in basal soil respiration in SE of Spain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morugan, A.; Garcia-Orenes, F.; Mataix-Solera, J.

    2012-04-01

    The use of treated wastewater for the irrigation of agricultural soils is an alternative to utilizing better-quality water, especially in semiarid regions where water shortage is a very serious problem. Wastewater use in agriculture is not a new practice, all over the world this reuse has been common practice for a long time, but the concept is of greater importance currently because of the global water crisis. Replacement of freshwater by treated wastewater is seen as an important conservation strategy contributing to agricultural production, substantial benefits can derive from using this nutrient-rich waste water but there can also be a negative impact. For this reason it is necessary to know precisely the composition of water before applying it to the soil in order to guarantee minimal impact in terms of contamination and salinization. In this work we have been studying, for more than three years, different parameters in calcareous soils irrigated with treated wastewater in an agricultural Mediterranean area located at Biar (Alicante, SE Spain), with a crop of grape (Vitis labrusca). Three types of waters were used for the irrigation of the soil: fresh water (control) (TC), and treated wastewater from secondary (T2) and tertiary treatment (T3). Three different doses of irrigation have been applied to fit the efficiency of the irrigation to the crop and soil type during the study period. A soil sampling was carried out every four months. We show the results of the evolution of basal soil respiration (BSR), and its relationship with other parameters. We observed a similar pattern of behavior for BSR between treatments, a decrease at the first eighteen months of irrigation and an increase at the end of study. In our study case, the variations of BSR obtained for all the treatments seem to be closely related to the dose and frequency of irrigation and the related soil wetting and drying cycles. However, the results showed a negative correlation between BSR and

  16. Nitrogen removal and power generation from treated municipal wastewater by its circulated irrigation for resource-saving rice cultivation.

    PubMed

    Watanabe, Toru; Mashiko, Takuma; Maftukhah, Rizki; Kaku, Nobuo; Pham, Dong Duy; Ito, Hiroaki

    2017-02-01

    This study aims at improving the performance of the cultivating system of rice for animal feed with circulated irrigation of treated municipal wastewater by applying a larger amount of wastewater, as well as adding a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to the system. The results of bench-scale experiments indicate that this modification has increased the rice yield, achieving the target for the rice cultivar used in the experiment. In addition, an assessment of protein content of the harvested rice showed that the value of the rice as animal fodder has improved. Compared with normal one-way irrigation, circulated irrigation significantly enhanced the plant growth and rice production. The direction of the irrigation (bottom-to-top or top-to-bottom) in the soil layer had no significant effect. This modified system demonstrated >96% for nitrogen removal from the treated wastewater used for the irrigation, with approximately 40% of the nitrogen being used for rice plant growth. The MFC installed in the system facilitated power generation comparable with that reported for normal paddy fields. The power generation appeared to be enhanced by bottom-to-top irrigation, which could provide organic-rich treated wastewater directly to the bacterial community living on the anode of the MFC set in the soil layer.

  17. Effects of wastewater irrigation and sewage sludge application on soil residues of chiral fungicide benalaxyl.

    PubMed

    Jing, Xu; Yao, Guojun; Liu, Donghui; Liang, Yiran; Luo, Mai; Zhou, Zhiqiang; Wang, Peng

    2017-05-01

    The effects of wastewater irrigation and sewage sludge on the dissipation behavior of the fungicide benalaxyl and its primary metabolite benalaxyl acid in soil were studied on an enantiomeric level during a 148-day exposure experiment. Chiral separation and analysis of the two pairs of enantiomers were achieved using HPLC-MS/MS with a chiralpak IC chiral column. Benalaxyl decreased with half-life of 16.1 days in soil under tap water irrigation with preferential residue of S-benalaxyl. Benalaxyl acid was formed with great preference of R-enantiomer before 21 days while enriched in S-enantiomer afterwards. The degradation of benalaxyl was restrained by both wastewater and treated wastewater irrigation, but the enantioselectivity in S-benalaxyl residue was enhanced. Benalaxyl acid was also formed with similar enantioselectivity as in tap water irrigation. Sewage sludge could accelerate benalaxyl degradation with shorter half-life. Surprisingly, the enantioselectivity with preference degradation of S-enantiomer in sewage sludge was opposite to that in soil. More benalaxyl acid was generated with EF values always lower than 0.5 and remained longer in sewage sludge than in soil. A sterilization experiment indicated that the conversion of benalaxyl to benalaxyl acid and the enantioselectivity were determined by the microorganisms in soil or sewage sludge. Farming practices like wastewater irrigation and sewage sludge application might not only influence the fate of pesticide, but also the enantioselectivity of chiral pesticide enantiomers and thus the risks of pesticide residues posed to the environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Effect of Phosphate levels on vegetables irrigated with wastewater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oladeji, S. O.; Saeed, M. D.

    2018-04-01

    This study examined accumulation of phosphate ions in wastewater and vegetables through man-made activities. Phosphate level was determined in wastewater and vegetables collected on seasonal basis along Kubanni stream in Zaria using UV/Visible and Smart Spectro Spectrophotometers for their analyses. Results obtained show that phosphate concentrations ranged from 3.85 – 42.33 mg/L in the first year and 15.60 – 72.80 mg/L in the second year for wastewater whereas the vegetable had levels of 3.80 – 23.65 mg/kg in the year I and 7.48 – 27.15 mg/kg in the year II. Further statistical tests indicated no significant difference in phosphate levels across the locations and seasons for wastewater and vegetables evaluated. Correlation results for these two years indicated negative (r = -0.062) relationship for wastewater while low (r = 0.339) relationship noticed for vegetables planted in year I to that of year II. Phosphate concentrations obtained in this study was higher than Maximum Contaminant Levels set by Standard Organization such as WHO and FAO for wastewater whereas vegetables of the sampling sites were not contaminated with phosphate ions. Irrigating farmland with untreated wastewater has negative consequence on the crops grown with it.

  19. Impact of winery wastewater irrigation on soil, grape nutrition, and grape and wine quality

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Winery wastewater (WW) reuse has the potential to provide more sustainable vineyard irrigation. This study investigated the effects of WW irrigation on grape and wine chemical composition and sensory attributes in vineyards in Napa and Sonoma Counties. The life cycle of the grape/wine production was...

  20. Opportunities for woody crop production using treated wastewater in Egypt. II. Irrigation strategies

    Treesearch

    Steven R. Evett; Ronald S. Zalesny Jr.; Nabil F. Kandil; John A. Stanturf; Christopher Soriano

    2011-01-01

    An Egyptian national program targets annual reuse of 2.4 billion m3 of treated wastewater (TWW) to irrigate 84,000 ha of manmade forests in areas close to treatment plants and in the desert. To evaluate the feasibility of such afforestation efforts, we describe information about TWW irrigation strategies based on (1) water use of different tree...

  1. Treated wastewater and Nitrate transport beneath irrigated fields near Dodge city, Kansas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sophocleous, M.; Townsend, M.A.; Vocasek, F.; Ma, Liwang; Ashok, K.C.

    2010-01-01

    Use of secondary-treated municipal wastewater for crop irrigation south of Dodge City, Kansas, where the soils are mainly of silty clay loam texture, has raised a concern that it has resulted in high nitratenitrogen concentrations (10-50 mg/kg) in the soil and deeper vadose zone, and also in the underlying deep (20-45 m) ground water. The goal of this field-monitoring project was to assess how and under what circumstances nitrogen (N) nutrients under cultivated corn that is irrigated with this treated wastewater can reach the deep ground water of the underlying High Plains aquifer, and what can realistically be done to minimize this problem. We collected 15.2-m-deep cores for physical and chemical properties characterization; installed neutron moisture-probe access tubes and suction lysimeters for periodic measurements; sampled area monitoring, irrigation, and domestic wells; performed dye-tracer experiments to examine soil preferential-flow processes through macropores; and obtained climatic, crop, irrigation, and N-application rate records. These data and additional information were used in the comprehensive Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM2) to identify key parameters and processes that influence N losses in the study area. We demonstrated that nitrate-N transport processes result in significant accumulations of N in the thick vadose zone. We also showed that nitrate-N in the underlying ground water is increasing with time and that the source of the nitrate is from the wastewater applications. RZWQM2 simulations indicated that macropore flow is generated particularly during heavy rainfall events, but during our 2005-06 simulations the total macropore flow was only about 3% of precipitation for one of two investigated sites, whereas it was more than 13% for the other site. Our calibrated model for the two wastewater-irrigated study sites indicated that reducing current levels of corn N fertilization by half or more to the level of 170 kg/ha substantially

  2. Impact of treated wastewater for irrigation on soil microbial communities

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The use of treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation has been suggested as an alternative to use of fresh water because of the increasing scarcity of fresh water in arid and semiarid regions of the world. However, significant barriers exist to widespread adoption due to some potential contaminants tha...

  3. Hydraulic characteristics of an underdrained irrigation circle, Muskegon County wastewater disposal system, Michigan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McDonald, M.G.

    1980-01-01

    Muskegon County, Michigan, disposes of wastewater by spray irrigating farmland on its waste-disposal site. Buried drains in the highly permeable unconfined aquifer at the site control the level of the water table. Hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer and drain-leakance, the reciprocal of resistance to flow into the drains, was determined at a representative irrigation circle while calibrating a model of the groundwater flow system. Hydraulic conductivity is 0.00055 m/sec, in the north zone of the circle, and 0.00039 m/sec in the south zone. Drain leakance -6 -6 is low in both zones: 2.9 x 10m/sec in the north and 9.5 x 10 m/sec in the south. Low drain leakance is responsible for waterlogging when irrigation rates are maintained at design levels. The capacity of the study circle to accept wastewater is 35 percent less than design capacity.

  4. Wastewater Reuse for Agriculture: Development of a Regional Water Reuse Decision-Support Model (RWRM) for Cost-Effective Irrigation Sources.

    PubMed

    Tran, Quynh K; Schwabe, Kurt A; Jassby, David

    2016-09-06

    Water scarcity has become a critical problem in many semiarid and arid regions. The single largest water use in such regions is for crop irrigation, which typically relies on groundwater and surface water sources. With increasing stress on these traditional water sources, it is important to consider alternative irrigation sources for areas with limited freshwater resources. One potential irrigation water resource is treated wastewater for agricultural fields located near urban centers. In addition, treated wastewater can contribute an appreciable amount of necessary nutrients for plants. The suitability of reclaimed water for specific applications depends on water quality and usage requirements. The main factors that determine the suitability of recycled water for agricultural irrigation are salinity, heavy metals, and pathogens, which cause adverse effects on human, plants, and soils. In this paper, we develop a regional water reuse decision-support model (RWRM) using the general algebraic modeling system to analyze the cost-effectiveness of alternative treatment trains to generate irrigation water from reclaimed wastewater, with the irrigation water designed to meet crop requirements as well as California's wastewater reuse regulations (Title 22). Using a cost-minimization framework, least-cost solutions consisting of treatment processes and their intensities (blending ratios) are identified to produce alternative irrigation sources for citrus and turfgrass. Our analysis illustrates the benefits of employing an optimization framework and flexible treatment design to identify cost-effective blending opportunities that may produce high-quality irrigation water for a wide range of end uses.

  5. Accumulation of heavy metals in edible parts of vegetables irrigated with waste water and their daily intake to adults and children, District Mardan, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Amin, Noor-ul; Hussain, Anwar; Alamzeb, Sidra; Begum, Shumaila

    2013-02-15

    Green vegetable crops irrigated with wastewater are highly contaminated with heavy metals and are the main source of human exposure to the contaminants. In this study accumulation of eight heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Fe, Mn, Co and Pb) in green vegetables like Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum melongena, irrigated with wastewater in Mardan are studied using Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer. The studied metals in vegetable grown on wastewater irrigated soil were significantly higher than those of tube well water irrigated soil and WHO/FAO permissible limits (P<0.05). The most heavily contaminated vegetable was wastewater irrigated A. cepa, where the accumulation of Mn (28.05 mg kg(-1)) in the edible parts was 50-fold greater than A. cepa irrigated with tube well water irrigated soil. It may be concluded that both adults and children consuming these vegetables grown in wastewater irrigated soil ingest significant amount of these metals and thus can cause serious health problems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Effects of soil texture and drought stress on the uptake of antibiotics and the internalization of Salmonella in lettuce following wastewater irrigation.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yuping; Sallach, J Brett; Hodges, Laurie; Snow, Daniel D; Bartelt-Hunt, Shannon L; Eskridge, Kent M; Li, Xu

    2016-01-01

    Treated wastewater is expected to be increasingly used as an alternative source of irrigation water in areas facing fresh water scarcity. Understanding the behaviors of contaminants from wastewater in soil and plants following irrigation is critical to assess and manage the risks associated with wastewater irrigation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of soil texture and drought stress on the uptake of antibiotics and the internalization of human pathogens into lettuce through root uptake following wastewater irrigation. Lettuce grown in three soils with variability in soil texture (loam, sandy loam, and sand) and under different levels of water stress (no drought control, mild drought, and severe drought) were irrigated with synthetic wastewater containing three antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, lincomycin and oxytetracycline) and one Salmonella strain a single time prior to harvest. Antibiotic uptake in lettuce was compound-specific and generally low. Only sulfamethoxazole was detected in lettuce with increasing uptake corresponding to increasing sand content in soil. Increased drought stress resulted in increased uptake of lincomycin and decreased uptake of oxytetracycline and sulfamethoxazole. The internalization of Salmonella was highly dependent on the concentration of the pathogen in irrigation water. Irrigation water containing 5 Log CFU/mL Salmonella resulted in limited incidence of internalization. When irrigation water contained 8 Log CFU/mL Salmonella, the internalization frequency was significantly higher in lettuce grown in sand than in loam (p = 0.009), and was significantly higher in lettuce exposed to severe drought than in unstressed lettuce (p = 0.049). This work demonstrated how environmental factors affected the risk of contaminant uptake by food crops following wastewater irrigation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Managing Microbial Risks from Indirect Wastewater Reuse for Irrigation in Urbanizing Watersheds.

    PubMed

    Verbyla, Matthew E; Symonds, Erin M; Kafle, Ram C; Cairns, Maryann R; Iriarte, Mercedes; Mercado Guzmán, Alvaro; Coronado, Olver; Breitbart, Mya; Ledo, Carmen; Mihelcic, James R

    2016-07-05

    Limited supply of clean water in urbanizing watersheds creates challenges for safely sustaining irrigated agriculture and global food security. On-farm interventions, such as riverbank filtration (RBF), are used in developing countries to treat irrigation water from rivers with extensive fecal contamination. Using a Bayesian approach incorporating ethnographic data and pathogen measurements, quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) methods were employed to assess the impact of RBF on consumer health burdens for Giardia, Cryptosporidium, rotavirus, norovirus, and adenovirus infections resulting from indirect wastewater reuse, with lettuce irrigation in Bolivia as a model system. Concentrations of the microbial source tracking markers pepper mild mottle virus and HF183 Bacteroides were respectively 2.9 and 5.5 log10 units lower in RBF-treated water than in the river water. Consumption of lettuce irrigated with river water caused an estimated median health burden that represents 37% of Bolivia's overall diarrheal disease burden, but RBF resulted in an estimated health burden that is only 1.1% of this overall diarrheal disease burden. Variability and uncertainty associated with environmental and cultural factors affecting exposure correlated more with QMRA-predicted health outcomes than factors related to disease vulnerability. Policies governing simple on-farm interventions like RBF can be intermediary solutions for communities in urbanizing watersheds that currently lack wastewater treatment.

  8. Spatial distribution and migration of nonylphenol in groundwater following long-term wastewater irrigation.

    PubMed

    Wang, Shiyu; Wu, Wenyong; Liu, Fei; Yin, Shiyang; Bao, Zhe; Liu, Honglu

    2015-01-01

    Seen as a solution to water shortages, wastewater reuse for crop irrigation does however poses a risk owing to the potential release of organic contaminants into soil and water. The frequency of detection (FOD), concentration, and migration of nonylphenol (NP) isomers in reclaimed water (FODRW), surface water (FODSW), and groundwater (FODGW) were investigated in a long-term wastewater irrigation area in Beijing. The FODRW, FODSW and FODGW of any or all of 12 NP isomers were 66.7% to 100%, 76.9% to 100% and 13.3% to 60%, respectively. The mean (±standard deviation) NP concentrations of the reclaimed water, surface water, and groundwater (NPRW, NPSW, NPGW, repectively) were 469.4±73.4 ng L(-1), 694.6±248.7 ng(-1) and 244.4±230.8 ng(-1), respectively. The existence of external pollution sources during water transmission and distribution resulted in NPSW exceeding NPRW. NP distribution in groundwater was related to the duration and quantity of wastewater irrigation, the sources of aquifer recharge, and was seen to decrease with increasing aquifer depth. Higher riverside infiltration rate nearby leads to higher FODGW values. The migration rate of NP isomers was classified as high, moderate or low. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. 76 FR 12719 - City of Escondido, California, and Vista Irrigation District; Notice of Application Accepted for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-08

    ..., California, and Vista Irrigation District; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Ready for Environmental... Filed: December 3, 2010. d. Applicant: City of Escondido, California, (Escondido) and Vista Irrigation District (Vista). e. Name of Project: Bear Valley Powerhouse Project. f. Location: On the San Luis Rey...

  10. Health risk assessment and growth characteristics of wheat and maize crops irrigated with contaminated wastewater.

    PubMed

    Farahat, Emad A; Galal, Tarek M; Elawa, Omar E; Hassan, Loutfy M

    2017-10-02

    The present study evaluated the effect of untreated wastewater irrigation and its health risks in Triticum aestivum (wheat) and Zea mays (maize) cultivated at south Cairo, Egypt. Morphological measurements (stem and root lengths, number of leaves per plant, and dry weights of main organs) as well as soil, irrigation water, and plant analyses for nutrients and heavy metals were conducted in polluted and unpolluted sites. Wastewater irrigations leads to reduction in the morphological traits of the plants and reduced its vegetative biomass and yield production, with more negative impacts on maize than wheat. The concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cr, and Fe in roots and leaves of wheat were above the phytotoxic limits. Conversely, Pb, Cd, and Fe were significantly high and at phytotoxic concentrations in the leaves of maize at polluted site. The present study indicated that wheat plants tend to phytostabilize heavy metals in their roots, while maize accumulates it more in their leaves. Maize and wheat had toxic concentrations of Pb and Cd in their grains under wastewater irrigation. The health risk index showed values > 1 for Pb and Cd in polluted site for both crops, in addition to maize in unpolluted site. Consequently, this will have greatest potential to pose health risk to the consumers.

  11. TRANSMISSION OF ENTERIC DISEASE ASSOCIATED WITH WASTEWATER IRRIGATION: A PROSPECTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY

    EPA Science Inventory

    We conducted a prospective epidemiological study of possible enteric disease transmission by aerosolized pathogens from sprinkler irrigation of partially treated wastewater in 20 kibbutzim (colllective agricultural settlements) in Isreal between March 1981 and February 1982. Medi...

  12. Assessing the ecological long-term impact of wastewater irrigation on soil and water based on bioassays and chemical analyses.

    PubMed

    Richter, Elisabeth; Hecht, Fabian; Schnellbacher, Nadine; Ternes, Thomas A; Wick, Arne; Wode, Florian; Coors, Anja

    2015-11-01

    The reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation and groundwater recharge can counteract water scarcity and reduce pollution of surface waters, but assessing its environmental risk should likewise consider effects associated to the soil. The present study therefore aimed at determining the impact of wastewater irrigation on the habitat quality of water after soil passage and of soil after percolation by applying bioassays and chemical analysis. Lab-scale columns of four different soils encompassing standard European soil and three field soils of varying characteristics and pre-contamination were continuously percolated with treated wastewater to simulate long-term irrigation. Wastewater and its percolates were tested for immobilization of Daphnia magna and growth inhibition of green algae (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) and water lentils (Lemna minor). The observed phytotoxicity of the treated wastewater was mostly reduced by soil passage, but in some percolates also increased for green algae. Chemical analysis covering an extensive set of wastewater-born organic pollutants demonstrated that many of them were considerably reduced by soil passage, particularly through peaty soils. Taken together, these results indicated that wastewater-born phytotoxic substances may be removed by soil passage, while existing soil pollutants (e.g. metals) may leach and impair percolate quality. Soils with and without wastewater irrigation were tested for growth of plants (Avena sativa, Brassica napus) and soil bacteria (Arthrobacter globiformis) and reproduction of collembolans (Folsomia candida) and oligochaetes (Enchytraeus crypticus, Eisenia fetida). The habitat quality of the standard and two field soils appeared to be deteriorated by wastewater percolation for at least one organism (enchytraeids, plants or bacteria), while for two pre-contaminated field soils it also was improved (for plants and/or enchytraeids). Wastewater percolation did not seem to raise soil concentrations

  13. Contamination, source, and input route of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in historic wastewater-irrigated agricultural soils.

    PubMed

    Wang, Ning; Li, Hong-Bo; Long, Jin-Lin; Cai, Chao; Dai, Jiu-Lan; Zhang, Juan; Wang, Ren-Qing

    2012-12-01

    Contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of historic wastewater-irrigated agricultural topsoil (0-5 cm) and the contribution of groundwater irrigation and atmospheric deposition to soil PAHs were studied in a typical agricultural region, i.e. Hunpu region, Liaoning, China. Concentrations of total PAHs ranged from 0.43 to 2.64 mg kg⁻¹ in topsoil, being lower than those found in other wastewater-irrigated areas. The levels of PAHs in soil declined as the distance from a water source increased. Concentrations of individual PAHs were generally higher in upland than in paddy topsoils. The calculated nemerow composite index showed that agricultural soil in the region was "polluted" by PAHs. A human health risk assessment based on the total toxic equivalent concentration showed that the presence of elevated concentrations of PAHs in the soil might pose a great threat to the health of local residents. Ratios of pairs of PAHs and principal component analysis (PCA) showed that pyrogenesis, such as coal combustion, was the main source of PAHs, while petroleum, to some extent, also had a strong influence on PAHs contamination in upland soil. The distribution patterns of individual PAHs and composition of PAHs differed between irrigation groundwater and topsoil, but were similar between atmospheric deposition and topsoil. There were significant linear correlations (r = 0.90; p < 0.01) between atmospheric deposition rates and average concentrations of the 16 individual PAHs in soils, while no significant relationships were observed between irrigation groundwater and topsoil in levels of PAHs. These suggested that PAHs in agricultural soils were mainly introduced from atmospheric deposition, rather than from groundwater irrigation after the phasing out of wastewater irrigation in the region since 2002. This study provides a reference to ensure agricultural product safety, pollution control, and proper soil management.

  14. A livelihood in a risky environment: Farmers' preferences for irrigation with wastewater in Hyderabad, India.

    PubMed

    Saldías, Cecilia; Speelman, Stijn; Drechsel, Pay; Van Huylenbroeck, Guido

    2017-04-01

    Most cities in developing countries fail to treat their wastewater comprehensively. Consequently, farmers downstream use poor-quality water for irrigation. This practice implies risks for farmers, consumers and the environment. Conversely, this water supply supports the livelihood of these farmers and other stakeholders along the value chains. Linking safer options for wastewater management with irrigation could therefore be a win-win solution: removing the risks for society and maintaining the benefits for farmers. However, in developing countries, the high investment costs for the required treatment are problematic and the willingness of farmers to pay for the water (cost recovery) is often questionable. Using a choice experiment, this paper gives insight into farmers' preferences for wastewater use scenarios, quantifying their willingness to pay. The case study is Hyderabad, India. Farmers there prefer water treatment and are prepared to pay a surplus for this. Considering the cost-recovery challenge, this information could be valuable for planning small on site wastewater treatment systems.

  15. 76 FR 35208 - Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Nevada Irrigation District; Notice of Environmental Site Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-16

    ...; Project No. 2266-102--California] Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Nevada Irrigation District; Notice of... Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Nevada Irrigation District (NID) (applicants) will conduct an... (recommend a 4-wheel drive vehicle), but car pooling to the extent possible is encouraged. We do not...

  16. Application of Canal Automation at the Central Arizona Irrigation and Drainage District

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Central Arizona Irrigation and Drainage District (CAIDD) began delivering water to users in 1987. Although designed for automatic control, the system was run manually until a homemade SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system was developed by a district employee. In 2002, problem...

  17. Highly efficient removal of lead and cadmium during wastewater irrigation using a polyethylenimine-grafted gelatin sponge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Bingbing; Zhou, Feng; Huang, Kai; Wang, Yipei; Mei, Surong; Zhou, Yikai; Jing, Tao

    2016-09-01

    Wastewater irrigation is a very important resource for heavy metal pollution in soil and then accumulation in vegetable crops. In this study, a polyethylenimine (PEI)-grafted gelatin sponge was prepared to effectively adsorb heavy metals during wastewater irrigation. Based on the strong water adsorption ability, wastewater remained in the PEI-grafted gelatin sponge for a sufficient time for the heavy metals to interact with the sorbents. The binding capacities of Pb(II) ions and Cd(II) ions on the PEI-grafted gelatin sponge were 66 mg g-1 and 65 mg g-1, which were much more than those on the gelatin sponge (9.75 mg g-1 and 9.35 mg g-1). Subsequently, the PEI-grafted gelatin sponge was spread on the surface of soil planted with garlic and then sprayed with synthetic wastewater. The concentrations of cadmium and lead in the garlic leaves were 1.59 mg kg-1 and 5.69 mg kg-1, respectively, which were much lower than those (15.78 mg kg-1 and 27.98 mg kg-1) without the gelatin sponge, and the removal efficiencies were 89.9% and 79.7%. The PEI-grafting gelatin sponge could effectively remove heavy metals during wastewater irrigation, which improved the soil environment and reduced human exposure to heavy metals.

  18. Sorption, desorption and displacement of ibuprofen, estrone, and 17β estradiol in wastewater irrigated and rainfed agricultural soils.

    PubMed

    Durán-Álvarez, Juan C; Prado, Blanca; Ferroud, Anouck; Juayerk, Narcedalia; Jiménez-Cisneros, Blanca

    2014-03-01

    Sorption and leaching potential of ibuprofen, estrone and 17β estradiol were tested in two agricultural soils: one irrigated using municipal wastewater and the other used in rainfed agriculture. Batch sorption-desorption experiments and undisturbed soil column assays were carried out using both soils to which were added a mixture of the target compounds. The three compounds were sorbed to a different extent by both soils: estrone>17β estradiol>ibuprofen. Higher sorption was observed in the irrigated soil, which was attributed to the accumulation of organic matter caused by wastewater irrigation. Desorption of hormones was hysteretic in the irrigated soil, while ibuprofen showed low hysteresis in both soils. Retardation of the compounds' displacement was consistent with the sorption pattern observed in the batch tests. Retardation factor (RF) was similar for the three compounds in the two tested soils, indicating that the target compounds are much more mobile in the soil columns than would be predicted based on their equilibrium sorption parameters. The results obtained in the experiments clarify the role of wastewater irrigated soils as a filter and degradation media for the target micropollutants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Occurrence of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in soils from wastewater irrigation areas in the Pearl River Delta region, southern China.

    PubMed

    Pan, Min; Chu, L M

    2018-05-15

    The occurrence and distribution of tetracycline (TC) and sulfamethazine (SMZ), and the corresponding antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were investigated in six agricultural sites in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in southern China. Irrigation water and irrigated soils at two different depths (0-10 and 10-20cm) were analyzed. The total concentrations of TC and SMZ in irrigation water ranged from 69.3 to 234ng/L and from 4.00 to 58.2ng/L, respectively, while the total concentrations of TC and SMZ in irrigated soils ranged from 5.00 to 21.9μg/kg and from 1.30 to 4.20μg/kg, respectively. After long-term irrigation with domestic and fishpond wastewater in the field, the residual TC and SMZ and their corresponding ARGs in soils were significantly higher in fishpond-irrigated soils (Dongguan and Shenzhen) than in domestic wastewater-irrigated soils (Foshan, Guangzhou, Huizhou and Zhongshan). The concentrations of antibiotics and their ARGs were significantly higher in irrigation water than in irrigated soils, which indicated that wastewater was the primary source of antibiotics in the soil environments. The domestic and fishpond wastewater were important repositories of antibiotics and their ARGs, which require effective treatment before their discharge into the environment. Other factors such as soil physicochemical properties, manure application, irrigation water sources and cropping patterns also affect the antibiotic concentrations and ARG abundances. The residual antibiotic concentrations statistically correlated with the corresponding ARGs in irrigation water and irrigated soils, both of which decreased with increasing soil depth, indicating that the concentration of antibiotics in the environment exerted a selection pressure on the microorganisms in the environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Wastewater for agriculture: A reuse-oriented planning model and its application in peri-urban China.

    PubMed

    Murray, Ashley; Ray, Isha

    2010-03-01

    The benefits of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) are widely known but its recommendations remain thinly implemented. Designing wastewater treatment plants for reuse in irrigation is a particularly underutilized IWRM opportunity that could potentially increase agricultural yields, conserve surface water, offset chemical fertilizer demand, and reduce the costs of wastewater treatment by eliminating nutrient removal processes. This paper presents a novel planning model, consisting of a reuse-centric performance assessment and optimization model to help design wastewater treatment plants for reuse in agriculture. The performance assessment and optimization model are described, and their coupled application is demonstrated in the peri-urban district of Pixian, China. Based on the results of the performance assessment, two reuse scenarios are evaluated: wastewater to supplement business as usual (BAU) irrigation, and wastewater to replace BAU irrigation. The results indicate that wastewater supplementation could increase profits by $20 million (M) annually; alternatively, wastewater replacement could conserve 35Mm(3) of water in local rivers each year. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Rice production with minimal irrigation and no nitrogen fertilizer by intensive use of treated municipal wastewater.

    PubMed

    Muramatsu, Ayumi; Watanabe, Toru; Sasaki, Atsushi; Ito, Hiroaki; Kajihara, Akihiko

    2014-01-01

    We designed a new cultivation system of rice with circulated irrigation to remove nitrogen from treated municipal wastewater effectively and assessed the possibility of nitrogen removal in the new system without any adverse effects on rice production through bench-scale experiments through two seasons. Overgrowth of the rice plant, which can lead to lodging and tasteless rice, was found in the first season probably because nitrogen supply based on standard practice in normal paddy fields was too much in the closed irrigation system. In the second season, therefore, the amount of treated wastewater initially applied to the system was reduced but this resulted in a considerably decreased yield. On the other hand, the taste of the rice was significantly improved. The two-season experiments revealed that the new system enabled rice production with minimal irrigation (approximately 50% on the yield base compared to normal paddy fields) and no nitrogen fertilizer. The system also achieved >95% removal of nitrogen from the treated wastewater used for circulated irrigation. The accumulation of harmful metals in the rice was not observed after one season of cultivation in the new system. The accumulation after cultivation using the same soil repeatedly for a longer time should be examined by further studies.

  2. Effects of wastewater irrigation on chemical and physical properties of Petroselinum crispum.

    PubMed

    Keser, Gonca; Buyuk, Gokhan

    2012-06-01

    The present study was carried out to assess the impact of wastewater on parsley (Petroselinum crispum). The parameters determined for soil were pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic matter (SOM), nutrient elements (Ca, Mg, Na, K, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Fe), and heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb), while the parameters determined for the plant included pigment content, dry matter, nutrient element, and heavy metals. SOM, EC, and clay contents were higher, and pH was slightly acidic in soil treated with wastewater compared to control soil. The enrichment factors (EF) of the nutrient elements in contaminated soil are in the sequence of Na (2) > Ca (1.32) > Mn = Mg (1.17) > Cu (1.11) > Zn (1.08) > Fe (1.07) > K (0.93), while EF in parsley are Na (6.63) > Ca (1.60) > Mg (1.34) > Zn (1.15) > Fe (0.95) > Cu = K (0.90) > Mn (0.85). Application of wastewater significantly decreased dry matter, while photosynthetic pigment content increased in parsley. The enrichment of the heavy metals is in the sequence: Cd (1.142) > Pb (1.131) > Ni (1.112) > Cr (1.095). P. crispum shows a high transfer factor (TF > 1) for Cd signifying a high mobility of Cd from soil to plant. Thus, although the wastewater irrigation in parsley production aims to produce socioeconomic benefits, study results indicated that municipal wastewater is not suitable for irrigation of parsley because it has negative effects on plant and causes heavy metal accumulation.

  3. Assessment of water use in the Spanish irrigation district "Río Adaja"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naroua, Illiassou; Rodriguez-Sinobas, Leonor; Sánchez Calvo, Raúl

    2013-04-01

    Intensive agricultural practices combined with the increasing pressure of urbanization and the changing lifestyles, have strengthened the problems of competing users over limited water resources in a fragile and already stressed environment. Sustainable irrigated agriculture is prescribed as a policy approach that maximizes economic benefits while maintaining environmental quality. Within this framework a proper management of irrigation systems saving water is required. On the other hand, crops with high tolerance to water stress and deficit irrigation are recommended. However, crop yield, among other factors, is very sensitive to water Thus, studies addressing the relations among crop water requirements, irrigation depth and crop yield are necessary. This type of study has been carried out in the Spanish irrigation District "Río Adaja" in the year 2010-2011 with the crops: wheat, barley, sugarbeet, corn, onion, potato, sunflower, clover and carrot. A soil hydrology balance model was applied taking into account climatic data for the nearby weather station and soil characteristics. Effective precipitation was calculated by the index curve number. Crop water requirements were calculated by the FAO Penman-Monteith with the application of the dual crop coefficient. Likewise, productivity was measured by the following indexes: annual relative irrigation supply (ARIS), relative water supply (RWS), relative rainfall supply (RS) and water productivity (WP). Results show that water applied with the irrigation of clover, sugarbeet, corn and onion was less than their water requirements There was a 35 % difference between the amount of water simulated with the model and the gross amount applied during the irrigation period by the irrigation district. WP values differed among crops depending, mainly, on the crop`s market price and the amount of irrigation water. The highest values corresponded to potato and onion crops.

  4. Spatial and vertical distribution of short chain chlorinated paraffins in soils from wastewater irrigated farmlands.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Lixi; Wang, Thanh; Han, Wenya; Yuan, Bo; Liu, Qian; Wang, Yawei; Jiang, Guibin

    2011-03-15

    Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are one of the most complex groups of halogenated contaminants in the environment. However, studies of short chain CPs (SCCPs) in China are very scarce. In this study, the concentrations and distribution of SCCPs in farm soils from a wastewater irrigated area in China were investigated. SCCPs were detected in all topsoil samples, with the sum of the concentrations (ΣSCCPs) in the range of 159.9-1450 ng/g (dry weight, dw). A noticeable spatial trend and specific congener distribution were observed in the wastewater irrigated farmland. Soil vertical profiles showed that ΣSCCP concentrations below the plowed layer decreased exponentially and had a significant positive relationship (R(2) > 0.83) with total organic carbon in soil cores. Furthermore, soil vertical distributions indicated that lower chlorinated (Cl(5-6)) and shorter chain (C(10-12)) congeners are more prone to migrate to deeper soil layers compared to highly chlorinated and longer chain congeners. This work demonstrated that effluents from sewage treatment plants (STPs) could be a significant source of SCCPs to the ambient environment and wastewater irrigation can lead to higher accumulation of SCCPs in farm soils.

  5. Effects of 100 years wastewater irrigation on resistance genes, class 1 integrons and IncP-1 plasmids in Mexican soil

    PubMed Central

    Jechalke, Sven; Broszat, Melanie; Lang, Friederike; Siebe, Christina; Smalla, Kornelia; Grohmann, Elisabeth

    2015-01-01

    Long-term irrigation with untreated wastewater can lead to an accumulation of antibiotic substances and antibiotic resistance genes in soil. However, little is known so far about effects of wastewater, applied for decades, on the abundance of IncP-1 plasmids and class 1 integrons which may contribute to the accumulation and spread of resistance genes in the environment, and their correlation with heavy metal concentrations. Therefore, a chronosequence of soils that were irrigated with wastewater from 0 to 100 years was sampled in the Mezquital Valley in Mexico in the dry season. The total community DNA was extracted and the absolute and relative abundance (relative to 16S rRNA genes) of antibiotic resistance genes (tet(W), tet(Q), aadA), class 1 integrons (intI1), quaternary ammonium compound resistance genes (qacE+qacEΔ1) and IncP-1 plasmids (korB) were quantified by real-time PCR. Except for intI1 and qacE+qacEΔ1 the abundances of selected genes were below the detection limit in non-irrigated soil. Confirming the results of a previous study, the absolute abundance of 16S rRNA genes in the samples increased significantly over time (linear regression model, p < 0.05) suggesting an increase in bacterial biomass due to repeated irrigation with wastewater. Correspondingly, all tested antibiotic resistance genes as well as intI1 and korB significantly increased in abundance over the period of 100 years of irrigation. In parallel, concentrations of the heavy metals Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Cr significantly increased. However, no significant positive correlations were observed between the relative abundance of selected genes and years of irrigation, indicating no enrichment in the soil bacterial community due to repeated wastewater irrigation or due to a potential co-selection by increasing concentrations of heavy metals. PMID:25784901

  6. 76 FR 12720 - City of Escondido, CA, and Vista Irrigation District; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-08

    ..., CA, and Vista Irrigation District; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Ready for Environmental...: City of Escondido, California (Escondido) and Vista Irrigation District (Vista). e. Name of Project... owned by the La Jolla, San Pasqual, and Rincon Indian Tribes. g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act...

  7. Genotoxicity of wastewaters used for irrigation of food crops.

    PubMed

    Ansari, Mohd Ikram; Malik, Abdul

    2009-04-01

    In most towns of India, wastewater coming from both industrial and domestic sources and without any treatment is used to irrigate the agricultural crops. This practice has been polluting the soil, and pollutants could possibly reach the food chain. For the above reasons, the wastewaters of Ghaziabad City (India), which is used for irrigation, were sampled (at two different sites) and monitored for the presence of genotoxic agents from January 2005 to June 2007. Gas chromatographic analysis showed the presence of certain OC (DDE, DDT, Dieldrin, Aldrin, and Endosulfan) and OP (Dimethoate, Malathion, Methlyparathion, and Chlorpyrifos) pesticides in both the sampling sites. Wastewater samples were concentrated using XAD resins (XAD-4 and XAD-8) and liquid-liquid extraction procedures, and the extracts were assayed for genotoxic potential by Ames Salmonella/microsome test, DNA repair defective mutants, and bacteriophage lambda systems. The test samples exhibited significant mutagenicity with TA98, TA97a, and TA100 strains with the probable role of contaminating pesticides in the wastewater. However, XAD-concentrated samples were more mutagenic in both sites as compared to liquid-liquid-extracted samples. The damage in the DNA repair defective mutants in the presence of XAD-concentrated water samples were also found to be higher to that of liquid-liquid-extracted water samples at the dose level of 20 muL/mL culture. All the mutants invariably exhibited significant decline in their colony-forming units as compared to their isogenic wild-type counterparts. The survival was decreased by 81.7 and 75.5% in polA(-) strain in site I, and 76.0 and 73.5% in site II in polA(-) under the same experimental conditions after 6 h of treatment with XAD-concentrated and liquid-liquid-extracted samples, respectively. A significant decrease in the survival of bacteriophage lambda was also observed when treated with the test samples. Copyright 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Assessment of water use and its productivity in the Spanish irrigation district "Río Adaja"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodriguez-Sinobas, Leonor; Naroua, Iliassou; Sánchez-Calvo, Raúl

    2015-04-01

    A study of the assessment of the irrigation water use has been carried out in the Spanish irrigation District "Río Adaja" that has analyzed the water use efficiency and the water productivity indicators for the main crops during the first three years of operation (2010/2011, 2011/2012 and 2012/2013). A soil water balance model was applied taking into account climatic data for the nearby weather station and soil properties. Crop water requirements were calculated by the FAO Penman-Monteith with the application of the dual crop coefficient and by considering the readily available soil water content (RAW) concept. Likewise, productivity was measured by the indexes: annual relative irrigation supply (ARIS), annual relative water supply (ARWS), relative rainfall supply (RRS), the water productivity (WP), the evapotranspiration water productivity (ETWP), and the irrigation water productivity (IWP). The results show that the irrigation district applied deficit irrigation in most crops (ARIS<1), and also improved water productivity. This was higher in 2010/2011 which showed the highest effective precipitation Pe. The IWP (€/m3) index varied among crops with the highest values for onion (4.14), potato (2.79), carrot (1.37) and barley (1.21) for the first year and, onion (1.98), potato (1.69), carrot (1.70) and barley (1.16) in the second year. Thus, these crops would be a proper cropping pattern to maximize the gross income in the irrigation district.

  9. Short-term effects of irrigation with treated domestic wastewater on microbiological activity of a Vertic xerofluvent soil under Mediterranean conditions.

    PubMed

    Kayikcioglu, Huseyin Husnu

    2012-07-15

    Approximately 70% of the world water use, including all the water diverted from rivers and pumped from underground, is used for agricultural irrigation, so the reuse of treated domestic wastewater (TWW) for purposes such as agricultural and landscape irrigation reduces the amount of water that needs to be extracted from natural water sources as well as reducing discharge of wastewater to the environment. Thus, TWW is a valuable water source for recycling and reusing in arid and semi-arid regions which are frequently confronting water shortages. In this regard, this study was planned to reveal the short-term effects of advanced-TWW irrigation on microbial parameters of Vertic xerofluvent soil. For this purpose, certain parameters were measured in the study, including soil total organic carbon (C(org)), N-mineralization (N(min)), microbial biomass carbon (C(mic)), soil microbial quotient (C(mic)/C(org)) and the activities of the enzymes dehydrogenase (DHG), urease (UA), alkaline phosphatase (ALKPA), β-glucosidase (GLU) and aryl sulphatase (ArSA) in soils irrigated with TWW and fresh water (FW). All of the microbial parameters were negatively affected by TWW irrigation. Microbial parameters decreased by 10.1%-54.1% in comparison with the FW plots. This decrease especially in enzymatic activities of soil irrigated with TWW, presumably due to some heavy metals inhibited their activity associated with the soil types and the concentrations of heavy metals in wastewater. In contrast, C(mic)/C(org) was found higher in the plots irrigated with TWW at the end of the experiment. The addition of organic matter to soil by irrigation with TWW is cause for the increase in this ratio. The dose of irrigation should be modified to reduce the quantity and to increase the frequency of application to avoid the loss of aggregation and salt accumulation. TWW irrigation is a strategy with many benefits to agricultural land management; however, long-term studies should be implemented to

  10. Trace Element and Cu Isotopic Tracers of Subsurface Flow and Transport in Wastewater Irrigated Soils

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carte, J.; Fantle, M. S.

    2017-12-01

    An understanding of subsurface flow paths is critical for quantifying the fate of contaminants in wastewater irrigation systems. This study investigates the subsurface flow of wastewater by quantifying the distribution of trace contaminants in wastewater irrigated soils. Soil samples were collected from the upper 1m of two wetlands at Penn State University's wastewater irrigation site, at which all effluent from the University's wastewater treatment plant has been sprayed since 1983. Major and trace element and Cu isotopic composition were determined for these samples, in addition to wastewater effluent and bedrock samples. The upper 20 cm of each wetland shows an enrichment of Bi, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations relative to deep (>1m) soils at the site by a factor of 1.7-3.5. Each wetland also has a subsurface clay rich horizon with Bi, Cu, Li, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations enriched by a factor of 1.4 to 5 relative to deep soils. These subsurface horizons directly underlie intervals that could facilitate preferential effluent flow: a gravel layer in one wetland, and a silty loam with visible mottling, an indication of dynamic water saturation, in the other. Trace metal concentrations in other horizons from both wetlands fall in the range of the deep soils. Significant variability in Cu isotopic composition is present in soils from both wetlands, with δ65Cu values ranging from 0.74‰ to 5.09‰. Soil δ65Cu correlates well with Cu concentrations, with lighter δ65Cu associated with higher concentrations. The Cu isotopic composition of the zones of metal enrichment are comparable to the ostensible average wastewater effluent δ65Cu value (0.61‰), while other horizons have considerably heavier δ65Cu values. We hypothesize that wastewater is the source of the metal enrichments, as each of the enriched elements are present as contaminants in wastewater, and the enrichments are located in clay-rich horizons conducive to trace metal immobilization due

  11. Heavy Metal Content in Soils under Different Wastewater Irrigation Patterns in Chihuahua, Mexico

    PubMed Central

    Maldonado, V. M.; Rubio Arias, H. O.; Quintana, R.; Saucedo, R.A.; Gutierrez, M.; Ortega, J. A.; Nevarez, G.V.

    2008-01-01

    An area near the city of Chihuahua has been traditionally irrigated with wastewater to grow forage crops. It has been hypothesized that metal levels could be found in these soils high enough to cause potential health problems to the population. The objective of this study was to determine heavy metal concentrations in different soils due to irrigation practices. Four soil types were evaluated; a soil with a past and present history of wastewater irrigation (S1), a soil with a history of wastewater irrigation until 2003 (S2), a soil with no irrigation history (S3), and a soil similar to S1 and adjacent to the river where the wastewater is transported (S11). Three soil depths were evaluated; 0–15, 15–30 and 30–50 cm. Consequently, a total of 150 soil samples were analyzed evaluating pH, EC, OM and the following elements; Na, K, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu and Fe. The pH (P=0.000) and EC (P=0.000) were different for each soil type but no differences were noted for soil depth and the interaction. Maximum pH levels were noted in S3 with a value of 8.74 while maximum EC was observed in S1 with a value of 0.850 dSm−1. The OM level was different for soil type (P=0.000), soil depth (P=0.005) and the interaction (P=0.014). S1 and S11 obtained maximum levels of OM while minimum levels were noted in S3. Maximum OM levels were observed at the 0–15 cm depth followed by the 15–30 cm depth and finally at the 30–50 cm depth. The highest concentration of metals was as follows: K in S1 (359.3 mg kg−1); Cd in S1 (4.48 mg kg−1); Pb in S11 (155.83 mg kg−1); Ni in S1 (10.74 mg kg−1); Cu in S1 (51.36 mg kg−1); B in S3 (41.5 mg kg−1); Fe in S3 (20,313.0 mg kg−1), Cr in S3 (44.26 mg kg−1) and Na in S3 (203.0 mg kg−1). The conclusion is that some metals are present in the soils due to anthropogenic activities but others are present in natural forms. PMID:19151441

  12. Assessment of wastewater effluent quality in Thessaly region, Greece, for determining its irrigation reuse potential.

    PubMed

    Bakopoulou, S; Emmanouil, C; Kungolos, A

    2011-02-01

    The objective of the present study is to assess wastewater effluent quality in Thessaly region, Greece, in relation to its physicochemical and microbiological burden as well as its toxic potential on a number of organisms. Wastewater may be used for agricultural as well as for landscape irrigation purposes; therefore, its toxicity potential is quite important. Thessaly region has been chosen since this region suffers from a distinct water shortage in summer period necessitating alternative water resources. During our research, treated effluents from four wastewater treatment plants operating in the region (Larissa, Volos, Karditsa, and Tirnavos) were tested for specific physicochemical and microbiological parameters [biochemical oxygen demand (BOD(5)), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), pH, electrical conductivity, selected metals presence (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, As), and fecal coliforms' (FC) number]. The effluents were also tested for their toxicity using two different bioassays (Daphnia magna immobilization test and Phytotoxkit microbiotest). The findings were compared to relative regulations and guidelines regarding wastewater reuse for irrigation. The results overall show that secondary effluents in Thessaly region are generally acceptable for reuse for irrigation purposes according to limits set by legislation, if effective advanced treatment methods are applied prior to reuse. However, their potential toxicity should be closely monitored, since it was found that it may vary significantly in relation to season and location, when indicator plant and zooplankton organisms are used. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Assessment of long-term wastewater irrigation impacts on the soil geochemical properties and the bioaccumulation of heavy metals to the agricultural products.

    PubMed

    Christou, Anastasis; Eliadou, Elena; Michael, Costas; Hapeshi, Evroula; Fatta-Kassinos, Despo

    2014-08-01

    An extensive field survey was employed for assessing the impacts of long-term wastewater irrigation of forage crops and orange orchards in three suburban agricultural areas in Cyprus (areas I, II, and III), as compared to rainfed agriculture, on the soil geochemical properties and the bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Zn, Ni, Mn, Cu, Co) to the agricultural products. Both ryegrass fields and orange orchards in areas I and II were continuously wastewater irrigated for 10 years, whereas clover fields in area III for 0.5, 4, and 8 years. The results revealed that wastewater reuse for irrigation caused a slight increase in soil salinity and Cl(-) content in areas I and II, and a remarkable increase, having strong correlation with the period in which wastewater irrigation was practiced, in area III. Soil salinization in area III was due to the high electrical conductivity (EC) of the wastewater applied for irrigation, attributed to the influx of seawater to the sewage collection network in area III. In addition, the wastewater irrigation practice resulted in a slight decrease of the soil pH values in area III, while a subtle impact was identified regarding the CaCO3, Fe, and heavy metal content in the three areas surveyed. The heavy metal content quantified in the forage plants' above-ground parts was below the critical levels of phytotoxicity and the maximum acceptable concentration in dairy feed, whereas heavy metals quantified in orange fruit pulp were below the maximum permissible levels (MPLs). Heavy metal phytoavailability was confined due to soil properties (high pH and clay content), as evidenced by the calculated low transfer factor (TF).

  14. Accumulation of pharmaceuticals, Enterococcus, and resistance genes in soils irrigated with wastewater for zero to 100 years in central Mexico.

    PubMed

    Dalkmann, Philipp; Broszat, Melanie; Siebe, Christina; Willaschek, Elisha; Sakinc, Tuerkan; Huebner, Johannes; Amelung, Wulf; Grohmann, Elisabeth; Siemens, Jan

    2012-01-01

    Irrigation with wastewater releases pharmaceuticals, pathogenic bacteria, and resistance genes, but little is known about the accumulation of these contaminants in the environment when wastewater is applied for decades. We sampled a chronosequence of soils that were variously irrigated with wastewater from zero up to 100 years in the Mezquital Valley, Mexico, and investigated the accumulation of ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, clarithromycin, carbamazepine, bezafibrate, naproxen, diclofenac, as well as the occurrence of Enterococcus spp., and sul and qnr resistance genes. Total concentrations of ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and carbamazepine increased with irrigation duration reaching 95% of their upper limit of 1.4 µg/kg (ciprofloxacin), 4.3 µg/kg (sulfamethoxazole), and 5.4 µg/kg (carbamazepine) in soils irrigated for 19-28 years. Accumulation was soil-type-specific, with largest accumulation rates in Leptosols and no time-trend in Vertisols. Acidic pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, naproxen, bezafibrate) were not retained and thus did not accumulate in soils. We did not detect qnrA genes, but qnrS and qnrB genes were found in two of the irrigated soils. Relative concentrations of sul1 genes in irrigated soils were two orders of magnitude larger (3.15 × 10(-3) ± 0.22 × 10(-3) copies/16S rDNA) than in non-irrigated soils (4.35 × 10(-5)± 1.00 × 10(-5) copies/16S rDNA), while those of sul2 exceeded the ones in non-irrigated soils still by a factor of 22 (6.61 × 10(-4) ± 0.59 × 10(-4) versus 2.99 × 10(-5) ± 0.26 × 10(-5) copies/16S rDNA). Absolute numbers of sul genes continued to increase with prolonging irrigation together with Enterococcus spp. 23S rDNA and total 16S rDNA contents. Increasing total concentrations of antibiotics in soil are not accompanied by increasing relative abundances of resistance genes. Nevertheless, wastewater irrigation enlarges the absolute concentration of resistance genes in soils due to a long

  15. Measurement of flows for two irrigation districts in the lower Colorado River basin, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Coplin, L.S.; Liscum, Fred; East, J.W.; Goldstein, L.B.

    1996-01-01

    The Lower Colorado River Authority sells and distributes water for irrigation of rice farms in two irrigation districts, the Lakeside district and the Gulf Coast district, in the lower Colorado River Basin of Texas. In 1993, the Lower Colorado River Authority implemented a water-measurement program to account for the water delivered to rice farms and to promote water conservation. During the rice-irrigation season (summer and fall) of 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey measured flows at 30 sites in the Lakeside district and 24 sites in the Gulf Coast district coincident with Lower Colorado River Authority measuring sites. In each district, the Survey made essentially simultaneous flow measurements with different types of meters twice a day once in the morning and once in the afternoon at each site on selected days for comparison with Lower Colorado River Authority measurements. One-hundred pairs of corresponding (same site, same date) Lower Colorado River Authority and U.S. Geological Survey measurements from the Lakeside district and 104 measurement pairs from the Gulf Coast district are compared statistically and graphically. For comparison, the measurement pairs are grouped by irrigation district and further subdivided by the time difference between corresponding measurements less than or equal to 1 hour or more than 1 hour. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (to indicate whether two groups of paired observations are statistically different) on Lakeside district measurement pairs with 1 hour or less between measurements indicate that the Lower Colorado River Authority and U.S. Geological Survey measurements are not statistically different. The median absolute percent difference between the flow measurements is 5.9 percent; and 33 percent of the flow measurements differ by more than 10 percent. Similar statistical tests on Gulf Coast district measurement pairs with 1 hour or less between measurements indicate that the Lower Colorado River Authority and U.S. Geological

  16. Assessing and monitoring the ecotoxicity of pulp and paper wastewater for irrigating reed fields using the polyurethane foam unit method based on monitoring protozoal communities.

    PubMed

    Ding, Cheng; Chen, Tianming; Li, Zhaoxia; Yan, Jinlong

    2015-05-01

    Using the standardized polyurethane foam unit (PFU) method, a preliminary investigation was carried out on the bioaccumulation and the ecotoxic effects of the pulp and paper wastewater for irrigating reed fields. Static ectoxicity test had shown protozoal communities were very sensitive to variations in toxin time and effective concentration (EC) of the pulp and paper wastewater. Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H) was a more suitable indicator of the extent of water pollution than Gleason and Margalef diversity index (d), Simpson's diversity index (D), and Pielou's index (J). The regression equation between S eq and EC was S eq  = - 0.118EC + 18.554. The relatively safe concentration and maximum acceptable toxicant concentration (MATC) of the wastewater for the protozoal communities were about 20 % and 42 %, respectively. To safely use this wastewater for irrigation, more than 58 % of the toxins must be removed or diluted by further processing. Monitoring of the wastewater in representative irrigated reed fields showed that the regularity of the protozoal colonization process was similar to the static ectoxicity, indicating that the toxicity of the irrigating pulp and paper wastewater was not lethal to protozoal communities in the reed fields. This study demonstrated the applicability of the PFU method in monitoring the ecotoxic effects of pulp and paper wastewater on the level of microbial communities and may guide the supervision and control of pulp and paper wastewater irrigating within the reed fields ecological system (RFES).

  17. GLOBAL ASSESSMENT OF WASTEWATER IRRIGATION: UNDERSTANDING HEALTH RISKS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO FOOD SECURITY USING AN ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS APPROACH

    EPA Science Inventory

    This research will quantify the extent of de facto reuse of untreated wastewater at the global scale. Through the integration of multiple existing spatial data sources, this project will produce rigorous analyses assessing the relationship between wastewater irrigation, hea...

  18. Impact of the reusing of food manufacturing wastewater for irrigation in a closed system on the microbiological quality of the food crops.

    PubMed

    Beneduce, Luciano; Gatta, Giuseppe; Bevilacqua, Antonio; Libutti, Angela; Tarantino, Emanuele; Bellucci, Micol; Troiano, Eleonora; Spano, Giuseppe

    2017-11-02

    In order to evaluate if the reuse of food industry treated wastewater is compatible for irrigation of food crops, without increased health risk, in the present study a cropping system, in which ground water and treated wastewater were used for irrigation of tomato and broccoli, during consecutive crop seasons was monitored. Water, crop environment and final products were monitored for microbial indicators and pathogenic bacteria, by conventional and molecular methods. The microbial quality of the irrigation waters influenced sporadically the presence of microbial indicators in soil. No water sample was found positive for pathogenic bacteria, independently from the source. Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were detected in soil samples, independently from the irrigation water source. No pathogen was found to contaminate tomato plants, while Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 were detected on broccoli plant, but when final produce were harvested, no pathogen was detected on edible part. The level of microbial indicators and detection of pathogenic bacteria in field and plant was not dependent upon wastewater used. Our results, suggest that reuse of food industry wastewater for irrigation of agricultural crop can be applied without significant increase of potential health risk related to microbial quality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Experimental Assessment of Recycled Diesel Spill-Contaminated Domestic Wastewater Treated by Reed Beds for Irrigation of Sweet Peppers

    PubMed Central

    Almuktar, Suhad A.A.A.N.; Scholz, Miklas

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this experimental study is to assess if urban wastewater treated by ten different greenhouse-based sustainable wetland systems can be recycled to irrigate Capsicum annuum L. (Sweet Pepper; California Wonder) commercially grown either in compost or sand within a laboratory environment. The design variables were aggregate diameter, contact time, resting time and chemical oxygen demand. The key objectives were to assess: (i) the suitability of different treated (recycled) wastewaters for irrigation; (ii) response of peppers in terms of growth when using recycled wastewater subject to different growth media and hydrocarbon contamination; and (iii) the economic viability of different experimental set-ups in terms of marketable yield. Ortho-phosphate-phosphorus, ammonia-nitrogen, potassium and manganese concentrations in the irrigation water considerably exceeded the corresponding water quality thresholds. A high yield in terms of economic return (marketable yield expressed in monetary value) was linked to raw wastewater and an organic growth medium, while the plants grown in organic medium and wetlands of large aggregate size, high contact and resting times, diesel-spill contamination and low inflow loading rate produced the best fruits in terms of their dimensions and fresh weights, indicating the role of diesel in reducing too high nitrogen concentrations. PMID:26861370

  20. Accumulation of Pharmaceuticals, Enterococcus, and Resistance Genes in Soils Irrigated with Wastewater for Zero to 100 Years in Central Mexico

    PubMed Central

    Siebe, Christina; Willaschek, Elisha; Sakinc, Tuerkan; Huebner, Johannes; Amelung, Wulf; Grohmann, Elisabeth; Siemens, Jan

    2012-01-01

    Irrigation with wastewater releases pharmaceuticals, pathogenic bacteria, and resistance genes, but little is known about the accumulation of these contaminants in the environment when wastewater is applied for decades. We sampled a chronosequence of soils that were variously irrigated with wastewater from zero up to 100 years in the Mezquital Valley, Mexico, and investigated the accumulation of ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, clarithromycin, carbamazepine, bezafibrate, naproxen, diclofenac, as well as the occurrence of Enterococcus spp., and sul and qnr resistance genes. Total concentrations of ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and carbamazepine increased with irrigation duration reaching 95% of their upper limit of 1.4 µg/kg (ciprofloxacin), 4.3 µg/kg (sulfamethoxazole), and 5.4 µg/kg (carbamazepine) in soils irrigated for 19–28 years. Accumulation was soil-type-specific, with largest accumulation rates in Leptosols and no time-trend in Vertisols. Acidic pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, naproxen, bezafibrate) were not retained and thus did not accumulate in soils. We did not detect qnrA genes, but qnrS and qnrB genes were found in two of the irrigated soils. Relative concentrations of sul1 genes in irrigated soils were two orders of magnitude larger (3.15×10−3±0.22×10−3 copies/16S rDNA) than in non-irrigated soils (4.35×10−5±1.00×10−5 copies/16S rDNA), while those of sul2 exceeded the ones in non-irrigated soils still by a factor of 22 (6.61×10–4±0.59×10−4 versus 2.99×10−5±0.26×10−5 copies/16S rDNA). Absolute numbers of sul genes continued to increase with prolonging irrigation together with Enterococcus spp. 23S rDNA and total 16S rDNA contents. Increasing total concentrations of antibiotics in soil are not accompanied by increasing relative abundances of resistance genes. Nevertheless, wastewater irrigation enlarges the absolute concentration of resistance genes in soils due to a long-term increase in

  1. Quality of soil and Transfer of pesticide under wastewater irrigation regime

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dahchour, Abdelmalek; El hajjaji, Souad; El makhoukhi, Fadoua; El m'rabet, Mohammadine; Satrallah, Ahmed

    2016-04-01

    Wastewater (WW) usage in irrigation is seen as good and cost effective alternative to face scarcity of water in some arid areas of the world. In Morocco the situation of water resources could be alarming by 2030. Irrigation with WW has been proven beneficial in terms of stabilizing soil structure, enrichment with mineral nutrients useful for crops and increase of production. Usage of WW may coincide with the presence of pollutants such as pesticides and heavy metals in the soil. This situation may enhance the transfer of the pollutants towards groundwater sheet. Gharb area in an important agricultural area of Morocco dominated by sandy and clayey soils, the closeness of water sheet and frequent preferential flow channels in the soil. Test of mobility was conducted in non structured soil columns (30 cm length, 7.5 cm internal diameter), composed with 6 section of 5 cm each and packed with 300g of previously air dried soil sieved at 2mm. Mass equivalent to the rate of application of fenoxyprop-ethyl, an herbicide commonly used in the area was applied 1 cm under the top layer of the soil in the columns. Three columns were used for the test; one of them was eluted with distilled water and used as control. Columns were irrigated with treated wastewater at the flow rate of 1mL/min. Percolated water was collected at 5 intervals of 1 hours. Residue was the herbicide was analyzed in percolated water and the sections of the columns. Result showed net increase in organic matter and conductivity of soil and slight decrease in pH. Analysis of residue showed that the movement of herbicide has increased in the columns percolated with wastewater compared with the control. The herbicide was found five top sections treated eluted with WW and remains in the top section in the control. No residue was detected in percolated water from all the columns treated and the control.

  2. The geostatistic-based spatial distribution variations of soil salts under long-term wastewater irrigation.

    PubMed

    Wu, Wenyong; Yin, Shiyang; Liu, Honglu; Niu, Yong; Bao, Zhe

    2014-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine and evaluate the spatial changes in soil salinity by using geostatistical methods. The study focused on the suburb area of Beijing, where urban development led to water shortage and accelerated wastewater reuse to farm irrigation for more than 30 years. The data were then processed by GIS using three different interpolation techniques of ordinary kriging (OK), disjunctive kriging (DK), and universal kriging (UK). The normality test and overall trend analysis were applied for each interpolation technique to select the best fitted model for soil parameters. Results showed that OK was suitable for soil sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and Na(+) interpolation; UK was suitable for soil Cl(-) and pH; DK was suitable for soil Ca(2+). The nugget-to-sill ratio was applied to evaluate the effects of structural and stochastic factors. The maps showed that the areas of non-saline soil and slight salinity soil accounted for 6.39 and 93.61%, respectively. The spatial distribution and accumulation of soil salt were significantly affected by the irrigation probabilities and drainage situation under long-term wastewater irrigation.

  3. A Review of Environmental Contamination and Health Risk Assessment of Wastewater Use for Crop Irrigation with a Focus on Low and High-Income Countries

    PubMed Central

    Khalid, Sana; Shahid, Muhammad; Natasha; Sarwar, Tania; Shah, Ali Haidar

    2018-01-01

    Population densities and freshwater resources are not evenly distributed worldwide. This has forced farmers to use wastewater for the irrigation of food crops. This practice presents both positive and negative effects with respect to agricultural use, as well as in the context of environmental contamination and toxicology. Although wastewater is an important source of essential nutrients for plants, many environmental, sanitary, and health risks are also associated with the use of wastewater for crop irrigation due to the presence of toxic contaminants and microbes. This review highlights the harmful and beneficial impacts of wastewater irrigation on the physical, biological, and chemical properties of soil (pH, cations and anions, organic matter, microbial activity). We delineate the potentially toxic element (PTEs) build up in the soil and, as such, their transfer into plants and humans. The possible human health risks associated with the use of untreated wastewater for crop irrigation are also predicted and discussed. We compare the current condition of wastewater reuse in agriculture and the associated environmental and health issues between developing and developed countries. In addition, some integrated sustainable solutions and future perspectives are also proposed, keeping in view the regional and global context, as well as the grounded reality of wastewater use for crop production, sanitary and planning issues, remedial techniques, awareness among civil society, and the role of the government and the relevant stakeholders. PMID:29724015

  4. A Review of Environmental Contamination and Health Risk Assessment of Wastewater Use for Crop Irrigation with a Focus on Low and High-Income Countries.

    PubMed

    Khalid, Sana; Shahid, Muhammad; Bibi, Irshad; Sarwar, Tania; Shah, Ali Haidar; Niazi, Nabeel Khan

    2018-05-01

    Population densities and freshwater resources are not evenly distributed worldwide. This has forced farmers to use wastewater for the irrigation of food crops. This practice presents both positive and negative effects with respect to agricultural use, as well as in the context of environmental contamination and toxicology. Although wastewater is an important source of essential nutrients for plants, many environmental, sanitary, and health risks are also associated with the use of wastewater for crop irrigation due to the presence of toxic contaminants and microbes. This review highlights the harmful and beneficial impacts of wastewater irrigation on the physical, biological, and chemical properties of soil (pH, cations and anions, organic matter, microbial activity). We delineate the potentially toxic element (PTEs) build up in the soil and, as such, their transfer into plants and humans. The possible human health risks associated with the use of untreated wastewater for crop irrigation are also predicted and discussed. We compare the current condition of wastewater reuse in agriculture and the associated environmental and health issues between developing and developed countries. In addition, some integrated sustainable solutions and future perspectives are also proposed, keeping in view the regional and global context, as well as the grounded reality of wastewater use for crop production, sanitary and planning issues, remedial techniques, awareness among civil society, and the role of the government and the relevant stakeholders.

  5. Simulating Crop Evapotranspiration Response under Different Planting Scenarios by Modified SWAT Model in an Irrigation District, Northwest China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xin; Wang, Sufen; Xue, Han; Singh, Vijay P

    2015-01-01

    Modelling crop evapotranspiration (ET) response to different planting scenarios in an irrigation district plays a significant role in optimizing crop planting patterns, resolving agricultural water scarcity and facilitating the sustainable use of water resources. In this study, the SWAT model was improved by transforming the evapotranspiration module. Then, the improved model was applied in Qingyuan Irrigation District of northwest China as a case study. Land use, soil, meteorology, irrigation scheduling and crop coefficient were considered as input data, and the irrigation district was divided into subdivisions based on the DEM and local canal systems. On the basis of model calibration and verification, the improved model showed better simulation efficiency than did the original model. Therefore, the improved model was used to simulate the crop evapotranspiration response under different planting scenarios in the irrigation district. Results indicated that crop evapotranspiration decreased by 2.94% and 6.01% under the scenarios of reducing the planting proportion of spring wheat (scenario 1) and summer maize (scenario 2) by keeping the total cultivated area unchanged. However, the total net output values presented an opposite trend under different scenarios. The values decreased by 3.28% under scenario 1, while it increased by 7.79% under scenario 2, compared with the current situation. This study presents a novel method to estimate crop evapotranspiration response under different planting scenarios using the SWAT model, and makes recommendations for strategic agricultural water management planning for the rational utilization of water resources and development of local economy by studying the impact of planting scenario changes on crop evapotranspiration and output values in the irrigation district of northwest China.

  6. Simulating Crop Evapotranspiration Response under Different Planting Scenarios by Modified SWAT Model in an Irrigation District, Northwest China

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Xin; Wang, Sufen; Xue, Han; Singh, Vijay P.

    2015-01-01

    Modelling crop evapotranspiration (ET) response to different planting scenarios in an irrigation district plays a significant role in optimizing crop planting patterns, resolving agricultural water scarcity and facilitating the sustainable use of water resources. In this study, the SWAT model was improved by transforming the evapotranspiration module. Then, the improved model was applied in Qingyuan Irrigation District of northwest China as a case study. Land use, soil, meteorology, irrigation scheduling and crop coefficient were considered as input data, and the irrigation district was divided into subdivisions based on the DEM and local canal systems. On the basis of model calibration and verification, the improved model showed better simulation efficiency than did the original model. Therefore, the improved model was used to simulate the crop evapotranspiration response under different planting scenarios in the irrigation district. Results indicated that crop evapotranspiration decreased by 2.94% and 6.01% under the scenarios of reducing the planting proportion of spring wheat (scenario 1) and summer maize (scenario 2) by keeping the total cultivated area unchanged. However, the total net output values presented an opposite trend under different scenarios. The values decreased by 3.28% under scenario 1, while it increased by 7.79% under scenario 2, compared with the current situation. This study presents a novel method to estimate crop evapotranspiration response under different planting scenarios using the SWAT model, and makes recommendations for strategic agricultural water management planning for the rational utilization of water resources and development of local economy by studying the impact of planting scenario changes on crop evapotranspiration and output values in the irrigation district of northwest China. PMID:26439928

  7. Heavy metal accumulation in soils and grains, and health risks associated with use of treated municipal wastewater in subsurface drip irrigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asgari, Kamran; Najafi, Payam; Cornelis, Wim M.

    2014-05-01

    Constant use of treated wastewater for irrigation over long periods may cause buildup of heavy metals up to toxic levels for plants, animals, and entails environmental hazards in different aspects. However, application of treated wastewater on agricultural land might be an effective and sustainable strategy in arid and semi-arid countries where fresh water resources are under great pressure, as long as potential harmful effects on the environment including soil, plants, and fresh water resources, and health risks to humans are minimized. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of using a deep emitter installation on lowering the potential heavy metal accumulation in soils and grains, and health risk under drip irrigation with treated municipal wastewater. A field experiment was conducted according to a split block design with two treatments (fresh and wastewater) and three sub treatments (0, 15 and 30 cm depth of emitters) in four replicates on a sandy loam soil, in Esfahan, Iran. The annual rainfall is about 123 mm, mean annual ETo is 1457 mm, and the elevation is 1590 m a.s.l.. A two-crop rotation of wheat [Triticum spp.] and corn [Zea mays]) was established on each plot with wheat growing from February to June and corn from July to September. Soil samples were collected before planting (initial value) and after harvesting (final value) for each crop in each year. Edible grain samples of corn and wheat were also collected. Elemental concentrations (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni) in soil and grains were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The concentrations of heavy metals in the wastewater-irrigated soils were not significantly different (P>0.05) compared with the freshwater-irrigated soils. The results showed no significant difference (P>0.05) of soil heavy metal content between different depths of emitters. A pollution load index PLI showed that there was not substantial buildup of heavy metals in the wastewater-irrigated soils compared to

  8. Fate and Distribution of Heavy Metals in Wastewater Irrigated Calcareous Soils

    PubMed Central

    Stietiya, Mohammed Hashem; Duqqah, Mohammad; Udeigwe, Theophilus; Zubi, Ruba; Ammari, Tarek

    2014-01-01

    Accumulation of heavy metals in Jordanian soils irrigated with treated wastewater threatens agricultural sustainability. This study was carried out to investigate the environmental fate of Zn, Ni, and Cd in calcareous soils irrigated with treated wastewater and to elucidate the impact of hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) amendment on metal redistribution among soil fractions. Results showed that sorption capacity for Zarqa River (ZR1) soil was higher than Wadi Dhuleil (WD1) soil for all metals. The order of sorption affinity for WD1 was in the decreasing order of Ni > Zn > Cd, consistent with electrostatic attraction and indication of weak association with soil constituents. Following metal addition, Zn and Ni were distributed among the carbonate and Fe/Mn oxide fractions, while Cd was distributed among the exchangeable and carbonate fractions in both soils. Amending soils with 3% HFO did not increase the concentration of metals associated with the Fe/Mn oxide fraction or impact metal redistribution. The study suggests that carbonates control the mobility and bioavailability of Zn, Ni, and Cd in these calcareous soils, even in presence of a strong adsorbent such as HFO. Thus, it can be inferred that in situ heavy metal remediation of these highly calcareous soils using iron oxide compounds could be ineffective. PMID:24723833

  9. Bacteriological quality of the wastewater used for irrigation at the vegetable farms in Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, Accra Metropolis, Ghana.

    PubMed

    Pesewu, George A; Bentum, Daniel; Olu-Taiwo, Michael A; Glover, Kathreen K; Yirenya-Tawiah, Dzidzo R

    2017-01-01

    Many developing countries, including Ghana, are water stressed. As such, farmers, particularly those in urban areas, have adopted the use of wastewater for irrigation. This study evaluated the bacteriological water quality of the wastewater used for irrigation in the vegetable farms at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Accra Metropolis, Ghana. In all, 40 wastewater samples were collected and analysed bacteriologically using the total aerobic plate count method. The isolated bacteria were identified biochemically using Bergey's manual for determinative bacteriology. Mean total bacterial colony count values in the range of 2.75-4.44 × 10 5 CFU/100 mL were isolated which far exceeds values of 1 × 10 3 /100 mL recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for unrestricted irrigation of crops likely to be eaten raw. Enterobacter cloacae (51.4%), Klebsiella sp. (24.1%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.3%), Salmonella typhi (10.6%), Escherichia coli (2.2%) and Proteus sp. (0.4%) were the predominant bacteria isolated. Growers should use treated wastewater for farming while processors and consumers should minimize contamination risks of produce from the vegetable farms/garden to the plate. © The Author(s) 2016.

  10. Genotoxicity assessments of alluvial soil irrigated with wastewater from a pesticide manufacturing industry.

    PubMed

    Anjum, Reshma; Krakat, Niclas

    2015-10-01

    In this study, organochlorine pesticides (OCP) and heavy metals were analyzed from wastewater- and groundwater- irrigated soils (control samples) by gas chromatography (GC) and atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), respectively. Gas chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of high concentration of pesticides in soil irrigated with wastewater (WWS). These concentrations were far above the maximum residue permissible limits indicating that alluvial soils have high binding capacity of OCP. AAS analyses revealed higher concentration of heavy metals in WWS as compared to groundwater (GWS). Also, the DNA repair (SOS)-defective Escherichia coli K-12 mutant assay and the bacteriophage lambda system were employed to estimate the genotoxicity of soils. Therefore, soil samples were extracted by hexane, acetonitrile, methanol, chloroform, and acetone. Both bioassays revealed that hexane-extracted soils from WWS were most genotoxic. A maximum survival of 15.2% and decline of colony-forming units (CFUs) was observed in polA mutants of DNA repair-defective E. coli K-12 strains when hexane was used as solvent. However, the damage of polA (-) mutants triggered by acetonitrile, methanol, chloroform, and acetone extracts was 80.0, 69.8, 65.0, and 60.7%, respectively. These results were also confirmed by the bacteriophage λ test system as hexane extracts of WWS exhibited a maximum decline of plaque-forming units for lexA mutants of E. coli K-12 pointing to an elevated genotoxic potential. The lowest survival was observed for lexA (12%) treated with hexane extracts while the percentage of survival was 25, 49.2, 55, and 78% with acetonitrile, methanol, chloroform, and acetone, respectively, after 6 h of treatment. Thus, our results suggest that agricultural soils irrigated with wastewater from pesticide industries have a notably high genotoxic potential.

  11. Cryptosporidium and Giardia safety margin increase in leafy green vegetables irrigated with treated wastewater.

    PubMed

    Domenech, Eva; Amorós, Inmaculada; Moreno, Yolanda; Alonso, José L

    2018-01-01

    The presence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in waste water is a main concern because water reuse for irrigation can jeopardize human health. Spanish Legislation for water reuse does not oblige to analyze the presence of both pathogens Cryptosporidium and Giardia in reused water for irrigation. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to determine the influence of wastewater treatment in the increase of the consumer safety margin in relation to the presence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in leafy green vegetables. With this aim in mind, a total of 108 samples from raw (influent) and treated wastewater (effluent) from three wastewater treatment plants in Spain were analysed according to USEPA Method 1623. Effluent results show that Cryptosporidium oocysts average counts ranged from 1.38 to 2.6/L oocysts and Giardia cysts ranged from 0.6 to 1.7/L cysts, which means a removal values of 2.7 log, 2.5 log and 1.8 log for Cryptosporidium oocysts and 1 log, 2 log and 2.2 log for Giardia cysts in the three wastewater treatment plants analysed. In relation to safety margin the highest probability that exposure exceed the dose response was observed for Giardia. In addition, the sensitivity analysis showed that (oo)cysts concentration present in the leafy green vegetables and the human dose-response were the most influential inputs in the safety margin obtained. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.

  12. Hydrochemical assessment of groundwater used for irrigation in Rumphi and Karonga districts, Northern Malawi

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wanda, Elijah M. M.; Gulula, Lewis C.; Phiri, Ambrose

    Irrigation water quality is an essential component of sustainable agriculture. Irrigation water quality concerns have often been neglected over concerns of quantity in most irrigation projects in Malawi. In this study, a hydrochemical assessment of groundwater was carried out to characterize, classify groundwater and evaluate its suitability for irrigation use in Karonga and Rumphi districts, Northern Malawi. Groundwater samples were collected during wet (January-April 2011) and dry (July-September 2011) seasons from 107 shallow wells and boreholes drilled for rural water supply using standard sampling procedures. The water samples were analysed for pH, major ions, total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity (EC), using standard methods. Multivariate chemometric (such as Kruskal Wallis test), hydrographical methods (i.e. Piper diagram) and PHREEQC geochemical modelling program were used to characterise the groundwater quality. Electrical conductivity, percentage sodium ion (% Na+), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), total dissolved solids (TDS), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), Kelly’s ratio (KR) and permeability index (PI) were used to evaluate the suitability of water for irrigation. It was established that groundwater is neutral to alkaline and mostly freshwater (TDS < 1000 mg/l) of Ca-HCO3- type. Groundwater is of low mineralisation which did not show statistically significant variations with respect to depth of shallow wells and boreholes, location and seasonality at 5% significance level. Groundwater from Karonga District was largely oversaturated with respect to both calcite and dolomite, where as that from Rumphi District was undersaturated with respect to both calcite and dolomite. However, the calculated PCO2 values suggested that the groundwater system was open to soil CO2 and that there was possibility of degassing of CO2 during flow, which could increase the pH and subsequently result in the oversaturation of calcite in both districts. Groundwater

  13. Risk assessment and loading capacity of reclaimed wastewater to be reused for agricultural irrigation.

    PubMed

    Chiou, Ren-Jie

    2008-07-01

    The reuse of treated municipal wastewater should be one of the new water resource target areas. The suitability of the reuse of wastewater for agricultural irrigation has to consider health risk, soil contamination and the influence of the reclaimed water on crop growth. In this work the aim is to use quantitative risk analysis to assess the health effects related to reclaimed water quality and to calculate the loading capacity of reclaimed wastewater in terms of the heavy metal accumulation. The results of chemical risk assessment show there would be slightly significant health risk and what risk there is can be limited within an acceptable level. The following exposure pathway: reclaimed water-->surface water-->fish (shellfish)-->human, and arsenic risks are of more concern. In terms of reuse impact in soil contamination, the most possible heavy metal caused accumulation is arsenic. The irrigative quantity has to reach 13,300 m(3)/ha to cause arsenic accumulation. However, only 12,000 m(3)/ha is essential for rice paddy cropland. The high total nitrogen of reclaimed water from secondary treatment makes it unfavorable for crop growth. The recommended dilution ratio is 50% during the growth period and 25% during the maturity period.

  14. Biodegradability of pharmaceutical compounds in agricultural soils irrigated with treated wastewater.

    PubMed

    Grossberger, Amnon; Hadar, Yitzhak; Borch, Thomas; Chefetz, Benny

    2014-02-01

    Pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) are introduced into agricultural soils via irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW). Our data show that carbamazepine, lamotrigine, caffeine, metoprolol, sulfamethoxazole and sildenafil are persistent in soils when introduced via TWW. However, other PCs, namely diclofenac, ibuprofen, bezafibrate, gemfibrozil and naproxen were not detected in soils when introduced via TWW. This is likely due to rapid degradation as confirmed in our microcosm studies where they exhibited half-lives (t1/2) between 0.2-9.5 days when soils were spiked at 50 ng/g soil and between 3 and 68 days when soils were spiked at 5000 ng/g soil. The degradation rate and extent of PCs observed in microcosm studies were similar in soils that had been previously irrigated with TWW or fresh water. This suggests that pre-exposure of the soils to PCs via irrigation with TWW does not enhance their biodegradation. This suggests that PCs are probably degraded in soils via co-metabolism. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Economic Barriers To Improvement Of Human Health Associated With Wastewater Irrigation In The Mezquital Valley, Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamagata, H.; Sedlak, D. L.

    2008-12-01

    To improve public health, the United Nations' Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 set Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of reducing by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation by 2015. The Mezquital Valley of Mexico is one of the places suffering serious human health problems such as ascariasis due to agricultural irrigation with untreated wastewater discharged by Mexico City. Despite the existence of serious health problems, wastewater treatment has not been installed due to economic barriers: the agricultural benefit of nutrients in the wastewater and cost of building and operating wastewater treatment plants. To develop solutions to this problem, the human health damage and the benefits of nutrient input were evaluated. The health impact caused by untreated wastewater reuse in the Mezquital Valley was estimated to be about 14 DALYs (disability-adjusted life year) per 100,000, which was 2.8 times higher than the DALYs lost by ascariasis in Mexico in 2002 estimated by WHO. The economic damage of the health impact was evaluated at 77,000 /year using willingness-to-pay (WTP) for reducing DALYs. The value of nutrient inputs (nitrogen and phosphorus) due to reuse of untreated wastewater was evaluated at 33 million /year using fertilizer prices. Therefore, attempts to decrease public health problems associated with reuse in the Mezquital Valley need to address losses of economic benefits associated with nutrients in sewage. In 2007, the Mexican Government announced plans to install wastewater treatment plants in this area. Although nutrient inputs in irrigated water is expected to decrease by 33% due to the wastewater treatment, farmers in the Mezquital Valley would still benefit from improved public health in the community and increases of crop values due to the ability to grow raw-eaten vegetables.

  16. Induced heterogeneity of soil water content and chemical properties by treated wastewater irrigation and its reclamation by freshwater irrigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahav, Matan; Brindt, Naaran; Yermiyahu, Uri; Wallach, Rony

    2017-06-01

    The recognition of treated wastewater (TWW) as an alternative water resource is expanding in areas with a shortage of freshwater (FW) resources. Today, most orchards in Israel are irrigated with TWW. While the benefits of using TWW for irrigation are apparent, evidence of its negative effects on soil, trees, and yield is accumulating. This study, performed in a commercial TWW-irrigated citrus orchard in central Israel, examined the effects of (1) soil-wettability decrease due to prolonged TWW irrigation on the spatial and temporal distribution of water content and associated chemical properties in the root zone; (2) the conversion of irrigation in half of the TWW-irrigated research plot to FW (2012) for soil reclamation. Electrical resistivity tomography surveys in the substantially water repellent soils revealed that water flow is occurring along preferential flow paths in both plots, leaving behind a considerably nonuniform water-content distribution. This was despite the gradual relief in soil water repellency measured in the FW plots. Four soil-sampling campaigns (spring and fall, 2014-2016), performed in 0-20 and 20-40 cm layers of the research plot, revealed bimodal gravimetrically measured water-content distribution. The preferential flow led to uneven chemical-property distribution, with substantially high concentrations in the dry spots, and lower concentrations in the wet spots along the preferential flow paths. The average salt and nutrient concentrations, which were initially high in both plots, gradually dispersed with time, as concentrations in the FW plots decreased. Nevertheless, the efficiency of reclaiming TWW soil by FW irrigation appears low.

  17. Presence and distribution of wastewater-derived pharmaceuticals in soil irrigated with reclaimed water

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kinney, C.A.; Furlong, E.T.; Werner, S.L.; Cahill, J.D.

    2006-01-01

    Three sites in the Front Range of Colorado, USA, were monitored from May through September 2003 to assess the presence and distribution of pharmaceuticals in soil irrigated with reclaimed water derived from urban wastewater. Soil cores were collected monthly, and 19 pharmaceuticals, all of which were detected during the present study, were measured in 5-cm increments of the 30-cm cores. Samples of reclaimed water were analyzed three times during the study to assess the input of pharmaceuticals. Samples collected before the onset of irrigation in 2003 contained numerous pharmaceuticals, likely resulting from the previous year's irrigation. Several of the selected pharmaceuticals increased in total soil concentration at one or more of the sites. The four most commonly detected pharmaceuticals were erythromycin, carbamazepine, fluoxetine, and diphenhydramine. Typical concentrations of the individual pharmaceuticals observed were low (0.02-15 ??g/kg dry soil). The existence of subsurface maximum concentrations and detectable concentrations at the lowest sampled soil depth might indicate interactions of soil components with pharmaceuticals during leaching through the vadose zone. Nevertheless, the present study demonstrates that reclaimed-water irrigation results in soil pharmaceutical concentrations that vary through the irrigation season and that some compounds persist for months after irrigation. ?? 2006 SETAC.

  18. Agricultural irrigated land-use inventory for the counties in the Suwannee River Water Management District in Florida, 2015

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Marella, Richard L.; Dixon, Joann F.; Berry, Darbi R.

    2016-07-28

    The irrigated acreage that was field verified in 2015 for the 13 counties in the Suwannee River Water Management District (113,134 acres) is about 6 percent higher than the estimated acreage published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (107,217 acres) for 2012; however, this 2012 value represents acreage for the entire portion of all 13 counties, not just the Suwannee River Water Management District portion. Differences between the 2015 field-verified acreage totals and those published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 2012 may occur because (1) irrigated acreage for some specific crops increased or decreased substantially during the 3-year interval due to commodity prices or economic changes, (2) calculated field-verified irrigated acreage may be an overestimate because irrigation was assumed if an irrigation system was present and therefore the acreage was counted as irrigated, when in fact that may not have been the case as some farmers may not have used their irrigation systems during this growing period even if they had a crop in the field, or (3) the amount of irrigated acreages published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for selected crops may be underestimated in some cases.

  19. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils and crops after irrigation of wastewater discharged from domestic sewage treatment plants.

    PubMed

    Chung, N J; Cho, J Y; Park, S W; Park, B J; Hwang, S A; Park, T I

    2008-08-01

    The effects of domestic wastewater application on the translocation and accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil and crops (rice, lettuce, and barley) were investigated by Wagner's pot experiment. In the soils and crops after domestic wastewater irrigation, high-molecular weight PAHs (5 to 6 ring) were not detected, but low-molecular weight PAHs (3 to 4 ring) were only detected at trace levels.

  20. Tree seedling reponses to wastewater irrigation on a reforested old field in southern Michigan.

    Treesearch

    D.G. Brockway

    1982-01-01

    In recent years, the number of municipal wastewater irrigation projects utilizing forest ecosystems for nutrient recycling and groundwater recharge has continued to grow. Land managers involved with these projects have, in the same time period, increased their demand for scientific data which better defines the capabilities and limitations of various forest species-...

  1. Impact of wastewater-irrigation on in-household water contamination. A cohort study among urban farmers in Ahmedabad, India.

    PubMed

    Falkenberg, Timo; Saxena, Deepak; Kistemann, Thomas

    2018-10-15

    This cohort study explores the contribution of wastewater irrigation, in the context of WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene), on in-household water contamination among urban farming households in Ahmedabad, India. Drinking water samples of 204 households in four peri-urban farming communities were collected from the point-of-source (PoS) and point-of-use (PoU) of each household four times over the 12-month follow-up period. Next to the quantification of E. coli, three household surveys (baseline, hygiene and farm) were conducted. Additionally, an observational spot-check was undertaken in bi-monthly intervals throughout the follow-up period. Significant positive differences in water quality between PoS and PoU samples were identified in 78% of households. During the monsoon, the peak of contamination, only 6% of households had access to safe drinking water at PoU. The Average Treatment Effect (ATE) of wastewater irrigation indicates an adverse effect on in-household water contamination, larger in effect size than the mitigation effect of access to sanitation or personal hygiene. To control transmission of fecal pathogens, effective barriers are required for wastewater irrigation similar to the necessity of ensuring access to sanitation and practicing adequate hygiene behavior. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Preferential flow effects on transport and fate of chemicals and microorganisms in soils irrigated with wastewater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Puddu, Rita; Corrias, Roberto; Dessena, Maria Antonietta; Ferralis, Marcella; Marras, Gabriele; Pin, Paola; Spanu, Paola

    2010-05-01

    This work is part of a multidisciplinary research properly planned by the ENAS (Cagliari-Sardinia-Italy) to verify the consequences of urban wastewater reuse in irrigation practices on chemical, biological and hydrological behavior of agricultural soils of the Had as Soualem area (Morocco). The area consists of Fluventic Haploxerept soils, according to USDA Soil Taxonomy. Undisturbed large soil columns, 70 cm height and 20 cm diameter, were collected from plots, the locations of which were preliminarily individuated through a prior pedological study. The soils are characterized by an apparent structure, suggesting that preferential flow processes may occur in the study area, which may impact usable groundwater at depth. Wastewater reuse for irrigation simultaneously solves water shortage and wastewater disposal problems. Unfortunately, wastewaters generally contain high concentrations of suspended and dissolved solids, both organic and inorganic, and microbial contaminants (virus and bacteria) added to wastewater during domestic and industrial usage. Most of these contaminants are only partially removed during conventional sewage treatment so they remain in the irrigation water. Although adsorbing ions and microbes are relatively immobile within porous media, preferential flow and adsorption to mobile colloids can enhance their transport. There is limited knowledge regarding the role of preferential flow and colloidal transport on adsorbing contaminants. The main aim of this research is to determine the influence of preferential flow and colloids on wastewater contaminant transport. Leaching rates and arrival time of wastewater contaminants will be determined using field and laboratory measurements at the study sites in combination with preferential flow numerical modeling. To achieve these objectives the soil columns were analyzed for physical, chemical, and microbial characterization. At the laboratory, an experimental facility was set up and sensors for

  3. Long term agronomic and environmental effects of irrigation with reclaimed wastewater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yermiyahu, Uri; Ben-Gal, Alon; Dag, Arnon

    2014-05-01

    Fresh water in the Mediterranean region is generally scarce and only low quality reclaimed wastewater (RWW) is available for irrigation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of irrigation with RWW on tree growth and productivity and to quantify nitrate and chloride (Cl) losses in an olive orchard. Three treatments were tested on two cultivars (Barnea and Leccino); fresh water with standard fertigation (Fr), recycled water with standard fertigation (Re) and recycled water with reduced fertigation (in accordance to the K and N available in the recycled water) (Re-). The total amount of nutrients arriving with the RWW was substantial; 100, 30, 150 kg ha-1 N, P, K, respectively, ca. half of the recommended fertilization dosages. Throughout the 6 experimental years, fertigation treatments did not influence nutrient status in leaves and did not affect fruit or oil production. While similar amounts of water were applied, the Re and Re- treatments loaded the soil profile with 1.75 times more Cl than the Fr treatment. Additionally, significantly more nitrates were transported out of the root zone in the Re treatment compared to Fr and Re- for both cultivars. The results indicate that recycled water can be used for olive oil irrigation with no negative effects on oil yield or quality. Irrigation with RWW increased salt loads into and beyond the root zone. The nutritional constituents in the RWW used to irrigate olives should be accounted for in order to increase fertilizer application efficiency and minimize the transport of salts and nutrients into groundwater.

  4. Heavy metal accumulation in soils and grains, and health risks associated with use of treated municipal wastewater in subsurface drip irrigation.

    PubMed

    Asgari, Kamran; Cornelis, Wim M

    2015-07-01

    Constant use of treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation over prolonged periods may cause buildup of heavy metals up to toxic levels for plants and animals, and entails environmental hazards in different aspects. However, application of TWW on agricultural land might be an effective and sustainable strategy in arid and semi-arid countries where fresh water resources are under great pressure, as long as potential harmful effects on the environment including soil, plants, and fresh water resources, and health risks to humans are minimized. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of deep emitters on limiting potential heavy metal accumulation in soils and grains, and health risk under drip irrigation with treated municipal wastewater. A field experiment was conducted according to a split block design with two treatments (fresh and wastewater) and three sub-treatments (0, 15, and 30 cm depth of emitters) in four replicates on a sandy loam Calcic Argigypsids, in Esfahan, Iran. The annual rainfall is about 123 mm, mean annual ETo is 1457 mm, and the elevation is 1590 m above sea level. A two-crop rotation of wheat (Triticum spp.) and corn (Zea mays) was established on each plot with wheat growing from February to June and corn from July to September. Soil samples were collected before planting and after harvesting for each crop in each year. Edible grain samples of corn and wheat were collected at harvest. Elemental concentrations (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni) in soil and grains were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results showed that the concentrations of heavy metals in the wastewater-irrigated soils were not significantly different (P > 0.05) compared with the freshwater-irrigated soils. No significant difference (P > 0.05) in heavy metal content in soil between different depths of emitters was found. A pollution load index (PLI) showed that there was no substantial buildup of heavy metals in the wastewater-irrigated soils

  5. SCADA OPERATOR TRAINING TOOL APPLIED TO THE CENTRAL ARIZONA IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Many irrigation districts use Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software to manage their canal systems. Whether homegrown or commercial, these programs require a significant amount of training for new operators. While some SCADA operators are hired with extensive field experience, o...

  6. Statistical Analysis Of Heavy Metals Concentration In Watermelon Plants Irrigated By Wastewater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khanjani, M. J.; Maghsoudi moud, A. A.; Saffari, V. R.; Hashamipor, S. M.; Soltanizadeh, M.

    2008-01-01

    Concentration of heavy metals in vegetables irrigated by urban wastewater is a cause of serious concern due to the potentials health problems of consuming contaminated produce. In this study it is tried to model the concentration of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe,…) as a function of their concentration in watermelon roots and stems. Our study shows there is a good relationship between them for most of collected data. By measuring the concentration in root and stem of watermelon plant samples before harvesting, the concentration of heavy metal in watermelon's fruit can be estimated by presented mathematical models. This study shows the concentrations of heavy metals in fruits, roots and stems of watermelon plants are very high and in dangerous level when irrigated by municipal waste water.

  7. Water balance in irrigation districts. Uncertainty in on-demand pressurized networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sánchez-Calvo, Raúl; Rodríguez-Sinobas, Leonor; Juana, Luis; Laguna, Francisco Vicente

    2015-04-01

    In on-demand pressurized irrigation distribution networks, applied water volume is usually controlled opening a valve during a calculated time interval, and assuming constant flow rate. In general, pressure regulating devices for controlling the discharged flow rate by irrigation units are needed due to the variability of pressure conditions. A pressure regulating valve PRV is the commonly used pressure regulating device in a hydrant, which, also, executes the open and close function. A hydrant feeds several irrigation units, requiring a wide range in flow rate. In addition, some flow meters are also available, one as a component of the hydrant and the rest are placed downstream. Every land owner has one flow meter for each group of field plots downstream the hydrant. Ideal PRV performance would maintain a constant downstream pressure. However, the true performance depends on both upstream pressure and the discharged flow rate. Theoretical flow rates values have been introduced into a PRV behavioral model, validated in laboratory, coupled with an on-demand irrigation district waterworks, composed by a distribution network and a multi-pump station. Variations on flow rate are simulated by taking into account the consequences of variations on climate conditions and also decisions in irrigation operation, such us duration and frequency application. The model comprises continuity, dynamic and energy equations of the components of both the PRV and the water distribution network. In this work the estimation of water balance terms during the irrigation events in an irrigation campaign has been simulated. The effect of demand concentration peaks has been estimated.

  8. The Living Filter: Monitoring Nitrate Accumulation after 50 Years of Wastewater Irrigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hagedorn, J.

    2015-12-01

    As global freshwater sources decline due to environmental contamination and a growing population, more sustainable wastewater renovation techniques will need to be applied to ensure freshwater for future generations. One such example of a sustainable solution is called the Living Filter, located on the campus of Pennsylvania State University. For fifty years, Pennsylvania State University has sprayed treated wastewater onto agricultural fields and forest ecosystems, leaving natural processes to further filter the wastewater. This cyclical process is deemed sustainable because the freshwater is recycled, providing drinking water to an increasing university population and nutrients to agricultural crops, without causing major environmental catastrophes such as fish kills, eutrophication or groundwater contamination. At first glance this project seems sustainable and effective, but for how long can this setup continue without nutrient overloading and environmental contamination? To be truly declared sustainable, the hopeful answer to this question is indefinitely. Using a combination of soil core and monitoring tools, ecosystem indicators such as soil nutrient capacities, moisture levels, and soil characteristics were measured. Comparing data from the initial system installation to present data collected from soil cores showed how ecosystems changed over time. Results revealed that nitrate concentrations were elevated through the profile in all land use types, but the concentrations were below EPA threshold. Soil characteristic analysis including particle size distribution, soil elemental composition, and texture yielded inconclusive results regarding which factors control the nitrate accumulation most significantly. The nitrate depth profile findings suggest that spray irrigation at the Living Filter under the current rates of application has not caused the ultimate stage of nitrogen saturation in the spray irrigation site. Variations in land use present interesting

  9. The influence of the microbial quality of wastewater, lettuce cultivars and enumeration technique when estimating the microbial contamination of wastewater-irrigated lettuce.

    PubMed

    Makkaew, P; Miller, M; Cromar, N J; Fallowfield, H J

    2017-04-01

    This study investigated the volume of wastewater retained on the surface of three different varieties of lettuce, Iceberg, Cos, and Oak leaf, following submersion in wastewater of different microbial qualities (10, 10 2 , 10 3 , and 10 4 E. coli MPN/100 mL) as a surrogate method for estimation of contamination of spray-irrigated lettuce. Uniquely, Escherichia coli was enumerated, after submersion, on both the outer and inner leaves and in a composite sample of lettuce. E. coli were enumerated using two techniques. Firstly, from samples of leaves - the direct method. Secondly, using an indirect method, where the E. coli concentrations were estimated from the volume of wastewater retained by the lettuce and the E. coli concentration of the wastewater. The results showed that different varieties of lettuce retained significantly different volumes of wastewater (p < 0.01). No statistical differences (p > 0.01) were detected between E. coli counts obtained from different parts of lettuce, nor between the direct and indirect enumeration methods. Statistically significant linear relationships were derived relating the E. coli concentration of the wastewater in which the lettuces were submerged to the subsequent E. coli count on each variety the lettuce.

  10. Design and development of decentralized water and wastewater technologies: a combination of safe wastewater disposal and fertilizer production.

    PubMed

    Fach, S; Fuchs, S

    2010-01-01

    Modern wastewater treatment plants are often inappropriate for communities in developing countries. Such communities lack the funding, resources and skilled labour required to implement, operate, and maintain these plants. This research was conducted to investigate and establish an appropriate wastewater treatment system for the district of Gunung Kidul, Indonesia. Due to its lack of water during the dry season, this district is considered one of the poorest areas in the nation. First, wastewater was stored in septic tank units for a retention time of 26 days. Anaerobic conditions occurred, resulting in an 80% reduction of initial COD. The retained sludge was well stabilized with great potential, if dewatered, for reuse as fertilizer. Consequently, supernatant was separated for experiments consisting of lab scale aerobic sand filtering unit. Through filtration, further removals of COD (about 30%) and pathogens were achieved. Rich in nitrogen, the resulting effluent could be used for irrigation and soil conditioning. With faecal sludge and also a mixture of septic sludge and food waste, the hydrolysis stage of anaerobic digestion was examined. This paper discusses the laboratory findings in Karlsruhe and the design and implementation of a treatment system in Glompong, Indonesia.

  11. Environmental impact of irrigation in la violada district (Spain): I. Salt export patterns.

    PubMed

    Isidoro, D; Quílez, D; Aragüés, R

    2006-01-01

    Salt loading in irrigation return flows contributes to the salinization of the receiving water bodies, particularly when originated in salt-affected areas as frequently found in the middle Ebro River basin (Spain). We determined the salt loading in La Violada Gully from the total dissolved solids (TDS) and flows (Q) during the 1995 to 1998 hydrological years. Since this gully collects flows from various sources, an end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) was performed to quantify the drainage flow from La Violada Irrigation District (VID). Three flow components were identified in La Violada Gully: drainage waters from VID (Qd); tail-waters from irrigation ditches, spill-over, and seepage from the Monegros Canal (Qo); and ground water inflows (Qg) originating in the dryland watershed. Gypsum in the soils of VID was the main source for salts in La Violada Gully (flow-weighted mean TDS=1720 mg L-1, dominated by sulfate and calcium). The contribution of Qg to the total gully flow during the 1996 irrigation season was low (6.5% of the total flow). The 1995 to 1998 annual salt load average in La Violada Gully was 78 628 Mg, 71% of which was exported during the irrigation season. The 1995 to 1998 irrigation season salt load average in Qd was 43 015 Mg (77% of the total load). Thus, irrigated agriculture in VID was the main source of salt loading in this gully, with a yield of 11.1 Mg of salts per hectare of irrigated land for the irrigation season. Efficient irrigation systems and irrigation management practices that reduce Qd are key factors for controlling off-site salt pollution of these gypsum-rich irrigated areas.

  12. The benefit of using additional hydrological information from earth observations and reanalysis data on water allocation decisions in irrigation districts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaune, Alexander; López, Patricia; Werner, Micha; de Fraiture, Charlotte

    2017-04-01

    Hydrological information on water availability and demand is vital for sound water allocation decisions in irrigation districts, particularly in times of water scarcity. However, sub-optimal water allocation decisions are often taken with incomplete hydrological information, which may lead to agricultural production loss. In this study we evaluate the benefit of additional hydrological information from earth observations and reanalysis data in supporting decisions in irrigation districts. Current water allocation decisions were emulated through heuristic operational rules for water scarce and water abundant conditions in the selected irrigation districts. The Dynamic Water Balance Model based on the Budyko framework was forced with precipitation datasets from interpolated ground measurements, remote sensing and reanalysis data, to determine the water availability for irrigation. Irrigation demands were estimated based on estimates of potential evapotranspiration and coefficient for crops grown, adjusted with the interpolated precipitation data. Decisions made using both current and additional hydrological information were evaluated through the rate at which sub-optimal decisions were made. The decisions made using an amended set of decision rules that benefit from additional information on demand in the districts were also evaluated. Results show that sub-optimal decisions can be reduced in the planning phase through improved estimates of water availability. Where there are reliable observations of water availability through gauging stations, the benefit of the improved precipitation data is found in the improved estimates of demand, equally leading to a reduction of sub-optimal decisions.

  13. Innovations in Agriculture in Oregon: Farmers Irrigation District Improves Water Quality, Maximizes Water Conservation, and Generates Clean, Renewable Energy

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Hood River Farmers Irrigation District used $36.2 million in CWSRF loans for a multiple-year endeavor to convert the open canal system to a piped, pressurized irrigation system to maximize water conservation and restore reliable water delivery to crops

  14. Evaluation of primary and secondary treated and disinfected wastewater irrigation of tomato and cucumber plants under greenhouse conditions, regarding growth and safety considerations.

    PubMed

    Manios, T; Papagrigoriou, I; Daskalakis, G; Sabathianakis, I; Terzakis, S; Maniadakis, K; Markakis, G

    2006-08-01

    Tomato and cucumber seedlings were distributed into 10 groups (five for each plant) of 15 plants each. The plants were irrigated for 10 weeks with primary treated wastewater (group A), secondary treated wastewater (group B), chlorinated secondary treated wastewater (group C), a fertilizer dilution (group F), and tap water (group M). All precautions were taken to secure that there was no direct contact between the wastewater and the edible portions of the crops. During this period and on a weekly basis, the height and number of leaves was monitored, while, at the end, the dry weight of leaves, stems, and roots for each plant of each group was measured. Based on these growth parameters, both types of plant in groups A and F recorded the most significant development compared to the other three groups. The plants irrigated with tap water recorded the smallest development, in every case. Plants in groups B and C were similar, with a slight (but not significant) superiority for the plants irrigated with secondary treated wastewater, probably as a result of some phytotoxic effects of residual chloride in the chlorinated wastewater. The presence of nutrients and specifically nitrogen in the various solutions explains the differences satisfactorily. The vegetables grown on the plants of each group were harvested, and their surface tissue analyzed for total coliforms (TC) and enterococci (EC). Tomatoes grown on the plants of groups A and B recorded the highest values for TC, with 505 and 490 cfu/g, respectively, whereas, for cucumbers, those values were 342 and 450 cfu/g, respectively. Enterococci were detected on the surface of harvested vegetables from groups A and B, but the small number of cases and their random character cannot support any strong relations between the used wastewater and their presence. The TC values in group C were very low, far lower than those if group F. No EC were found in either group C or group F. These primary results suggested that irrigation

  15. Evaluation of Shiraz wastewater treatment plant effluent quality for agricultural irrigation by Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI)

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Using treated wastewater in agriculture irrigation could be a realistic solution for the shortage of fresh water in Iran, however, it is associated with environmental and health threats; therefore, effluent quality assessment is quite necessary before use. The present study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical and microbial quality of Shiraz wastewater treatment plant effluent for being used in agricultural irrigation. In this study, 20 physicochemical and 3 microbial parameters were measured during warm (April to September) and cold months (October to march). Using the measured parameters and the Canadian Water Quality Index, the quality of the effluent was determined in both warm and cold seasons and in all the seasons together. Results The calculated index for the physicochemical parameters in the effluent was equal (87) in warm and cold months and it was obtained as 85 for the seasons all together. When the microbial parameters were used in order to calculate the index, it declined to 67 in warm and cold seasons and 64 in all the seasons together. Also, it was found that three physicochemical parameters (TDS, EC, and NO3) and three microbial parameters (Fecal coliform, Helminthes egg, and Total coliform) had the most contribution to the reduction of the index value. Conclusions The results showed that the physicochemical quality of Shiraz Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent was good for irrigation in the warm, cold, and total of the two kinds of seasons. However, by applying the microbial parameter, the index value declined dramatically and the quality of the effluent was marginal. PMID:23566673

  16. Socio-economic impacts of irrigated agriculture in Mbarali District of south west Tanzania

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mwakalila, Shadrack

    Irrigation has been found to be central in curbing food scarcity not only in Tanzania but also in many other developing countries. It has been proved that continued reliability on rainfall in agriculture cannot sustain the increase in population. This study examines the impacts of smallholder irrigated agriculture in improving social and economic benefits in Igurusi Ward of Mbarali District which is located in the southern-western part of Tanzania. The study applies the Participatory Rural Appraisal Framework for data collection. The study was confined to five villages in Igurusi ward which are Majenje, Igurusi, Chamoto, Uhambule and Mahango. The study examined critically paddy production for smallholder farmers that practice irrigation and those who cultivates rain-fed paddy. The study examined both existing traditional and modern irrigation systems. It was found that, most of the respondents (79%) practice irrigated agriculture in paddy production while the remaining 21% practice rain-fed agriculture. Forty percent of households that practice irrigated agriculture harvest paddy two seasons per year. The return to labour in paddy production for smallholder farmers who irrigate their paddy fields is about US 2.5/manday which is above the poverty line of US 1.0/day. The smallest return to labour (US $ 0.85/manday) is obtained by an average smallholder farmer who cultivates rain-fed paddy using hand hoe and family labour. The potential implication of the current irrigation systems is that if irrigation is managed properly it may lead to sustainable increases in small farmer’s productivity and income, thus alleviating rural poverty.

  17. Simulation of hydrology and nitrate transport in the Hetao irrigation district, Inner Mongolia, China

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Intensive agricultural activities in the Hetao irrigation district have severely degraded local aquatic ecosystems and water quality, and Ulansuhai Lake is now the most rapidly degrading eutrophic lake in China. A better understanding of the hydro-agronomic and pollutant transport processes in the a...

  18. Modification of pomological characteristics and flavour components of fruits and virgin olive oil following wastewater irrigation and soil tillage.

    PubMed

    Tekaya, Meriem; Chehab, Hechmi; Flamini, Guido; Gharbi, Ines; Mahjoub, Zoubeir; Laamari, Salwa; Chihaoui, Badreddine; Boujnah, Dalenda; Hammami, Mohamed; Mechri, Beligh

    2018-06-01

    The experiment was carried out on olive trees cv. Chemlali, during two successive years (2013/2014). Two irrigation treatments (IT: Trees irrigated with wastewater; TRC: Trees grown under rainfed condition) were combined with two tillage practices (TTS: Trees grown in tilled soil; TNTS: Trees grown in non-tilled soil). The results of the study showed that wastewater irrigation combined with soil tillage improved the pomological characteristics of olive fruits. The tree yield increase was substantial for IT and TTS. However, most of the identified phenolic compounds, especially oleuropein, mainly accumulated in olive fruits of the TC block (TNTS + TRC), suggesting a marked improvement in the nutritional value of these fruits. Moreover, fruits of TNTS had high contents of sugar compounds, required for the synthesis of the fruit storage material. The study also showed that the agronomic practices affected the amounts of some aromatic compounds responsible for the distinctive flavour notes of olive oil. Agronomic practices may affect considerably the commercial and nutritional values and the sensorial quality of the commodities. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  19. Vadose zone transport of natural and synthetic estrogen hormones at Penn State's "Living Filter" wastewater irrigation site

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The increase in endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in the environment has generated new research focused on the behavior of these compounds in natural soil and water ecosystems. To understand how estrogens behave in the soil environment as a result of 25+ years of wastewater irrigation, soils fro...

  20. Effect of irrigation with treated wastewater on soil chemical properties and infiltration rate.

    PubMed

    Bedbabis, Saida; Ben Rouina, Béchir; Boukhris, Makki; Ferrara, Giuseppe

    2014-01-15

    In Tunisia, water scarcity is one of the major constraints for agricultural activities. The reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) in agriculture can be a sustainable solution to face water scarcity. The research was conducted for a period of four years in an olive orchard planted on a sandy soil and subjected to irrigation treatments: a) rain-fed conditions (RF), as control b) well water (WW) and c) treated wastewater (TWW). In WW and TWW treatments, an annual amount of 5000 m(3) ha(-1) of water was supplied to the orchard. Soil samples were collected at the beginning of the study and after four years for each treatment. The main soil properties such as electrical conductivity (EC), pH, soluble cations, chloride (Cl(-)), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), organic matter (OM) as well as the infiltration rate were investigated. After four years, either a significant decrease of pH and infiltration rate or a significant increase of OM, SAR and EC were observed in the soil subjected to treated wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  1. Wastewater application by spray irrigation on a field southeast of Tallahassee, Florida; effects on ground-water quality and quantity, 1980-82

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Elder, J.F.; Hunn, J.D.; Calhoun, C.W.

    1985-01-01

    A field southeast of Tallahassee, Florida, used for land application of wastewater by spray irrigation was the site of a ground-water monitoring study to determine effects of spray irrigation on water-table elevations and ground-water quality. The study was conducted during 1980-82 in cooperation with the City of Tallahassee. The wastewater has relatively high concentrations of chloride, nitrogen, phosphorus, organic carbon , coliform bacteria, sodium, and potassium. These substances are usually attenuated before they can impact the ground water. However, increases in chloride and nitrate-nitrogen were evident in ground water in some of the monitoring wells during the study. Chloride concentrations increased five-fold or more in some wells directly affected by spray irrigation, and nitrate-nitrogen concentrations increased eight-fold or more. Ground-water levels in the area of the spray field fluctuated over a range of several feet. These fluctuations were affected somewhat by spray irrigation, but the primary control on water levels was rainfall. As of December 1982, constituents introduced to the system by spray irrigation of effluent had not exceeded drinking water standard in the ground water. However, the system had not yet stabilized and more changes in ground-water quality could be expected. (USGS)

  2. Effects of different irrigation practices using treated wastewater on tomato yields, quality, water productivity, and soil and fruit mineral contents.

    PubMed

    Demir, Azize Dogan; Sahin, Ustun

    2017-11-01

    Wastewater use in agricultural irrigation is becoming a common practice in order to meet the rising water demands in arid and semi-arid regions. The study was conducted to determine the effects of the full (FI), deficit (DI), and partial root-zone drying (PRD) irrigation practices using treated municipal wastewater (TWW) and freshwater (FW) on tomato yield, water use, fruit quality, and soil and fruit heavy metal concentrations. The TWW significantly increased marketable yield compared to the FW, as well as decreased water consumption. Therefore, water use efficiency (WUE) in the TWW was significantly higher than in the FW. Although the DI and the PRD practices caused less yields, these practices significantly increased WUE values due to less irrigation water applied. The water-yield linear relationships were statistically significant. TWW significantly increased titratable acidity and vitamin C contents. Reduced irrigation provided significantly lower titratable acidity, vitamin C, and lycopene contents. TWW increased the surface soil and fruit mineral contents in response to FW. Greater increases were observed under FI, and mineral contents declined with reduction in irrigation water. Heavy metal accumulation in soils was within safe limits. However, Cd and Pb contents in fruits exceeded standard limits given by FAO/WHO. Higher metal pollution index values determined for fruits also indicated that TWW application, especially under FI, might cause health risks in long term.

  3. Assessment of diesel-contaminated domestic wastewater treated by constructed wetlands for irrigation of chillies grown in a greenhouse.

    PubMed

    Al-Isawi, Rawaa H K; Scholz, Miklas; Al-Faraj, Furat A M

    2016-12-01

    In order to avoid environmental pollution and eliminate the need for using fertiliser, this study assessed for the first time the optimum performance of mature (in operation since 2011) vertical flow constructed wetlands in treating domestic wastewater (with and without hydrocarbon) and the subsequent recycling of the outflow to irrigate chillies (De Cayenne; Capsicum annuum (Linnaeus) Longum Group 'De Cayenne') grown in a greenhouse. Various variables were investigated to assess the treatment performance. Concerning chilli fruit numbers, findings showed that the highest fruit yields for all wetland filters were associated with those that received inflow wastewater with a high loading rate, reflecting the high nutrient availability in treated wastewater, which is of obvious importance for yield production. Findings also indicated that wetlands without hydrocarbon, small aggregate size, low contact time and low inflow loading rate provided high marketable yields (expressed in economic return). In comparison, chillies irrigated by filters with hydrocarbon contamination, small aggregate size, high contact time and high loading rate also resulted in high marketable yields of chillies, which pointed out the role of high contact time and high inflow load for better diesel degradation rates.

  4. Fate of the fecal indicator Escherichia coli in irrigation with partially treated wastewater.

    PubMed

    Vergine, P; Saliba, R; Salerno, C; Laera, G; Berardi, G; Pollice, A

    2015-11-15

    Treated wastewater reuse is increasing in semi-arid regions as a response to the effects of climate change and increased competition for natural water resources. Investigating the fate of bacterial indicators is relevant to assess their persistence in the environment and possible transfer to groundwater or to the food chain. A long-term field-scale experimental campaign and a soil column test were carried out to evaluate the fate of the fecal indicator Escherichia coli (E. coli) in a cultivated soil when contaminated water resources are used for irrigation. For field experiments, fecal contamination was simulated by dosing the indicator to the effluent of a membrane bioreactor, thus simulating a filtration system's failure, and irrigating a test field where grass was grown. The presence of E. coli on grass and topsoil samples was monitored under different scenarios. For evaluating the fate of the same indicator in the subsoil, a set of soil columns was installed next to the field, operated, and monitored for E. coli concentration over time and along depth. Real municipal wastewater was used in this case as source of fecal contamination. Results showed that short- and medium-term effects on topsoil were strongly dependent on the concentration of E. coli in the irrigation water. Limited persistence and no relevant accumulation of the indicator on the grass and in the topsoil were observed. Watering events performed after fecal contamination did not influence significantly the decay in the topsoil, which followed a log-linear model. The trend of the E. coli concentrations in the leaching of the soil columns followed a log-linear model as well, suggesting bacterial decay as the dominant mechanism affecting the underground indicator's concentration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Irrigation efficiency and quality of irrigation return flows in the Ebro River Basin: an overview.

    PubMed

    Causapé, J; Quílez, D; Aragüés, R

    2006-06-01

    The review analysis of twenty two irrigation efficiency (IE) studies carried out in the Ebro River Basin shows that IE is low (average IE)(avg)(= 53%) in surface-irrigated areas with high-permeable and shallow soils inadequate for this irrigation system, high (IE)(avg)(= 79%) in surface-irrigated areas with appropriate soils for this system, and very high (IE)(avg)(= 94%) in modern, automated and well managed sprinkler-irrigated areas. The unitary salt (total dissolved solids) and nitrate loads exported in the irrigation return flows (IRF) of seven districts vary, depending on soil salinity and on irrigation and N fertilization management, between 3-16 Mg salt/ha x year and 23-195 kg NO)(3) (-)-N/ha x year, respectively. The lower nitrate loads exported from high IE districts show that a proper irrigation design and management is a key factor to reduce off-site nitrogen pollution. Although high IE's also reduce off-site salt pollution, the presence of salts in the soil or subsoil may induce relatively high salt loads (>or=14 Mg/ha x year) even in high IE districts. Two important constrains identified in our revision were the short duration of most surveys and the lack of standards for conducting irrigation efficiency and mass balance studies at the irrigation district level. These limitations {emphasize the need for the establishment of a permanent and standardized network of drainage monitoring stations for the appropriate off-site pollution diagnosis and control of irrigated agriculture.

  6. Comparative study of heavy metals in "soil-wheat" systems between sewage-irrigated areas and clean-water-irrigated areas in suburban Beijing.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Ye; Han, Sha-Sha; Chen, Zhi-Fan; Liu, Jing; Hu, Honq-Xia

    2015-01-01

    After years of irrigating farmland with wastewater, concern is increasing about health risks from heavy metals contaminating wheat grown in sewage-irrigated soils in suburban areas of Beijing, China. The study discussed in this article aimed to compare the characteristics of heavy metal distribution in a sewage-irrigated "soil-wheat" system with those from a clean-water-irrigated area by collecting and analyzing samples from both areas. The results indicated that the average concentrations of copper, chromium, lead, and zinc in sewage-irrigated soil were higher than the values in the clean-water-irrigated region. Irrigation with wastewater could lead to increased bioconcentration factors. Therefore, issues of food contamination caused by sewage irrigation deserve more attention.

  7. Human health risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in plant tissue due to biosolids and manure amendments, and wastewater irrigation.

    PubMed

    Prosser, R S; Sibley, P K

    2015-02-01

    Amending soil with biosolids or livestock manure provides essential nutrients in agriculture. Irrigation with wastewater allows for agriculture in regions where water resources are limited. However, biosolids, manure and wastewater have all been shown to contain pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Studies have shown that PPCPs can accumulate in the tissues of plants but the risk that accumulated residues may pose to humans via consumption of edible portions is not well documented. This study reviewed the literature for studies that reported residues of PPCPs in the edible tissue of plants grown in biosolids- or manure-amended soils or irrigated with wastewater. These residues were used to determine the estimated daily intake of PPCPs for an adult and toddler. Estimated daily intake values were compared to acceptable daily intakes to determine whether PPCPs in plant tissue pose a hazard to human health. For all three amendment practices, the majority of reported residues resulted in hazard quotients <0.1. Amendment with biosolids or manure resulted in hazard quotients ≥0.1 for carbamazepine, diphenhydramine, salbutamol, triclosan, and sulfamethazine. Irrigation with wastewater resulted in hazard quotients of ≥0.1 for ambrettolid, carbamazepine, diclofenac, flunixin, lamotrigine, metoprolol, naproxen, sildenafil and tonalide. [corrected]. Many of the residues that resulted in hazard quotients ≥0.1 were due to exposing plants to concentrations of PPCPs that would not be considered relevant based on concentrations reported in biosolids and manure or unrealistic methods of exposure, which lead to artificially elevated plant residues. Our assessment indicates that the majority of individual PPCPs in the edible tissue of plants due to biosolids or manure amendment or wastewater irrigation represent a de minimis risk to human health. Assuming additivity, the mixture of PPCPs could potentially present a hazard. Further work needs to be done to assess

  8. Effects of Irrigation with Treated Wastewater on Root and Fruit Mineral Elements of Chemlali Olive Cultivar

    PubMed Central

    Bedbabis, Saida; Ben Rouina, Béchir; Boukhris, Makki

    2014-01-01

    Twenty-year-old “Chemlali” olive trees trained to vase and rainfed were investigated in either “on” (2004) or “off” (2003) year. A randomized block design with three blocks and three treatments was used and each experimental plot consisted of nine olive trees. Three treatments were applied: (1) rainfed conditions (RF, used as control treatment); (2) irrigation with well water (WW); and (3) irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW). Irrigation with TWW led to a significant increase of root N, P, Ca, Zn, Mn, Na, and Cl concentrations, in particular in the on-year. Data showed significant differences, between the two years, for the concentration of the mineral elements in the roots, with general lower values in the on-year, probably as a consequence of nutrients movement upward in the tree. Fruit N, P, K, Zn, Mn, and Cl contents were significantly higher in TWW irrigated trees with respect to both RF and WW trees, whereas similar values for Ca, Mg, Na, and Cl contents were measured for WW and TWW irrigated trees. The irrigation with TWW allowed to reuse problematic waters and to save nutrients inputs in the olive orchard thus moving towards a more sustainable management of olive orchards in countries where water is the major limiting factor for agriculture. PMID:25013873

  9. Uptake of three antibiotics and an anti-epileptic drug by wheat plants spray irrigated with wastewater treatment plant effluent

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    With rising demands on water supplies necessitating water reuse, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent is often used to irrigate agricultural lands. Emerging contaminants, like pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), are frequently found in effluent due to limited removal during WWT...

  10. Impacts of Long-Term Irrigation of Domestic Treated Wastewater on Soil Biogeochemistry and Bacterial Community Structure

    PubMed Central

    Wafula, Denis; White, John R.; Canion, Andy; Jagoe, Charles; Pathak, Ashish

    2015-01-01

    Freshwater scarcity and regulations on wastewater disposal have necessitated the reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) for soil irrigation, which has several environmental and economic benefits. However, TWW irrigation can cause nutrient loading to the receiving environments. We assessed bacterial community structure and associated biogeochemical changes in soil plots irrigated with nitrate-rich TWW (referred to as pivots) for periods ranging from 13 to 30 years. Soil cores (0 to 40 cm) were collected in summer and winter from five irrigated pivots and three adjacently located nonirrigated plots. Total bacterial and denitrifier gene abundances were estimated by quantitative PCR (qPCR), and community structure was assessed by 454 massively parallel tag sequencing (MPTS) of small-subunit (SSU) rRNA genes along with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of nirK, nirS, and nosZ functional genes responsible for denitrification of the TWW-associated nitrate. Soil physicochemical analyses showed that, regardless of the seasons, pH and moisture contents (MC) were higher in the irrigated (IR) pivots than in the nonirrigated (NIR) plots; organic matter (OM) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) were higher as a function of season but not of irrigation treatment. MPTS analysis showed that TWW loading resulted in the following: (i) an increase in the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, especially Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria; (ii) a decrease in the relative abundance of Actinobacteria; (iii) shifts in the communities of acidobacterial groups, along with a shift in the nirK and nirS denitrifier guilds as shown by T-RFLP analysis. Additionally, bacterial biomass estimated by genus/group-specific real-time qPCR analyses revealed that higher numbers of total bacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and the nirS denitrifier guilds were present in the IR pivots than in the NIR plots. Identification of the nir

  11. Environmental fate of naproxen, carbamazepine and triclosan in wastewater, surface water and wastewater irrigated soil - Results of laboratory scale experiments.

    PubMed

    Durán-Álvarez, J C; Prado, B; González, D; Sánchez, Y; Jiménez-Cisneros, B

    2015-12-15

    Lab-scale photolysis, biodegradation and transport experiments were carried out for naproxen, carbamazepine and triclosan in soil, wastewater and surface water from a region where untreated wastewater is used for agricultural irrigation. Results showed that both photolysis and biodegradation occurred for the three emerging pollutants in the tested matrices as follows: triclosan>naproxen>carbamazepine. The highest photolysis rate for the three pollutants was obtained in experiments using surface water, while biodegradation rates were higher in wastewater and soil than in surface water. Carbamazepine showed to be recalcitrant to biodegradation both in soil and water; although photolysis occurred at a higher level than biodegradation, this compound was poorly degraded by natural processes. Transport experiments showed that naproxen was the most mobile compound through the first 30cm of the soil profile; conversely, the mobility of carbamazepine and triclosan through the soil was delayed. Biodegradation of target pollutants occurred within soil columns during transport experiments. Triclosan was not detected either in leachates or the soil in columns, suggesting its complete biodegradation. Data of these experiments can be used to develop more reliable fate-on-the-field and environmental risk assessment studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. High prevalence of Salmonella spp. in wastewater reused for irrigation assessed by molecular methods.

    PubMed

    Santiago, Paula; Jiménez-Belenguer, Ana; García-Hernández, Jorge; Estellés, Rosa Montes; Hernández Pérez, Manuel; Castillo López, M Angeles; Ferrús, María Antonia; Moreno, Yolanda

    2018-01-01

    Salmonella spp. is one of the most important causal agents of food-borne illness in developed countries and its presence in irrigation water poses a risk to public health. Its detection in environmental samples is not easy when culture methods are used, and molecular techniques such as PCR or ribosomal rRNA probe hybridization (Fluorescent in situ Hybridization, FISH) are outstanding alternatives. The aim of this work was to determine the environmental risk due to the presence of Salmonella spp. in wastewater by culture, PCR and FISH. A new specific rDNA probe for Salmonella was designed and its efficiency was compared with the rest of methods Serotype and antibiotic resistance of isolated strains were determined. Forty-five wastewater samples (collected from two secondary wastewater treatment plants) were analysed. Salmonella strains were isolated in 24 wastewater samples (53%), two of them after disinfection treatment. Twenty-three Salmonella strains exhibited resistance to one or more antimicrobial agent. Analysis of wastewater samples yielded PCR positive results for Salmonella in 28 out of the 45 wastewater samples (62%). FISH analysis allowed for the detection of Salmonella in 27 (60%) samples. By using molecular methods, Salmonella was detected in four samples after disinfection treatment. These results show the prevalence of Salmonella in reclaimed wastewater even after U.V. disinfection, what is a matter of public health concern, the high rates of resistance to antibiotics and the adequacy of molecular methods for its rapid detection. FISH method, with SA23 probe developed and assayed in this work provides a tool for detecting Salmonella in water within few hours, with a high rate of effectiveness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  13. Roles of the combined irrigation, drainage, and storage of the canal network in improving water reuse in the irrigation districts along the lower Yellow River, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Lei; Luo, Yi; He, Chansheng; Lai, Jianbin; Li, Xiubin

    2010-09-01

    SummaryThe commonly used irrigation system in the irrigation districts (with a combined irrigation area of 3.334 × 10 6 ha) along the lower Yellow River of China is canal network. It delivers water from the Yellow River to the fields, collects surface runoff and drainage from cropland, and stores both of them for subsequent irrigation uses. This paper developed a new combined irrigation, drainage, and storage (CIDS) module for the SWAT2000 model, simulated the multiple roles of the CIDS canal system, and estimated its performance in improving water reuse in the irrigation districts under different irrigation and water diversion scenarios. The simulation results show that the annual evapotranspiration (ET) of the double-cropping winter wheat and summer maize was the highest under the full irrigation scenario (automatic irrigation), and the lowest under the no irrigation scenario. It varied between these two values when different irrigation schedules were adopted. Precipitation could only meet the water requirement of the double-cropping system by 62-96% on an annual basis; that of the winter wheat by 32-36%, summer maize by 92-123%, and cotton by 87-98% on a seasonal basis. Hence, effective irrigation management for winter wheat is critical to ensure high wheat yield in the study area. Runoff generation was closely related to precipitation and influenced by irrigation. The highest and lowest annual runoff accounted for 19% and 11% of the annual precipitation under the full irrigation and no irrigation scenarios, respectively. Nearly 70% of the annual runoff occurred during months of July and August due to the concentrated precipitation in these 2 months. The CIDS canals play an important role in delivering the diversion water from the Yellow River, intercepting the surface runoff and drainage from cropland (inflow of the CIDS canal) and recharging the shallow aquifer for later use. Roughly 14-26% of the simulated total flow in the CIDS canal system recharged

  14. [Concentrations of mercury in ambient air in wastewater irrigated area of Tianjin City and its accumulation in leafy vegetables].

    PubMed

    Zheng, Shun-An; Han, Yun-Lei; Zheng, Xiang-Qun

    2014-11-01

    Gaseous Hg can evaporate and enter the plants through the stomata of plat leaves, which will cause a serious threat to local food safety and human health. For the risk assessment, this study aimed to characterize atmospheric mercury (Hg) as well as its accumulation in 5 leafy vegetables (spinach, edible amaranth, rape, lettuce, allium tuberosum) from sewage-irrigated area of Tianjin City. Bio-monitoring sites were located in paddy (wastewater irrigation for 30 a), vegetables (wastewater irrigation for 15 a) and grass (control) fields. Results showed that after long-term wastewater irrigation, the mean values of mercury content in paddy and vegetation fields were significantly higher than the local background value and the national soil environment quality standard value for mercury in grade I, but were still lower than grade II. Soil mercury contents in the studied control grass field were between the local background value and the national soil environment quality standard grade I . Besides, the atmospheric environment of paddy and vegetation fields was subjected to serious mercury pollution. The mean values of mercury content in the atmosphere of paddy and vegetation fields were 71.3 ng x m(-3) and 39.2 ng x m(-3), respectively, which were markedly higher than the reference gaseous mercury value on the north sphere of the earth (1.5-2.0 ng x m(-3)). The mean value of ambient mercury in the control grass fields was 9.4 ng x m(-3). In addition, it was found that the mercury content in leafy vegetables had a good linear correlation with the ambient total gaseous mercury (the data was transformed into logarithms as the dataset did not show a normal distribution). The comparison among 5 vegetables showed that the accumulations of mercury in vegetables followed this order: spinach > edible amaranth > allium tuberosum > rape > lettuce. Median and mean values of mercury contents in spinach and edible amaranth were greater than the hygienic standard for the allowable

  15. Genotoxicity of soil from farmland irrigated with wastewater using three plant bioassays.

    PubMed

    Cabrera, G L; Rodriguez, D M

    1999-05-19

    Three well known plant bioassays, the Allium root chromosome aberration (AL-RAA) assay, the Tradescantia micronucleus (Trad-MCN) assay, and the Tradescantia stamen hair (Trad-SHM) mutation assay were validated in 1991 by the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) under the auspices of the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). These plant bioassays have proven to be efficient tests for chemical screening and especially for in situ monitoring for genotoxicity of environmental pollutants. As a result of this validation study, standard protocols of these three plant bioassays were used by some of the 11 participating countries in the IPCS to carry on genotoxicity tests on air, water and soil as a follow up activity. In the city of Queretaro, Mexico, wastewater coming from both industrial and domestic sources and without any treatment is used to irrigate the farm crops, polluting the soil. Potentially the pollutants could reach the food chain. For the above reason, soil irrigated with wastewater was sampled and monitored for the presence of genotoxic agents using the above three bioassays. Extracts from soil samples were made using distilled water and organic solvents by shaking the sample for about 12 h under a relatively low temperature (15-20 degrees C). Plant cuttings of Tradescantia or the roots of Allium were treated by submerging them in the extracts. Three replicates of each sample were analyzed in each of the three bioassays. Extracts using DMSO, ethanol and distilled water tested positive in the three bioassays and there were no differences for the genotoxicity of the extracts with the different solvents. Copyright 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.

  16. Irrigating forest plantations

    Treesearch

    Edward A. Hansen

    1983-01-01

    Irrigating forest plantations cannot be justified economically on yield increases alone under present market conditions. Other factors such as bringing noncommercial land into high production, insuring a constant wood supply, or providing a means to dispose of wastewater can add to the value of increasing yields and may make irrigation feasible in certain situations....

  17. 78 FR 25067 - Warmsprings Irrigation District; Notice of Application Tendered for Filing With the Commission...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-29

    ... 15, 2013. d. Applicant: Warmsprings Irrigation District. e. Name of Project: Warm Springs Dam..., using the eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp . You must include your name... containing one 2.7-megawatt Francis or Kaplan turbine; (4) a 2.2-mile-long, 25-kilovolt (kV) transmission...

  18. 77 FR 3756 - Nevada Irrigation District; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-25

    ...: Federal Power Act 16 USC 791 (a)-825(r) . h. Applicant Contact: Ron Nelson, General Manager, Nevada Irrigation District, 1036 West Main Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945, (530) 271-6824 or email [email protected] Support. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above. Register...

  19. Impact of treated wastewater for irrigation on soil microbial communities.

    PubMed

    Ibekwe, A M; Gonzalez-Rubio, A; Suarez, D L

    2018-05-01

    The use of treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation has been suggested as an alternative to use of fresh water because of the increasing scarcity of fresh water in arid and semiarid regions of the world. However, significant barriers exist to widespread adoption due to some potential contaminants that may have adverse effects on soil quality and or public health. In this study, we investigated the abundance and diversity of bacterial communities and the presence of potential pathogenic bacterial sequences in TWW in comparison to synthetic fresh water (SFW) using pyrosequencing. The results were analyzed using UniFrac coupled with principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) to compare diversity and abundance of different bacterial groups in TWW irrigated soils to soils treated with SFW. Shannon diversity index values (H') suggest that microbial diversity was not significantly different (P<0.086) between soils with TWW and SFW. Pyrosequencing detected sequences of 17 bacterial phyla with Proteobacteria (32.1%) followed by Firmicutes (26.5%) and Actinobacteria (14.3%). Most of the sequences associated with nitrifying bacteria, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, carbon degraders, denitrifying bacteria, potential pathogens, and fecal indicator bacteria were more abundant in TWW than in SFW. Therefore, TWW effluent may contain bacterial that may be very active in many soil functions as well as some potential pathogens. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. Environmental impact of irrigation in La Violada District (Spain): II. Nitrogen fertilization and nitrate export patterns in drainage water.

    PubMed

    Isidoro, D; Quílez, D; Aragüés, R

    2006-01-01

    Fertilizer leaching affects farm profitability and contributes to nonpoint-source pollution of receiving waters. This work aimed to establish nitrate nitrogen export from La Violada Gully in relation to nitrogen fertilization practices in its basin (La Violada Gully watershed, VGW, 19,637 ha) and especially in La Violada Irrigation District (VID, 5282 ha). Nitrogen (N) fertilization in VID (and VGW) was determined through interviews with local farmers for the hydrologic years 1995 and 1996 and NO3-N load in the gully was monitored from 1995 to 1998. The N fertilizer applied in VGW was 2175 Mg in 1995 and 2795 Mg in 1996. About 43% was applied in VID (945 Mg in 1995 and 1161 Mg in 1996). The most fertilized crop was corn: 398 kg N ha-1 (665 Mg) in 1995 and 453 kg N ha-1 (911 Mg) in 1996. Nitrogen fertilization was higher than N uptake for irrigated crops, especially for corn and rice. Nitrate N load in La Violada Gully averaged 427.4 Mg yr-1. Seventy-five percent of the exports took place during the irrigation season (321.8 Mg). During the non-irrigation season maximum NO3-N loads (3.1 Mg NO3-N d-1) were found after heavy rains following the N side-dressing of wheat in the rain-fed area of VGW (February). During the irrigation season NO3-N load was determined by outflow from the district (caused by irrigation) and to a lesser extent by changes in NO3 concentration (caused by fertilization), showing peaks in April (pre-sowing corn N fertilization and first irrigations) and June to August (highest irrigation months and corn side-dress N applications, maximum 6.3 Mg NO3-N d-1 in July). Adjusting N fertilization to crops' needs, improving irrigation efficiencies, and better scheduling N fertilization and irrigation in corn could reduce N export from VID.

  1. 7 CFR 946.31 - Districts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... included in either the Quincy or South Irrigation Districts which lies east of township vertical line R27E... Irrigation Districts which lies west of township line R28E. (c) District No. 3—The counties of Benton...

  2. 7 CFR 946.31 - Districts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... included in either the Quincy or South Irrigation Districts which lies east of township vertical line R27E... Irrigation Districts which lies west of township line R28E. (c) District No. 3—The counties of Benton...

  3. Priming effects and enzymatic activity in Israeli soils under treated wastewater and freshwater irrigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anissimova, Marina; Heinze, Stefanie; Chen, Yona; Tarchitzky, Jorge; Marschner, Bernd

    2014-05-01

    Irrigation of soils with treated wastewater (TWW) directly influences microbial processes of soil. TWW contains easily decomposable organic material, which can stimulate the activity of soil microorganisms and, as a result, lead to the excessive consumption of soil organic carbon pool. We investigated the effects of irrigation with TWW relative to those of irrigation with freshwater (FW) on the microbial parameters in soils with low (7%) and medium (13%) clay content in a lysimeter experiment. The objectives of our study were to (i) determine the impact of water quality on soil respiration and enzymatic activity influenced by clay content and depth, and (ii) work out the changes in the turnover of soil organic matter (PE, priming effects). Samples were taken from three soil depths (0-10, 10-20, and 40-60 cm). Soil respiration and PE were determined in a 21-days incubation experiment after addition of uniformly 14C-labeled fructose. Activity of 10 extracellular enzymes (EEA, from C-, N-, P-, and S-cycle), phenol oxidase and peroxidase activity (PO+PE), and dehydrogenase activity (DHA) were assayed. Microbial Community-Level Physiological Profiles (CLPP) using four substrates, and microbial biomass were determined. The results showed that the clay content acted as the main determinative factor. In the soil with low clay content the water quality had a greater impact: the highest PE (56%) was observed in the upper layer (0-10cm) under FW irrigation; EEA of C-, P-, and S-cycles was significantly higher in the upper soil layer under TWW irrigation. Microbial biomass was higher in the soil under TWW irrigation and decreased with increasing of depth (50 μg/g soil in the upper layer, 15 μg/g soil in the lowest layer). This tendency was also observed for DHA. Contrary to the low clay content, in the soil with medium clay content both irrigation types caused the highest PE in the lowest layer (65% under FW irrigation, 48% under TWW irrigation); the higher substrate

  4. Phytoextraction of 55-year-old wastewater-irrigated soil in a Zn-Pb mine district: effect of plant species and chelators.

    PubMed

    Tai, YiPing; Yang, YuFen; Li, ZhiAn; Yang, Yang; Wang, JiaXi; Zhuang, Ping; Zou, Bi

    2017-07-16

    Untreated water from mining sites spreads heavy metal contamination. The present study assessed the phytoextraction performance of heavy metal-accumulating plants and the effects of chemical chelators on cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) removal from paddy fields that have been continuously irrigated with mining wastewater from mines for 55 years. Outdoor pot experiments showed that the total Pb, Zn, and Cd content was lower in the rhizosphere soil of Amaranthus hypochondriacus than in that of Sedum alfredii, Solanum nigrum, and Sorghum bicolor. The aboveground biomass (dry weight) and relative growth rate of A. hypochondriacus were significantly higher than that of the other three species (P < .05). However, the total metal accumulation was significantly higher in the A. hypochondriacus system than in the other plants' system (P < .05). The increase in shoot biomass of A. hypochondriacus depended mostly on the chelator type [ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), malate, oxalate, and citrate] and their application frequency. Single application of EDTA significantly increased the shoot biomass of A. hypochondriacus and total metal removal loading from soil (P < .05). In conclusion, A. hypochondriacus may be effective for in situ phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated farmland soil and EDTA can accelerate the phytoextraction effect.

  5. Irrigation of an established vineyard with winery cleaning agent solution (simulated winery wastewater): vine growth, berry quality, and soil chemistry

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The ability to use winery wastewater (WW) for irrigation purposes could be a beneficial to the wine industry. A major difficulty in studying WW use is its inconsistent availability and composition. As such, we applied four simulated WWs composed of salts from two main industrial cleaning agents, and...

  6. Dynamics of soil organic carbon and microbial activity in treated wastewater irrigated agricultural soils along soil profiles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jüschke, Elisabeth; Marschner, Bernd; Chen, Yona; Tarchitzky, Jorge

    2010-05-01

    Treated wastewater (TWW) is an important source for irrigation water in arid and semiarid regions and already serves as an important water source in Jordan, the Palestinian Territories and Israel. Reclaimed water still contains organic matter (OM) and various compounds that may effect microbial activity and soil quality (Feigin et al. 1991). Natural soil organic carbon (SOC) may be altered by interactions between these compounds and the soil microorganisms. This study evaluates the effects of TWW irrigation on the quality, dynamics and microbial transformations of natural SOC. Priming effects (PE) and SOC mineralization were determined to estimate the influence of TWW irrigation on SOC along soil profiles of agricultural soils in Israel and the Westbank. The used soil material derived from three different sampling sites allocated in Israel and The Palestinian Authority. Soil samples were taken always from TWW irrigated sites and control fields from 6 different depths (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-50, 50-70, 70-100 cm). Soil carbon content and microbiological parameters (microbial biomass, microbial activities and enzyme activities) were investigated. In several sites, subsoils (50-160 cm) from TWW irrigated plots were depleted in soil organic matter with the largest differences occurring in sites with the longest TWW irrigation history. Laboratory incubation experiments with additions of 14C-labelled compounds to the soils showed that microbial activity in freshwater irrigated soils was much more stimulated by sugars or amino acids than in TWW irrigated soils. The lack of such "priming effects" (Hamer & Marschner 2005) in the TWW irrigated soils indicates that here the microorganisms are already operating at their optimal metabolic activity due to the continuous substrate inputs with soluble organic compounds from the TWW. The fact that PE are triggered continuously due to TWW irrigation may result in a decrease of SOC over long term irrigation. Already now this could be

  7. Concomitant uptake of antimicrobials and Salmonella in soil and into lettuce following wastewater irrigation.

    PubMed

    Sallach, J Brett; Zhang, Yuping; Hodges, Laurie; Snow, Daniel; Li, Xu; Bartelt-Hunt, Shannon

    2015-02-01

    The use of wastewater for irrigation may introduce antimicrobials and human pathogens into the food supply through vegetative uptake. The objective of this study was to investigate the uptake of three antimicrobials and Salmonella in two lettuce cultivars. After repeated subirrigation with synthetic wastewater, lettuce leaves and soil were collected at three sequential harvests. The internalization frequency of Salmonella in lettuce was low. A soil horizon-influenced Salmonella concentration gradient was determined with concentrations in bottom soil 2 log CFU/g higher than in top soil. Lincomycin and sulfamethoxazole were recovered from lettuce leaves at concentrations as high as 822 ng/g and 125 ng/g fresh weight, respectively. Antimicrobial concentrations in lettuce decreased from the first to the third harvest suggesting that the plant growth rate may exceed antimicrobial uptake rates. Accumulation of antimicrobials was significantly different between cultivars demonstrating a subspecies level variation in uptake of antibiotics in lettuce. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Total Contents and Sequential Extraction of Heavy Metals in Soils Irrigated with Wastewater, Akaki, Ethiopia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fitamo, Daniel; Itana, Fisseha; Olsson, Mats

    2007-02-01

    The Akaki River, laden with untreated wastes from domestic, industrial, and commercial sources, serves as a source of water for irrigating vegetable farms. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of waste-water irrigation on the level of heavy metals and to predict their potential mobility and bioavailability. Zn and V had the highest, whereas Hg the lowest, concentrations observed in the soils. The average contents of As, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, V, and Hg of both soils; and Pb and Se from Fluvisol surpassed the mean + 2 SD of the corresponding levels reported for their uncontaminated counterparts. Apparently, irrigation with waste water for the last few decades has contributed to the observed higher concentrations of the above elements in the study soils (Vertisol and Fluvisol) when compared to uncontaminated Vertisol and Fluvisol. On the other hand, Vertisol accommodated comparatively higher average levels of Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, etc V, and Cd, whereas high contents of Pb and Se were observed in Fluvisol. Alternatively, comparable levels of Co and Hg were found in either soil. Except for Ni, Cr, and Cd in contaminated Vertisol, heavy metals in the soils were not significantly affected by the depth (0-20 and 30-50 cm). When the same element from the two soils was compared, the levels of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn, V, Cd at 0-20 cm; and Cr, Ni, Cu, Cd, and Zn at 30-50 cm were significantly different. Organic carbon (in both soils), CEC (Fluvisol), and clay (Vertisol) exhibited significant positive correspondences with the total heavy metal levels. Conversely, Se and Hg contents revealed perceptible associations with carbonate and pH. The exchangeable fraction was dominated by Hg and Cd, whereas the carbonate fraction was abounded with Cd, Pb, and Co. conversely, V and Pb displayed strong affinity to reducible fraction, where as Cr, Cu, Zn, and Ni dominated the oxidizable fraction. Cr, Hg, Se, and Zn (in both soils) showed preference to the residual fraction

  9. Fate of carbamazepine, its metabolites, and lamotrigine in soils irrigated with reclaimed wastewater: Sorption, leaching and plant uptake.

    PubMed

    Paz, Anat; Tadmor, Galit; Malchi, Tomer; Blotevogel, Jens; Borch, Thomas; Polubesova, Tamara; Chefetz, Benny

    2016-10-01

    Irrigation with reclaimed wastewater may result in the ubiquitous presence of pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) and their metabolites in the agroecosystem. In this study, we focused on two highly persistent anticonvulsant drugs, lamotrigine and carbamazepine and two of its metabolites (EP-CBZ and DiOH-CBZ), aiming to elucidate their behavior in agricultural ecosystem using batch and lysimeter experiments. Sorption of the studied compounds by soils was found to be governed mainly by the soil organic matter level. Sorption affinity of compounds to soils followed the order lamotrigine > carbamazepine > EP-CBZ > DiOH-CBZ. Sorption was reversible, and no competition between sorbates in bi-solute systems was observed. The results of the lysimeter studies were in accordance with batch experiment findings, demonstrating accumulation of lamotrigine and carbamazepine in top soil layers enriched with organic matter. Detection of carbamazepine and one of its metabolites in rain-fed wheat previously irrigated with reclaimed wastewater, indicates reversibility of their sorption, resulting in their potential leaching and their availability for plant uptake. This study demonstrates the long-term implication of introduction of PCs to the agroecosystem. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Assessing environmental impacts of constructed wetland effluents for vegetable crop irrigation.

    PubMed

    Castorina, A; Consoli, S; Barbagallo, S; Branca, F; Farag, A; Licciardello, F; Cirelli, G L

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study was to monitor and assess environmental impacts of reclaimed wastewater (RW), used for irrigation of vegetable crops, on soil, crop quality and irrigation equipment. During 2013, effluents of a horizontal sub-surface flow constructed treatment wetland (TW) system, used for tertiary treatment of sanitary wastewater from a small rural municipality located in Eastern Sicily (Italy), were reused by micro-irrigation techniques to irrigate vegetable crops. Monitoring programs, based on in situ and laboratory analyses were performed for assessing possible adverse effects on water-soil-plant systems caused by reclaimed wastewater reuse. In particular, experimental results evidenced that Escherichia coli content found in RW would not present a risk for rotavirus infection following WHO (2006) standards. Irrigated soil was characterized by a certain persistence of microbial contamination and among the studied vegetable crops, lettuce responds better, than zucchini and eggplants, to the irrigation with low quality water, evidencing a bettering of nutraceutical properties and production parameters.

  11. [Effects of ridge and furrow rain harvesting with supplemental irrigation on winter wheat photosynthetic characteristics, yield and water use efficiency in Guanzhong irrigation district].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yu; Han, Qing-fang; Cheng, Xue-feng; Yang, Shan-shan; Jia, Zhi-kuan; Ding, Rui-xia; Ren, Xiao-long; Nie, Jun-feng

    2015-05-01

    A field experiment was conducted to determine the regulation of crop photosynthesis and output and water saving effect under ridge and furrow rain harvesting with supplemental irrigation in Guanzhong irrigation district. The experiment was set with 5 treatments with irrigation at returning green stage, and the widths of both ridge and furrow being 60 cm. T1, T2 and T3 were in the ridge and furrow rain harvesting planting pattern, with the irrigation volumes being 0, 375 and 750 m3 · hm(-2) respectively, T4 was flat planting with irrigation (border irrigation) of 750 m3 · hm(-2) and CK was flat planting without irrigation. Effects on winter wheat photosynthetic organs, photosynthetic rate, yield and water use efficiency, etc. were tested. The results showed that compared with T4, T1, T2 and T3 treatments increased the grain yield by 2.8%, 9.6% and 18.9%, improved the harvest index by 2.0% to 8.5%, advanced the flag leaf chlorophyll content by 41.9% to 64.4% significantly, and improved the 0-40 cm layer soil moisture content by 0.1%-4.6% during the whole growth period. Photosynthetic rates at the flowering and filling stages also increased by 22.3% to 54.2% and -4.3% to 67.2%, respectively. Total water use efficiencies (WUEy) were 17.9%, 10.4% and 15.4% higher than that of T4, and 69.3%, 58.6% and 65.7% higher than that of CK (P < 0.05), respectively, and enhanced precipitation utilization efficiency ( PUE ) by 94.3%-124.5% than CK. Leaf areas of T2 and T3 treatments at each growth stage were significantly higher than that of T4 and CK, irrigation water use efficiencies (IUE) were 119.1% and 18.8% higher than that of T4, respectively. Therefore, it was concluded that ridge and furrow rain harvesting cultivation could maintain higher grain yield than border irrigation without irrigation or with irrigation reduction by 50%. The utilization efficiency of irrigation water under the condition of irrigation reduction by 50% was improved significantly, and the ridge and

  12. Selected water-quality data for the Minidoka Irrigation District, south-central Idaho, June 1987

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Young, H.W.; Parliman, D.J.; O'Dell, I.

    1987-01-01

    This map report presents June 1987 water-quality data, principally dissolved nitrite plus nitrate (as nitrogen), and depth-to-water measurements for 67 wells in the Minidoka Irrigation District, south-central Idaho. Nitrogen concentrations ranged from 0.2 to 76 milligrams per liter; the median concentrations was 6.6 milligrams per liter. Nitrogen concentrations in 9 samples exceeded the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency public drinking-water limit of 10 milligrams per liter. (USGS)

  13. 76 FR 24466 - Nevada Irrigation District; Notice of Application Tendered for Filing With the Commission and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-02

    ...: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r). h. Applicant Contact: Ron Nelson, General Manager, Nevada Irrigation District, 1036 West Main Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945, (530) 271-6824 or e-mail [email protected] available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item (h) above. m. You may also register online...

  14. Quality of terrestrial data derived from UAV photogrammetry: a case study of the Hetao irrigation district in northern China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Hongming; Baartman, Jantiene E. M.; Yang, Xiaomei; Gai, Lingtong; Geissen, Violette

    2017-04-01

    Most crops in northern China are irrigated, but the topography affects water use, soil erosion, runoff and yields,. Technologies for collecting high-resolution topographic data are essential for adequately assessing these effects. Ground surveys and techniques of light detection and ranging have good accuracy, but data acquisition can be time-consuming and expensive for large catchments. Recent rapid technological development has provided new, flexible, high-resolution methods for collecting topographic data, such as photogrammetry using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The accuracy of UAV photogrammetry for generating high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) and for determining the width of irrigation channels, however, has not been assessed. We used a fixed-wing UAV for collecting high-resolution (0.15 m) topographic data for the Hetao irrigation district, the third largest irrigation district in China. We surveyed 112 ground checkpoints (GCPs) using a real-time kinematic global positioning system to evaluate the accuracy of the DEMs and channel widths. A comparison of manually measured channel widths with the widths derived from the DEMs indicated that the DEM-derived widths had vertical and horizontal root mean square errors of 13.0 and 7.9 cm, respectively. UAV photogrammetric data can thus be used for land surveying, digital mapping, calculating channel capacity, monitoring crops, and predicting yields, with the advantages of economy, speed, and ease.

  15. Methodological approach for evaluating the response of soil hydrological behavior to irrigation with treated municipal wastewater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coppola, A.; Santini, A.; Botti, P.; Vacca, S.; Comegna, V.; Severino, G.

    2004-06-01

    This paper aims mainly to provide experimental evidence of the consequences of urban wastewater reuse in irrigation practices on the hydrological behavior of soils. The effects on both the hydraulic and dispersive properties of representative soils in southern Sardinia are illustrated. Ten undisturbed soil monoliths, 120 cm in height and 40 cm in diameter, were collected from plots previously selected through a soil survey. Soil hydraulic and solute transport properties were determined before and after application of wastewater using transient water infiltration and steady state-solute transport column experiments. Detailed spatial-temporal information on the propagation of water and solute through the soil profiles were obtained by monitoring soil water contents, θ, pressure heads, h, and solute concentrations, C, measured by a network of time domain reflectometry probes, tensiometers and solution samplers horizontally inserted in each column at different depths. A disturbed layer at the soil surface, which expands in depth with time, was observed, characterized by reduced soil porosity, translation of pore size distribution towards narrower pores and consequent decrease in water retention, hydraulic conductivity and hydrodynamic dispersion. It is shown that these changes occurring in the disturbed soil layer, although local by nature, affect the hydrological behavior of the whole soil profile. Due to the disturbed layer formation, the soil beneath never saturates. Such behavior has important consequences on the solute transport in soils, as unsaturated conditions mean higher residence times of solutes, even of those normally characterized by considerable mobility (e.g. boron), which may accumulate along the profile. The results mainly provide experimental evidence that knowledge of the chemical and microbiological composition of the water is not sufficient to evaluate its suitability for irrigation. Other factors, mainly soil physical and hydrological

  16. Soil Variable Permeability and Water Phase Change Dynamics in a Wastewater Spray Irrigation Agricultural System Located in a Seasonably Cold Climate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Darnault, C. J. G.; Daniel, T. J.; Billy, G.; Hopkins, I.; Guo, L.; Jin, Z.; Gall, H. E.; Lin, H.

    2017-12-01

    The permeability of the upper meter of soils in frozen conditions, commonly referred to as the active layer, can vary exponentially given the time of year. Variable moisture contents along with temperature, radiation, and slope angle of the soil surface can result in variable depths of frozen soils, which can cause the formation of low permeability ice lenses well into the spring thaw period. The wastewater irrigation site known as the "Living Filter" located in State College, PA has been in continuous operation since 1962. On average 5500 m3/day of wastewater is applied to the site annually, even in the winter months when average temperatures can dip as low as -7 °C during the month of January. The Living Filter is not permitted to discharge to surface water and is intended to recharge the Spring Creek basin that directly underlies the site, therefore runoff from the site is not permitted. We hypothesize that water infiltrates the upper meter of the subsurface during the winter in several different ways such as preferential pathways in the ice layer created by plant stems and weak patches of ice thawed by the warm wastewater. 2D conceptual models of the phase change between ice and water in the soil were created in order to predict soil permeability and its change in temperature. The 2D conceptual models can be correlated between observed soil moisture content and soil temperature data in order to validate the model given spray irrigation and weather patterns. By determining the permeability of the frozen soils, irrigation practices can be adjusted for the winter months so as to reduce the risk of any accidental wastewater runoff. The impact of this study will result in a better understanding of the multiphase dynamics of the active layer and their implication on soil hydrology at the Living Filter and other seasonally frozen sites.

  17. 43 CFR 426.19 - District responsibilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... district that delivers irrigation water to nonexempt land under a contract with the United States must: (a... entitlements, and must not average the costs over the entire district, unless the charges prove uncollectible... director; (h) Withhold deliveries of irrigation water to any landholder not eligible to receive irrigation...

  18. 43 CFR 426.19 - District responsibilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... district that delivers irrigation water to nonexempt land under a contract with the United States must: (a... entitlements, and must not average the costs over the entire district, unless the charges prove uncollectible... director; (h) Withhold deliveries of irrigation water to any landholder not eligible to receive irrigation...

  19. 43 CFR 426.19 - District responsibilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... district that delivers irrigation water to nonexempt land under a contract with the United States must: (a... entitlements, and must not average the costs over the entire district, unless the charges prove uncollectible... director; (h) Withhold deliveries of irrigation water to any landholder not eligible to receive irrigation...

  20. 43 CFR 426.19 - District responsibilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... district that delivers irrigation water to nonexempt land under a contract with the United States must: (a... entitlements, and must not average the costs over the entire district, unless the charges prove uncollectible... director; (h) Withhold deliveries of irrigation water to any landholder not eligible to receive irrigation...

  1. 43 CFR 426.19 - District responsibilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... district that delivers irrigation water to nonexempt land under a contract with the United States must: (a... entitlements, and must not average the costs over the entire district, unless the charges prove uncollectible... director; (h) Withhold deliveries of irrigation water to any landholder not eligible to receive irrigation...

  2. Wastewater and greywater reuse on irrigation in centralized and decentralized systems--an integrated approach on water quality, energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

    PubMed

    Matos, C; Pereira, S; Amorim, E V; Bentes, I; Briga-Sá, A

    2014-09-15

    Wastewater and greywater have different scales of end-uses in irrigation in Portugal. Wastewater is treated in a central wastewater treatment plant and reused in public/private large areas of irrigation, like agriculture, public gardens and golf courses. On the contrary, greywater reuse is generally applied in in situ small scales, treated and used in the same place, generally in the production site. The main aim of this paper is to compare the two types of systems: a wastewater centralized reuse system (WWCRS) and a greywater decentralized reuse system (GWDRS) in terms of water quality, energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In this paper, the main characteristics of both streams are presented and the degree of treatment required in each stream is analyzed. The advantages and disadvantages of its reuse in different scales, in terms of water quality, energy consumption and CO2 emissions are discussed. A methodology to calculate the energy consumptions and CO2 emissions related to wastewater treatment that may be applied in different cases is presented. A hypothetical example of the two systems: one referring to a WWCRS and the other to a GWDRS is presented. The energy consumption and the CO2 emissions are analyzed and compared. The WWCRS needs a higher degree of treatment and so it spends more energy and leads to more CO2 emissions to the environment than the GWDRS that consumed between 11.8 and 37.5% of the energy consumed in the WWCRS considering the same number of inhabitants served. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Heavy metal accumulation imparts structural differences in fragrant Rosa species irrigated with marginal quality water.

    PubMed

    Ahsan, Muhammad; Younis, Adnan; Jaskani, Muhammad Jafar; Tufail, Aasma; Riaz, Atif; Schwinghamer, Timothy; Tariq, Usman; Nawaz, Fahim

    2018-09-15

    Wastewater is an alternative to traditional sources of renewable irrigation water in agriculture, particularly in water-scarce regions. However, the possible risks due to heavy metals accumulation in plant tissues are often overlooked by producers. The present study aimed to identify heavy metals-induced structural modifications to roots of scented Rosa species that were irrigated with water of marginal quality. The chemical and mineral contents from the experimental irrigation canal water (control) and treated wastewater were below the limits recommended by the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) for medicinal plants. The experimentally untreated wastewater contained electrical conductivity (EC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), and heavy metals (Co, Cu, Cd, Pb) that were above the recommended limits. The responses by wastewater-treated Rosa species (Rosa damascena, R. bourboniana, R. Gruss-an-Teplitz, and R. centifolia) were evaluated. The experimental data revealed that treated wastewater significantly increased the thickness of collenchyma (cortex and pith) and parenchyma tissues (vascular bundle, xylem, and phloem) of R. Gruss-an-Teplitz. Root dermal tissues (epidermis) of R. bourboniana also responded to treated wastewater. R. damascena and R. centifolia were the least affected species, under the experimental irrigation conditions. Collenchyma and dermal tissues were thicker in R. damascena and R. Gruss-an-Teplitz under untreated wastewater conditions. In parenchyma tissues, vascular bundles were thicker in R. damascena in untreated wastewater conditions, while the xylem and phloem of R. Gruss-an-Teplitz were thicker where treated wastewater was applied. In tissues other than the vascular bundle, the differences in anatomical metrics due to the experimental irrigation treatments were greater during the second year of the experiment than in the first year. The contents of metals other than chromium in the roots and

  4. Effects of irrigating with wastewater on ground-water quality at Fort Carson Military Reservation golf course near Colorado Springs, Colorado

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Edelmann, Patrick

    1984-01-01

    Fort Carson Military Reservation has used treatment wastewater for irrigation of the Fort Carson golf course since 1971. The effect of applied wastewater on groundwater quality at Fort Carson golf course was evaluated using water levels and water-quality data from 20 observation wells. The water-quality constituents analyzed included dissolved solids, major ions, nutrients, detergents, dissolved organic carbon, chemical and biological oxygen demand, and trace elements. Effects of the applied wastewater on ground-water quality for most constituents were obscured by large areal variations and by high concentrations of the constituents upgradient from the golf course. The sources of nitrogen observed in the ground water beneath the golf course were applied wastewater, applied fertilizer, leachate from the organic-rich shale, and from unknown upgradient sources. Nitrogen loading at the golf course from wastewater and applied fertilizer was estimated to be 18 ,900 pounds per year. After 10 years, less than 1 percent of the nitrogen applied was actually present in the ground water. Loss of nitrogen to the atmosphere as nitrous oxides, absorption, and to fixation by grass resulted in the much smaller concentrations observed in the ground water. (USGS)

  5. Predictors of blood lead levels in agricultural villages practicing wastewater irrigation in Central Mexico.

    PubMed

    Cifuentes, E; Villanueva, J; Sanin, L H

    2000-01-01

    To investigate whether the agricultural use of untreated wastewater (i.e. crop irrigation) was associated with elevated blood lead levels in a farming population in the Mezquital Valley and which risk factors, other than exposure to untreated wastewater, were associated with elevated blood lead levels, lead levels were measured in venous blood obtained from 735 individuals. Blood samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Food habits and dietary intake were gathered by interview, using a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. The average blood lead level was 7.8 microg/dL (SD 4.66 microg/dL; range 1.2-36.7 microg/dL). 23% of the study population had blood lead levels exceeding 10 microg/dL. The use of lead-glazed ceramics (LGC) was significantly associated with elevated lead levels (p = < 0.001). Other significant variables included age, gender (males), and non-farming-related occupations (e.g., technicians, factory workers). p = 0.005, 0.08, and 0.001, respectively. When the analysis was stratified by the use of LGC for food preparation, an inverse relationship between higher daily calcium intake and blood lead level was detected (beta = - 0.040, p = < 0.05). Thus, blood lead levels were positively associated with the use of LGC. Calcium intake showed a protective effect, maybe by decreasing absorption of lead in the gastrointestinal tract. No association between occupational exposure to untreated wastewater or crop consumption and blood lead levels was detected. Further environmental and health surveillance is recommended.

  6. Estimation of norovirus infection risks to consumers of wastewater-irrigated food crops eaten raw.

    PubMed

    Mara, Duncan; Sleigh, Andrew

    2010-03-01

    A quantitative microbial risk analysis-Monte Carlo method was used to estimate norovirus infection risks to consumers of wastewater-irrigated lettuce. Using the same assumptions as used in the 2006 WHO guidelines for the safe use of wastewater in agriculture, a norovirus reduction of 6 log units was required to achieve a norovirus infection risk of approximately 10(-3) per person per year (pppy), but for a lower consumption of lettuce (40-48 g per week vs. 350 g per week) the required reduction was 5 log units. If the tolerable additional disease burden is increased from a DALY (disability-adjusted life year) loss of 10(-6) pppy (the value used in the WHO guidelines) to 10(-5) pppy, the required pathogen reduction is one order of magnitude lower. Reductions of 4-6 log units can be achieved by very simple partial treatment (principally settling to achieve a 1-log unit reduction) supplemented by very reliable post-treatment health-protection control measures such as pathogen die-off (1-2 log units), produce washing in cold water (1 log unit) and produce disinfection (3 log units).

  7. Effects of irrigation practices on water use in the groundwater management districts within the Kansas high plains, 1991-2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Perry, Charles A.

    2006-01-01

    Data compiled for the High Plains region of Kansas that includes five Groundwater Management Districts (GMDs) were analyzed for trends in irrigation water use, acres irrigated, precipitation, irrigation system types, and irrigated crop types to determine the effects of irrigation practices on water use over time. For the study period 1991 through 2003, precipitation decreased significantly (with 95-percent confidence) in northwestern and west-central Kansas but not in the southwestern and south-central parts of the State. Irrigation water use had no statistically significant trend during this period. There was a good (R= -0.77) relation between average regional precipitation and total GMD irrigation water use. When irrigation water use was adjusted for this relation, there was a positive trend (90-percent confidence level) in the adjusted irrigation water use. Another adjustment to water use was made using the ratio of annual precipitation to 1991-2005 average precipitation, which resulted in a negative trend (95-percent confidence level) in irrigation water use. This demonstrated the contradictory nature of precipitation adjustments to water use, making their utility somewhat suspect. GMD 3 in southwestern Kansas used 63 percent of the total acre-feet of irrigation water within all the GMDs. When all GMDs are considered, the number of irrigated acres for flood and center pivot systems without drop nozzles decreased significantly during the study period. At the same time the number of drop nozzle irrigated acres increased significantly. The number of irrigated acres of water-intensive crops (corn, alfalfa, and soybeans) also increased significantly, whereas the number of less- or non-water-intensive crops (grain sorghum and wheat), and multiple crop type acres decreased. Drop nozzle irrigation systems used approximately 2 percent less water in a year-by-year comparison than center pivot systems and 8 to 11 percent less water than flood irrigation. The best

  8. Effects of winery wastewater on soil, grape nutrition, and wine quality

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Many wineries are interested in recycling wastewater for irrigation. This project investigates the effects on winemaking when winery wastewater (WW) is recycledfor irrigation. Water samples and soils samples were collected from one Napa Valley and one Sonoma vineyard. Leaf and berry samples were col...

  9. Removal of bacterial contaminants and antibiotic resistance genes by conventional wastewater treatment processes in Saudi Arabia: Is the treated wastewater safe to reuse for agricultural irrigation?

    PubMed

    Al-Jassim, Nada; Ansari, Mohd Ikram; Harb, Moustapha; Hong, Pei-Ying

    2015-04-15

    This study aims to assess the removal efficiency of microbial contaminants in a local wastewater treatment plant over the duration of one year, and to assess the microbial risk associated with reusing treated wastewater in agricultural irrigation. The treatment process achieved 3.5 logs removal of heterotrophic bacteria and up to 3.5 logs removal of fecal coliforms. The final chlorinated effluent had 1.8 × 10(2) MPN/100 mL of fecal coliforms and fulfils the required quality for restricted irrigation. 16S rRNA gene-based high-throughput sequencing showed that several genera associated with opportunistic pathogens (e.g. Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Arcobacter, Legionella, Mycobacterium, Neisseria, Pseudomonas and Streptococcus) were detected at relative abundance ranging from 0.014 to 21 % of the total microbial community in the influent. Among them, Pseudomonas spp. had the highest approximated cell number in the influent but decreased to less than 30 cells/100 mL in both types of effluent. A culture-based approach further revealed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was mainly found in the influent and non-chlorinated effluent but was replaced by other Pseudomonas spp. in the chlorinated effluent. Aeromonas hydrophila could still be recovered in the chlorinated effluent. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) determined that only chlorinated effluent should be permitted for use in agricultural irrigation as it achieved an acceptable annual microbial risk lower than 10(-4) arising from both P. aeruginosa and A. hydrophila. However, the proportion of bacterial isolates resistant to 6 types of antibiotics increased from 3.8% in the influent to 6.9% in the chlorinated effluent. Examples of these antibiotic-resistant isolates in the chlorinated effluent include Enterococcus and Enterobacter spp. Besides the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial isolates, tetracycline resistance genes tetO, tetQ, tetW, tetH, tetZ were also present at an average 2.5 × 10(2), 1.6 × 10

  10. Lower leaf gas-exchange and higher photorespiration of treated wastewater irrigated Citrus trees is modulated by soil type and climate.

    PubMed

    Paudel, Indira; Shaviv, Avi; Bernstein, Nirit; Heuer, Bruria; Shapira, Or; Lukyanov, Victor; Bar-Tal, Asher; Rotbart, Nativ; Ephrath, Jhonathan; Cohen, Shabtai

    2016-04-01

    Water quality, soil and climate can interact to limit photosynthesis and to increase photooxidative damage in sensitive plants. This research compared diffusive and non-diffusive limitations to photosynthesis as well as photorespiration of leaves of grapefruit trees in heavy clay and sandy soils having a previous history of treated wastewater (TWW) irrigation for >10 years, with different water qualities [fresh water (FW) vs TWW and sodium amended treated wastewater (TWW + Na)] in two arid climates (summer vs winter) and in orchard and lysimeter experiments. TWW irrigation increased salts (Na(+) and Cl(-) ), membrane leakage, proline and soluble sugar content, and decreased osmotic potentials in leaves of all experiments. Reduced leaf growth and higher stomatal and non-stomatal (i.e. mesophyll) limitations were found in summer and on clay soil for TWW and TWW + Na treatments in comparison to winter, sandy soil and FW irrigation, respectively. Stomatal closure, lower chlorophyll content and altered Rubisco activity are probable causes of higher limitations. On the other hand, non-photochemical quenching, an alternative energy dissipation pathway, was only influenced by water quality, independent of soil type and season. Furthermore, light and CO2 response curves were investigated for other possible causes of higher non-stomatal limitation. A higher proportion of non-cyclic electrons were directed to the O2 dependent pathway, and a higher proportion of electrons were diverted to photorespiration in summer than in winter. In conclusion, both diffusive and non-diffusive limitations contribute to the lower photosynthetic performance of leaves following TWW irrigation, and the response depends on soil type and environmental factors. © 2015 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

  11. A comparative evaluation of groundwater suitability for irrigation and drinking purposes in two intensively cultivated districts of Punjab, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Manish; Kumari, Kalpana; Ramanathan, Al.; Saxena, Rajinder

    2007-11-01

    Punjab is the most cultivated state in India with the highest consumption of fertilizers. Patiala and Muktsar districts are two agricultural dominated districts of Punjab located in extreme south-east and south-west of the state. This paper highlights temporal variations of the groundwater quality and compares its suitability for irrigation and drinking purpose in these two districts. Water samples were collected in March and September 2003, representing the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, respectively. Water samples were analysed for almost all major cations, anions, dissolved heavy metals and turbidity. Parameters like sodium adsorption ratio, % sodium, residual sodium carbonate, total hardness, potential salinity, Kelley’s ratio, magnesium ratio, index of base exchange and permeability index were calculated on the basis of chemical data. A questionnaire was also used to investigate perception of villagers on taste and odour. Comparison of the concentration of the chemical constituents with WHO (world health organization) drinking water standards of 2004 and various classifications show that present status of groundwater in Patiala is better for irrigation and drinking purposes except for a few locations with a caution that it may deteriorate in near future. In Muktsar, groundwater is not suitable for drinking. Higher total hardness (TH) and total dissolved solids at numerous places indicate the unsuitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation. Results obtained in this forms baseline data for the utility of groundwater. In terms of monsoon impact, Patiala groundwater shows dilution and flushing but Muktsar samples show excessive leaching of different chemical components into the groundwater leading to the enrichment of different anions and cations indicating pollution from extraneous sources. No clear correlation between the quality parameters studied here and perceived quality in terms of satisfactory taste response were obtained at electrical

  12. Quality and Trace Element Profile of Tunisian Olive Oils Obtained from Plants Irrigated with Treated Wastewater

    PubMed Central

    Benincasa, Cinzia; Gharsallaoui, Mariem; Perri, Enzo; Briccoli Bati, Caterina; Ayadi, Mohamed; Khlif, Moncen; Gabsi, Slimane

    2012-01-01

    In the present work the use of treated wastewater (TWW) to irrigate olive plants was monitored. This type of water is characterized by high salinity and retains a substantial amount of trace elements, organic and metallic compounds that can be transferred into the soil and into the plants and fruits. In order to evaluate the impact of TWW on the overall quality of the oils, the time of contact of the olives with the soil has been taken into account. Multi-element data were obtained using ICP-MS. Nineteen elements (Li, B, Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Mo, Ba and La) were submitted for statistical analysis. Using analysis of variance, linear discriminant analysis and principal component analysis it was possible to differentiate between oils produced from different batches of olives whose plants received different types of water. Also, the results showed that there was correlation between the elemental and mineral composition of the water used to irrigate the olive plots and the elemental and mineral composition of the oils. PMID:22654625

  13. Bacteriological quality of crops irrigated with wastewater in the Xochimilco plots, Mexico City, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Rosas, I; Báez, A; Coutiño, M

    1984-05-01

    Xochimilco county plots (Mexico City), one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the Valley of Mexico, produce a large portion of the fresh vegetables consumed in the city. These plots are generally irrigated with domestic wastewater, and for this reason, it was deemed important to examine and evaluate the bacteriological quality of the water, soil, and vegetables from these plots that are harvested and marketed. The soils were also examined for the classical parameters such as nitrates, ammonia, etc., and organic matter and texture. The crops selected for this study were radishes, spinach, lettuce, parsley, and celery because they are usually consumed raw. The highest bacterial counts were encountered in leafy vegetables, i.e., spinach (8,700 for total coliform and 2,400 for fecal coliform) and lettuce (37,000 for total coliform and 3,600 for fecal coliform). Statistically significant differences in bacterial counts between rinsed and unrinsed edible portions of the crops were observed even in rinsed vegetables, and high densities of fecal coliform were detected, indicating that their consumption represents a potential health hazard. The total coliform values found in irrigation water ranged from 4 X 10(4) to 29 X 10(4), and for fecal coliform the values ranged from 5 X 10(2) to 30 X 10(2).

  14. Nutrient Removal in Wastewater Treatment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shah, Kanti L.

    1973-01-01

    Discusses the sources and effects of nutrients in wastewater, and the methods of their removal in wastewater treatment. In order to conserve water resources and eliminate the cost of nutrient removal, treated effluent should be used wherever possible for irrigation, since it contains all the ingredients for proper plant growth. (JR)

  15. Encounter risk analysis of rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration in the irrigation district

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Jinping; Lin, Xiaomin; Zhao, Yong; Hong, Yang

    2017-09-01

    Rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration are random but mutually affected variables in the irrigation district, and their encounter situation can determine water shortage risks under the contexts of natural water supply and demand. However, in reality, the rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration may have different marginal distributions and their relations are nonlinear. In this study, based on the annual rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration data series from 1970 to 2013 in the Luhun irrigation district of China, the joint probability distribution of rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration are developed with the Frank copula function. Using the joint probability distribution, the synchronous-asynchronous encounter risk, conditional joint probability, and conditional return period of different combinations of rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration are analyzed. The results show that the copula-based joint probability distributions of rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration are reasonable. The asynchronous encounter probability of rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration is greater than their synchronous encounter probability, and the water shortage risk associated with meteorological drought (i.e. rainfall variability) is more prone to appear. Compared with other states, there are higher conditional joint probability and lower conditional return period in either low rainfall or high reference crop evapotranspiration. For a specifically high reference crop evapotranspiration with a certain frequency, the encounter risk of low rainfall and high reference crop evapotranspiration is increased with the decrease in frequency. For a specifically low rainfall with a certain frequency, the encounter risk of low rainfall and high reference crop evapotranspiration is decreased with the decrease in frequency. When either the high reference crop evapotranspiration exceeds a certain frequency or low rainfall does not exceed a

  16. Concentrations and bioaccessibility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in wastewater-irrigated soil using in vitro gastrointestinal test.

    PubMed

    Khan, Sardar; Cao, Qing; Lin, Ai-Jun; Zhu, Yong-Guan

    2008-06-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread environmental contaminants and contribute to the pollution of soil environment. Soil ingestion is of increasing concern for assessing health risk from PAH-contaminated soils because soil ingestion is one of the potentially important pathways of exposure to environmental pollutants, particularly relevant for children playing at contaminated sites due to their hand-to-mouth activities. In vitro gastro-intestinal tests imitate the human digestive tract, based on the physiology of humans, generally more simple, less time-consuming, and especially more reproducible than animal tests. This study was conducted to investigate the level of PAH contamination and oral bioaccessibility in surface soils, using physiologically based in vitro gastro-intestinal tests regarding both gastric and small intestinal conditions. Wastewater-irrigated soils were sampled from the metropolitan areas of Beijing and Tianjin, China, which were highly contaminated with PAHs. Reference soil samples were also collected for comparisons. At each site, four soils were sampled in the upper horizon at the depth of 0-20 cm randomly and were bulked together to form one composite sample. PAH concentrations and origin were investigated and a physiologically based in vitro test was conducted using all analytical grade reagents. Linear regression model was used to assess the relationship between total PAH concentrations in soils and soil organic carbon (SOC). A wide range of total PAH concentrations ranging from 1,304 to 3,369 mug kg(-1) in soils collected from different wastewater-irrigated sites in Tianjin, while ranging from 2,687 to 4,916 mug kg(-1) in soils collected from different wastewater-irrigated sites in Beijing, was detected. In general, total PAH concentrations in soils from Beijing sites were significantly higher than those from Tianjin sites, indicating a dominant contribution from both pyrogenic and petrogenic sources. Results indicated

  17. Uptake of heavy metals by vegetables irrigated using wastewater and the subsequent risks in Harare, Zimbabwe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mapanda, F.; Mangwayana, E. N.; Nyamangara, J.; Giller, K. E.

    Contamination of leafy vegetables ( Brassica species) by copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr), and the subsequent human exposure risks, were determined at two sites in the City of Harare, where wastewater is used for irrigating vegetables. The concentrations of heavy metals (mg kg -1 dry wt.) in vegetable leaves ranged from 1.0 to 3.4 for Cu, 18 to 201 for Zn, 0.7 to 2.4 for Cd, 2.5 to 6.3 for Ni, 0.7 to 5.4 for Pb and 1.5 to 6.6 for Cr. Bio-concentration factors in the range of 0.04-3 were obtained, with Zn and Cd having the highest concentration factors of 1.6 and 3, respectively. Estimated intakes rates of heavy metals from consumption of the vegetables in mg day -1 ranged from 0.04 to 0.05 for Cu, 0.6 to 3.3 for Zn, 0.02 to 0.04 for Cd, 0.05 to 0.1 for Ni, 0.05 to 0.09 for Pb and 0.05 to 0.1 for Cr. Cadmium intake rates were above their recommended minimum risk levels (MRLs) at both sites, while Cu, Ni, Cr and Pb had daily intakes above 40% of their MRLs. Potential health risks, particularly from Cd intake, existed for the daily consumers of the leafy vegetables at both Mukuvisi and Pension sites. Thus, although the practice of growing leafy vegetables using wastewater for irrigation is aimed at producing socio-economic benefits, it is not safe and may not be sustainable in the long-term. There is need for an improved food quality assurance system to ensure that the vegetables comply with existing standards on heavy metal concentrations.

  18. Agriculture and wildlife: ecological implications of subsurface irrigation drainage

    Treesearch

    A. Dennis Lemly

    1994-01-01

    Subsurface agricultural irrigation drainage is a wastewater with the potential to severely impact wetlands and wildlife populations. Widespread poisoning of migratory birds by drainwater contaminants has occurred in the western United States and waterfowl populations are threatened in the Pacific and Central flyways. Irrigated agriculture could produce subsurface...

  19. 25 CFR 171.230 - What are my responsibilities for wastewater?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true What are my responsibilities for wastewater? 171.230... OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE Irrigation Service § 171.230 What are my responsibilities for wastewater? (a) You are responsible for your wastewater. (b) Wastewater may be returned to our facilities, but only at...

  20. 25 CFR 171.230 - What are my responsibilities for wastewater?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What are my responsibilities for wastewater? 171.230... OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE Irrigation Service § 171.230 What are my responsibilities for wastewater? (a) You are responsible for your wastewater. (b) Wastewater may be returned to our facilities, but only at...

  1. 25 CFR 171.230 - What are my responsibilities for wastewater?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false What are my responsibilities for wastewater? 171.230... OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE Irrigation Service § 171.230 What are my responsibilities for wastewater? (a) You are responsible for your wastewater. (b) Wastewater may be returned to our facilities, but only at...

  2. 25 CFR 171.230 - What are my responsibilities for wastewater?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What are my responsibilities for wastewater? 171.230... OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE Irrigation Service § 171.230 What are my responsibilities for wastewater? (a) You are responsible for your wastewater. (b) Wastewater may be returned to our facilities, but only at...

  3. Gastrointestinal effects of water reuse for public park irrigation.

    PubMed Central

    Durand, R; Schwebach, G

    1989-01-01

    To investigate the gastrointestinal effects of employing recycled water as an irrigation source for urban public parks, we studied subjects active in parks irrigated with potable water, nonpotable water of wastewater origin, and nonpotable water of runoff origin. Wet grass conditions during activity and elevated densities of common indicator bacteria, but not exposure to nonpotable irrigation water per se, were found associated with an increased rate of gastrointestinal illness. PMID:2817197

  4. Bacteriological quality of crops irrigated with wastewater in the Xochimilco plots, Mexico City, Mexico.

    PubMed Central

    Rosas, I; Báez, A; Coutiño, M

    1984-01-01

    Xochimilco county plots (Mexico City), one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the Valley of Mexico, produce a large portion of the fresh vegetables consumed in the city. These plots are generally irrigated with domestic wastewater, and for this reason, it was deemed important to examine and evaluate the bacteriological quality of the water, soil, and vegetables from these plots that are harvested and marketed. The soils were also examined for the classical parameters such as nitrates, ammonia, etc., and organic matter and texture. The crops selected for this study were radishes, spinach, lettuce, parsley, and celery because they are usually consumed raw. The highest bacterial counts were encountered in leafy vegetables, i.e., spinach (8,700 for total coliform and 2,400 for fecal coliform) and lettuce (37,000 for total coliform and 3,600 for fecal coliform). Statistically significant differences in bacterial counts between rinsed and unrinsed edible portions of the crops were observed even in rinsed vegetables, and high densities of fecal coliform were detected, indicating that their consumption represents a potential health hazard. The total coliform values found in irrigation water ranged from 4 X 10(4) to 29 X 10(4), and for fecal coliform the values ranged from 5 X 10(2) to 30 X 10(2). PMID:6742825

  5. The removal of microorganisms and organic micropollutants from wastewater during infiltration to aquifers after irrigation of farmland in the Tula Valley, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Chávez, Alma; Maya, Catalina; Gibson, Richard; Jiménez, Blanca

    2011-05-01

    The Tula Valley receives untreated wastewater from Mexico City for agricultural irrigation, half of which infiltrates to aquifers from where drinking water is extracted. Samples of wastewater and infiltrated water from three areas of the valley were analyzed for microorganisms, organic micropollutants, and some basic parameters. Concentrations of microorganisms in the infiltrated water were generally very low but the incidence of fecal coliforms (present in 68% of samples), somatic bacteriophages (36%), Giardia spp. (14%), and helminth eggs (8%) suggested a health risk. Organic micropollutants, often present at high concentrations in the wastewater, were generally absent from the infiltrated water except carbamazepine which was in 55% of samples (up to 193 ng/L). There was no correlation between carbamazepine concentrations and the presence of microorganisms but highest concentrations of carbamazepine and boron coincided. A treatment such as nanofiltration would be necessary for the infiltrated water to be a safe potable supply. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Impact of paper mill wastewater on soil properties and crop yield through lysimeter studies.

    PubMed

    Singh, P K; Ladwani, K; Ladwani, K; Deshbhratar, P B; Ramteke, D S

    2013-01-01

    Paper and pulp industries produce large quantities of wastewater which can have adverse effects on the receiving water systems. In the present study lysimeters were used and filled with different soils replicating natural soil horizons and provided with a leachate collection system. The physico-chemical characteristics of the soil in each lysimeter and the quality of wastewater before leaching were assessed. Treated wastewater was evaluated for crop irrigation, and was categorized according to the irrigation water class 'Increasing Problem to Severe Problem' with respect to salinity and specific ion toxicity. Sandy loam soils showed 96% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal while clay loam soils removed 99% of COD, and the colour removal in both the cases was found to be 100%. Application of wastewater resulted in an increase of pH value, ranging from 6.2-7.6; the electrical conductivity (ECe) of saturated extracts was found to be 0.6-1.7 dS m(-1), and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) ranged from 7.8-11.1% in soils. Similarly, an increase in the organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus and potash content of soils was observed when irrigated with wastewater. Wastewater irrigation showed increased grain and straw yield of jowar, wheat and moong. These results permit successful utilization of pulp and paper mill wastewater for crop production without damaging the soils.

  7. Total elemental composition of soils contaminated with wastewater irrigation by combining IBA techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huerta, L.; Contreras-Valadez, R.; Palacios-Mayorga, S.; Miranda, J.; Calva-Vasquez, G.

    2002-04-01

    The purpose of this work was to obtain the total elemental composition of agricultural soils irrigated with well water and wastewater. The studied area is located in the Valle del Mezquital in Hidalgo State, Mexico. The studied soils were collected, every two months during one year. Particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) were applied for elemental analysis. PIXE analyses gave elemental contents of major and trace elements (Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, and Pb). Total concentrations of Na, Mg, C, N and O were obtained by RBS and NRA. PIXE analyses were carried out with 2 MeV proton beams, RBS with 2 MeV helium ions, while NRA was applied with a 1.2 MeV deuterium beam. Results indicated that heavy metal total concentrations exceed the critical soil total concentrations according to environmental regulations.

  8. Purification of contaminated paddy fields by clean water irrigation over two decades.

    PubMed

    Tai, Yiping; Lu, Huanping; Li, Zhian; Zhuang, Ping; Zou, Bi; Xia, Hanping; Wang, Faming; Wang, Gang; Duan, Jun; Zhang, Jianxia

    2013-10-01

    Paddy fields near a mining site in north part of Guangdong Province, PR China, were severely contaminated by heavy metals as a result of wastewater irrigation from the tailing pond. The following clean water irrigation for 2 decades produced marked rinsing effect, especially on Pb and Zn. Paddy fields continuously irrigated with wastewater ever since mining started (50 years) had 1,050.0 mg kg−1 of Pb and 810.3 mg kg−1 of Zn for upper 20 cm soil, in comparison with 215.9 mg kg−1 of Pb and 525.4 mg kg−1 of Zn, respectively, with clean water irrigation for 20 years. Rinsing effect mainly occurred to a depth of upper 40 cm, of which the soil contained highest metals. Copper and Cd in the farmlands were also reduced due to clean water irrigation. Higher availability of Pb might partly account for more Pb transferred from the tailing pond to the farmland and also more Pb removal from the farmland as a result of clean water irrigation. Neither rice in the paddy field nor dense weeds in the uncultivated field largely took up the metals. However, they might contribute to activate metals differently, leading to a different purification extent. Rotation of rice and weed reduced metal retention in the farmland soil, in comparison with sole rice growth. Harvesting of rice grain (and partially rice stalk) only contributed small fraction of total amount of removed metal. In summary, heavy metal in paddy field resulting from irrigation of mining wastewater could be largely removed by clean water irrigation for sufficient time.

  9. Root-Zone Redox Dynamics - In Search for the Cause of Damage to Treated-Wastewater Irrigated Orchards in Clay Soils

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yalin, David; Shenker, Moshe; Schwartz, Amnon; Assouline, Shmuel; Tarchitzky, Jorge

    2016-04-01

    Treated wastewater (TW) has become a common source of water for agriculture. However recent findings raise concern regarding its use: a marked decrease (up to 40%) in yield appeared in orchards irrigated with TW compared with fresh water (FW) irrigated orchards. These detrimental effects appeared predominantly in orchards cultivated in clay soils. The association of the damage with clay soils rather than sandy soils led us to hypothesize that the damage is linked to soil aeration problems. We suspected that in clay soils, high sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and high levels of organic material, both typical of TW, may jointly lead to an extreme decrease in soil oxygen levels, so as to shift soil reduction-oxidation (redox) state down to levels that are known to damage plants. Two-year continuous measurement of redox potential, pH, water tension, and oxygen were conducted in the root-zone (20-35 cm depth) of avocado trees planted in clay soil and irrigated with either TW or FW. Soil solution composition was sampled periodically in-situ and mineral composition was sampled in tree leaves and woody organs biannually. In dry periods the pe+pH values indicated oxic conditions (pe+pH>14), and the fluctuations in redox values were small in both TW and FW plots. Decreases in soil water tension following irrigation or rain were followed by drops in soil oxygen and pe+pH values. TW irrigated plots had significantly lower minimum pe+pH values compared with FW-irrigated plots, the most significant differences occurred during the irrigation season rather than the rain season. A linear correlation appeared between irrigation volume and reduction severity in TW-irrigated plots, but not in the FW plots, indicating a direct link to the irrigation regime in TW-irrigated plots. The minimum pe+pH values measured in the TW plots are indicative of suboxic conditions (9

  10. PROCESS DESIGN MANUAL FOR LAND TREATMENT OF MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER

    EPA Science Inventory

    The USEPA guidance on land treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater is updated for the first time since 1984. The significant new technilogical changes include phytoremediation, vadose zone monitoring, new design approaches to surface irrigation, center pivot irrigation,...

  11. Leaching risk of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in soil receiving reclaimed wastewater.

    PubMed

    Haruta, Shinsuke; Chen, Weiping; Gan, Jay; Simůnek, Jirka; Chang, Andrew C; Wu, Laosheng

    2008-03-01

    N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a potential carcinogen frequently found in treated wastewater as a byproduct of chlorination. The potential for NDMA to contaminate the groundwater is a significant concern. A solute fate and transport model, Hydrus-1D, was used to evaluate the leaching potential of NDMA under different irrigation practices and soil properties. The results indicate that the risk of NDMA to reach the ground water is slim, when the reclaimed wastewater is applied under the customary conditions for landscape irrigation. The NDMA disappears in the reclaimed wastewater receiving soils rapidly through the microbial degradation and the volatilization processes. The factors that enhance the leaching risk are the soil hydraulic conductivity, the NDMA adsorption constants, and the irrigation intensity. When the hydraulic conductivity of soil is high, the NDMA adsorption constant of soil is low and/or the irrigation intensity is high, the NDMA leaching risk may dramatically increase. To reduce the NDMA leaching risk, it is imperative that the fields be irrigated at the proper volume and frequency and attention be paid to fields with soils having high-hydraulic conductivities and/or low-NDMA adsorption constants.

  12. Occurrence of enteric pathogens on fresh produce grown on irrigated soils

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Aims: To assess the potential health risks of fresh produce grown on irrigated soils treated with manure in Kano State, a large produce region in Nigeria. Methodology: Fresh produce irrigated with wastewater on manure treated soils were assessed for the prevalence, serotype distribution and toxigeni...

  13. Microbial Indicators, Opportunistic Bacteria, and Pathogenic Protozoa for Monitoring Urban Wastewater Reused for Irrigation in the Proximity of a Megacity.

    PubMed

    Fonseca-Salazar, María Alejandra; Díaz-Ávalos, Carlos; Castañón-Martínez, María Teresa; Tapia-Palacios, Marco Antonio; Mazari-Hiriart, Marisa

    2016-12-01

    In Latin America and the Caribbean, with a population of approximately 580 million inhabitants, less than 20 % of wastewater is treated. Megacities in this region face common challenges and problems related with water quality and sanitation, which require urgent actions, such as changes in the sustainable use of water resources. The Mexico City Metropolitan Area is one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world, with over 20 million inhabitants, and is no exception to the challenges of sustainable water management. For more than 100 years, wastewater from Mexico City has been transported north to the Mezquital Valley, which is ranked as the largest wastewater-irrigated area in the world. In this study, bacteria and pathogenic protozoa were analyzed to determine the association between the presence of such microorganisms and water types (WTs) across sampling sites and seasons in Mexico City and the Mezquital Valley. Our results show a difference in microbiological water quality between sampling sites and WTs. There is no significant interaction between sampling sites and seasons in terms of bacterial concentration, demonstrating that water quality remains constant at each site regardless of whether it is the dry or the rainy season. The results illustrate the quantity of these microorganisms in wastewater, provide a current diagnosis of water quality across the area which could affect the health of residents in both Mexico City and the Mezquital Valley, and demonstrate the need to transition in the short term to treat wastewater from a local to a regional scale.

  14. Efficient Maize and Sunflower Multi-year Mapping with NDVI Time Series of HJ-1A/1B in Hetao Irrigation District of Inner Mongolia, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, B.; Shang, S.

    2016-12-01

    Food shortage is one of the major challenges that human beings are facing. It is urgent to improve the monitoring of the plantation and distribution of the main crops to solve the following economic and social issues. Recently, with the extensive use of remote sensing satellite data, it has provided favorable conditions for crop identification in large irrigation district with complex planting structure. Difference of different crop phenology is the main basis for crop identification, and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time-series could better delineate crop phenology cycle. Therefore, the key of crop identification is to obtain high quality NDVI time-series. MODIS and Landsat TM satellite images are the most frequently used, however, neither of them could guarantee high temporal and spatial resolutions at once. Accordingly, this paper makes use of NDVI time-series extracted from China Environment Satellites data, which has two-day-repeat temporal and 30m spatial resolutions. The NDVI time-series are fitted with an asymmetric logistic curve, the fitting effect is good and the correlation coefficient is greater than 0.9. The phonological parameters are derived from NDVI fitting curves, and crop identification is carried out by different relation ellipses between NDVI and its phonological parameters of different crops. This paper takes Hetao Irrigation District of Inner Mongolia as an example, to identify multi-year maize and sunflower in the district, and the identification result is good. Compared with the official statistics, the relative errors are both lower than 5%. The results show that the NDVI time-series dataset derived from HJ-1A/1B CCD could delineate the crop phenology cycle accurately and demonstrate its application in crop identification in irrigated district.

  15. Contamination of soils with microbial pathogens originating from effluent water used for agricultural irrigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bernstein, N.

    2009-04-01

    The use of wastewater for agricultural irrigation is steadily increasing world-wide and due to shortages of fresh water is common today in most arid regions of the world. The use of treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation may result in soil exposure to pathogens, creating potential public health problems. A variety of human pathogens are present in raw sewage water. Although their concentrations decrease during the wastewater reclamation process, the secondary treated effluents most commonly used for irrigation today still contain bacterial human pathogens. A range of bacterial pathogens, introduced through contaminated irrigation water or manure, are capable of surviving for long periods in soil and water where they have the potential to contaminate crops in the field. Therefore, there is a risk of direct contamination of crops by human pathogens from the treated effluents used for irrigation, as well as a risk of indirect contamination of the crops from contaminated soil at the agricultural site. Contradictory to previous notion, recent studies have demonstrated that human pathogens can enter plants through their roots and translocate and survive in edible, aerial plant tissues. The practical implications of these new findings for food safety are still not clear, but no doubt reflect the pathogenic microorganisms' ability to survive and multiply in the irrigated soil, water, and the harvested edible crop.

  16. Pathogens Assessment in Reclaimed Effluent Used for Industrial Crops Irrigation

    PubMed Central

    Al-Sa’ed, R.

    2007-01-01

    Reuse of treated effluent is a highly valued water source in Palestine, however with limited success due to public health concerns. This paper assesses the potential pathogens in raw, treated and reclaimed wastewater at Albireh urban wastewater treatment facility, and provides scientific knowledge to update the Palestinian reuse guidelines. Laboratory analyses of collected samples over a period of 4 months have indicated that the raw wastewater from Albireh city contained high numbers of fecal coliforms and worm eggs while 31% of the samples were Salmonella positive. Treated effluent suitable for restricted irrigation demonstrated that the plant was efficient in removing indicator bacteria, where fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci removal averaged 99.64% and 93.44%, respectively. Although not disinfected, treated effluent was free of Salmonella and parasites, hence safe for restricted agricultural purposes. All samples of the reclaimed effluent and three samples of irrigated grass were devoid of microbial pathogens indicating a safe use in unrestricted agricultural utilization. Adequate operation of wastewater treatment facilities, scientific updating of reuse guidelines and launching public awareness campaigns are core factors for successful and sustainable large-scale wastewater reuse schemes in Palestine. PMID:17431318

  17. Egg wash wastewater: estrogenic risk or environmental asset?

    PubMed

    Shappell, Nancy W

    2013-07-01

    already at the proposed aquatic no effect concentration for 17β-E2 and would be expected to decrease further as wastewater passes through 2 consecutive storage ponds before application on field crops for irrigation. The original project plan was to follow the wastewater as it was applied by aerial irrigation and concomitant surface runoff, but based on the consistent and extremely low concentration of estrogenic activity of the wastewater from the treatment lagoon, it was concluded that activity would be below limits of quantitation by E-Screen in water used for irrigation from the storage ponds. Use of egg wash wastewater--or gray water--to irrigate crops removes the cost and burden of wastewater treatment by the local wastewater plant, poses little to no potential threat of estrogenic endocrine disruption, and supports the conservation of water resources through the use of wastewater irrigation. Copyright © 2013 SETAC.

  18. Microbial contamination of vegetable crop and soil profile in arid regions under controlled application of domestic wastewater

    PubMed Central

    Balkhair, Khaled S.

    2015-01-01

    Increasing lack of potable water in arid countries leads to the use of treated wastewater for crop production. However, the use of inappropriate irrigation practices could result in a serious contamination risk to plants, soils, and groundwater with sewage water. This research was initiated in view to the increasing danger of vegetable crops and groundwater contamination with pathogenic bacteria due to wastewater land application. The research was designed to study: (1) the effect of treated wastewater irrigation on the yield and microbial contamination of the radish plant under field conditions; (2) contamination of the agricultural soil profile with fecal coliform bacteria. Effluent from a domestic wastewater treatment plant (100%) in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia, was diluted to 80% and 40% with the groundwater of the experimental site constituting three different water qualities plus groundwater as control. Radish plant was grown in two consecutive seasons under two drip irrigation systems and four irrigation water qualities. Upon harvesting, plant weight per ha, total bacterial, fecal coliform, fecal streptococci were detected per 100 g of dry matter and compared with the control. The soil profile was also sampled at an equal distance of 3 cm from soil surface for fecal coliform detection. The results indicated that the yield increased significantly under the subsurface irrigation system and the control water quality compared to surface irrigation system and other water qualities. There was a considerable drop in the count of all bacteria species under the subsurface irrigation system compared to surface irrigation. The bacterial count/g of the plant shoot system increased as the percentage of wastewater in the irrigation water increased. Most of the fecal coliform bacteria were deposited in the first few centimeters below the column inlet and the profile exponentially decreased with increasing depth. PMID:26858571

  19. Bioaerosol Dispersion in Relation with Wastewater Reuse for Crop Irrigation. (Experiments to understand emission processes with enteric virus and risks modeling).

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Courault, D.; Girardin, G.; Capowiez, L.; Albert, I.; Krawczyk, C.; Ball, C.; Salemkour, A.; Bon, F.; Perelle, S.; Fraisse, A.; Renault, P.; Amato, P.

    2014-12-01

    Bio-aerosols consist of microorganisms or biological particles that become airborne depending on various environmental factors. Recycling of wastewater (WW) for irrigation can cope with the issues of water availability, and it can also threaten Human health if the pathogens present in WW are aerosolized during sprinkling irrigation or wind events. Among the variety of micro-organisms found in WW, enteric viruses can reach significant amounts, because most of the WW treatments are not completely efficient. These viruses are particularly resistant in the environment and responsibles of numerous digestive diseases (gastroenteritis, hepatitis…). Few quantities are enough to make people sick (102 pfu). Several knowledge gaps exist to better estimate the risks for Human exposure, and on the virus transfer from irrigation up to the respiratory track. A research program funded by the French government (INSU), gathering multi disciplinary teams aims at better understanding virus fate in air and health risks from WW reuse. Experiments were conducted under controlled conditions in order to prioritize the main factors impacting virus aerosolization. Irrigation with water loaded with safe surrogates of Hepatitis A virus (Murine Mengo Virus) was applied on small plots covered by channels in which the wind speed varied. Various situations have been investigated (wet/dry surfaces, strong/mild winds, clean/waste water). Air samples were collected above plots using impingers and filters after irrigation for several days. Viruses were quantified by RT-qPCR. The results showed that impingers were more efficient in airborne virus recovering than filters. Among environmental factors, Wind speed was the main factor explaining virus concentration in the air after irrigation. A Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment approach has been chosen to assess the health effects on the population. The main modeling steps will be presented, including a simplified dispersion model coupled with a

  20. Comparative values of various wastewater streams as a soil nutrient source.

    PubMed

    Shilpi, Sonia; Seshadri, Balaji; Sarkar, Binoy; Bolan, Nanthi; Lamb, Dane; Naidu, Ravi

    2018-02-01

    In order to assess whether wastewaters from different industries (winery, abattoir, dairy and municipal) could be used safely to irrigate agricultural crops, a pot experiment in glass house was conducted in a sandy clay loam soil (pH = 6.12) from South Australia. Different concentrations (0, 0.05, 5, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) of the wastewaters diluted in an ordinary tap water were applied to soils sown with sunflower and maize seeds, and the effect of these irrigation treatments were evaluated at the early crop growth stages by recording the biomass yields, plant mineral nutrient contents, and also the soil chemical properties. Results showed that the winery effluent reduced the early growth of maize and sunflower when applied without any dilution, but increased yields of both plants when applied at 25% dilution with tap water. At this dilution of the winery wastewater, 80% more dry shoot yield (DSY) of sunflower and 58% more DSY of maize were obtained in comparison to the application of 100% concentration of the wastewater. Abattoir wastewater showed the highest yields at 100% concentration. Furthermore, municipal effluent did not show any inhibitory effect on both the crops. It was observed that metal contents in both the crops were different due to the application of different wastewaters, but did not exceed any toxic level. This study demonstrated that abattoir wastewater as such, and winery and dairy wastewaters at appropriate dilutions could be used for irrigation in agricultural fields to enhance crop productivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Evaluation of crop production, trade, and consumption from the perspective of water resources: a case study of the Hetao irrigation district, China, for 1960-2010.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jing; Sun, Shikun; Wu, Pute; Wang, Yubao; Zhao, Xining

    2015-02-01

    The integration of water footprints and virtual water flows allows the mapping of the links between production, trade, and consumption and could potentially help to alleviate water scarcity and improve water management. We evaluated the water footprints and virtual water flows of crop production, consumption, and trade and their influencing factors in the Hetao irrigation district in China for 1960-2010. The water footprint of crop production and the export of virtual water fluctuated but tended to increase during this period and were influenced mainly by agricultural factors such as crop yield, irrigation efficiency, and area sown. The water footprint of crop consumption and the import of virtual water increased during 1960-1979 and decreased during 1980-2010 and were influenced by socio-economic factors such as total population, the retail-price index, and the proportion of the population in urban areas. Most of the water footprint of production was exported to other areas, which added to the pressure on local water systems. The import of virtual water led to a saving of water for the Hetao irrigation district, while its share of the water footprint of consumption has decreased significantly since 1977. An increase in irrigation efficiency can alleviate water scarcity, and its application should be coupled with measures that constrain the continued expansion of agriculture. Full-cost pricing of irrigation water was an effective policy tool for its management. Re-shaping regional water-production and water-trade nexuses by changing crop structures could provide alternative opportunities for addressing the problems of local water scarcity, but the trade-offs involved should first be assessed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. [Effect of Recycled Water Irrieation on Heavy Metal Pollution in Irrigation Soil].

    PubMed

    Zhou, Yi-qi; Liu, Yun-xia; Fu, Hui-min

    2016-01-15

    With acceleration of urbanization, water shortages will become a serious problem. Usage of reclaimed water for flushing and watering of the green areas will be common in the future. To study the heavy metal contamination of soils after green area irrigation using recycled wastewater from special industries, we selected sewage and laboratory wastewater as water source for integrated oxidation ditch treatment, and the effluent was used as irrigation water of the green area. The irrigation units included broad-leaved forest, bush and lawn. Six samples sites were selected, and 0-20 cm soil of them were collected. Analysis of the heavy metals including Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb in the soil showed no significant differences with heavy metals concentration in soil irrigated with tap water. The heavy metals in the soil irrigated with recycled water were mainly enriched in the surface layer, among which the contents of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb were below the soil background values of Beijing. A slight pollution of As and Cd was found in the soil irrigated by recycled water, which needs to be noticed.

  3. Application of remote sensing techniques for identification of irrigated crop lands in Arizona

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Billings, H. A.

    1981-01-01

    Satellite imagery was used in a project developed to demonstrate remote sensing methods of determining irrigated acreage in Arizona. The Maricopa water district, west of Phoenix, was chosen as the test area. Band rationing and unsupervised categorization were used to perform the inventory. For both techniques the irrigation district boundaries and section lines were digitized and calculated and displayed by section. Both estimation techniques were quite accurate in estimating irrigated acreage in the 1979 growing season.

  4. Soil properties evolution after irrigation with reclaimed water

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leal, M.; González-Naranjo, V.; de Miguel, A.; Martínez-Hernández, V.; Lillo, J.

    2012-04-01

    Many arid and semi-arid countries are forced to look for new and alternative water sources. The availability of suitable quality water for agriculture in these regions often is threatened. In this context of water scarcity, the reuse of treated wastewater for crop irrigation could represent a feasible solution. Through rigorous planning and management, irrigation with reclaimed water presents some advantages such as saving freshwater, reducing wastewater discharges into freshwater bodies and decreasing the amount of added fertilizers due to the extra supply of nutrients by reclaimed water. The current study, which involves wastewater reuse in agriculture, has been carried out in the Experimental Plant of Carrión de los Céspedes (Sevile, Spain). Here, two survey parcels equally designed have been cultivated with Jatropha curcas L, a bioenergetic plant and a non-interfering food security crop. The only difference between the two parcels lies on the irrigation water quality: one is irrigated with groundwater and another one with reclaimed water. The main aim of this study focuses on analysing the outstanding differences in soil properties derived from irrigation with two water qualities, due to their implications for plant growth. To control and monitor the soil variables, soil samples were collected before and after irrigation in the two parcels. pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+), kjeldahl nitrogen, organic matter content and nutrients (boron, phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium) were measured. Data were statistically analyzed using the R package. To evaluate the variance ANOVA test was used and to obtain the relations between water quality and soil parameters, Pearson correlation coefficient was computed. According to other authors, a decrease in the organic matter content and an increase of parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity and some exchangeable cations were expected. To date and after

  5. Microbiological Impact of the Use of Reclaimed Wastewater in Recreational Parks

    PubMed Central

    Palacios, Oskar A.; Zavala-Díaz de la Serna, Francisco J.; Ballinas-Casarrubias, María de Lourdes; Espino-Valdés, María S.

    2017-01-01

    Reclaimed wastewater for irrigation is an opportunity for recovery of this natural resource. In this study, microbial risk from the use of treated wastewater for irrigation of recreational parks in the city of Chihuahua, evaluating the effect of distribution distance, season, and presence of storage tanks, was analyzed. Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and multidrug-resistant bacteria were recovered from samples of reclaimed water and soils at recreational parks in Chihuahua by the membrane filtration method, using selected agars for microbial growth. Samples were taken at three different seasons. No correlation in the presence of microbial indicators and multidrug-resistant bacteria (p > 0.05) was found between the distance from the wastewater treatment plant to the point of use. Presence of storage tanks in parks showed a significant effect (p < 0.05) with a higher level of E. coli. The highest count in wastewater occurred in summer. We isolated 392 multidrug-resistant bacteria from water and soil; cluster analysis showed that the microorganisms at each location were of different origins. Irrigation with reclaimed wastewater did not have a negative effect on the presence of microbial indicators of the quality of soils in the parks. However, the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria still represents a potential risk factor for human health. PMID:28869549

  6. Optimizing Wastewater Reuse in Agricultural Fields via Merging of Embedded Network Sensor Data and Flow and Transport Models Using Data Assimilation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, C.; Margulis, S. A.

    2007-12-01

    Wastewater re-use via crop irrigation has the potential to be an effective means of wastewater disposal. However, nitrate in wastewater may contaminate groundwater if it does not decay before reaching the groundwater table. In order to dispose of wastewater while preventing long-term groundwater pollution, irrigation rates need to be optimized based on the current and predicted states of the soil, such as soil moisture content and/or nitrate concentration. A real-time soil states estimation system using the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) has been developed for application to a test bed for wastewater re-use in Palmdale, CA. This test bed, covered with alfalfa, is a 30-acre irrigation plot with a 200-meter long rotating pivot arm that irrigates the area with reclaimed wastewater. A sensor network is deployed in the soil near the surface. The data assimilation system has shown the ability to characterize soil states and fluxes from sparse measurements. The real-time estimation system will then be used to explore the potential feedback for optimizing the sprinkler operation (i.e. maximizing the magnitude of wastewater release while minimizing the ultimate groundwater pollution). In optimization models, soil states and fluxes can be regarded as functions of irrigation rate. Through optimization, the irrigation rate in a finite horizon can be maximized while still satisfying all criteria in soil states and fluxes to ensure the safety of groundwater. Since the data assimilation system provides reliable estimation of soil states and fluxes, it is expected to define the optimal irrigation rate with higher confidence compared to using models or sensors only.

  7. The reuse of treated wastewater for agricultural purposes in Nicaragua; Central America.

    PubMed

    Platzer, M; Cáceres, V; Fong, N

    2004-01-01

    The first subsurface flow wetland (SSFW) system for about 1,000 PE, was constructed in Nicaragua in 1996 to apply this technology in the form of an integral project, combining the treatment of domestic wastewater with its reuse for crop production in small and medium size communities. The SSFW-effluent meets all standards established in the national regulations for wastewater reuse in agriculture, except for faecal coliforms, existent at an average concentration of 7 x 10(4) MPN/100 ml. A conventional surface irrigation method was used to irrigate different crop species selected to establish their risk of contamination. To judge the potential health risk for consumers and farmers, samples of vegetables and fruits harvested in the dry seasons of the years 1997 to 2002, were analyzed for the presence of pathogenic microorganisms like faecal coliforms, salmonella and shigella. In addition, a yield comparison between crops irrigated with well water using chemical fertilizers, and crops irrigated with the effluent of the SSFW-system was made, to analyze the economical benefits of the wastewater reuse.

  8. Soil nitrogen balance under wastewater management: Field measurements and simulation results

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sophocleous, M.; Townsend, M.A.; Vocasek, F.; Ma, Liwang; KC, A.

    2009-01-01

    The use of treated wastewater for irrigation of crops could result in high nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) concentrations in the vadose zone and ground water. The goal of this 2-yr field-monitoring study in the deep silty clay loam soils south of Dodge City, Kansas, was to assess how and under what circumstances N from the secondary-treated, wastewater-irrigated corn reached the deep (20-45 m) water table of the underlying High Plains aquifer and what could be done to minimize this problem. We collected 15.2-m-deep soil cores for characterization of physical and chemical properties; installed neutron probe access tubes to measure soil-water content and suction lysimeters to sample soil water periodically; sampled monitoring, irrigation, and domestic wells in the area; and obtained climatic, crop, irrigation, and N application rate records for two wastewater-irrigated study sites. These data and additional information were used to run the Root Zone Water Quality Model to identify key parameters and processes that influence N losses in the study area. We demonstrated that NO3-N transport processes result in significant accumulations of N in the vadose zone and that NO3-N in the underlying ground water is increasing with time. Root Zone Water Quality Model simulations for two wastewater-irrigated study sites indicated that reducing levels of corn N fertilization by more than half to 170 kg ha-1 substantially increases N-use efficiency and achieves near-maximum crop yield. Combining such measures with a crop rotation that includes alfalfa should further reduce the accumulation and downward movement of NO3-N in the soil profile. Copyright ?? 2009 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

  9. Distribution of effluent injected into the Boulder Zone of the Floridan aquifer system at the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, southeastern Florida, 1997–2011

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    King, Jeffrey N.; Decker, Jeremy D.

    2018-02-09

    Nonhazardous, secondarily treated, domestic wastewater (effluent) has been injected about 1 kilometer below land surface into the Boulder Zone of the Floridan aquifer system at the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant in southeastern Florida. The Boulder Zone contains saline, nonpotable water. Effluent transport out of the injection zone is a risk of underground effluent injection. At the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, injected effluent was detected outside the Boulder Zone. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, investigated effluent transport from the Boulder Zone to overlying permeable zones in the Floridan aquifer system.One conceptual model is presented to explain the presence of effluent outside of the injection zone in which effluent injected into the Boulder Zone was transported to the Avon Park permeable zone, forced by buoyancy and injection pressure. In this conceptual model, effluent injected primarily into the Boulder Zone reaches a naturally occurring feature (a karst-collapse structure) near an injection well, through which the effluent is transported vertically upward to the uppermost major permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer. The effluent is then transported laterally through the uppermost major permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer to another naturally occurring feature northwest of the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, through which it is then transported vertically upward into the Avon Park permeable zone. In addition, a leak within a monitoring well, between monitoring zones, allowed interflow between the Avon Park permeable zone and the Upper Floridan aquifer. A groundwater flow and effluent transport simulation of the hydrogeologic system at the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, based on the hypothesized and non-unique conceptualization of the subsurface hydrogeology and flow system, generally replicated measured effluent constituent

  10. Contamination of Phthalate Esters (PAEs) in Typical Wastewater-Irrigated Agricultural Soils in Hebei, North China.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yuan; Liang, Qiong; Gao, Rutai; Hou, Haobo; Tan, Wenbing; He, Xiaosong; Zhang, Hui; Yu, Minda; Ma, Lina; Xi, Beidou; Wang, Xiaowei

    2015-01-01

    The Wangyang River (WYR) basin is a typical wastewater irrigation area in Hebei Province, North China. This study investigated the concentration and distribution of six priority phthalate esters (PAEs) in the agricultural soils in this area. Thirty-nine soil samples (0-20 cm) were collected along the WYR to assess the PAE residues in soils. Results showed that PAEs are ubiquitous environmental contaminants in the topsoil obtained from the irrigation area. The concentrations of Σ6PAEs range from 0.191 μg g-1 dw to 0.457 μg g-1 dw with an average value of 0.294 μg g-1 dw. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) are the dominant PAE species in the agricultural soils. Among the DEHP concentrations, the highest DEHP concentration was found at the sites close to the villages; this result suggested that dense anthropogenic activities and random garbage disposal in the rural area are possible sources of PAEs. The PAE concentrations were weakly and positively correlated with soil organic carbon and soil enzyme activities; thus, these factors can affect the distribution of PAEs. This study further showed that only dimethyl phthalate (DMP) concentrations exceeded the recommended allowable concentrations; no remediation measures are necessary to control the PAEs in the WYR area. However, the PAEs in the topsoil may pose a potential risk to the ecosystem and human health in this area. Therefore, the exacerbating PAE pollution should be addressed.

  11. Effect of dry land transformation and quality of water use for crop irrigation on the soil bacterial community in the Mezquital Valley, Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lüneberg, Kathia; Schneider, Dominik; Daniel, Rolf; Siebe, Christina

    2017-04-01

    Soil bacteria are important determinants of soil fertility and ecosystem services as they participate in all biogeochemical cycles. Until now the comprehension of compositional and functional response that bacterial communities have to land use change and management, specifically in dry land its limited. Dry lands cover 40% of the world's land surface and its crop production supports one third of the global population. In this regions soil moisture is limited constraining farming to the rainy season or oblige to irrigate, as fresh water resources become scarce, to maintain productivity, treated or untreated wastewater for field irrigation is used. In this study the transformation of semiarid shrubland to agriculture under different land systems regarding quantity and quality of water use for crop irrigation on bacterial communities was investigated. The land systems included maize rain-fed plantations and irrigation systems with freshwater, untreated wastewater stored in a dam and untreated wastewater during dry and rainy season. Bacterial community structure and function was heavily affected by land use system and soil properties, whereas seasonality had a slighter effect. A soil moisture, nutrient and contaminant-content increasing gradient among the land use systems, going from rain fed plantation over fresh water, dam wastewater to untreated wastewater irrigated plantations was detected, this gradient diminished the abundance of Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria, but enhanced the one from Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. Discernible clustering of the dry land soil communities coincides with the moisture, nutrient and contaminant gradient, being shrubland soil communities closer to the rain-fed's system and farer to the one from untreated wastewater irrigated soil. Soil moisture together with sodium content and pH were the strongest drivers of the community structure. Seasonality promoted shifts in the composition of soil bacteria under irrigation with

  12. 76 FR 33361 - Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Madera Irrigation...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-08

    ... Impact Statement for the Madera Irrigation District Water Supply Enhancement Project located in Madera... Madera Irrigation District Water Supply Enhancement Project (MID WSEP). Reclamation proposes to approve... supply reliability and flexibility for current and future water demand, and reduce local overdraft, MID...

  13. Environmental flows for rivers and economic compensation for irrigators.

    PubMed

    Sisto, Nicholas P

    2009-02-01

    Securing flows for environmental purposes from an already fully utilized river is an impossible task--unless users are either coerced into freeing up water, or offered incentives to do so. One sensible strategy for motivating users to liberate volumes is to offer them economic compensation. The right amount for that compensation then becomes a key environmental management issue. This paper analyses a proposal to restore and maintain ecosystems on a stretch of the Río Conchos in northern Mexico, downstream from a large irrigation district that consumes nearly all local flows. We present here estimates of environmental flow requirements for these ecosystems and compute compensation figures for irrigators. These figures are derived from crop-specific irrigation water productivities we statistically estimate from a large set of historical production and irrigation data obtained from the district. This work has general implications for river ecosystem management in water-stressed basins, particularly in terms of the design of fair and effective water sharing mechanisms.

  14. Online decision support system for surface irrigation management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Wenchao; Cui, Yuanlai

    2017-04-01

    Irrigation has played an important role in agricultural production. Irrigation decision support system is developed for irrigation water management, which can raise irrigation efficiency with few added engineering services. An online irrigation decision support system (OIDSS), in consist of in-field sensors and central computer system, is designed for surface irrigation management in large irrigation district. Many functions have acquired in OIDSS, such as data acquisition and detection, real-time irrigation forecast, water allocation decision and irrigation information management. The OIDSS contains four parts: Data acquisition terminals, Web server, Client browser and Communication system. Data acquisition terminals are designed to measure paddy water level, soil water content in dry land, ponds water level, underground water level, and canals water level. A web server is responsible for collecting meteorological data, weather forecast data, the real-time field data, and manager's feedback data. Water allocation decisions are made in the web server. Client browser is responsible for friendly displaying, interacting with managers, and collecting managers' irrigation intention. Communication system includes internet and the GPRS network used by monitoring stations. The OIDSS's model is based on water balance approach for both lowland paddy and upland crops. Considering basic database of different crops water demands in the whole growth stages and irrigation system engineering information, the OIDSS can make efficient decision of water allocation with the help of real-time field water detection and weather forecast. This system uses technical methods to reduce requirements of user's specialized knowledge and can also take user's managerial experience into account. As the system is developed by the Browser/Server model, it is possible to make full use of the internet resources, to facilitate users at any place where internet exists. The OIDSS has been applied in

  15. Modeling sustainable reuse of nitrogen-laden wastewater by poplar.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yusong; Licht, Louis; Just, Craig

    2016-01-01

    Numerical modeling was used to simulate the leaching of nitrogen (N) to groundwater as a consequence of irrigating food processing wastewater onto grass and poplar under various management scenarios. Under current management practices for a large food processor, a simulated annual N loading of 540 kg ha(-1) yielded 93 kg ha(-1) of N leaching for grass and no N leaching for poplar during the growing season. Increasing the annual growing season N loading to approximately 1,550 kg ha(-1) for poplar only, using "weekly", "daily" and "calculated" irrigation scenarios, yielded N leaching of 17 kg ha(-1), 6 kg ha(-1), and 4 kg ha(-1), respectively. Constraining the simulated irrigation schedule by the current onsite wastewater storage capacity of approximately 757 megaliters (Ml) yielded N leaching of 146 kg ha(-1) yr(-1) while storage capacity scenarios of 3,024 and 4,536 Ml yielded N leaching of 65 and 13 kg ha(-1) yr(-1), respectively, for a loading of 1,550 kg ha(-1) yr(-1). Further constraining the model by the current wastewater storage volume and the available land area (approximately 1,000 hectares) required a "diverse" irrigation schedule that was predicted to leach a weighted average of 13 kg-N ha(-1) yr(-1) when dosed with 1,063 kg-N ha(-1) yr(-1).

  16. Detecting the Spatio-temporal Distribution of Soil Salinity and Its Relationship to Crop Growth in a Large-scale Arid Irrigation District Based on Sampling Experiment and Remote Sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, D.; Huang, G., Sr.; Xu, X.; Huang, Q., Sr.; Xiong, Y.

    2016-12-01

    Soil salinity analysis on a regional scale is of great significance for protecting agriculture production and maintaining eco-environmental health in arid and semi-arid irrigated areas. In this study, the Hetao Irrigation District (Hetao) in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with suffering long-term soil salinization problems, was selected as the case study area. Field sampling experiments and investigations related to soil salt contents, crop growth and yields were carried out across the whole area, during April to August in 2015. Soil salinity characteristics in space and time were systematically analyzed for Hetao as well as the corresponding impacts on crops. Remotely sensed map of soil salinity distribution for surface soil was also derived based on the Landsat OLI data with a 30 m resolution. The results elaborated the temporal and spatial dynamics of soil salinity and the relationships with irrigation, groundwater depth and crop water consumption in Hetao. In addition, the strong spatial variability of salinization was clearly presented by the remotely sensed map of soil salinity. Further, the relationship between soil salinity and crop growth was analyzed, and then the impact degrees of soil salinization on cropping pattern, leaf area index, plant height and crop yield were preliminarily revealed. Overall, this study can provide very useful information for salinization control and guide the future agricultural production and soil-water management for the arid irrigation districts analogous to Hetao.

  17. Deciphering adverse effects of heavy metals on diverse wheat germplasm on irrigation with urban wastewater of mixed municipal-industrial origin.

    PubMed

    Ali, Zeshan; Mujeeb-Kazi, Abdul; Quraishi, Umar Masood; Malik, Riffat Naseem

    2018-04-25

    The current study provides one of the first attempts to identify tolerant, moderately sensitive, and highly sensitive wheat genotypes on the basis of heavy metal accumulation, biochemical attributes, and human health risk assessments on urban wastewater (UW) irrigation. Mean heavy metals (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, Mn) and macro-nutrients (Na, K, Ca, Mg) levels increased in the roots, stem, and grains of studied genotypes. Except K (stem > root > grain), all metals were accumulated in highest concentrations in roots followed by stem and grains. Principal component analyses (PCA) identified three groups of UW-irrigated genotypes which were confirmed by hierarchical agglomerative cluster analyses (HACA). Wheat genotypes with the lowest metal accumulation were regarded as tolerant, whereas those with maximum accumulation were considered highly sensitive. Tolerant genotypes showed the lowest hazard quotient for heavy metals, i.e., Co, Mn, Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Cr, and hazard index (HI) values (adults, 2.04; children, 2.27) than moderately and highly sensitive genotypes. Higher health risks (HI) associated with moderate (adults 2.26; children 2.53) and highly sensitive (adults 2.52; children 2.82) genotypes revealed maximum uptake of heavy metals. The heatmap showed higher mean biochemical levels of chlorophyll, carotenoids, membrane stability index (MSI%), sugars, proteins, proline, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) in tolerant genotypes than remaining genotypes. With the lowest metal accumulation and advanced biochemical mechanisms to cope with the adverse effects of heavy metals in their plant bodies, tolerant genotypes present a better option for cultivation in areas receiving UW or similar type of wastewater.

  18. Target virus log10 reduction values determined for two reclaimed wastewater irrigation scenarios in Japan based on tolerable annual disease burden.

    PubMed

    Ito, Toshihiro; Kitajima, Masaaki; Kato, Tsuyoshi; Ishii, Satoshi; Segawa, Takahiro; Okabe, Satoshi; Sano, Daisuke

    2017-11-15

    Multiple-barriers are widely employed for managing microbial risks in water reuse, in which different types of wastewater treatment units (biological treatment, disinfection, etc.) and health protection measures (use of personal protective gear, vegetable washing, etc.) are combined to achieve a performance target value of log 10 reduction (LR) of viruses. The LR virus target value needs to be calculated based on the data obtained from monitoring the viruses of concern and the water reuse scheme in the context of the countries/regions where water reuse is implemented. In this study, we calculated the virus LR target values under two exposure scenarios for reclaimed wastewater irrigation in Japan, using the concentrations of indigenous viruses in untreated wastewater and a defined tolerable annual disease burden (10 -4 or 10 -6 disability-adjusted life years per person per year (DALY pppy )). Three genogroups of norovirus (norovirus genogroup I (NoV GI), geogroup II (NoV GII), and genogroup IV (NoV GIV)) in untreated wastewater were quantified as model viruses using reverse transcription-microfluidic quantitative PCR, and only NoV GII was present in quantifiable concentration. The probabilistic distribution of NoV GII concentration in untreated wastewater was then estimated from its concentration dataset, and used to calculate the LR target values of NoV GII for wastewater treatment. When an accidental ingestion of reclaimed wastewater by Japanese farmers was assumed, the NoV GII LR target values corresponding to the tolerable annual disease burden of 10 -6 DALY pppy were 3.2, 4.4, and 5.7 at 95, 99, and 99.9%tile, respectively. These percentile values, defined as "reliability," represent the cumulative probability of NoV GII concentration distribution in untreated wastewater below the corresponding tolerable annual disease burden after wastewater reclamation. An approximate 1-log 10 difference of LR target values was observed between 10 -4 and 10 -6 DALY pppy

  19. The simulation of cropping pattern to improve the performance of irrigation network in Cau irrigation area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wahyuningsih, Retno; Rintis Hadiani, RR; Sobriyah

    2017-01-01

    Cau irrigation area located in Madiun district, East Java Province, irrigates 1.232 Ha of land which covers Cau primary channel irrigation network, Wungu Secondary channel irrigation network, and Grape secondary channel irrigation network. The problems in Cau irrigation area are limited availability of water especially during the dry season (planting season II and III) and non-compliance to cropping patterns. The evaluation of irrigation system performance of Cau irrigation area needs to be done in order to know how far the irrigation system performance is, especially based on planting productivity aspect. The improvement of irrigation network performance through cropping pattern optimization is based on the increase of water necessity fulfillment (k factor), the realization of planting area and rice productivity. The research method of irrigation system performance is by analyzing the secondary data based on the Regulation of Ministry of Public Work and State Minister for Public Housing Number: 12/PRT/M/2015. The analysis of water necessity fulfillment (k factor) uses Public Work Plan Criteria Method. The performance level of planting productivity aspect in existing condition is 87.10%, alternative 1 is 93.90% dan alternative 2 is 96.90%. It means that the performance of the irrigation network from productivity aspect increases 6.80% for alternative 1 and 9.80% for alternative 2.

  20. The investigation of irrigation with wastewater on trees (Populus deltoids L.).

    PubMed

    Hashemi, Seyed Armin

    2013-09-01

    The urban green space and environment should be considered to be among the most fundamental elements of the sustainability of natural and human life in the new citizenship. To investigate the effect of irrigation on northern Mashad municipal effluent treatment plant effluent on the chemical properties of soil and accumulation of nutrient in poplar trees, a study was carried out using a random-systematic pattern. To investigate soil as well as accumulation of nutrients and cadmium in leaves, samples of soil (0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm) and leaves were taken from each plot in four replications. The measurements carried out in the laboratory showed that the cadmium of the samples of leaf and soil in the compound irrigated with waste water was significantly more than the compound irrigated with well water. The results of the present research suggest that urban waste water can be used as a source of irrigation whereas muck can be employed in forestation and irrigation with precise and particular supervision and control.

  1. Design Seminar for Land Treatment of Municipal Wastewater Effluents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Demirjian, Y. A.

    This document reports the development and operation of a country-wide wastewater treatment program. The program was designed to treat liquid wastewater by biological treatment in aerated lagoons, store it, and then spray irrigate on crop farmland during the growing season. The text discusses the physical design of the system, agricultural aspects,…

  2. Winery wastewater treatment using the land filter technique.

    PubMed

    Christen, E W; Quayle, W C; Marcoux, M A; Arienzo, M; Jayawardane, N S

    2010-08-01

    This study outlines a new approach to the treatment of winery wastewater by application to a land FILTER (Filtration and Irrigated cropping for Land Treatment and Effluent Reuse) system. The land FILTER system was tested at a medium size rural winery crushing approximately 20,000 tonnes of grapes. The approach consisted of a preliminary treatment through a coarse screening and settling in treatment ponds, followed by application to the land FILTER planted to pasture. The land FILTER system efficiently dealt with variable volumes and nutrient loads in the wastewater. It was operated to minimize pollutant loads in the treated water (subsurface drainage) and provide adequate leaching to manage salt in the soil profile. The land FILTER system was effective in neutralizing the pH of the wastewater and removing nutrient pollutants to meet EPA discharge limits. However, suspended solids (SS) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) levels in the subsurface drainage waters slightly exceeded EPA limits for discharge. The high organic content in the wastewater initially caused some soil blockage and impeded drainage in the land FILTER site. This was addressed by reducing the hydraulic loading rate to allow increased soil drying between wastewater irrigations. The analysis of soil characteristics after the application of wastewater found that there was some potassium accumulation in the profile but sodium and nutrients decreased after wastewater application. Thus, the wastewater application and provision of subsurface drainage ensured adequate leaching, and so was adequate to avoid the risk of soil salinisation. Crown Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Integrating wastewater reuse in water resources management for hotels in arid coastal regions - Case Study of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

    PubMed

    Lamei, A; van der Zaag, P; Imam, E

    2009-01-01

    Hotels in arid coastal areas use mainly desalinated water (using reverse osmosis) for their domestic water supply, and treated wastewater for irrigating green areas. Private water companies supply these hotels with their potable and non-potable water needs. There is normally a contractual agreement stating a minimum amount of water that has to be supplied by the water company and that the hotel management has to pay for regardless of its actual consumption ("contracted-for water supply"). Hotels have to carefully analyse their water requirements in order to determine which percentage of the hotel's peak water demand should be used in the contract in order to reduce water costs and avoid the risk of water shortage. This paper describes a model to optimise the contracted-for irrigation water supply with the objective function to minimise total water cost to hotels. It analyses what the contracted-for irrigation water supply of a given hotel should be, based on the size of the green irrigated area on one hand and the unit prices of the different types of water on the other hand. An example from an arid coastal tourism-dominated city is presented: Sharm El Sheikh (Sharm), Egypt. This paper presents costs of wastewater treatment using waste stabilisation ponds, which is the prevailing treatment mechanism in the case study area for centralised plants, as well as aerobic/anaerobic treatment used for decentralised wastewater treatment plants in the case study area. There is only one centralised wastewater treatment plant available in the city exerting monopoly and selling treated wastewater to hotels at a much higher price than the actual cost that a hotel would bear if it treated its own wastewater. Contracting for full peak irrigation demand is the highest total cost option. Contracting for a portion of the peak irrigation demand and complementing the rest from desalination water is a cheaper option. A better option still is to complement the excess irrigation demand

  4. Use of wastewater : challenge against scarcity,enhancement of crop disease and environment damage.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dahchour, Abdelmalek; El Hajjaji, Souad; El Makhoukhi, Fadoua

    2015-04-01

    Reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture is a potential alternative to face shortage in water resources mainly in arid regions. Morocco is among countries that have experienced long and severe period of drought associated with shortage in water resources. Though the large efforts deployed in providing water supplies to different regions, this resource remains sufficiently available in northern part of the country only. This situation has pushed growers to use non treated wastewater for irrigation without any environmental or health cautions. Trials with waste water for irrigation have demonstrated net increase in production of irrigated crops, good improvement of soil texture and availability of nutrients. However interactions with pesticides remain neglected. Actually this interaction could be associated with an improvement or reduction of the efficacy of a given pesticide. On environmental point of view, it could improve or reduce adsorption, mobility of soil applied pesticides toward groundwater. Laboratory test with a selected fungicide showed net reduction of the efficacy of the pesticide against the target fungus. Comparison between growing species in medium spiked with pesticide/ wastewater and pesticide only shoed net increase of the growth in presence of wastewater. In the column of soil, low mobility herbicide showed net increase in mobility after percolation with water spiked with wastewater under laboratory conditions. .

  5. Contamination of Phthalate Esters (PAEs) in Typical Wastewater-Irrigated Agricultural Soils in Hebei, North China

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Yuan; Liang, Qiong; Gao, Rutai; Hou, Haobo; Tan, Wenbing; He, Xiaosong; Zhang, Hui; Yu, Minda; Ma, Lina; Xi, Beidou; Wang, Xiaowei

    2015-01-01

    The Wangyang River (WYR) basin is a typical wastewater irrigation area in Hebei Province, North China. This study investigated the concentration and distribution of six priority phthalate esters (PAEs) in the agricultural soils in this area. Thirty-nine soil samples (0–20 cm) were collected along the WYR to assess the PAE residues in soils. Results showed that PAEs are ubiquitous environmental contaminants in the topsoil obtained from the irrigation area. The concentrations of Σ6PAEs range from 0.191 μg g−1 dw to 0.457 μg g−1 dw with an average value of 0.294 μg g−1 dw. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) are the dominant PAE species in the agricultural soils. Among the DEHP concentrations, the highest DEHP concentration was found at the sites close to the villages; this result suggested that dense anthropogenic activities and random garbage disposal in the rural area are possible sources of PAEs. The PAE concentrations were weakly and positively correlated with soil organic carbon and soil enzyme activities; thus, these factors can affect the distribution of PAEs. This study further showed that only dimethyl phthalate (DMP) concentrations exceeded the recommended allowable concentrations; no remediation measures are necessary to control the PAEs in the WYR area. However, the PAEs in the topsoil may pose a potential risk to the ecosystem and human health in this area. Therefore, the exacerbating PAE pollution should be addressed. PMID:26360905

  6. Drylands soil bacterial community is affected by land use change and different irrigation practices in the Mezquital Valley, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Lüneberg, Kathia; Schneider, Dominik; Siebe, Christina; Daniel, Rolf

    2018-01-23

    Dryland agriculture nourishes one third of global population, although crop irrigation is often mandatory. As freshwater sources are scarce, treated and untreated wastewater is increasingly used for irrigation. Here, we investigated how the transformation of semiarid shrubland into rainfed farming or irrigated agriculture with freshwater, dam-stored or untreated wastewater affects the total (DNA-based) and active (RNA-based) soil bacterial community composition, diversity, and functionality. To do this we collected soil samples during the dry and rainy seasons and isolated DNA and RNA. Soil moisture, sodium content and pH were the strongest drivers of the bacterial community composition. We found lineage-specific adaptations to drought and sodium content in specific land use systems. Predicted functionality profiles revealed gene abundances involved in nitrogen, carbon and phosphorous cycles differed among land use systems and season. Freshwater irrigated bacterial community is taxonomically and functionally susceptible to seasonal environmental changes, while wastewater irrigated ones are taxonomically susceptible but functionally resistant to them. Additionally, we identified potentially harmful human and phytopathogens. The analyses of 16 S rRNA genes, its transcripts and deduced functional profiles provided extensive understanding of the short-term and long-term responses of bacterial communities associated to land use, seasonality, and water quality used for irrigation in drylands.

  7. Emergy Evaluation of a Production and Utilization Process of Irrigation Water in China

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Dan; Luo, Zhao-Hui; Chen, Jing; Kong, Jun; She, Dong-Li

    2013-01-01

    Sustainability evaluation of the process of water abstraction, distribution, and use for irrigation can contribute to the policy of decision making in irrigation development. Emergy theory and method are used to evaluate a pumping irrigation district in China. A corresponding framework for its emergy evaluation is proposed. Its emergy evaluation shows that water is the major component of inputs into the irrigation water production and utilization systems (24.7% and 47.9% of the total inputs, resp.) and that the transformities of irrigation water and rice as the systems' products (1.72E + 05 sej/J and 1.42E + 05 sej/J, resp.; sej/J = solar emjoules per joule) represent their different emergy efficiencies. The irrigated agriculture production subsystem has a higher sustainability than the irrigation water production subsystem and the integrated production system, according to several emergy indices: renewability ratio (%R), emergy yield ratio (EYR), emergy investment ratio (EIR), environmental load ratio (ELR), and environmental sustainability index (ESI). The results show that the performance of this irrigation district could be further improved by increasing the utilization efficiencies of the main inputs in both the production and utilization process of irrigation water. PMID:24082852

  8. Emergy evaluation of a production and utilization process of irrigation water in China.

    PubMed

    Chen, Dan; Luo, Zhao-Hui; Chen, Jing; Kong, Jun; She, Dong-Li

    2013-01-01

    Sustainability evaluation of the process of water abstraction, distribution, and use for irrigation can contribute to the policy of decision making in irrigation development. Emergy theory and method are used to evaluate a pumping irrigation district in China. A corresponding framework for its emergy evaluation is proposed. Its emergy evaluation shows that water is the major component of inputs into the irrigation water production and utilization systems (24.7% and 47.9% of the total inputs, resp.) and that the transformities of irrigation water and rice as the systems' products (1.72E + 05 sej/J and 1.42E + 05 sej/J, resp.; sej/J = solar emjoules per joule) represent their different emergy efficiencies. The irrigated agriculture production subsystem has a higher sustainability than the irrigation water production subsystem and the integrated production system, according to several emergy indices: renewability ratio (%R), emergy yield ratio (EYR), emergy investment ratio (EIR), environmental load ratio (ELR), and environmental sustainability index (ESI). The results show that the performance of this irrigation district could be further improved by increasing the utilization efficiencies of the main inputs in both the production and utilization process of irrigation water.

  9. Effects of industrial wastewater on growth and biomass production in commonly grown vegetables.

    PubMed

    Uzma, Syeda; Azizullah, Azizullah; Bibi, Roqaia; Nabeela, Farhat; Muhammad, Uzair; Ali, Imran; Rehman, Zia Ur; Häder, Donat-Peter

    2016-06-01

    In developing countries like Pakistan, irrigation of crops with industrial and municipal wastewater is a common practice. However, the impact of wastewater irrigation on vegetables growth has rarely been studied. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the effect of industrial wastewater on the germination and seedling growth of some commonly grown vegetables in Pakistan. Wastewater samples were collected from two different industries (marble industry and match alam factory) at Hayatabad Industrial Estate (HIE) in Peshawar, Pakistan, and their effect on different growth parameters of four vegetables including Hibiscus esculentus, Lactuca sativa, Cucumis sativus, and Cucumis melo was investigated. The obtained results revealed that wastewater from marble industry did not affect seed germination except a minor inhibition in H. esculentus. Effluents from match alam factory stimulated seed germination in C. melo and C. sativus but had no effect on seed germination in the other two vegetables. Wastewater increased root and shoot length in H. esculentus, L. sativa and C. melo, but decreased it in C. sativus. Similarly, differential effects of wastewater were observed on fresh and dry biomass of seedlings in all vegetables. It can be concluded that wastewater may have different effects on different crops, depending upon the nature of wastewater and sensitivity of a plant species to wastewater.

  10. Growth, chemical composition and soil properties of Tipuana speciosa (Benth.) Kuntze seedlings irrigated with sewage effluent

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali, Hayssam M.; Khamis, Mohamed H.; Hassan, Fatma A.

    2012-06-01

    This study was carried out at a greenhouse of Sabahia Horticulture Research Station, Alexandria, Egypt, to study the effect of sewage effluent on the growth and chemical composition of Tipuana speciosa (Benth.) Kuntze seedlings as well as on soil properties for three stages. The irrigation treatments were primary-treated wastewater and secondary-treated wastewater, in addition to tap water as control. Therefore, the treated wastewater was taken from oxidation ponds of New Borg El-Arab City. Results of these study revealed that the primary effluent treatment explored the highest significant values for vegetative growth and biomass, compared to the other treatments. In addition, the higher significant concentration and uptake of chemical composition in different plant parts were obtained from the primary effluent treatment during the three stages of irrigation. It was found that the concentration of heavy metals in either plant or soil was below as compared to the world-recommended levels. These findings suggested that the use of sewage effluent in irrigating T. speciosa seedlings grown in calcareous soil was beneficial for the improvement of soil properties and production of timber trees, and also important for the safe manner of disposal of wastewater.

  11. A Review of Health Risks and Pathways for Exposure to Wastewater Use in Agriculture.

    PubMed

    Dickin, Sarah K; Schuster-Wallace, Corinne J; Qadir, Manzoor; Pizzacalla, Katherine

    2016-07-01

    Wastewater is increasingly being used in the agricultural sector to cope with the depletion of freshwater resources as well as water stress linked to changing climate conditions. As wastewater irrigation expands, research focusing on the human health risks is critical because exposure to a range of contaminants must be weighed with the benefits to food security, nutrition and livelihoods. The goal of this paper was to review research examining health risks and exposure pathways associated with wastewater irrigation to identify research trends and gaps. We conducted a review of the literature and identified a total of 126 studies published from 1995 to 2013. Findings were summarized based on several themes including types of exposure pathways, wastewater contaminants, methodological approaches and the geographical distribution of research. Only 23 studies used epidemiological methods, while most research applied alternative methods to estimate risk, such as quantitative risk assessment models or comparisons of crop contamination to established guidelines for wastewater reuse. A geographic breakdown demonstrated a focus on microbiological contaminants in specific regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, despite growing chemical risks associated with rapid urbanization and industrialization that may change the types and distribution of wastewater contaminants. To provide a more comprehensive understanding of the health risks of wastewater use in agriculture, future research should consider multiple exposure routes, long-term health implications, and increase the range of contaminants studied, particularly in regions heavily dependent on wastewater irrigation. Dickin SK, Schuster-Wallace CJ, Qadir M, Pizzacalla K. 2016. A review of health risks and pathways for exposure to wastewater use in agriculture. Environ Health Perspect 124:900-909; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509995.

  12. Promoting the productivity and quality of brinjal aligned with heavy metals immobilization in a wastewater irrigated heavy metal polluted soil with biochar and chitosan.

    PubMed

    Turan, Veysel; Khan, Shahbaz Ali; Mahmood-Ur-Rahman; Iqbal, Muhammad; Ramzani, Pia Muhammad Adnan; Fatima, Maryam

    2018-06-12

    Depleting aquifers, lack of planning and low socioeconomic status of Pakistani farmers have led them to use wastewater (WW) for irrigating their crops causing food contamination with heavy metals and ultimately negative effects on human health. This study evaluates the effects of chitosan (CH) and biochar (BC) on growth and nutritional quality of brinjal plant together with in situ immobilization of heavy metals in a soil polluted with heavy metals due to irrigation with wastewater (SPHIW) and further irrigated with the same WW. Both CH and BC were applied at three different rates i.e. low rate [(LR), BC0.5%, CH0.5% and BC0.25%+CH0.25%], medium rate [(MR), BC1%, CH1% and BC0.5%+CH0.5%] and high rate [(HR), BC1.5%, CH1.5% and BC0.75%+CH0.75%]. Result revealed that brinjal growth, antioxidant enzymes, and fruit nutritional quality significantly improved from LR to HR for each amendment, relative to control. However, these results were more prominent with BC alone and BC+CH, compared with CH alone at each rate. Similarly, with few exceptions, significant reduction in Ni, Cd, Co, Cr and Pb concentrations in the root, shoot and fruit were found in sole CH treatment both at LR and MR but in both CH and BC+CH treatments at HR, relative to control. Interestingly, the concentrations of Fe in the roots, shoots and fruit were more pronounced at BC treatments relative to CH and BC+CH treatments at each rate, compared to control. Overall, the BC+CH treatment at HR was the most effective treatment for in situ immobilization of heavy metals in SPHIW and further irrigated with the same WW, compared to rest of the treatments. This study indicates that BC0.75%+CH0.75% treatment can be used to reduce mobility and bioavailability of heavy metals in SPHIW and facilitates plant growth by improving the antioxidant system. However, the feasibility of BC0.75%+CH0.75% treatment should also be tested at the field scale. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Probabilistic quantitative microbial risk assessment model of norovirus from wastewater irrigated vegetables in Ghana using genome copies and fecal indicator ratio conversion for estimating exposure dose.

    PubMed

    Owusu-Ansah, Emmanuel de-Graft Johnson; Sampson, Angelina; Amponsah, Samuel K; Abaidoo, Robert C; Dalsgaard, Anders; Hald, Tine

    2017-12-01

    The need to replace the commonly applied fecal indicator conversions ratio (an assumption of 1:10 -5 virus to fecal indicator organism) in Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) with models based on quantitative data on the virus of interest has gained prominence due to the different physical and environmental factors that might influence the reliability of using indicator organisms in microbial risk assessment. The challenges facing analytical studies on virus enumeration (genome copies or particles) have contributed to the already existing lack of data in QMRA modelling. This study attempts to fit a QMRA model to genome copies of norovirus data. The model estimates the risk of norovirus infection from the intake of vegetables irrigated with wastewater from different sources. The results were compared to the results of a corresponding model using the fecal indicator conversion ratio to estimate the norovirus count. In all scenarios of using different water sources, the application of the fecal indicator conversion ratio underestimated the norovirus disease burden, measured by the Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), when compared to results using the genome copies norovirus data. In some cases the difference was >2 orders of magnitude. All scenarios using genome copies met the 10 -4 DALY per person per year for consumption of vegetables irrigated with wastewater, although these results are considered to be highly conservative risk estimates. The fecal indicator conversion ratio model of stream-water and drain-water sources of wastewater achieved the 10 -6 DALY per person per year threshold, which tends to indicate an underestimation of health risk when compared to using genome copies for estimating the dose. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Recent practices on wastewater reuse in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Tanik, A; Ekdal, A; Germirli Babuna, F; Orhon, D

    2005-01-01

    Reuse of wastewater for irrigational purposes in agriculture has been a widely applied practice all around the world compared to such applications in industries. In most of the developing countries, high costs of wastewater treatment stimulate the direct reuse of raw or partly treated effluent in irrigation despite the socio-cultural objections in some countries regarding religious rituals towards consuming wastewater. In Turkey, reuse applications in agriculture have been in use by indirect application by means of withdrawing water from the downstream end of treatment plants. Such practices affected the deterioration of surface water resources due to the lack of water quality monitoring and control. However, more conscious and planned reuse activities in agriculture have recently started by the operation of urban wastewater treatment plants. Turkey does not face any severe water scarcity problems for the time being, but as the water resources show the signs of water quality deterioration it seems to be one of the priority issues in the near future. The industrial reuse activities are only at the research stage especially in industries consuming high amounts of water. In-plant control implementation is the preferred effort of minimizing water consumption in such industries. The current reuse activities are outlined in the article forming an example from a developing country.

  15. [Accumulation Characteristics and Evaluation of Heavy Metals in Soil-Crop System Affected by Wastewater Irrigation Around a Chemical Factory in Shenmu County].

    PubMed

    Qi, Yan-bing; Chu, Wan-lin; Pu, Jie; Liu, Meng-yun; Chang, Qing-rui

    2015-04-01

    Soil heavy metals Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd, are regarded as "chemical time bombs" because of their propensity for accumulation in the soil and uptake by crops. This ultimately causes human toxicity in both the short and long-term, making farmland ecosystems dangerous to health. In this paper, accumulation and spatial variability of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd in soil-crop system affected by wastewater irrigation around a chemical factor in northern Shaanxi province were analyzed. Results showed that wastewater irrigation around the chemical factory induced significant accumulation in soils compared with control areas. The average concentrations of available Cu and total Cu were 4.32 mg x kg(-1) and 38.4 mg x kg(-1), which were twice and 1.35 times higher than those of the control area, respectively. Soil Zn and Pb were slightly accumulated. Whereas soil Cd was significantly accumulated and was higher than the critical level of soil environmental quality (II), the available and total Cd concentrations were 0.248 mg x kg(-1) and 1.21 mg x kg(-1), which were 10 and 6.1 times higher than those of the control areas. No significant correlations were found between available and total heavy metals except between available Cd and total Cd. All the heavy metals were mainly accumulated in the top layer (0-10 cm). Spatially, soils and plants high in heavy metal concentration were distributed within the radius of about 100 m from the waste water outlet for Cu, Zn and Cd and about 200 m for Pb, and decreased exponentially with the distance from the factory. Affected by wastewater irrigation, contents of Cu, Pb and Cd in maize were 4.74, 0.129 and 0.036 mg x kg(-1) which were slightly higher than those in the control area. The content of Zn was similar to that in the control area. Affected by the vehicle exhaust, the over standard rate of Pb was 5.7% in maize. All the heavy metals did not show significant correlation between soil and crop, except Cd. The square correlation coefficients were 0

  16. Results of testing landspreading of treated municipal wastewater at St. Petersburg, Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reichenbaugh, R.C.; Brown, David P.; Goetz, Carole L.

    1979-01-01

    Chlorinated secondary-treated effluent was used to irrigate a grassed 4-acre site at rates of 2 and 4 inches per week for periods of 11 and 14 weeks, respectively. Part of the site was drained by tile lines 5 feet below land surface. Irrigation of the drained plot resulted in rapid passage of the applied wastewater through the soil and, consequently, poor nitrogen removal. The rapid percolation permitted nitrification but prevented denitrification. Total phosphorus in the shallow ground water at the site increased from a maximum of 1.4 milligrams per liter before irrigation to as much as 5 milligrams per liter in the ground water 5 feet below land surface. Concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus did not increase in ground water downgradient from the site, although increased chloride concentrations demonstrated downgradient migration of the applied wastewater. Prior to irrigation, total coliform bacteria were not detected in ground water at the site. After irrigation, total and fecal coliforms were detected in the ground water at the site and downgradient. (Woodard-USGS)

  17. Carbamazepine, carbamazepine epoxide and dihydroxycarbamazepine sorption to soil and occurrence in a wastewater reuse site in Tunisia.

    PubMed

    Fenet, Hélène; Mathieu, Olivier; Mahjoub, Olfa; Li, Zhi; Hillaire-Buys, Dominique; Casellas, Claude; Gomez, Elena

    2012-06-01

    Treated wastewater is being increasingly used for irrigation and aquifer replenishment through artificial recharge. However, wastewater reuse can result in contamination of exposed soil and groundwater by chemicals such as some pharmaceuticals and their metabolites. The fate of these molecules depends largely on their capacity to sorb onto soil and aquifer materials during infiltration. In this study, the sorption isotherm of carbamazepine (CBZ), an anti-seizure medication, and two of its metabolites, i.e. carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide (CBZ-EP) and 10,11-dihydro-10,11-dihydroxycarbamazepine (DiOH-CBZ), were determined in two soils in laboratory assays. In the field, the presence of CBZ and its metabolites were investigated in soil and in groundwater underlying an irrigated area with treated wastewater. The results showed that CBZ had the highest carbon normalised sorption coefficients in the two tested soils (irrigated soil and a Lufa SP2.4 reference soil) followed by CBZ-EP and DiOH-CBZ, indicating the relatively higher mobility of CBZ metabolites compared to CBZ. The chromatographic analysis revealed that CBZ and its two metabolites were present in treated wastewater used for irrigation and in groundwater. In soil samples, CBZ concentrations showed a build-up taking place with irrigation. The mobility of metabolites in soil and their potential biodegradation require further investigation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Health risks of thallium in contaminated arable soils and food crops irrigated with wastewater from a sulfuric acid plant in western Guangdong province, China.

    PubMed

    Wang, Chunlin; Chen, Yongheng; Liu, Juan; Wang, Jin; Li, Xiangping; Zhang, Yongbo; Liu, Yimin

    2013-04-01

    Thallium (Tl) contamination in soils poses a significant threat to human health due to the high toxicity of Tl and its ready assimilation by crops. Consumption of food crops contaminated with Tl is a major food chain route for human exposure. The health risks of Tl in contaminated food crops irrigated with wastewater from a sulfuric acid factory were investigated in this paper. Results indicate that long-term Tl-containing wastewater irrigation resulted in Tl contamination of arable soils and crops. The pollution load index values indicated that the arable soils were moderately enriched with Tl. Tl was highly accumulated in the crops. The content of Tl in the edible plant portions of crops ranged from 1.2 mg/kg to 104.8 mg/kg, exceeding the recommended permissible limits for food crops. The daily intake of metals (DIM) values of Tl for both adults and children via the consumption of the food crops except soya beans were higher than the reference oral dose (RfD) limit recommend by the United States environmental protection agency (US-EPA). Health risk index (HRI) values were generally higher than 1, indicating that health risks associated with Tl exposure are significant and assumed to be dangerous to the health of local villagers. Therefore, much attention should be paid to avoid consumption of these Tl-contaminated crops that can cause great potential risks. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Improving quality of textile wastewater with organic materials as multi soil layering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Supriyadi; Widijanto, H.; Pranoto; Dewi, AK

    2016-02-01

    On agricultural land, fresh water is needed especially for irrigation. Alternative ways to fulfill needs of fresh water is by utilizing wastewater from industry. Wastewater that produced in the industry in Surakarta is over flowing especially textile wastewater. Wastewater that produced from industry has many pollutants that affected decreasing fresh water quality for irrigation. Multi Soil Layering (MSL) is one of method that utilize the soil ability as main media by increasing its function of soil structure to purify wastewater, so it does not contaminate the environment and reusable. This research was purposed to know affectivity of organic materials (such as rice straw, baggase, sawdust, coconut fibre, and corncob) and dosage (5%, 10% and 25%) in MSL, also get alternative purification ways with easy and cheaper price as natural adsorbent. This study using field and laboratory experiment. The result shows that MSL can be an alternative method of purification of wastewater. The appropriate composition of organic materials that can be used as adsorbent is MSL with wood sawdust 10% dosage because it can increase pH, decrease the number of Cr, ammonia, and phosphate but less effective to decrease BOD and COD.

  20. Landsat sattelite multi-spectral image classification of land cover and land use changes for GIS-based urbanization analysis in irrigation districts of lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Lower Rio Grande Valley in the south of Texas is experiencing rapid increase of population to bring up urban growth that continues influencing on the irrigation districts in the region. This study evaluated the Landsat satellite multi-spectral imagery to provide information for GIS-based urbaniz...

  1. [Ecological risks of reclaimed water irrigation: a review].

    PubMed

    Chen, Wei-Ping; Zhang, Wei-Ling; Pan, Neng; Jiao, Wen-Tao

    2012-12-01

    Wastewater reclamation and reuse have become an important approach to alleviate the water crisis in China because of its social, economic and ecological benefits. The irrigation on urban green space and farmland is the primary utilization of reclaimed water, which has been practiced world widely. To understand the risk of reclaimed water irrigation, we summarized and reviewed the publications associated with typical pollutants in reclaimed water including salts, nitrogen, heavy metals, emerging pollutants and pathogens, systematically analyzed the ecological risk posed by reclaimed water irrigation regarding plant growth, groundwater quality and public health. Studies showed that salt and salt ions were the major risk sources of reclaimed water irrigation, spreading disease was another potential risk of using reclaimed water, and emerging pollutants was the hot topic in researches of ecological risk. Based on overseas experiences, risk control measures on reclaimed water irrigation in urban green space and farmland were proposed. Five recommendations were given to promote the safe use of reclaimed water irrigation including (1) strengthen long-term in situ monitoring, (2) promote the modeling studies, (3) build up the connections of reclaimed water quality, irrigation management and ecological risk, (4) evaluate the soil bearing capacity of reclaimed water irrigation, (5) and establish risk management system of reclaimed water reuse.

  2. A Review of Health Risks and Pathways for Exposure to Wastewater Use in Agriculture

    PubMed Central

    Dickin, Sarah K.; Schuster-Wallace, Corinne J.; Qadir, Manzoor; Pizzacalla, Katherine

    2016-01-01

    Background: Wastewater is increasingly being used in the agricultural sector to cope with the depletion of freshwater resources as well as water stress linked to changing climate conditions. As wastewater irrigation expands, research focusing on the human health risks is critical because exposure to a range of contaminants must be weighed with the benefits to food security, nutrition and livelihoods. Objectives: The goal of this paper was to review research examining health risks and exposure pathways associated with wastewater irrigation to identify research trends and gaps. Methods: We conducted a review of the literature and identified a total of 126 studies published from 1995 to 2013. Findings were summarized based on several themes including types of exposure pathways, wastewater contaminants, methodological approaches and the geographical distribution of research. Results: Only 23 studies used epidemiological methods, while most research applied alternative methods to estimate risk, such as quantitative risk assessment models or comparisons of crop contamination to established guidelines for wastewater reuse. A geographic breakdown demonstrated a focus on microbiological contaminants in specific regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, despite growing chemical risks associated with rapid urbanization and industrialization that may change the types and distribution of wastewater contaminants. Conclusions: To provide a more comprehensive understanding of the health risks of wastewater use in agriculture, future research should consider multiple exposure routes, long-term health implications, and increase the range of contaminants studied, particularly in regions heavily dependent on wastewater irrigation. Citation: Dickin SK, Schuster-Wallace CJ, Qadir M, Pizzacalla K. 2016. A review of health risks and pathways for exposure to wastewater use in agriculture. Environ Health Perspect 124:900–909; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509995 PMID

  3. Utilization of wastewater on seed germination and physioogical parameters of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huy, V.; Iwai, C. B.

    2018-03-01

    Due to increasing world population and demand, fresh water availability is becoming a limited resource. Reusing wastewater for agriculture has received attention since it contains nutrients, which are beneficial for growing crops. Even though wastewater can be used as the nutrient source for the plant, the toxicity of wastewater can still be a cause for concern and investigation. The main objective of this paper was to assess the effect of different sources of wastewater on the germination of Jasmine rice (KDML105), White rice (Phatum Thani 1), and Sticky rice (RD6) under laboratory conditions. Petri dish cultures were used with various concentrations (0, 50, and 100%) of wastewater collected from swine farm, aquaculture activity, and domestic. Seed germination, root length, shoot length, seed vigor index, fresh weight and dry weight were measured after each experiment. The results have shown that domestic wastewater and aquaculture activity wastewater did not decrease performance of Jasmine rice (KDML105), White rice (Phatum thani 1), and Sticky rice (RD6) while the germination of Jasmine rice (KDML105), White rice (Phatum thani 1), and Sticky rice (RD6) decreased when irrigated with swine farm wastewater. Therefore, using domestic and aquaculture activity wastewater for irrigation are suitable for growth of these crop.

  4. Irrigation water quality influences heavy metal uptake by willows in biosolids.

    PubMed

    Laidlaw, W Scott; Baker, Alan J M; Gregory, David; Arndt, Stefan K

    2015-05-15

    Phytoextraction is an effective method to remediate heavy metal contaminated landscapes but is often applied for single metal contaminants. Plants used for phytoextraction may not always be able to grow in drier environments without irrigation. This study investigated if willows (Salix x reichardtii A. Kerner) can be used for phytoextraction of multiple metals in biosolids, an end-product of the wastewater treatment process, and if irrigation with reclaimed and freshwater influences the extraction process. A plantation of willows was established directly onto a tilled stockpile of metal-contaminated biosolids and irrigated with slightly saline reclaimed water (EC ∼2 dS/cm) at a wastewater processing plant in Victoria, Australia. Biomass was harvested annually and analysed for heavy metal content. Phytoextraction of cadmium, copper, nickel and zinc was benchmarked against freshwater irrigated willows. The minimum irrigation rate of 700 mm per growing season was sufficient for willows to grow and extract metals. Increasing irrigation rates produced no differences in total biomass and also no differences in the extraction of heavy metals. The reclaimed water reduced both the salinity and the acidity of the biosolids significantly within the first 12 months after irrigation commenced and after three seasons the salinity of the biosolids had dropped to <15% of initial values. A flushing treatment to remove excess salts was therefore not necessary. Irrigation had an impact on biosolids attributes such as salinity and pH, and that this had an influence on metal extraction. Reclaimed water irrigation reduced the biosolid pH and this was associated with reductions of the extraction of Ni and Zn, it did not influence the extraction of Cu and enhanced the phytoextraction of Cd, which was probably related to the high chloride content of the reclaimed water. Our results demonstrate that flood-irrigation with reclaimed water was a successful treatment to grow willows in a

  5. Evaluation of Confining Layer Integrity Beneath the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant, Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, Dade County, Florida

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Starr, R.C.; Green, T.S.; Hull, L.C.

    2001-02-28

    A review has been performed of existing information that describes geology, hydrogeology, and geochemistry at the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is operated by the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, in Dade County, Florida. Treated sanitary wastewater is injected into a saline aquifer beneath the plant. Detection of contaminants commonly associated with treated sanitary wastewater in the freshwater aquifer that overlies the saline aquifer has indicated a need for a reevaluation of the ability of the confining layer above the saline aquifer to prevent fluid migration into the overlying freshwater aquifer. Review of the available data shows that themore » geologic data set is not sufficient to demonstrate that a competent confining layer is present between the saline and freshwater aquifers. The hydrogeologic data also do not indicate that a competent confining layer is present. The geochemical data show that the freshwater aquifer is contaminated with treated wastewater, and the spatial patterns of contamination are consistent with upward migration through localized conduits through the Middle Confining Unit, such as leaking wells or natural features. Recommendations for collection and interpretation of additional site characterization data are provided.« less

  6. Evaluation of Confining Layer Integrity Beneath the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant, Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, Dade County, Florida

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Starr, Robert Charles; Green, Timothy Scott; Hull, Laurence Charles

    2001-02-01

    A review has been performed of existing information that describes geology, hydrogeology, and geochemistry at the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is operated by the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, in Dade County, Florida. Treated sanitary wastewater is injected into a saline aquifer beneath the plant. Detection of contaminants commonly associated with treated sanitary wastewater in the freshwater aquifer that overlies the saline aquifer has indicated a need for a reevaluation of the ability of the confining layer above the saline aquifer to prevent fluid migration into the overlying freshwater aquifer. Review of the available data shows that themore » geologic data set is not sufficient to demonstrate that a competent confining layer is present between the saline and freshwater aquifers. The hydrogeologic data also do not indicate that a competent confining layer is present. The geochemical data show that the freshwater aquifer is contaminated with treated wastewater, and the spatial patterns of contamination are consistent with upward migration through localized conduits through the Middle Confining Unit, such as leaking wells or natural features. Recommendations for collection and interpretation of additional site characterization data are provided.« less

  7. Contribution Of Spray Irrigation Of Wastewater To Groundwater Contamination In The Karst Of Southeastern Minnesota, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mooers, H. D.; Alexander, E. C., Jr.

    1994-01-01

    A vegetable- and meat-canning facility located in the karst of southeastern Minnesota disposes ≈2.85×105 m3 yr-1 of wastewater by spray irrigation of an 83.7-ha field located atop the local groundwater divide. Cannery effluent contains high levels of chloride and nitrogen (organic and ammonia), in excess of 7000 mg/l and 400 mg/l, respectively. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations are generally < 5 mg/l. Agricultural, domestic, and municipal sources of chloride and nitrate are common in the region, and water supplies frequently exceed the drinking-water limit for nitrate-nitrogen of 10 mg/l. Fifty-two area wells and thirteen surface-water locations were sampled and analyzed for five ionic species, including: chloride (Cl), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), sulfate (SO4), nitrite-nitrogen (NO2-N), and phosphate (PO4). Two distinct chloride plumes flowing outward from the groundwater divide were identified, and 65% of the wells sampled had nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in excess of 10 mg/l. The data were divided into two groups: one group of samples from wells located near the canning facility and another group from outside that area. A correlation coefficient of R2= 0.004 for Cl vs. NO3-N in the vicinity of the irrigation fields indicates essentially no relationship between the source of Cl and NO3. In areas of agricultural and domestic activities located away from the cannery, an R2 of 0.54 suggests that Cl and NO3 have common sources in these areas.

  8. Effect of dissolved organic carbon in recycled wastewaters on boron adsorption by soils

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In areas of water scarcity, recycled municipal wastewaters are being used as water resources for non-potable applications, especially for irrigation. Such wastewaters often contain elevated levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and solution boron (B). Boron adsorption was investigated on eight ...

  9. Industrial wastewater treatment using higher aquatic vegetation in the former mining company of the Far Eastern Federal district

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krupskaya, L. T.; Zvereva, V. P.; Gula, K. E.; Gul', L. P.; Golubev, D. A.; Filatova, M. Yu.

    2017-09-01

    The article describes the results of studying the problems of industrial wastewater treatment using higher aquatic vegetation (hydrophytes) in the former mining enterprise of the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD). They are aimed at reducing the negative environment impact of toxic tin ore wastes. The material of research were drainage, mine and slime waters as well as Lemna minor and Common reed grass (Phragmites communis). In the work conventional modern physico-chemical, chemical, biological and mathematical-statistical methods were used, as well as in the process of research the methods of atomic absorption spectrophotometry for AAS and mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma on ISP-MS ELASN DRS II PerkinElmer was applied. The data obtained in the course of the experiment (2015-2016), indicate that a degree of wastewater treatment, using Lemna minor, is high. Virtually, all compounds of toxic chemical elements contained in industrial wastewater (zinc, cobalt, nickel, cadmium, iron, manganese, lead, etc.) were fully absorbed by a hydrophyte. Pollutant extraction was almost 95%. The obtained results of the study in laboratory conditions proved the possibility of effective use of the Lemna minor for the purification of drainage and mine waters. A key contribution of this paper is the relationship between possible toxic metals contained in industrial wastewater and a higher degree of absorption by their higher aquatic vegetation. These hydrophytes absorb these possible toxic metals in an aqueous medium and are contaminated with these heavy metals.

  10. Impacts of changing cropping pattern on virtual water flows related to crops transfer: a case study for the Hetao irrigation district, China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jing; Wu, Pute; Wang, Yubao; Zhao, Xining; Sun, Shikun; Cao, Xinchun

    2014-11-01

    Analysis of cropping patterns is a prerequisite for their optimisation, and evaluation of virtual water flows could shed new light on water resources management. This study is intended to explore the effects of cropping pattern changes between 1960 and 2008 on virtual water flows related to crops transfer in the Hetao irrigation district, China. (1) The sown area of crops increased at an average rate of 3.57 × 10(3) ha year(-1) while the proportion of sown grain crops decreased from 92.83% in the 1960s to 50.22% in the 2000s. (2) Virtual water content decreased during the study period while net virtual water exports increased since the 1980s. (3) Assuming that the cropping pattern was constant and was equal to the average 1960s value, accumulated net virtual water export in 1980-2008 would have been 4.76 × 10(9) m(3) greater than that in the actual cropping pattern scenario. Cropping pattern changes in the Hetao irrigation district could not only be seen as resulting from the pursuit for higher economic returns, but also as a feedback response to limited water resources. A systematic framework is still needed for future cropping pattern planning by taking food security, continued agricultural expansion and other constraints into consideration. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  11. Long-term trends in field level irrigation water demand in Mahanadi delta districts - a hydrological modeling approach for coping with climate change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raju Pokkuluri, Venkat; Rao, Diwakar Parsi Guru; Hazra, Sugata; Srikant Kulkarni, Sunil

    2017-04-01

    India uses its 85 percent of available water resources for irrigation making it the country with largest net irrigated area in the world. With one of the largest delta plains, sustaining the needs of irrigation supplies is critical for food security and coping with challenges of climate change. The extensive development of upstream river basins/catchments is posing serious challenge and constrains to the water availability to delta regions, which depend on the controlled/regulated flows from the upstream catchments. The irrigation water demands vary due to changes in agricultural practices, cropping pattern and changing climate conditions. Estimation of realistic irrigation water demand and its trend over time is critical for meeting the supplementary water needs of productive agricultural lands in delta plains and there by coping the challenges of extensive upstream river basin development and climate change. The present study carried out in delta districts of Mahanadi river in Odisha State of India, wherein the long-term trends in field level irrigation water requirements were estimated, both on spatial & temporal scales, using hydrological modeling framework. This study attempts to estimate field level irrigation water requirements through simulation of soil water balance during the crop growing season through process based hydrological modeling framework. The soil water balance computations were carried out using FAO-56 framework, by modifying the crop coefficient (Kc) proportional to the water stress coefficient (Ks), which is a function of root zone depletion of water. Daily meteorological data, spatial cropping pattern, terrain are incorporated in the soil water balance simulation in the model. The irrigation water demand is derived considering the exclusion of soil water stress for each model time step. The field level irrigation water requirement at 8 day interval had been estimated for the each Rabi season (post-monsoon) spanning over 1986 to 2015. The

  12. New techniques to control salinity-wastewater reuse interactions in golf courses of the Mediterranean regions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beltrao, J.; Costa, M.; Rosado, V.; Gamito, P.; Santos, R.; Khaydarova, V.

    2003-04-01

    Due to the lack water around the Mediterranean regions, potable water luxurious uses - as in golf courses - are increasingly contested. In order to solve this problem, non conventional water resources (effluent, gray, recycled, reclaimed, brackish), like treated wastewater, for irrigation gained increasing role in the planning and development of additional water supplies in golf courses. In most cases, the intense use of effluent for irrigation attracted public awareness in respect of contaminating pathogens and heavy metals. The contaminating effect of salinity in soil and underground water is very often neglected. The objective of this work is to present the conventional techniques to control salinity of treated wastewater and to present some results on new clean techniques to solve this problem, in the framework of the INCO-COPERNICUS project (no. IC-15CT98-0105) "Adaptation of Efficient Water Use Criteria in Marginal Regions of Europe and Middle Asia with Scarce Sources Subject to Environmental Control, Climate Change and Socio-Economic Development" and of the INCO-DC project (no. IC18-CT98-0266) "Control of Salination and Combating Desertification Effects in the Mediterranean Region. Phase II". Saline water is the most common irrigation water in arid climates. Moreover, for each region treated wastewater is always more saline than tap water, and therefore, when treated wastewater is reused in golf courses, more salinity problems occur. Conventional techniques to combat the salination process in golf courses can be characterized by four generations: 1) Problem of root zone salination by soil leaching - two options can occur - when there is an impermeable layer, salts will be concentrated above this layer; on the other hand, when there is no impermeable layer, aquifers contamination can be observed; 2) Use of subsurface trickle irrigation - economy of water, and therefore less additional salts; however the problem of groundwater contamination due to natural rain

  13. Economic risk assessment of drought impacts on irrigated agriculture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lopez-Nicolas, A.; Pulido-Velazquez, M.; Macian-Sorribes, H.

    2017-07-01

    In this paper we present an innovative framework for an economic risk analysis of drought impacts on irrigated agriculture. It consists on the integration of three components: stochastic time series modelling for prediction of inflows and future reservoir storages at the beginning of the irrigation season; statistical regression for the evaluation of water deliveries based on projected inflows and storages; and econometric modelling for economic assessment of the production value of agriculture based on irrigation water deliveries and crop prices. Therefore, the effect of the price volatility can be isolated from the losses due to water scarcity in the assessment of the drought impacts. Monte Carlo simulations are applied to generate probability functions of inflows, which are translated into probabilities of storages, deliveries, and finally, production value of agriculture. The framework also allows the assessment of the value of mitigation measures as reduction of economic losses during droughts. The approach was applied to the Jucar river basin, a complex system affected by multiannual severe droughts, with irrigated agriculture as the main consumptive demand. Probability distributions of deliveries and production value were obtained for each irrigation season. In the majority of the irrigation districts, drought causes a significant economic impact. The increase of crop prices can partially offset the losses from the reduction of production due to water scarcity in some districts. Emergency wells contribute to mitigating the droughts' impacts on the Jucar river system.

  14. Opportunities for woody crop production using treated wastewater in Egypt

    Treesearch

    S.R. Evett; R.S.  Zalesny; N.F.  Kandil; John Stanturf; C.  Soriano

    2011-01-01

    An Egyptian national program targets annual reuse of 2.4 billion m3 of treated wastewater (TWW) to irrigate 84,000 ha of manmade forests in areas close to treatment plants and in the desert. To evaluate the feasibility of such afforestation efforts, we describe information about TWW irrigation strategies based on (1) water use of different tree species, (2) weather...

  15. Chlorinated and ultraviolet radiation -treated reclaimed irrigation water is the source of Aeromonas found in vegetables used for human consumption

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Latif-Eugenín, Fadua; Beaz-Hidalgo, Roxana; Silver

    Wastewater is increasingly being recognized as a key water resource, and reclaimed water (or treated wastewater) is used for irrigating vegetables destined for human consumption. The aim of the present study was to determine the diversity and prevalence of Aeromonas spp. both in reclaimed water used for irrigation and in the three types of vegetables irrigated with that water. Seven of the 11 (63.6%) samples of reclaimed water and all samples of vegetables were positive for the presence of Aeromonas. A total of 216 Aeromonas isolates were genotyped and corresponded to 132 different strains that after identification by sequencing themore » rpoD gene belonged to 10 different species. The prevalence of the species varied depending on the type of sample. In the secondary treated reclaimed water A. caviae and A. media dominated (91.4%) while A. salmonicida, A. media, A. allosaccharophila and A. popoffii represented 74.0% of the strains in the irrigation water. In vegetables, A. caviae (75.0%) was the most common species, among which a strain isolated from lettuce had the same genotype (ERIC pattern) as a strain recovered from the irrigation water. Furthermore, the same genotype of the species A. sanarellii was recovered from parsley and tomatoes demonstrating that irrigation water was the source of contamination and confirming the risk for public health. - Highlights: • Reclaimed water (= treated wastewater) is used for the irrigation of vegetables. • Aeromonas was found in reclaimed water and irrigated vegetables with this water. • The prevalence of Aeromonas spp. varied between irrigation water and vegetables. • Epidemiological relationships were found between irrigation water and vegetables. • The water was the source of contamination which means a risk for the public health.« less

  16. Subsurface agricultural irrigation drainage: the need for regulation.

    PubMed

    Lemly, A D

    1993-04-01

    Subsurface drainage resulting from irrigated agriculture is a toxic threat to fish and wildlife resources throughout the western United States. Studies by the U.S. Department of the Interior show that migratory waterfowl have been poisoned by drainwater contaminants on at least six national wildlife refuges. Allowing this poisoning to continue is a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act under U.S. Federal law. Critical wetlands and waterfowl populations are threatened in both the Pacific and Central flyways. The public is also at risk and health warnings have been issued in some locations. Subsurface irrigation drainage is a complex effluent containing toxic concentrations of trace elements, salts, and nitrogenous compounds. Some of the contaminants are classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as priority pollutants and they can be present in concentrations that exceed EPA's criteria for toxic waste. The on-farm drainage systems used to collect and transport this wastewater provide point-source identification as well as a mechanism for toxics control through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit process. A four-step approach is presented for dealing with irrigation drainage in an environmentally sound manner. This regulatory strategy is very similar to those commonly used for industrial discharges and includes site evaluation, contaminant reduction through NPDES, and compliance monitoring. The EPA must recognize subsurface irrigation drainage as a specific class of pollution subject to regulation under the NPDES process. Active involvement by EPA is necessary to ensure that adequate controls on this wastewater are implemented.

  17. Field and laboratory tests for assessing the feasibility on the use of municipal treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gallardo, Helena; Lovera, Raúl; Himi, Mahjoub; Sendrós, Alexandre; Marguí, Eva; Tapias, Josefina C.; Queralt, Ignasi; Casas, Albert

    2014-05-01

    he scarcity of water resources in many regions of the planet in the XXIst century is a challenge which concerns the current societies. Water use has been growing during the last decades. Therefore, different strategies of water management in many water-deficient regions are being carried out, especially in densely populated areas, in coastal zones or in regions under arid or semi-arid climate. During the last years, there has been a growing interest in the use of the subsurface for water storage though shallow percolating ponds. Moreover, on a best-practices basis, the use of reclaimed wastewater for different purposes is becoming more usual. The irrigation with municipal treated wastewater (MTWW) is an interesting strategy especially in the agricultural sector, which represents the main water user in contrast with other socioeconomic activities. The study area is located near Castellbisbal, on the lower stretches of the Llobregat River close to the Metropolitan area of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). The site consists on a percolating pond and agricultural fields around. In order to assess the feasibility of using reclaimed wastewater for different uses in this site, several experiments both on field and at the laboratory were carried out. First of all, a detailed non-destructive geophysical survey was conducted using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) technique. Geophysical data were constrained by geological and hydrogeological properties from boreholes and water wells. On the other hand, laboratory experiments were carried out through batch and column assays, focused on the detailed water-mineral particles interrelationships that can occur at the vadose zone. Soil samples from the crop fields around and water samples from the nearest well, as from the municipal wastewater treatment plant were used. Chemical and mineralogical composition of the soils were determined by using non-destructive spectroscopic techniques as x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and x-ray powder

  18. Recycling wastewater after hemodialysis: an environmental analysis for alternative water sources in arid regions.

    PubMed

    Tarrass, Faissal; Benjelloun, Meryem; Benjelloun, Omar

    2008-07-01

    Water is a vital aspect of hemodialysis. During the procedure, large volumes of water are used to prepare dialysate and clean and reprocess machines. This report evaluates the technical and economic feasibility of recycling hemodialysis wastewater for irrigation uses, such as watering gardens and landscape plantings. Water characteristics, possible recycling methods, and production costs of treated water are discussed in terms of the quality of the generated wastewater. A cost-benefit analysis is also performed through comparison of intended cost with that of seawater desalination, which is widely used in irrigation.

  19. Transfer of antibiotics from wastewater or animal manure to soil and edible crops.

    PubMed

    Pan, Min; Chu, L M

    2017-12-01

    Antibiotics are added to agricultural fields worldwide through wastewater irrigation or manure application, resulting in antibiotic contamination and elevated environmental risks to terrestrial environments and humans. Most studies focused on antibiotic detection in different matrices or were conducted in a hydroponic environment. Little is known about the transfer of antibiotics from antibiotic-contaminated irrigation wastewater and animal manure to agricultural soil and edible crops. In this study, we evaluated the transfer of five different antibiotics (tetracycline, sulfamethazine, norfloxacin, erythromycin, and chloramphenicol) to different crops under two levels of antibiotic-contaminated wastewater irrigation and animal manure fertilization. The final distribution of tetracycline (TC), norfloxacin (NOR) and chloramphenicol (CAP) in the crop tissues under these four treatments were as follows: fruit > leaf/shoot > root, while an opposite order was found for sulfamethazine (SMZ) and erythromycin (ERY): root > leaf/shoot > fruit. The growth of crops could accelerate the dissipation of antibiotics by absorption from contaminated soil. A higher accumulation of antibiotics was observed in crop tissues under the wastewater treatment than under manure treatment, which was due to the continual irrigation that increased adsorption in soil and uptake by crops. The translocation of antibiotics in crops mainly depended on their physicochemical properties (e.g. log K ow ), crop species, and the concentrations of antibiotics applied to the soil. The levels of antibiotics ingested through the consumption of edible crops under the different treatments were much lower than the acceptable daily intake (ADI) levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Modeling Trihalomethane Formation Potential from Wastewater Chlorination

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-09-01

    Aerated Lagoon Chlor/Dechlor - - - King Salmon River Luke, AZ Tertiary Ultraviolet 1.2 MGD Agua Fria River / Irrigation MacDD, FL Activated Sludge...November 1988). Tchobanoglous, George and Burton, Franklin L. Wastewater engineering: treatment, disposal, and reuse / Metcalf & Eddy, Inc. -3rd ed

  1. Pharmaceutical occurrence in groundwater and surface waters in forests land-applied with municipal wastewater.

    PubMed

    McEachran, Andrew D; Shea, Damian; Bodnar, Wanda; Nichols, Elizabeth Guthrie

    2016-04-01

    The occurrence and fate of pharmaceutical and personal care products in the environment are of increasing public importance because of their ubiquitous nature and documented effects on wildlife, ecosystems, and potentially humans. One potential, yet undefined, source of entry of pharmaceuticals into the environment is via the land application of municipal wastewater onto permitted lands. The objective of the present study is to determine the extent to which pharmaceuticals are mitigated by or exported from managed tree plantations irrigated with municipal wastewater. A specific focus of the present study is the presence of pharmaceutical compounds in groundwater and surface water discharge. The study site is a municipality that land-applies secondary treated wastewater onto 930 hectares of a 2000-hectare managed hardwood and pine plantation. A suite of 33 pharmaceuticals and steroid hormones was targeted in the analysis, which consisted of monthly grab sampling of groundwater, surface water, and wastewater, followed by concentration and cleanup via solid phase extraction and separation, detection, and quantification via liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. More than one-half of all compounds detected in irrigated wastewater were not present in groundwater and subsequent surface water. However, antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, caffeine, and other prescription and over-the-counter drugs remained in groundwater and were transported into surface water at concentrations up to 10 ng/L. These results provide important documentation for pharmaceutical fate and transport in forest systems irrigated with municipal wastewater, a previously undocumented source of environmental entry. © 2015 SETAC.

  2. Pharmaceutical Occurrence in Groundwater and Surface Waters in Forests Land-Applied with Municipal Wastewater

    PubMed Central

    McEachran, Andrew D.; Shea, Damian; Bodnar, Wanda; Nichols, Elizabeth Guthrie

    2016-01-01

    The occurrence and fate of pharmaceutical and personal care products in the environment are of increasing public importance because of their ubiquitous nature and documented effects on wildlife, ecosystems, and potentially humans. One potential, yet undefined, source of entry of pharmaceuticals into the environment is via the land application of municipal wastewater onto permitted lands. The objective of the present study is to determine the extent to which pharmaceuticals are mitigated by or exported from managed tree plantations irrigated with municipal wastewater. A specific focus of the present study is the presence of pharmaceutical compounds in groundwater and surface water discharge. The study site is a municipality that land-applies secondary treated wastewater onto 930 hectares of a 2000-hectare managed hardwood and pine plantation. A suite of 33 pharmaceuticals and steroid hormones was targeted in the analysis, which consisted of monthly grab sampling of groundwater, surface water, and wastewater, followed by concentration and cleanup via solid phase extraction and separation, detection, and quantification via liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. More than one-half of all compounds detected in irrigated wastewater were not present in groundwater and subsequent surface water. However, antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, caffeine, and other prescription and over-the-counter drugs remained in groundwater and were transported into surface water at concentrations up to 10 ng/L. These results provide important documentation for pharmaceutical fate and transport in forest systems irrigated with municipal wastewater, a previously undocumented source of environmental entry. PMID:26297815

  3. Coupled stochastic soil moisture simulation-optimization model of deficit irrigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alizadeh, Hosein; Mousavi, S. Jamshid

    2013-07-01

    This study presents an explicit stochastic optimization-simulation model of short-term deficit irrigation management for large-scale irrigation districts. The model which is a nonlinear nonconvex program with an economic objective function is built on an agrohydrological simulation component. The simulation component integrates (1) an explicit stochastic model of soil moisture dynamics of the crop-root zone considering interaction of stochastic rainfall and irrigation with shallow water table effects, (2) a conceptual root zone salt balance model, and 3) the FAO crop yield model. Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm, linked to the simulation component, solves the resulting nonconvex program with a significantly better computational performance compared to a Monte Carlo-based implicit stochastic optimization model. The model has been tested first by applying it in single-crop irrigation problems through which the effects of the severity of water deficit on the objective function (net benefit), root-zone water balance, and irrigation water needs have been assessed. Then, the model has been applied in Dasht-e-Abbas and Ein-khosh Fakkeh Irrigation Districts (DAID and EFID) of the Karkheh Basin in southwest of Iran. While the maximum net benefit has been obtained for a stress-avoidance (SA) irrigation policy, the highest water profitability has been resulted when only about 60% of the water used in the SA policy is applied. The DAID with respectively 33% of total cultivated area and 37% of total applied water has produced only 14% of the total net benefit due to low-valued crops and adverse soil and shallow water table conditions.

  4. Dynamics of Municipal Wastewater Renovation in a Young Conifer-Hardwood Plantation in Michigan

    Treesearch

    Dale G. Brockway; Gary Schneider; Donald P. White

    1979-01-01

    Since the pioneering work of investigators at The Pennsylvania State University who introduced the "living filter" concept in the 196Os, numeious studies have examined the impact of wastewater irrigation upon forest communities. Some industries had undertaken wastewater recycling measures earlier (Rudolph, 1957; Little et al., 1959). but these met with...

  5. Comparison of techniques for the detection of helminth ova in drinking water and wastewater.

    PubMed

    Maya, C; Jimenez, B; Schwartzbrod, J

    2006-02-01

    Many countries use wastewater for irrigation. The World Health Organization established, as reuse guidelines, a maximum value of 1 helminth ovum/L for irrigation. Various techniques for enumerating helminth ova in water have been published. To determine the most adequate method for Mexico, four techniques were compared: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), membrane-filter, Leeds I, and Faust. Two types of water were used: drinking water and municipal wastewater effluent. Sensitivity, discrimination coefficients, precision, recovery efficiency, and cost were determined. In addition, several unseeded wastewater samples were analyzed. For drinking water, U.S. EPA and the membrane-filter techniques demonstrated comparable results; however, when wastewater was used, the membrane technique showed some deficiencies. Because the U.S. EPA technique may be used for samples with both high and low solids content, allows for the recovery of helminth ova with different specific gravities, and has the lowest total cost, it was selected as the best technique.

  6. Trash-polluted irrigation: characteristics and impact on agriculture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sulaeman, D.; Arif, SS; Sudarmadji

    2018-04-01

    Trash pollution has been a problem in sustainable water resources management. Trash pollutes not only rivers, lakes and seas, but also irrigation canals and rice fields. This study aimed to identify the characteristics of solid waste (type, time of occurrence and sources of trash) and its impact on agriculture. The study was conducted in four irrigation areas, namely Gamping, Merdiko, Nglaren and Karangploso in Bantul District, Yogyakarta Special Region. We applied the Irrigation Rapid Trash Assessment (IRTA) as our field survey instrument. The results showed that trash was found throughout irrigation canals and rice fields, and the occurrence was influenced by water flow, time and farmer activities. The irrigation was dominantly polluted by plastic trash (52.2%), biodegradable waste (17.91%) and miscellaneous trash (12.3%). The IRTA score showed that Gamping Irrigation Area was at marginal condition, bearing a high risk of disturbing the operation and maintenance of the irrigation canals as well as farmers’ health. Trash in irrigation also generated technical impact of the irrigation operation and maintenance, environmental quality, and social life. This research also offered environmental policy integration approach and water-garbage governance approach as an alternative solution to manage water resources and agriculture in a sustainable manner, under the pressure of increasing amount of trash.

  7. Characterization of Salmonella spp. from wastewater used for food production in Morogoro, Tanzania.

    PubMed

    Mhongole, Ofred J; Mdegela, Robinson H; Kusiluka, Lughano J M; Forslund, Anita; Dalsgaard, Anders

    2017-03-01

    Wastewater use for crop irrigation and aquaculture is commonly practiced by communities situated close to wastewater treatment ponds. The objective of this study was to characterize Salmonella spp. and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among isolates from wastewater and Tilapia fish. A total of 123 Salmonella spp. isolates were isolated from 52 water and 21 fish intestinal samples. Genotyping of Salmonella spp. isolates was done by Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) technique. A total of 123 Salmonella spp. isolates represented 13 different serovars and 22 PFGE groups. Salmonella serovars showed resistance to 8 out of 14 antimicrobials; sulfamethaxazole (94%), streptomycin (61%), tetracycline (22%), ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid (17%), trimethoprim (11%); gentamycin and chloramphenicol (6%). Salmonella Kentucky, S. Chandans, S. Durban and S. Kiambu showed multiple antimicrobial resistance to 7, 6 and 3 antimicrobials, respectively. This study has demonstrated that wastewater at the study sites is contaminated with Salmonella spp. which are resistant to common antimicrobials used for treatment of diseases in humans. Wastewater may, therefore, contaminate pristine surface water bodies and foodstuffs including fish and irrigated crops as well as food handlers.

  8. Infrastructure performance of irrigation canal to irrigation efficiency of irrigation area of Candi Limo in Mojokerto District

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kisnanto, S.; Hadiani, R. R. R.; Ikhsan, C.

    2018-03-01

    Performance is a measure of infrastructure success in delivering the benefits corresponding it’s design implementation. Debit efficiency is a comparison between outflow debit and inflow debit. Irrigation canal performance is part of the overall performance aspects of an irrigation area. The greater of the canal performance will be concluded that the canal is increasingly able to meet the planned benefits, need to be seen its comparison between the performance and debit efficiency of the canal. The existing problems in the field that the value of the performance of irrigation canals are not always comparable to the debit efficiency. This study was conducted to describe the relationship between the performance of the canal to the canal debit efficiency. The study was conducted at Candi Limo Irrigation Area in Mojokerto Disctrict under the authority of Pemerintahan Provinsi Jawa Timur. The primary canal and secondary canal are surveyed to obtain data. The physical condition of the primary and secondary canals into the material of this study also. Primary and secondary canal performance based on the physical condition in the field. Measurement inflow and outflow debit into the data for the calculation of the debit efficiency. The instrument used in this study such as the current meter for debit measurements in the field as a solution when there is a building measure in the field were damaged, also using the meter and the camera. Permen PU No.32 is used to determine the value of the performance of the canal, while the efficiency analysis to calculate a comparison value between outflow and inflow debit. The process of data running processing by performing the measurement and calculation of the performance of the canal, the canal debit efficiency value calculation, and display a graph of the relationship between the value of the performance with the debit efficiency in each canal. The expected results of this study that the performance value on the primary canal in the

  9. Performance Evaluation of Membrane-Based Septic Tank and Its Reuse Potential for Irrigating Crops.

    PubMed

    Khalid, Mehwish; Hashmi, Imran; Khan, Sher Jamal

    2017-08-01

      Membrane technology, being the most emerging wastewater treatment option, has gained substantial importance with the massive objective of the reuse potential of wastewater. Keeping this in view, the present study was conducted with the rationale to evaluate the performance efficiency of membrane-based septic tank (MBST), and its reuse perspective for irrigating crops. The septic tank was designed by submerging a woven fiber microfiltration membrane module to treat domestic wastewater. Three crops Triticum aestivum (wheat), Coriandrum sativum (coriander), and Mentha arvensis (mint) were selected to be irrigated with treated MBST effluent, untreated wastewater, and tap water (as a control) for comparative growth analysis. Two pathogenic strains, Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. were selected as reference microbes and their translocation rate was observed in root, shoot, and leaves. Upon maturity, the roots, shoots, and leaves of the above-mentioned plants were aseptically removed for microbiological analysis. Strains were analyzed, using analytical profile index and PCR analysis. Maximum removal efficiencies for MBST in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, nutrients deduction (phosphorus), and indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli) were found to be 73, 96, 48, and 88%, respectively. Significant bacterial load reduction (p < 0.001) in terms of E. coli (3.8 log CFU/100 mL) and helminths (2 eggs/L) was observed in treated water. High plant yield was observed when irrigated with treated water as compared to tap water, as minimal nutrient removal (48%) was recorded in treated water, with the germination percentage of 88.8%.

  10. Removal of human pathogenic viruses in a down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor treating municipal wastewater and health risks associated with utilization of the effluent for agricultural irrigation.

    PubMed

    Kobayashi, Naohiro; Oshiki, Mamoru; Ito, Toshihiro; Segawa, Takahiro; Hatamoto, Masashi; Kato, Tsuyoshi; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Kubota, Kengo; Takahashi, Masanobu; Iguchi, Akinori; Tagawa, Tadashi; Okubo, Tsutomu; Uemura, Shigeki; Harada, Hideki; Motoyama, Toshiki; Araki, Nobuo; Sano, Daisuke

    2017-03-01

    A down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor has been developed as a cost-effective wastewater treatment system that is adaptable to local conditions in low-income countries. A pilot-scale DHS reactor previously demonstrated stable reduction efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonium nitrogen over a year at ambient temperature, but the pathogen reduction efficiency of the DHS reactor has yet to be investigated. In the present study, the reduction efficiency of a pilot-scale DHS reactor fed with municipal wastewater was investigated for 10 types of human pathogenic viruses (norovirus GI, GII and GIV, aichivirus, astrovirus, enterovirus, hepatitis A and E viruses, rotavirus, and sapovirus). DHS influent and effluent were collected weekly or biweekly for 337 days, and concentrations of viral genomes were determined by microfluidic quantitative PCR. Aichivirus, norovirus GI and GII, enterovirus, and sapovirus were frequently detected in DHS influent, and the log 10 reduction (LR) of these viruses ranged from 1.5 to 3.7. The LR values for aichivirus and norovirus GII were also calculated using a Bayesian estimation model, and the average LR (±standard deviation) values for aichivirus and norovirus GII were estimated to be 1.4 (±1.5) and 1.8 (±2.5), respectively. Quantitative microbial risk assessment was conducted to calculate a threshold reduction level for norovirus GII that would be required for the use of DHS effluent for agricultural irrigation, and it was found that LRs of 2.6 and 3.7 for norovirus GII in the DHS effluent were required in order to not exceed the tolerable burden of disease at 10 -4 and 10 -6 disability-adjusted life years loss per person per year, respectively, for 95% of the exposed population during wastewater reuse for irrigation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Assessing the adaptive capacity of maize hybrids to climate change in an irrigated district of Southern Italy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monaco, Eugenia; Bonfante, Antonello; De Mascellis, Roberto; Alfieri, Silvia Maria; Menenti, Massimo; De Lorenzi, Francesca

    2013-04-01

    Climate change will cause significant changes in water distribution and availability; as a consequence the water resources in some areas (like Mediterranean regions) will be limiting factors to the cultivation of some species, included cereals. So the perspective of climate change requires an analysis of the adaptation possibilities of food and fiber species currently cultivated. A powerful tool for adaptation is the relevant intra-specific biodiversity of crops. The knowledge, for different crop cultivars, of the responses to different environmental conditions (e.g. yield response functions to water regime) can be a tool to identify adaptation options to future climate. Moreover, simulation models of water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere system can be coupled with future climate scenarios to predict the soil water regime also accounting for different irrigation scheduling options. In this work the adaptive capacity of maize hybrids (Zea mays L.) was evaluated in an irrigated district of Southern Italy (the "Destra Sele" plain, an area of about 18.000 ha), where maize is extensively grown for water buffalo feeding. Horticultural crops (tomato, fennel, artichoke) are grown, as well. The methodology applied is based on two complementary elements: - a database on climatic requirements of 30 maize hybrids: the yield response functions to water availability were determined from experimental data derived both from scientific literature and from field trials carried out by ISAFOM-CNR. These functions were applied to describe the behaviour of the hybrids with respect to the relative evapotranspiration deficit; - the simulation performed by the agro-hydrological model SWAP (soil-water-plant and atmosphere), to determine the future soil water regime at landscape scale. Two climate scenarios were studied: "past" (1961-1990) and "future" (2021-2050). Future climate scenarios were generated within the Italian National Project AGROSCENARI. Climate scenarios at low spatial

  12. Ten key research issues for integrated and sustainable wastewater reuse in the Middle East.

    PubMed

    Shomar, Basem; Dare, Anne

    2015-04-01

    Wastewater management is not limited to the technology used to collect and treat wastewater. It begins with the early planning phase of building a society and includes considerations of how that society will grow. Therefore, history, culture, religion, and socioeconomy are important components to include in any relevant and integrated studies of wastewater management and reuse. Engineering, health, chemistry, biology, food production, cultural heritage, and the needs of people of all ages should be considered together when making management decisions regarding issues so intimately tied with humanity as water and sanitation. Other escalating challenges such as poverty, food, and water scarcity, migration and instability, flooding and catastrophes, diseases and mortality, etc. should also be considered as part of wastewater management and reuse planning. Emerging contaminants could be associated with the urbanization, modernization, and industrialization of several countries. Several arid countries have developed water security strategies where wastewater reuse is a major component. The existing wastewater treatment technologies in these countries are, in most cases, unable to remove such contaminants which may affect irrigation waters, industrial products, groundwater, etc. People would have to accept that the food on their tables could be irrigated with treated wastewater that they generated a few months ago, even if very advanced technologies were used to treat it. The purpose of this review is to highlight multidisciplinary areas of research on wastewater and to propose applicable and affordable mechanisms by which we may consider wastewater as a legitimate resource.

  13. Cross-Contamination of Residual Emerging Contaminants and Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Lettuce Crops and Soil Irrigated with Wastewater Treated by Sunlight/H2O2.

    PubMed

    Ferro, Giovanna; Polo-López, María I; Martínez-Piernas, Ana B; Fernández-Ibáñez, Pilar; Agüera, Ana; Rizzo, Luigi

    2015-09-15

    The sunlight/H2O2 process has recently been considered as a sustainable alternative option compared to other solar driven advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in advanced treatment of municipal wastewater (WW) to be reused for crop irrigation. Accordingly, in this study sunlight/H2O2 was used as disinfection/oxidation treatment for urban WW treatment plant effluent in a compound parabolic collector photoreactor to assess subsequent cross-contamination of lettuce and soil by contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) (determined by QuEChERS extraction and LC-QqLIT-MS/MS analysis) and antibiotic resistant (AR) bacteria after irrigation with treated WW. Three CECs (carbamazepine (CBZ), flumequine (FLU), and thiabendazole (TBZ) at 100 μg L(-1)) and two AR bacterial strains (E. coli and E. faecalis, at 10(5) CFU mL(-1)) were spiked in real WW. A detection limit (DL) of 2 CFU mL(-1) was reached after 120 min of solar exposure for AR E. coli, while AR E. faecalis was more resistant to the disinfection process (240 min to reach DL). CBZ and TBZ were poorly removed after 90 min (12% and 50%, respectively) compared to FLU (94%). Lettuce was irrigated with treated WW for 5 weeks. CBZ and TBZ were accumulated in soil up to 472 ng g(-1) and 256 ng g(-1) and up-taken by lettuce up to 109 and 18 ng g(-1), respectively, when 90 min treated WW was used for irrigation; whereas no bacteria contamination was observed when the bacterial density in treated WW was below the DL. A proper treatment time (>90 min) should be guaranteed in order to avoid the transfer of pathogens from disinfected WW to irrigated crops and soil.

  14. Decision Support Systems To Manage Water Resources At Irrigation District Level In Southern Italy Using Remote Sensing Information. An Integrated Project (AQUATER)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rinaldi, M.; Castrignanò, A.; Mastrorilli, M.; Rana, G.; Ventrella, D.; Acutis, M.; D'Urso, G.; Mattia, F.

    2006-08-01

    An efficient management of water resources is crucial point for Italy and in particular for southern areas characterized by Mediterranean climate in order to improve the economical and environmental sustainability of the agricultural activity. A three-year Project (2005-2008) has been funded by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Policies; it involves four Italian research institutions: the Agricultural Research Council (ISA, Bari), the National Research Council (ISSIA, Bari) and two Universities (Federico II-Naples and Milan). It is focused on the remote sensing, the plant and the climate and, for interdisciplinary relationships, the project working group consists of agronomists, engineers and physicists. The aims of the Project are: a) to produce a Decision Support System (DSS) combining remote sensing information, spatial data and simulation models to manage water resources in irrigation districts; b) to simulate irrigation scenarios to evaluate the effects of water stress on crop yield using agro-ecological indicators; c) to identify the most sensitive areas to drought risk in Southern Italy. The tools used in this Project will be: 1. Remote sensing images, topographic maps, soil and land use maps; 2. Geographic Information Systems; 3. Geostatistic methodologies; 4. Ground truth measurements (land use, canopy and soil temperatures, soil and plant water status, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Crop Water Stress Index, Leaf Area Index, actual evapotranspiration, crop coefficients, crop yield, agro-ecological indicators); 5. Crop simulation models. The Project is structured in four work packages with specific objectives, high degree of interaction and information exchange: 1) Remote Sensing and Image Analysis; 2) Cropping Systems; 3) Modelling and Softwares Development; 4) Stakeholders. The final product will be a DSS with the purpose of integrating remote sensing images, to estimate crop and soil variables related to drought, to assimilate

  15. Irrigation of floricultural and nursery crops with saline wastewaters

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Water security has become a major concern throughout the western United States and other arid and semiarid regions worldwide. Uncertainties concerning the allocation and dependability of good quality water have led to increased interest in the use alternative, non-potable waters for irrigated agric...

  16. Ecological and agriculture impacts of bakery yeast wastewater use on weed communities and crops in an arid environment.

    PubMed

    Abu-Dieyeh, Mohammed H; Diab, Mahmoud; Al-Ghouti, Mohammad A

    2017-06-01

    The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of using yeast wastewater (YW) on weed communities. The study showed that all ecological parameters including species richness, dispersion, density, frequency, and % of vegetation cover were significantly increased in the site irrigated with YW compared to a natural rain fed site and another site irrigated with fresh water. The vegetation cover (%) was significantly increased by 2-folds in the site irrigated with YW (52%) than the one irrigated with fresh water (27%). Species richness increases to 23 in the site irrigated with yeast wastewater compared to 12 species in natural rain fed site and 7 species in areas irrigated with fresh water. The 10 studied weed species germinated better at 10 and 20% dilutions of baker's YW. However, only five species achieved few germination (3-25%) at 50% of YW and the two species Sisymbrim irio and Cardariia droba achieved (6-13%) germination using 100% YW. No germination occurred for the crop seeds (tomato, squash, lentil, and barley) at 50 and 100% YW. For tomato, 10 and 20% of YW achieved better germination (82 and 63%, respectively) than the seeds of other species, followed by barley with 80 and 53% of germination. Squash showed the lowest germination percentage with 59 and 42% at 10 and 20% of YW, respectively. Yeast wastewater seems to be crop specific and can affect weed species composition and relative abundances and care should be taken before using the effluent for irrigation of tree plantations and crops.

  17. Municipal wastewater renovation, growth and nutrient uptake in an immature conifer-hardwood plantation

    Treesearch

    D.G. Brockway; G. Schneider; D.P. White

    1979-01-01

    The impact of wastewater applications upon a variety of forest ecosystems has received widespread attention in the United States over the past 20 years. During this period the efforts of many researchers have improved our under- standing of the species composition and site characteristics which are appropriate for wastewater irrigation in various forest types (Smith...

  18. Characteristics of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Effluent Load from a Paddy-field District Implementing Crop Rotation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hama, Takehide; Aoki, Takeru; Osuga, Katsuyuki; Nakamura, Kimihito; Sugiyama, Sho; Kawashima, Shigeto

    Implementation of collective crop rotation in a paddy-field district may increase nutrients effluent load. We have investigated a paddy-field district implementing collective crop rotation of wheat and soybeans, measured temporal variations in nutrients concentration of drainage water and the amount of discharged water for consecutive three years, and estimated nutrients effluent load from the district during the irrigation and non-irrigation periods. As a result, the highest concentration of nutrients was observed during the non-irrigation period in every investigation year. It was shown that high nutrients concentration of drainage water during the non-irrigation period was caused by runoff of fertilizer applied to wheat because the peaks of nutrients concentration of drainage water were seen in rainy days after fertilizer application in the crop-rotation field. The effluent load during the non-irrigation periods was 16.9-22.1 kgN ha-1 (nitrogen) and 0.84-1.42 kgP ha-1 (phosphorus), which respectively accounted for 46-66% and 27-54% of annual nutrients effluent load.

  19. 25 CFR 171.230 - What are my responsibilities for wastewater?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE Irrigation Service § 171.230 What are my responsibilities for wastewater? (a) You... flow or collect on our facilities or roads, except at locations we designate and in a manner we approve...

  20. Plant based phosphorus recovery from wastewater via algae and macrophytes.

    PubMed

    Shilton, Andrew N; Powell, Nicola; Guieysse, Benoit

    2012-12-01

    At present, resource recovery by irrigation of wastewater to plants is usually driven by the value of the water resource rather than phosphorus recovery. Expanded irrigation for increased phosphorus recovery may be expected as the scarcity and price of phosphorus increases, but providing the necessary treatment, storage and conveyance comes at significant expense. An alternative to taking the wastewater to the plants is instead to take the plants to the wastewater. Algal ponds and macrophyte wetlands are already in widespread use for wastewater treatment and if harvested, would require less than one-tenth of the area to recover phosphorus compared to terrestrial crops/pastures. This area could be further decreased if the phosphorus content of the macrophytes and algae biomass was tripled from 1% to 3% via luxury uptake. While this and many other opportunities for plant based recovery of phosphorus exist, e.g. offshore cultivation, much of this technology development is still in its infancy. Research that enhances our understanding of how to maximise phosphorus uptake and harvest yields; and further add value to the biomass for reuse would see the recovery of phosphorus via plants become an important solution in the future. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Agricultural irrigated land-use inventory for Polk County, Florida, 2016

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Marella, Richard L.; Berry, Darbi; Dixon, Joann F.

    2017-08-16

    An accurate inventory of irrigated crop acreage is not available at the level of resolution needed to better estimate agricultural water use or to project future water demands in many Florida counties. A detailed digital map and summary of irrigated acreage was developed for Polk County, Florida, during the 2016 growing season. This cooperative project between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Office of Agricultural Water Policy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is part of an effort to improve estimates of water use and projections of future demands across all counties in the State. The irrigated areas were delineated by using land-use data provided by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, along with information obtained from the South and Southwest Florida Water Management Districts consumptive water-use permits. Delineations were field verified between April and December 2016. Attribute data such as crop type, primary water source, and type of irrigation system were assigned to the irrigated areas.The results of this inventory and field verification indicate that during the 2016 growing seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter), an estimated 88,652 acres were irrigated within Polk County. Of the total field-verified crops, 83,995 acres were in citrus; 2,893 acres were in other non-citrus fruit crops (blueberries, grapes, peaches, and strawberries); 621 acres were in row crops (primarily beans and watermelons); 1,117 acres were in nursery (container and tree farms) and sod production; and 26 acres were in field crops including hay and pasture. Of the total inventoried irrigated acreage within Polk County, 98 percent (86,566 acres) was in the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and the remaining 2 percent (2,086 acres) was in the South Florida Water Management District.About 85,788 acres (96.8 percent of the acreage inventoried) were irrigated by a microirrigation system, including drip, bubblers, and

  2. Genotoxicity Evaluation of Irrigative Wastewater from Shijiazhuang City in China

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Lixue; Zhang, Xiaolin; Wang, Liqin; Yu, Fengxue; Liu, Yi; Chen, Qing; Liu, Dianwu

    2015-01-01

    In the present study, the wastewater sample collected from the Dongming discharging river in Shijiazhuang city was analysed using both chemical analysis and biological assays including the Salmonella mutagenicity test, micronucleus test and single-cell gel electrophoresis. Chemical analysis of the sample was performed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The Salmonella mutagenicity test was performed on Salmonella typhimurium TA97, TA98, TA100 and TA102 strains with and without S9 mixture. The mice received the wastewater in natura through drinking water at concentrations of 25%, 50%, and 100%. One group of mice was exposed for 2 consecutive days, and the other group of mice was exposed for 15 consecutive days. To establish the levels of primary DNA damage, single-cell gel electrophoresis was performed on treated mouse liver cell. The concentrations of chromium and lead in the sample exceeded the national standard (GB20922-2007) by 0.78 and 0.43-fold, respectively. More than 30 organic compounds were detected, and some of the detected compounds were mutagens, carcinogens and environmental endocrine disrupters. A positive response for Salmonella typhimurium TA98 strain was observed. Mouse exposure via drinking water containing 50% and 100% of wastewater for 15 consecutive days caused a significant increase of MN frequencies in a dose-response manner. Mouse exposure via drinking water containing 50% and 100% of wastewater for 15 consecutive days caused a significant increase of the Olive tail moments in a dose-response manner. All the results indicated that the sample from the Dongming discharging river in Shijiazhuang city exhibited genotoxicity and might pose harmful effects on the local residents. PMID:26658348

  3. Rethinking the sustainability of Israel's irrigation practices in the Drylands.

    PubMed

    Tal, Alon

    2016-03-01

    Broad utilization of drip irrigation technologies in Israel has contributed to the 1600 percent increase in the value of produce grown by local farmers over the past sixty-five years. The recycling of 86% of Israeli sewage now provides 50% of the country's irrigation water and is the second, idiosyncratic component in Israel's strategy to overcome water scarcity and maintain agriculture in a dryland region. The sustainability of these two practices is evaluated in light of decades of experience and ongoing research by the local scientific community. The review confirms the dramatic advantages of drip irrigation over time, relative to flood, furrow and sprinkler irrigation and its significance as a central component in agricultural production, especially under arid conditions. In contrast, empirical findings increasingly report damage to soil and to crops from salinization caused by irrigation with effluents. To be environmentally and agriculturally sustainable over time, wastewater reuse programs must ensure extremely high quality treated effluents and ultimately seek the desalinization of recycled sewage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Evaluation of Emerging Contaminants of Concern at the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant Based on Seasonal Events, Miami-Dade County, Florida, 2004

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lietz, Arthur C.; Meyer, Michael T.

    2006-01-01

    The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan has identified highly treated wastewater as a possible water source for the restoration of natural water flows and hydroperiods in selected coastal areas, including the Biscayne Bay coastal wetlands. One potential source of reclaimed wastewater for the Biscayne Bay coastal wetlands is the effluent from the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant in southern Miami-Dade County. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Wastewater Reuse Technology Pilot Project Delivery Team, initiated a study to assess the presence of emerging contaminants of concern in the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant influent and effluent using current wastewater-treatment methods. As part of the study, 24-hour composite and discrete samples were collected at six locations (influent at plants 1 and 2, effluent pump, reuse train, chlorine dioxide unit, and ultraviolet pilot unit) at the plant during: (1) a dry-season, low-flow event on March 2-3, 2004, with an average inflow rate of 83.7 million gallons per day; (2) a wet-season, average-flow event on July 20-21, 2004, with an average inflow rate of 89.7 million gallons per day; and (3) high-rate disinfection tests on October 5 and 20, 2004, with average flow rates of 84.1 and 119.6 million gallons per day, respectively. During these four sampling events, 26, 27, 29, and 35 constituents were detected, respectively. The following transformations in concentration were determined in the waste stream: -100 to 180 percent at the effluent pump and -100 to 85 percent at the reuse train on March 2-3, 2004, and -100 to 1,609 percent at the effluent pump and -100 to 832 percent at the reuse train on July 20-21, 2004; -100 to -37 percent at the effluent pump, -100 to -62 percent at the reuse train, -100 to -56 percent at the chlorine dioxide unit, and -100 to -40 percent at the ultraviolet pilot unit on October 5, 2004; and -100 to -4 percent at the

  5. Sorption and desorption of carbamazepine, naproxen and triclosan in a soil irrigated with raw wastewater: estimation of the sorption parameters by considering the initial mass of the compounds in the soil.

    PubMed

    Durán-Álvarez, Juan C; Prado-Pano, Blanca; Jiménez-Cisneros, Blanca

    2012-06-01

    In conventional sorption studies, the prior presence of contaminants in the soil is not considered when estimating the sorption parameters because this is only a transient state. However, this parameter should be considered in order to avoid the under/overestimation of the soil sorption capacity. In this study, the sorption of naproxen, carbamazepine and triclosan was determined in a wastewater irrigated soil, considering the initial mass of the compounds. Batch sorption-desorption tests were carried out at two soil depths (0-10 cm and 30-40 cm), using either 10 mM CaCl(2) solution or untreated wastewater as the liquid phase. Data were satisfactorily fitted to the initial mass model. For the two soils, release of naproxen and carbamazepine was observed when the CaCl(2) solution was used, but not in the soil/wastewater system. The compounds' release was higher in the topsoil than in the 30-40 cm soil. Sorption coefficients (K(d)) for CaCl(2) solution tests showed that in the topsoil, triclosan (64.9 L kg(-1)) is sorbed to a higher extent than carbamazepine and naproxen (5.81 and 2.39 L kg(-1), respectively). In the 30-40 cm soil, carbamazepine and naproxen K(d) values (11.4 and 4.41 L kg(-1), respectively) were higher than those obtained for the topsoil, while the triclosan K(d) value was significantly lower than in the topsoil (19.2 L kg(-1)). Differences in K(d) values were found when comparing the results obtained for the two liquid phases. Sorption of naproxen and carbamazepine was reversible for both soils, while sorption of triclosan was found to be irreversible. This study shows the sorption behavior of three pharmaceuticals in a wastewater irrigated soil, as well as the importance of considering the initial mass of target pollutants in the estimation of their sorption parameters. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Research on wastewater reuse planning in Beijing central region.

    PubMed

    Jia, H; Guo, R; Xin, K; Wang, J

    2005-01-01

    The need to implement wastewater reuse in Beijing is discussed. Based on the investigation of the built wastewater reuse projects in Beijing, the differences between small wastewater reuse system and large systems were analyzed according to the technical, economical and social issues. The advantages and disadvantages of the small system and the large system were then given. In wastewater reuse planning in Beijing urban region, the large system was adopted. The rations of reclaimed water for difference land use type, including industrial reuse, municipal reuse, grass irrigation, and scenes water reuse were determined. Then according to the land use information in every block in central Beijing, using GIS techniques, the amounts of the reclaimed water needed in every block were calculated, and the main pipe system of reclaimed water was planned.

  7. Use of Moringa oleifera seed extracts to reduce helminth egg numbers and turbidity in irrigation water.

    PubMed

    Sengupta, Mita E; Keraita, Bernard; Olsen, Annette; Boateng, Osei K; Thamsborg, Stig M; Pálsdóttir, Guðný R; Dalsgaard, Anders

    2012-07-01

    Water from wastewater-polluted streams and dug-outs is the most commonly used water source for irrigation in urban farming in Ghana, but helminth parasite eggs in the water represent health risks when used for crop production. Conventional water treatment is expensive, requires advanced technology and often breaks down in less developed countries so low cost interventions are needed. Field and laboratory based trials were carried out in order to investigate the effect of the natural coagulant Moringa oleifera (MO) seed extracts in reducing helminh eggs and turbidity in irrigation water, turbid water, wastewater and tap water. In medium to high turbid water MO extracts were effective in reducing the number of helminth eggs by 94-99.5% to 1-2 eggs per litre and the turbidity to 7-11 NTU which is an 85-96% reduction. MO is readily available in many tropical countries and can be used by farmers to treat high turbid water for irrigation, however, additional improvements of water quality, e.g. by sand filtration, is suggested to meet the guideline value of ≤ 1 helminth egg per litre and a turbidity of ≤ 2 NTU as recommended by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for water intended for irrigation. A positive correlation was established between reduction in turbidity and helminth eggs in irrigation water, turbid water and wastewater treated with MO. This indicates that helminth eggs attach to suspended particles and/or flocs facilitated by MO in the water, and that turbidity and helminth eggs are reduced with the settling flocs. However, more experiments with water samples containing naturally occurring helminth eggs are needed to establish whether turbidity can be used as a proxy for helminth eggs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Nanotechnology for sustainable wastewater treatment and use for agricultural production: A comparative long-term study.

    PubMed

    De La Cueva Bueno, Patricia; Gillerman, Leonid; Gehr, Ronald; Oron, Gideon

    2017-03-01

    Nanotechnology applications can be used for filtering low quality waters, allowing under given conditions, the removal of salts and other micropollutants from these waters. A long-term field experiment, implementing nanotechnology in the form of UltraFiltration (UF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO) for salt removal from treated wastewater, was conducted with secondary effluents, aiming to prove the sustainability of agricultural production using irrigation with treated wastewater. Six outdoor field treatments, each under four replications, were conducted for examining the salt accumulation effects on the soil and the crops. The field experiments proved that crop development is correlated with the water quality as achieved from the wastewater filtration capability of the hybrid nanotechnology system. The key goal was to maintain sustainable food production, despite the low quality of the waters. Of the six treatment methods tested, irrigation with RO-treated effluent produced the best results in terms of its effect on soil salinity and crop yield. Nevertheless, it must be kept in mind that this process is not only costly, but it also removes all organic matter content from the irrigation water, requiring the addition of fertilizers to the effluent. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Recycling of treated domestic effluent from an on-site wastewater treatment system for hydroponics.

    PubMed

    Oyama, N; Nair, J; Ho, G E

    2005-01-01

    An alternative method to conserve water and produce crops in arid regions is through hydroponics. Application of treated wastewater for hydroponics will help in stripping off nutrients from wastewater, maximising reuse through reduced evaporation losses, increasing control on quality of water and reducing risk of pathogen contamination. This study focuses on the efficiency of treated wastewater from an on-site aerobic wastewater treatment unit. The experiment aimed to investigate 1) nutrient reduction 2) microbial reduction and 3) growth rate of plants fed on wastewater compared to a commercial hydroponics medium. The study revealed that the chemical and microbial quality of wastewater after hydroponics was safe and satisfactory for irrigation and plant growth rate in wastewater hydroponics was similar to those grown in a commercial medium.

  10. Technical-economic modelling of integrated water management: wastewater reuse in a French island.

    PubMed

    Xu, P; Valette, F; Brissaud, F; Fazio, A; Lazarova, V

    2001-01-01

    An integrated technical-economic model is used to address water management issues in the French island of Noirmoutier. The model simulates potable water production and supply, potable and non potable water demand and consumption, wastewater collection, treatment and disposal, water storage, transportation and reuse. A variety of water management scenarios is assessed through technical, economic and environmental evaluation. The scenarios include wastewater reclamation and reuse for agricultural and landscape irrigation as well as domestic non potable application, desalination of seawater and brackish groundwater for potable water supply. The study shows that, in Noirmoutier, wastewater reclamation and reuse for crop irrigation is the most cost-effective solution to the lack of water resources and the protection of sensitive environment. Some water management projects which are regarded as having less economic benefit in the short-term may become competitive in the future, as a result of tightened environmental policy, changed public attitudes and advanced water treatment technologies. The model provides an appropriate tool for water resources planning and management.

  11. From microbes to water districts: Linking observations across scales to uncover the implications of riparian and channel management on water quality in an irrigated agricultural landscape

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Webster, A.; Cadenasso, M. L.

    2016-12-01

    Interactions among runoff, riparian and stream ecosystems, and water quality remain uncertain in many settings, particularly those heavily impacted by human activities. For example, waterways in the irrigated agricultural landscape of California's Central Valley are seasonally disconnected from groundwater tables and are extensively modified by infrastructure and management. These conditions make the impact of riparian and channel management difficult to predict across scales, which hinders efforts to promote best management practices to improve water quality. We seek to link observations across catchment, reach, and patch scales to understand patterns of nitrate and turbidity in waterways draining irrigated cropland. Data was collected on 80 reaches spanning two water management districts. At the catchment scale, water districts implemented waterway and riparian management differently: one water district had a decentralized approach, allowing individual land owners to manage their waterway channels and banks, while the other had a centralized approach, in which land owners defer management to a district-run program. At the reach scale, riparian and waterway vegetation, geomorphic complexity, and flow conditions were quantified. Reach-scale management such as riparian planting projects and channel dredging frequency were also considered. At the patch scale, denitrification potential and organic matter were measured in riparian toe-slope soils and channel sediments, along with associated vegetation and geomorphic features. All factors were tested for their ability to predict water quality using generalized linear mixed effects models and the consistency of predictors within and across scales was evaluated. A hierarchy of predictors emerges: catchment-scale management regimes predict reach-scale geomorphic and vegetation complexity, which in turn predicts sediment denitrification potential - the patch-scale factor most associated with low nitrate. Similarly

  12. Dissemination of sustainable irrigation strategies for almond and olive orchards via a participatory approach. Project LIFE+IRRIMAN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garcia-Vila, Margarita; Gamero-Ojeda, Pablo; Ascension Carmona, Maria; Berlanga, Jose; Fereres, Elias

    2017-04-01

    Dissemination of sustainable irrigation strategies for almond and olive orchards via a participatory approach. Project LIFE+IRRIMAN Spain is the world's first and third largest producer of olive oil and almond, respectively. Despite huge efforts in the last years by the production sector towards intensification, cultural issues relative to the traditional rain-fed crop management know how, prevent farmers from adoption of sustainable irrigation management practices. Consequently, even though there has been progress in irrigation management research for these two crops, adoption of modern irrigation techniques by farmers has been slow. Sustainable irrigation strategies for olive and almond orchards are being designed, implemented, validated and disseminated under the framework of the LIFE+ IRRIMAN project, through a participatory approach. The implementation of the LIFE+ IRRIMAN innovative and demonstrative actions has been carried out in an irrigation district of Southern Spain (Genil-Cabra Irrigation Scheme, Andalusia). The approach designed has four phases: i) design and implementation of sustainable irrigation strategies in demonstration farms; ii) dissemination of best irrigation practices which were tested in the initial year throughout the irrigation scheme by the irrigation advisory service; iii) assessment of degree of adoption and re-design of the dissemination strategies; and, iv) based on the results obtained, elaboration of sustainable irrigation guidelines for knowledge transfer in the district at regional and national levels to promote changes in irrigation practices. Participatory approaches have proven to be effective tools for successful irrigation strategies design and diffusion, especially in traditional rain fed crops such as olive and almond trees in the Mediterranean countries. Acknowledgements This work has been funded by the European Union LIFE+ project IRRIMAN (LIFE13 ENV/ES/000539).

  13. Greenhouse studies on the phyto-extraction capacity of Cynodon nlemfuensis for lead and cadmium under irrigation with treated wastewater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madyiwa, S.; Chimbari, M. J.; Schutte, C. F.; Nyamangara, J.

    For over 30 years, discharge of sewage effluent and sludge on pasturelands has been used in Zimbabwe as a cheap method for secondary treatment of wastewater without any monitoring of accumulation of heavy metals in soils and grasses, let alone in animals grazing on the pastures. Cynodon nlemfuensis (star grass) has been the main grass planted on the wastewater irrigated pasturelands. This study was conducted to assess the capacity of star grass to accumulate lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) and develop models incorporating grass yield, metal uptake and soil bio-available (EDTA extractable) metal content, that could be used to determine critical grass and soil concentrations at which grass productivity declines. Star grass was planted in 30 fertilized pots containing sandy soil within a greenhouse. The pots consisted of nine treatments of varying levels of added inorganic Pb and Cd subjected to treated wastewater application and one control that had no added metals and received water application only. The elements were applied to the soils once just after planting the grass. Chemical analyses showed that star grass had a relatively high phyto-extraction capacity of Pb and Cd, comparable to that of hyper-accumulating grasses such as Lolium perenne (rye grass). It accumulated Pb and Cd to levels far beyond the recommended maximum limits for pasture grass. Analysis of variance on log-normal transformed data showed that bio-available soil metal concentrations correlated strongly with grass metal content and grass metal content correlated strongly with the yield. There was however a weak correlation between the yield and bio-available soil levels. The yield versus grass metal content models that were developed for the first crop and re-growth predicted similar critical metal concentrations and yields. Using the critical grass metal concentrations in the soil bio-available metal concentration versus grass metal concentration models allowed for the prediction of the

  14. Environmental transport and fate of endocrine disruptors from non-potable reuse of municipal wastewater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hudson, B; Beller, H; Bartel, C M

    This project was designed to investigate the important but virtually unstudied topic of the subsurface transport and fate of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs) when treated wastewater is used for landscape irrigation (non-potable water reuse). Although potable water reuse was outside the scope of this project, the investigation clearly has relevance to such water recycling practices. The target compounds, which are discussed in the following section and include EDCs such as 4-nonylphenol (NP) and 17{beta}-estradiol, were studied not only because of their potential estrogenic effects on receptors but also because they can be useful as tracers of wastewater residue in groundwater.more » Since the compounds were expected to occur at very low (part per trillion) concentrations in groundwater, highly selective and sensitive analytical techniques had to be developed for their analysis. This project assessed the distributions of these compounds in wastewater effluents and groundwater, and examined their fate in laboratory soil columns simulating the infiltration of treated wastewater into an aquifer (e.g., as could occur during irrigation of a golf course or park with nonpotable treated water). Bioassays were used to determine the estrogenic activity present in effluents and groundwater, and the results were correlated with those from chemical analysis. In vitro assays for estrogenic activity were employed to provide an integrated measure of estrogenic potency of environmental samples without requiring knowledge or measurement of all bioactive compounds in the samples. For this project, the Las Positas Golf Course (LPGC) in the City of Livermore provided an ideal setting. Since 1978, irrigation of this area with treated wastewater has dominated the overall water budget. For a variety of reasons, a group of 10 monitoring wells were installed to evaluate wastewater impacts on the local groundwater. Additionally, these wells were regularly monitored for tritium ({sup 3

  15. Effect of treated wastewater application on soil water repellency of sandy soil with olive trees and grass cover

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Diamantis, V.; Ziogas, A.; Giougis, J.; Pliakas, F.; Diamantis, I.

    2009-04-01

    Soil water repellency has received significant attention due to water scarcity and increasing demand of irrigation water worldwide. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of treated wastewater application on soil water repellency of a repellent sandy soil with olive trees and grass cover. Secondary effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant was applied directly on the field on a 4×2 m plot. Freshwater and a mixture of freshwater:wastewater (1:1) were used in subsequent plots for comparison. A total of 62 water applications were performed between March 2006 and July 2008. The soil receiving the mixture of freshwater:wastewater exhibited the highest wettability. The soil water repellency after the first year of wastewater application decreased in the respective plot compared with the soil under natural conditions. The higher values of the WDPT were determined on the freshwater irrigated plot. The field-moist samples on all plots revealed high wettability because the moisture content of the soil was maintained above the critical soil water content. The results of this study reveal that short-term application of treated municipal wastewater does not induce soil water repellency.

  16. Anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater using the UASB-technology.

    PubMed

    Urban, I; Weichgrebe, D; Rosenwinkel, K-H

    2007-01-01

    The anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater enables new applications for the reuse of wastewater. The effluent could be used for irrigation as the included nutrients are not affected by the treatment. Much more interesting now are renewable energies and the retrenchment of CO(2) emission. With the anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater, not only can the CO(2) emission be reduced but "clean" energy supply can be gained by biogas. Most important for the sustainability of this process is the gathering of methane from the liquid effluent of the reactor, because the negative climate-relevant effect from the degassing methane is much higher than the positive effect from saving CO(2) emission. In this study, UASB reactors were used with a flocculent sludge blanket for the biodegradation of the carbon fraction in the wastewater with different temperatures and concentrations. It could be shown that the positive effect is much higher for municipal wastewater with high concentrations in hot climates.

  17. Climate forcing and desert malaria: the effect of irrigation.

    PubMed

    Baeza, Andres; Bouma, Menno J; Dobson, Andy P; Dhiman, Ramesh; Srivastava, Harish C; Pascual, Mercedes

    2011-07-14

    Rainfall variability and associated remote sensing indices for vegetation are central to the development of early warning systems for epidemic malaria in arid regions. The considerable change in land-use practices resulting from increasing irrigation in recent decades raises important questions on concomitant change in malaria dynamics and its coupling to climate forcing. Here, the consequences of irrigation level for malaria epidemics are addressed with extensive time series data for confirmed Plasmodium falciparum monthly cases, spanning over two decades for five districts in north-west India. The work specifically focuses on the response of malaria epidemics to rainfall forcing and how this response is affected by increasing irrigation. Remote sensing data for the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) are used as an integrated measure of rainfall to examine correlation maps within the districts and at regional scales. The analyses specifically address whether irrigation has decreased the coupling between malaria incidence and climate variability, and whether this reflects (1) a breakdown of NDVI as a useful indicator of risk, (2) a weakening of rainfall forcing and a concomitant decrease in epidemic risk, or (3) an increase in the control of malaria transmission. The predictive power of NDVI is compared against that of rainfall, using simple linear models and wavelet analysis to study the association of NDVI and malaria variability in the time and in the frequency domain respectively. The results show that irrigation dampens the influence of climate forcing on the magnitude and frequency of malaria epidemics and, therefore, reduces their predictability. At low irrigation levels, this decoupling reflects a breakdown of local but not regional NDVI as an indicator of rainfall forcing. At higher levels of irrigation, the weakened role of climate variability may be compounded by increased levels of control; nevertheless this leads to no significant decrease

  18. Management of water for irrigation agriculture in semi-arid areas: Problems and prospects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mvungi, A.; Mashauri, D.; Madulu, N. F.

    Most of the Mwanga district is classified as semi-arid with a rainfall range of 300 and 600 mm. Rainfall patterns in the district are unpredictable and are subject to great fluctuations. Like other semi-arid areas, the district is characterized with land degradation, unreliable rainfall, repeated water shortage, periodic famine, overgrazing, dry land cultivation in the marginal areas and heavy competition for limited biomass between farmers and cattle. Vulnerability here is high due to unreliability of weather. The people of Mwanga are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. However agriculture is difficult in the area due to inadequate rainfall. For a very long time the people have been dependent on irrigation agriculture to ensure food security. Of late the traditional irrigation system is on the decline threatening food security in the area. This paper examines the state and status of the irrigation canal system in Mwanga district with the view of recommending ways in which it can be improved. The study used participatory, survey and in-depth interviews to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data. The major findings are that social, political, environmental and demographic bases that supported the traditional irrigation system have changed drastically. As a corollary to this, the cultural and religious belief systems that supported and guided the traditional canal system management have been replaced by mistrust and corruption in water allocation. In addition the ownership and management system of the water resources that was vested in the initiator clans has changed and now water user groups own the canals/furrows but they do not own the water sources. This has rendered the control of the water sources difficult if not impossible. Currently the system is faced by a number of problems including shortage of water and poor management as demand for water increases and this has led to serious conflicts among and between crop producers and pastoralists

  19. Generic E. coli levels in surface and nontraditional irrigation water in the mid Atlantic in relation to FSMA water quality standards: A CONSERVE study

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Introduction: The use of surface (pond and river) and nontraditional (reclaimed wastewater, produce wash water) irrigation water (SNIW) could reduce stress on ground water resources. However, it is essential to understand how these irrigation sources may influence the microbiological safety of fresh...

  20. Conventional wastewater treatment and reuse site practices modify bacterial community structure but do not eliminate some opportunistic pathogens in reclaimed water.

    PubMed

    Kulkarni, Prachi; Olson, Nathan D; Paulson, Joseph N; Pop, Mihai; Maddox, Cynthia; Claye, Emma; Rosenberg Goldstein, Rachel E; Sharma, Manan; Gibbs, Shawn G; Mongodin, Emmanuel F; Sapkota, Amy R

    2018-10-15

    Water recycling continues to expand across the United States, from areas that have access to advanced, potable-level treated reclaimed water, to those having access only to reclaimed water treated at conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants. This expansion makes it important to further characterize the microbial quality of these conventionally-treated water sources. Therefore, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize total bacterial communities present in differentially-treated wastewater and reclaimed water (n = 67 samples) from four U.S. wastewater treatment plants and one associated spray irrigation site conducting on-site ultraviolet treatment and open-air storage. The number of observed operational taxonomic units was significantly lower (p < 0.01) in effluent, compared to influent, after conventional treatment. Effluent community structure was influenced more by treatment method than by influent community structure. The abundance of Legionella spp. increased as treatment progressed in one treatment plant that performed chlorination and in another that seasonally chlorinated. Overall, the alpha-diversity of bacterial communities in reclaimed water decreased (p < 0.01) during wastewater treatment and spray irrigation site ultraviolet treatment (p < 0.01), but increased (p < 0.01) after open-air storage at the spray irrigation site. The abundance of Legionella spp. was higher at the sprinkler system pumphouse at the spray irrigation site than in the influent from the treatment plant supplying the site. Legionella pneumophila was detected in conventionally treated effluent samples and in samples collected after ultraviolet treatment at the spray irrigation site, while Legionella feeleii persisted throughout on-site treatment at the spray irrigation site, and, along with Mycobacterium gordonae, was also detected at the sprinkler system pumphouse at the spray irrigation site. These data could inform the development of future

  1. Electrochemical disinfection of toilet wastewater using wastewater electrolysis cell

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Xiao; Qu, Yan; Cid, Clément A.; Finke, Cody; Hoffmann, Michael R.; Lim, Keahying; Jiang, Sunny C.

    2016-01-01

    The paucity of proper sanitation facilities has contributed to the spread of waterborne diseases in many developing countries. The primary goal of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using a wastewater electrolysis cell (WEC) for toilet wastewater disinfection. The treated wastewater was designed to reuse for toilet flushing and agricultural irrigation. Laboratory-scale electrochemical (EC) disinfection experiments were performed to investigate the disinfection efficiency of the WEC with four seeded microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, recombinant adenovirus serotype 5, and bacteriophage MS2). In addition, the formation of organic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA5) at the end of the EC treatment was also investigated. The results showed that at an applied cell voltage of +4 V, the WEC achieved 5-log10 reductions of all four seeded microorganisms in real toilet wastewater within 60 min. In contrast, chemical chlorination (CC) disinfection using hypochlorite [NaClO] was only effective for the inactivation of bacteria. Due to the rapid formation of chloramines, less than 0.5-log10 reduction of MS2 was observed in toilet wastewater even at the highest [NaClO] dosage (36 mg/L, as Cl2) over a 1 h reaction. Experiments using laboratory model waters showed that free reactive chlorine generated in situ during EC disinfection process was the main disinfectant responsible for the inactivation of microorganisms. However, the production of hydroxyl radicals [•OH], and other reactive oxygen species by the active bismuth-doped TiO2 anode were negligible under the same electrolytic conditions. The formation of THMs and HAA5 were found to increase with higher applied cell voltage. Based on the energy consumption estimates, the WEC system can be operated using solar energy stored in a DC battery as the sole power source. PMID:26854604

  2. Sustainability of irrigated crops under future climate: the interplay of irrigation strategies and cultivar responses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Lorenzi, F.; Bonfante, A.; Alfieri, S.; Patanè, C.; Basile, A.; Di Tommasi, P.; Monaco, E.; Menenti, M.

    2012-04-01

    Climate evolution will cause significant changes in the quality and availability of water resources, affecting many sectors including food production, where available water resources for irrigation play a crucial role. Strategies focused on managing and conserving water are one way to deal with the impact; moreover concurring adaptation measurements will be needed to cope with the foreseen decline of water resource. This work deals with i) the impacts of climate change on water requirements of an horticultural crop, determined in an irrigated district in Southern Italy, ii) the possible irrigation scheduling options and their sustainability in the future, iii) the adaptation measurements that can be undertaken to protect production, relying on intra-specific biodiversity of agricultural crops. Two climate scenarios were considered: present climate (1961-90) and future climate (2021-2050), the former from climatic statistics, and the latter from statistical downscaling of general circulation models (AOGCM). Climatic data set consists of daily time series of maximum and minimum temperature, and rainfall on a grid with spatial resolution of 35 km. The analysis of climate scenarios showed that significant increases in summer maximum daily temperature could be expected in 2021-2050 period. Soil water regime was determined by means of a mechanistic model (SWAP) of water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. Twenty? soil units were identified in the district (in Sele Plain, Campania Region) and simulations were performed accounting for hydro-pedological properties of different soil units. Parameters of a generic tomato crop, in a rotation typical of the area, were used in simulations. Soil water balance was simulated in the present and future climate, both with optimal water availability and under constrains that irrigation schemes will pose. Indicators of soil water availability were calculated, in terms of soil water or evapotranspiration deficit. For several tomato

  3. Organochlorine insecticide residues are found in surface, irrigated water samples from several districts in Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Chowdhury, Alamgir Zaman; Islam, Mohammad Nazrul; Moniruzzaman, Mohammed; Gan, Siew Hua; Alam, Md Khorshed

    2013-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence and distribution of organochlorines such as aldrin, dieldrin, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), endrin, lindane and heptachlor insecticide residues in irrigated surface water samples collected from 22 districts in Bangladesh. The concentrations of the pesticides were determined using gas chromatography mass spectrophotometry. Water samples from five locations (Feni, Nawabganj, Putia, Burichang and Chatak) were contaminated with DDT; the highest DDT concentration detected was 8.29 μg/L, and its metabolite, DDE, was detected at 4.06 μg/L. Water samples from four other locations (Natore, Sikderpara, Chatak and Rajoir) were contaminated with heptachlor residues, and the highest level detected was 5.24 μg/L, which is the above the maximum contaminant level recommended by the World Health Organisation. A water sample collected from Chatak, Sunamganj, was contaminated with both DDT and heptachlor pesticide residues. None of the water samples were contaminated with aldrin, DDD, dieldrin, endrin or lindane. It is concluded that continuous, long-term monitoring and essential steps to limit the use of the pesticides in Bangladesh are needed.

  4. Chlorinated and ultraviolet radiation -treated reclaimed irrigation water is the source of Aeromonas found in vegetables used for human consumption.

    PubMed

    Latif-Eugenín, Fadua; Beaz-Hidalgo, Roxana; Silvera-Simón, Carolina; Fernandez-Cassi, Xavi; Figueras, María J

    2017-04-01

    Wastewater is increasingly being recognized as a key water resource, and reclaimed water (or treated wastewater) is used for irrigating vegetables destined for human consumption. The aim of the present study was to determine the diversity and prevalence of Aeromonas spp. both in reclaimed water used for irrigation and in the three types of vegetables irrigated with that water. Seven of the 11 (63.6%) samples of reclaimed water and all samples of vegetables were positive for the presence of Aeromonas. A total of 216 Aeromonas isolates were genotyped and corresponded to 132 different strains that after identification by sequencing the rpoD gene belonged to 10 different species. The prevalence of the species varied depending on the type of sample. In the secondary treated reclaimed water A. caviae and A. media dominated (91.4%) while A. salmonicida, A. media, A. allosaccharophila and A. popoffii represented 74.0% of the strains in the irrigation water. In vegetables, A. caviae (75.0%) was the most common species, among which a strain isolated from lettuce had the same genotype (ERIC pattern) as a strain recovered from the irrigation water. Furthermore, the same genotype of the species A. sanarellii was recovered from parsley and tomatoes demonstrating that irrigation water was the source of contamination and confirming the risk for public health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Utilization of reverse osmosis (RO) for reuse of MBR-treated wastewater in irrigation-preliminary tests and quality analysis of product water.

    PubMed

    Bunani, Samuel; Yörükoğlu, Eren; Sert, Gökhan; Kabay, Nalan; Yüksel, Ümran; Yüksel, Mithat; Egemen, Özdemir; Pek, Taylan Özgür

    2018-02-01

    Membrane bioreactor (MBR) effluent collected from a wastewater treatment plant installed at an industrial zone was used for reverse osmosis (RO) membrane tests in the laboratory. For this, two different GE Osmonics RO membranes (AK-BWRO and AD-SWRO) were employed. The results showed that AK-brackish water reverse osmosis (AK-BWRO) and AD-seawater reverse osmosis (AD-SWRO) membranes have almost similar rejection performances regarding analyzed parameters such as conductivity, salinity, color, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total organic carbon (TOC). On the other hand, these membranes behaved quite differently considering their permeate water flux at the same applied pressure of 10 bar. AD-SWRO membrane was also tested at 20 bar. The results revealed that AD-SWRO membrane had almost the same rejections either at 10 or at 20 bar of applied pressure. Compared with irrigation water standards, AK-BWRO and AD-SWRO gave an effluent with low salinity value and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) which makes it unsuitable for irrigation due to the infiltration problems risi0ng from unbalanced values of salinity and SAR. Combination of MBR effluent and RO effluent at respective proportions of 0.3:0.7 and 0.4:0.6 for AK-BWRO and AD-SWRO, respectively, are the optimum mixing ratios to overcome the infiltration hazard problem. Choice of less-sensitive crops to chloride and sodium ions is another strategy to overcome all hazards which may arise from above suggested mixing proportions.

  6. Quantitative sustainability and qualitative concerns in an irrigations system using recycled water to supplement limited groundwater supply

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gowing, John; Alataway, Abed

    2013-04-01

    Sustainability of irrigation in a country facing water scarcity depends upon adoption of best management practices to deliver 'more crop per drop' together with use of recycled waste-water from urban sewage systems. Saudi Arabia is a country facing extreme water scarcity and in this paper we report on research conducted at an extensive irrigation system where a concerted effort over several years has been devoted to achieving a high level of water productivity. Al-Ahsa oasis is located about 60 km inland from the Persian Gulf and has been inhabited since prehistoric times, due to the abundance of water in an otherwise arid region. It is one of the largest oases in the world with 12,000 hectares of irrigated land and more than 2 million palm trees. Historically the oasis was watered by over 60 artesian springs, but water is now pumped from the aquifer. To supplement this groundwater source, treated waste-water reuse has been practiced since 1992 and now comprises 30% of total supply. In addition, a comparable amount of agricultural drainage water is collected and recycled, so that the 'first-use' water represents only 40% of total irrigation supply. While this re-use system permits sustained irrigation with greatly reduced groundwater abstraction, there is a potential down-side in that fertilizers and contaminants applied with irrigation water move through the soil and return to the irrigation supply enhancing the risk for human and animal health. We investigated this problem using E coli and helminth eggs as indicators of human health risk. We sampled each of the three sources which are delivered separately to the head of the main irrigation canal where they are blended. The groundwater was free from E coli and helminths and the treated wastewater source was generally within designated quality standards. The recycled drainage water was delivered untreated into the canal system and was found to be contaminated with both E coli and helminths above acceptable

  7. Membrane filtration of olive mill wastewater and exploitation of its fractions.

    PubMed

    Paraskeva, C A; Papadakis, V G; Kanellopoulou, D G; Koutsoukos, P G; Angelopoulos, K C

    2007-04-01

    Olive mill wastewater (OMW) produced from small units scattered in rural areas of Southern Europe is a major source of pollution of surface and subsurface water. In the present work, a treatment scheme based on physical separation methods is presented. The investigation was carried out using a pilot-plant unit equipped with ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis membranes. Approximately 80% of the total volume of wastewater treated by the membrane units was sufficiently cleaned to meet the standards for irrigation water. The concentrated fractions collected in the treatment concentrates were characterized by high organic load and high content of phenolic compounds. The concentrates were tested in hydroponic systems to examine their toxicity towards undesired herbs. The calculations of the cost of the overall process showed that fixed and operational costs could be recovered from the exploitation of OMW byproducts as water for irrigation and/or as bioherbicides.

  8. Comparative study of plant growth of two poplar tree species irrigated with treated wastewater, with particular reference to accumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, As, and Ni).

    PubMed

    Houda, Zarati; Bejaoui, Zoubeir; Albouchi, Ali; Gupta, Dharmendra K; Corpas, Francisco J

    2016-02-01

    Water is a scarce natural resource around the world which can hamper the socio-economic development of many countries. The Mediterranean area, especially north Africa, is known for its semi-arid to arid climate, causing serious water supply problems. Treated wastewater (TWW) is being used as an alternative strategy for recycling wastewater. It is also a potential source of nutrients for reforestation with certain plant species such as poplar trees, a useful wood resource, and even for phytoremediation purposes. In the present study, we used treated wastewater to irrigate two clones of 1-year-old poplar trees (Populus nigra cv. I-488 and Populus alba cv. MA-104) for 90 days. After a stipulated time, a comparative study was made of the effects of TWW on growth parameters, acquisition of essential minerals (Na, Fe and Zn) and pollutants (Cd, Pb, As and Ni) as well as the enrichment of secondary metabolites such as polyphenolic, flavonoid and tannin compounds which could contribute to the growth and development of poplar plants. The results of this study show that the use of TWW increased P. alba's biomass production by 36% and also enhanced its Cd and Pb accumulation capacity. We also found that P. alba has considerable potential to be used as an alternative plant species for reforestation and/or phytoremediation of toxic metals from contaminated water or effluent.

  9. Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District Chief Operator Recognized for Outstanding Service

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Joseph Nowak, a resident of Ware Mass. and Chief Operator of the Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District (District) in Milbury, Mass., was honored by EPA with a 2016 Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator of the Year Excellence Award.

  10. Heavy metals concentration in vegetables irrigated with contaminated and fresh water and estimation of their daily intakes in suburb areas of Hamadan, Iran.

    PubMed

    Seid-Mohammadi, Abdolmotaleb; Roshanaei, Ghodratollah; Asgari, Ghorban

    2014-01-01

    This study was conducted to estimate the level of heavy metals accumulate in vegetables irrigated with contaminated water compared with those irrigated with fresh water in Hamadan, west of Iran in 2012. Sixty samples of different vegetables i.e., parsley, tarragon, sweat basil and leek irrigated with contaminated water and thirty six samples from three different adjacent areas irrigated with fresh water as control were analyzed to determine heavy metals. The concentration of heavy metals i.e., lead, cadmium and chromium were achieved using atomic adsorption spectrophotometer. The mean concentration of lead, chromium and cadmium regardless of the kind of vegetables irrigated with contaminated water was 6.24, 1.57 and 0.15 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, metals uptake differences by the vegetables were recognized to vegetable differences in tolerance to heavy metals. Based on the above concentrations the dietary intakes of metals through vegetables consumption were 0.004, 0.0008 and 6E-05 mg/day in infants for lead, chromium and cadmium, respectively. The high concentration of these heavy metals in some vegetables might be attributed due to the use of untreated sanitary and industrial wastewater by farmers for the irrigation of vegetable lands. Therefore, treating of these wastewater and bioremediation of excess metals from polluted vegetation land could be considered.

  11. Development of an Integrated Wastewater Treatment System/water reuse/agriculture model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fox, C. H.; Schuler, A.

    2017-12-01

    Factors like increasing population, urbanization, and climate change have made the management of water resources a challenge for municipalities. By understanding wastewater recycling for agriculture in arid regions, we can expand the supply of water to agriculture and reduce energy use at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This can improve management decisions between WWTPs and water managers. The objective of this research is to develop a prototype integrated model of the wastewater treatment system and nearby agricultural areas linked by water and nutrients, using the Albuquerque Southeast Eastern Reclamation Facility (SWRF) and downstream agricultural system as a case study. Little work has been done to understand how such treatment technology decisions affect the potential for water ruse, nutrient recovery in agriculture, overall energy consumption and agriculture production and water quality. A holistic approach to understanding synergies and tradeoffs between treatment, reuse, and agriculture is needed. For example, critical wastewater treatment process decisions include options to nitrify (oxidize ammonia), which requires large amounts of energy, to operate at low dissolved oxygen concentrations, which requires much less energy, whether to recover nitrogen and phosphorus, chemically in biosolids, or in reuse water for agriculture, whether to generate energy from anaerobic digestion, and whether to develop infrastructure for agricultural reuse. The research first includes quantifying existing and feasible agricultural sites suitable for irrigation by reuse wastewater as well as existing infrastructure such as irrigation canals and piping by using GIS databases. Second, a nutrient and water requirement for common New Mexico crop is being determined. Third, a wastewater treatment model will be utilized to quantify energy usage and nutrient removal under various scenarios. Different agricultural reuse sensors and treatment technologies will be explored. The

  12. Predicting deep percolation with eddy covariance under mulch drip irrigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ming, Guanghui; Tian, Fuqiang; Hu, Hongchang

    2016-04-01

    Water is essential for the agricultural development and ecological sustainability of the arid and semi-arid oasis with rare precipitation input and high evaporation demand. Deep percolation (DP) defined as excess irrigation water percolating below the plant root zone will reduce irrigation water use efficiency (WUE). But the DP was often ignored in mulch drip irrigation (MDI) which has reached the area of 1.6 million hectares in Xinjiang, the northwest of China. In this study DP experiments were conducted at an agricultural experiment station located within an irrigation district in the Tarim River Basin for four cotton growing periods. First it was detected the irrigation water infiltrated into the soil layers below 100cm and the groundwater level responded to the irrigation events well. Then DP below 100cm soil layers was calculated using the soil water balance method with the aid of eddy covariance (with the energy balance closure of 0.72). The negative DP (groundwater contribution to the crop-water use through capillary rising) at the seedling and harvesting stages can reach 77mm and has a good negative correlation with the groundwater level and positive correlation with potential evaporation. During the drip irrigation stage approximately 45% of the irrigation became DP and resulted in the low irrigation WUE of 0.6. The DP can be 164mm to 270mm per year which was positive linearly correlated to irrigation depth and negative linear correlated to irrigation interval. It is better to establish the irrigation schedule with small irrigation depth and given frequently to reduce deep percolation and meet crop needs.

  13. Hydraulic characteristics of an underdrained irrigation circle, Muskegon County, wastewater disposal system, Michigan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McDonald, M.G.

    1981-01-01

    Muskegon County, Michigan, disposes of waste water by spray irrigating farmland on its waste-disposal site. Buried drains in the highly permeable unconfined aquifer at the site control the level of the water table. Hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer and drain-leakance, the reciprocal of resistance to flow into the drains, was determined at a representative irrigation circle while calibrating a model of the ground-water flow system. Hydraulic conductivity is 0.00055 meter per second in the north zone of the circle and 0.00039 meter per second in the south zone. Drain leakance is low in both zones: 2.9 x 10-6 meters per second in the north and 9.5 x 10-6 meters per second in the south. Low drain leakance is responsible for waterlogging when irrigation rates are maintained at design levels. The capacity of the study circle to accept waste water is 35 percent less than design capacity.

  14. Effects of the dissolved organic carbon of treated municipal wastewater on soil infiltration as related to sodium adsorption ratio and pH

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Increasing scarcity of fresh water in arid and semi arid regions means that we must utilize alternative water supplies for irrigation if we are to sustain agricultural production in these regions. Treated municipal wastewaters are being increasingly utilized for irrigation. In general only the salin...

  15. Review of wastewater problems and wastewater-management planning in the San Francisco Bay region, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hines, Walter G.

    1973-01-01

    bay, in the Pacific Ocean, or on land. Also, wastewater-reclamation and water-reuse concepts seem to be growing in favor with the public and should become and important part of future wastewater-management plans. Because most wastewater-reclamation and water-reuse systems would involve the use of land (that is agricultural irrigation, ground-water recharge, recreational reservoirs) local and regional lang-use planners can ass much to wastewater-management planning by identifying local and subregional waterwater-reclamation and water-reuse possibilities within their jurisdictions and integrating them with future land-use plans. The timely participation of planner is essential because Federal and State planning and funding deadlines for a regional wastewater-management system become effective in July 1973 and 1974, respectively.

  16. The potential implications of reclaimed wastewater reuse for irrigation on the agricultural environment: The knowns and unknowns of the fate of antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria and resistance genes - A review.

    PubMed

    Christou, Anastasis; Agüera, Ana; Bayona, Josep Maria; Cytryn, Eddie; Fotopoulos, Vasileios; Lambropoulou, Dimitra; Manaia, Célia M; Michael, Costas; Revitt, Mike; Schröder, Peter; Fatta-Kassinos, Despo

    2017-10-15

    The use of reclaimed wastewater (RWW) for the irrigation of crops may result in the continuous exposure of the agricultural environment to antibiotics, antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In recent years, certain evidence indicate that antibiotics and resistance genes may become disseminated in agricultural soils as a result of the amendment with manure and biosolids and irrigation with RWW. Antibiotic residues and other contaminants may undergo sorption/desorption and transformation processes (both biotic and abiotic), and have the potential to affect the soil microbiota. Antibiotics found in the soil pore water (bioavailable fraction) as a result of RWW irrigation may be taken up by crop plants, bioaccumulate within plant tissues and subsequently enter the food webs; potentially resulting in detrimental public health implications. It can be also hypothesized that ARGs can spread among soil and plant-associated bacteria, a fact that may have serious human health implications. The majority of studies dealing with these environmental and social challenges related with the use of RWW for irrigation were conducted under laboratory or using, somehow, controlled conditions. This critical review discusses the state of the art on the fate of antibiotics, ARB and ARGs in agricultural environment where RWW is applied for irrigation. The implications associated with the uptake of antibiotics by plants (uptake mechanisms) and the potential risks to public health are highlighted. Additionally, knowledge gaps as well as challenges and opportunities are addressed, with the aim of boosting future research towards an enhanced understanding of the fate and implications of these contaminants of emerging concern in the agricultural environment. These are key issues in a world where the increasing water scarcity and the continuous appeal of circular economy demand answers for a long-term safe use of RWW for irrigation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier

  17. Is the risk of illness through consuming vegetables irrigated with reclaimed wastewater different for different population groups?

    PubMed

    Hamilton, A J; Stagnitti, F S; Premier, R; Boland, A M

    2006-01-01

    The use of reclaimed wastewater for irrigation of horticultural crops is commonplace in many parts of the world and is likely to increase. Concerns about risks to human health arising from such practice, especially with respect to infection with microbial pathogens, are common. Several factors need to be considered when attempting to quantify the risk posed to a population, such as the concentration of pathogens in the source water, water treatment efficiency, the volume of water coming into contact with the crop, and the die-off rate of pathogens in the environment. Another factor, which has received relatively less attention, is the amount of food consumed. Plainly, higher consumption rates place one at greater risk of becoming infected. The amount of vegetables consumed is known to vary among ethic groups. We use Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment Modelling (QMRA) to see if certain ethnic groups are exposed to higher risks by virtue of their consumption behaviour. The results suggest that despite the disparities in consumption rates by different ethnic groups they generally all faced comparable levels of risks. We conclude by suggesting that QMRA should be used to assess the relative levels of risk faced by groups based on divisions other than ethnicity, such as those with compromised immune systems.

  18. An assessment of the public health hazard potential of wastewater reuse for crop production. A case of Bulawayo city, Zimbabwe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mutengu, Sherman; Hoko, Zvikomborero; Makoni, Fungai. S.

    Wastewater reuse is one possible way in which food production can be improved especially in developing countries where food is often scarce. However, the potential public health risks associated with wastewater use is of major concern. Health concerns are centered on pathogens and other health related pollutants that normally occur in the effluent. This research was conducted in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe during the period December 2005-May 2006. Bulawayo is a semi-arid area, with an average rainfall of 460 mm/annum and experiences frequent droughts. The study aimed at assessing the potential health impacts of effluent reuse for irrigating crops. Some 110 farmers are using wastewater for irrigation of vegetable crops on plots of about 500 m 2 each. Samples were collected from the effluent, the fields and vegetables and analyzed for selected quality parameters of health significance. Results were compared to national and international guidelines for effluent use in irrigation. Farmers’ knowledge on potential risks and practices were investigated through interviews. The results show that 70% of the respondents were aware of related health risks of using wastewater for irrigation. Respondents reported no major disease outbreaks. Mean values of pH were 8.1 and 7.3 for effluent and field soil and were within the FAO range of 6.5-8.5 for irrigation. Average temperature was 22.6 °C, while electrical conductivity ranged from 784 to 957 μS/cm and was less than the guideline value of 2000 μS/cm. Total coliforms in the effluent were found to be 7291 cfu/100 ml, while faecal coliforms were 5836 cfu/100 ml compared to the WHO limit of 1000 cfu/100 ml for irrigation. For effluent, cadmium were 0.04 mg/l and exceeded the long-term threshold limit of 0.01 mg/l, while lead was within the limit of 20 mg/l, with an average of 7.2 mg/l. No cadmium and lead were detected in the vegetables. It can be concluded that there is some health risks related to use of the effluent in the field

  19. Irrigating poplar energy crops with landfill leachate negatively affects soil micro- and meso-fauna

    Treesearch

    David R. Coyle; Jill A. Zalesny; Ronald S. Zalesny Jr.; Adam H. Wiese

    2011-01-01

    Increased municipal solid waste generated worldwide combined with substantial demand for renewable energy has prompted testing and deployment of woody feedstock production systems that reuse and recycle wastewaters as irrigation and fertilization. Populus selections are ideal for such systems given their fast growth, extensive root systems, and high...

  20. Uptake and Accumulation of Pharmaceuticals in Lettuce Under Surface and Overhead Irrigations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhalsod, G.; Chuang, Y. H.; Jeon, S.; Gui, W.; Li, H.; Guber, A.; Zhang, W.

    2015-12-01

    Pharmaceuticals and personal care products are being widely detected in wastewater and surface waters. As fresh water becomes scarcer, interests in using reclaimed water for crop irrigation is intensified. Since reclaimed waters often carry trace levels of pharmaceuticals, accumulation of pharmaceuticals in food crops could increase the risk of human exposure. This study aims to investigate uptake and accumulations of pharmaceuticals in greenhouse-grown lettuce under contrasting irrigation practices (i.e., overhead and surface irrigations). Lettuce was irrigated with water spiked with 11 commonly used pharmaceuticals (acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazepine, sulfadiazine, sulfamethoxazole, carbadox, trimethoprim, lincomycin hydrochloride, oxytetracycline hydrochloride, monensin sodium, and tylosin). Weekly sampling of lettuce roots, shoots, and soils were continued for 5 weeks, and the samples were freeze dried, extracted for pharmaceuticals and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Preliminary results indicate that higher concentrations of pharmaceuticals were found in overhead irrigated lettuce compared to surface irrigated lettuce. For carbamezapine, sulfadiazine, trimethoprim, oxytetracycline, and monensin sodium, their concentrations generally increased in lettuce shoots in the overhead treatment over time. However, acetaminophen was found at higher concentrations in both shoots and roots, indicating that acetaminophen can be easily transported in the plant system. This study provides insight on developing better strategies for using reclaimed water for crop irrigations, while minimizing the potential risks of pharmaceutical contamination of vegetables.

  1. 43 CFR 428.10 - Districts' responsibilities concerning certain formerly excess land.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Lands BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN FARM...' responsibilities concerning certain formerly excess land. Districts must not make irrigation water available to...

  2. 43 CFR 428.10 - Districts' responsibilities concerning certain formerly excess land.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Lands BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN FARM...' responsibilities concerning certain formerly excess land. Districts must not make irrigation water available to...

  3. A social choice-based methodology for treated wastewater reuse in urban and suburban areas.

    PubMed

    Mahjouri, Najmeh; Pourmand, Ehsan

    2017-07-01

    Reusing treated wastewater for supplying water demands such as landscape and agricultural irrigation in urban and suburban areas has become a major water supply approach especially in regions struggling with water shortage. Due to limited available treated wastewater to satisfy all water demands, conflicts may arise in allocating treated wastewater to water users. Since there is usually more than one decision maker and more than one criterion to measure the impact of each water allocation scenario, effective tools are needed to combine individual preferences to reach a collective decision. In this paper, a new social choice (SC) method, which can consider some indifference thresholds for decision makers, is proposed for evaluating and ranking treated wastewater and urban runoff allocation scenarios to water users in urban and suburban areas. Some SC methods, namely plurality voting, Borda count, pairwise comparisons, Hare system, dictatorship, and approval voting, are applied for comparing and evaluating the results. Different scenarios are proposed for allocating treated wastewater and urban runoff to landscape irrigation, agricultural lands as well as artificial recharge of aquifer in the Tehran metropolitan Area, Iran. The main stakeholders rank the proposed scenarios based on their utilities using two different approaches. The proposed method suggests ranking of the scenarios based on the stakeholders' utilities and considering the scores they assigned to each scenario. Comparing the results of the proposed method with those of six different SC methods shows that the obtained ranks are mostly in compliance with the social welfare.

  4. Assessment of indicator bacteria and Aeromonas spp. in surface and nontraditional irrigation water: a conserve study

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Introduction: The use of surface and nontraditional irrigation water (SNIW) (pond, tidal and non-tidal river water, reclaimed wastewater) is one way to conserve groundwater. However, SNIW may serve as reservoirs and vehicles for under-recognized enteric pathogens, spreading localized contamination d...

  5. Effect of paper mill effluents on accumulation of heavy metals in coconut trees near Nanjangud, mysore district, Karnataka, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fazeli, M. Sharif; Sathyanarayan, S.; Satish, P. N.; Muthanna, Lata

    1991-01-01

    Physicochemical characteristics of wastewater from one of the paper mills near Nanjangud and the differential accumulation of heavy metals in parts of coconut trees growing in the area irrigated directly by the wastewaters of a paper mill were investigated. The total dissolved and suspended solids of wastewater were 1,136.9 mg/l and 2,185.4 mg/l, respectively. Biological oxygen demand (BOD) expands and COD is beyond the tolerance limit proposed by Indian standards. The concentrations of heavy metals like Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, and Cd in coconut water, root, and leaf are higher than the limits suggested by World Health Organization. Survival of coconut trees irrigated by polluted waters indicates tolerance to toxic heavy metals. Since coconut forms part of human food chain, accumulation of toxic heavy metals may lead to organic disorders.

  6. Influence of Effluent Irrigation on Community Composition and Function of Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria in Soil

    PubMed Central

    Oved, Tamar; Shaviv, Avi; Goldrath, Tal; Mandelbaum, Raphi T.; Minz, Dror

    2001-01-01

    The effect of effluent irrigation on community composition and function of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in soil was evaluated, using techniques of molecular biology and analytical soil chemistry. Analyses were conducted on soil sampled from lysimeters and from a grapefruit orchard which had been irrigated with wastewater effluent or fertilizer-amended water (FAW). Specifically, comparisons of AOB community composition were conducted using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified fragments of the gene encoding the α-subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase gene (amoA) recovered from soil samples and subsequent sequencing of relevant bands. A significant and consistent shift in the population composition of AOB was detected in soil irrigated with effluent. This shift was absent in soils irrigated with FAW, despite the fact that the ammonium concentration in the FAW was similar. At the end of the irrigation period, Nitrosospira-like populations were dominant in soils irrigated with FAW, while Nitrosomonas-like populations were dominant in effluent-irrigated soils. Furthermore, DGGE analysis of the amoA gene proved to be a powerful tool in evaluating the soil AOB community population and population shifts therein. PMID:11472914

  7. A probabilistic QMRA of Salmonella in direct agricultural reuse of treated municipal wastewater.

    PubMed

    Amha, Yamrot M; Kumaraswamy, Rajkumari; Ahmad, Farrukh

    2015-01-01

    Developing reliable quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) procedures aids in setting recommendations on reuse applications of treated wastewater. In this study, a probabilistic QMRA to determine the risk of Salmonella infections resulting from the consumption of edible crops irrigated with treated wastewater was conducted. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to enumerate Salmonella spp. in post-disinfected samples, where they showed concentrations ranging from 90 to 1,600 cells/100 mL. The results were used to construct probabilistic exposure models for the raw consumption of three vegetables (lettuce, cabbage, and cucumber) irrigated with treated wastewater, and to estimate the disease burden using Monte Carlo analysis. The results showed elevated median disease burden, when compared with acceptable disease burden set by the World Health Organization, which is 10⁻⁶ disability-adjusted life years per person per year. Of the three vegetables considered, lettuce showed the highest risk of infection in all scenarios considered, while cucumber showed the lowest risk. The results of the Salmonella concentration obtained with qPCR were compared with the results of Escherichia coli concentration for samples taken on the same sampling dates.

  8. Nutritional status and morbidity on an irrigation project in Turkana District, Kenya.

    PubMed

    Brainard, Jean

    1990-01-01

    The research reported on here was undertaken to identify the most important contributors to continuing high mortality on a small-scale irrigation project at Nakwamoru in Turkana District, Kenya. The health status of project settlers had not been assessed prior to the present study, which was undertaken in 1978-79, a decade after the project was started. The purpose of the study was to estimate the nutritional status of project children and the major causes of morbidity in the Nakwamoru area. Nutritional status was derived from cross-sectional anthropometric measurements, including weights, heights, triceps skinfolds, and upper arm circumferences, taken on approximately 60% of project children (n = 236) aged 1-10 years. The major causes of morbidity in project settlers of all ages for the period 1973-78 were estimated from outpatient records from the local primary care facility. Age/sex patterns of clinic use were obtained through interviews. Stunting was found to be prevalent, especially in children aged 1-4, while wasting was only observed in a small proportion of the sample, indicating a seasonal pattern of malnutrition. Derived cross-sectional areas of upper arm muscle and fat were found to be low by comparison with U.S. standards, suggesting both energy and protein deficits in project children. Malaria and acute respiratory infections were found to be the major causes of illness in the local population, and both are likely to have contributed to the generally poor nutritional status of project children. Despite free biomedical care, 15% of the local population in general and 23% of adult females had never used clinic services. Copyright © 1990 Wiley-Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company.

  9. Electrochemical disinfection of toilet wastewater using wastewater electrolysis cell.

    PubMed

    Huang, Xiao; Qu, Yan; Cid, Clément A; Finke, Cody; Hoffmann, Michael R; Lim, Keahying; Jiang, Sunny C

    2016-04-01

    The paucity of proper sanitation facilities has contributed to the spread of waterborne diseases in many developing countries. The primary goal of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using a wastewater electrolysis cell (WEC) for toilet wastewater disinfection. The treated wastewater was designed to reuse for toilet flushing and agricultural irrigation. Laboratory-scale electrochemical (EC) disinfection experiments were performed to investigate the disinfection efficiency of the WEC with four seeded microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, recombinant adenovirus serotype 5, and bacteriophage MS2). In addition, the formation of organic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA5) at the end of the EC treatment was also investigated. The results showed that at an applied cell voltage of +4 V, the WEC achieved 5-log10 reductions of all four seeded microorganisms in real toilet wastewater within 60 min. In contrast, chemical chlorination (CC) disinfection using hypochlorite [NaClO] was only effective for the inactivation of bacteria. Due to the rapid formation of chloramines, less than 0.5-log10 reduction of MS2 was observed in toilet wastewater even at the highest [NaClO] dosage (36 mg/L, as Cl2) over a 1 h reaction. Experiments using laboratory model waters showed that free reactive chlorine generated in situ during EC disinfection process was the main disinfectant responsible for the inactivation of microorganisms. However, the production of hydroxyl radicals [OH], and other reactive oxygen species by the active bismuth-doped TiO2 anode were negligible under the same electrolytic conditions. The formation of THMs and HAA5 were found to increase with higher applied cell voltage. Based on the energy consumption estimates, the WEC system can be operated using solar energy stored in a DC battery as the sole power source. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  10. Chloride ion transport and fate in oilfield wastewater reuse by interval dynamic multimedia aquivalence model.

    PubMed

    Hu, Y; Zhang, C; Wang, D Z; Wen, J Y; Chen, M H; Li, Y

    2013-01-01

    A surface flow constructed wetland was built up to dispose of oilfield wastewater with a high level of inorganic salt ions. Chlorine ion (Cl(-)) was selected as an indicator of soil secondary salinization, and an interval dynamic multimedia aquivalence (IDMA) model was developed to investigate the dynamic multimedia environmental (air, water, soil, flora, and groundwater) effects of Cl(-) in the wastewater irrigation process between 2002 and 2020. The modeled Cl(-) concentrations were in good agreement with the measured ones, as indicated by the interval average logarithmic residual errors (IALREs) being generally lower than 0.5 logarithmic units. The model results showed that the temporal trends of Cl(-) concentrations in the multimedia environments represented a relatively steady state. More than 97.00% of the mass exchange was finished between soil and groundwater compartments, and Cl(-) finally outputted the environmental system by the pathways of advection outflows in the water (71.03%) and groundwater (24.02%). Soil (59.17%) was the dominant sink of Cl(-). It was revealed that the high level of Cl(-) in oilfield wastewater was well treated by the constructed wetland, and there was not a significant environmental effect of soil secondary salinization in the oilfield wastewater reused for the constructed wetland irrigation.

  11. Long-Term Effects of Irrigation with Waste Water on Soil AM Fungi Diversity and Microbial Activities: The Implications for Agro-Ecosystem Resilience

    PubMed Central

    del Mar Alguacil, Maria; Torrecillas, Emma; Torres, Pilar; García-Orenes, Fuensanta; Roldán, Antonio

    2012-01-01

    The effects of irrigation with treated urban wastewater (WW) on the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) diversity and soil microbial activities were assayed on a long-term basis in a semiarid orange-tree orchard. After 43 years, the soil irrigated with fresh water (FW) had higher AMF diversity than soils irrigated with WW. Microbial activities were significantly higher in the soils irrigated with WW than in those irrigated with FW. Therefore, as no negative effects were observed on crop vitality and productivity, it seems that the ecosystem resilience gave rise to the selection of AMF species better able to thrive in soils with higher microbial activity and, thus, to higher soil fertility. PMID:23094075

  12. Opportunities for woody crop production using treated wastewater in Egypt. I. Afforestation strategies.

    PubMed

    Zalesny, Ronald S; Stanturf, John A; Evett, Steven R; Kandil, Nabil F; Sorianos, Chris

    2011-01-01

    The Nile River provides nearly 97% of Egypt's freshwater supply. Egypt's share of Nile waters is fixed at 55.5 billion cubic meters annually. As a result, Egypt will not be able to meet increasing water demand using freshwater from the Nile and has been developing non-conventional wastewater reuse strategies to meet future demands. The USAID Mission in Cairo began promoting strategies for water reuse in 2004, and guidelines for safe and direct reuse of treated wastewater for agricultural purposes were approved in 2005 (Egyptian Code 501/2005). Twenty-four man-made forests were established that have been useful for assessing the efficacy of using treated wastewater for afforestation. At present, approximately 4,340 hectares are under irrigation with treated wastewater, utilizing a total daily volume of 467,400 cubic meters. Wastewater has been applied to trees along roads, greenbelts in cities, and woody production systems. Currently, a joint USDA Forest Service--Agricultural Research Service technical assistance team has been evaluating the feasibility of scaling up such afforestation efforts throughout Egypt. We describe information about: 1) suitable tree species that have been identified based on local soil characteristics, water quality, and quantity of water supply; 2) the benefits and consequences of using these species; 3) strategies to maximize the potential of afforestation with regard to improving water quality, maximizing resource production, increasing biodiversity, and limiting commercial inputs; and 4) potential long-term impacts on the natural resource base from afforestation. A companion paper addresses irrigation recommendations based on species and local conditions (see Evett et al. 2000).

  13. Agricultural reuse of municipal wastewater through an integral water reclamation management.

    PubMed

    Intriago, Juan Carlo; López-Gálvez, Francisco; Allende, Ana; Vivaldi, Gaetano Alessandro; Camposeo, Salvatore; Nicolás Nicolás, Emilio; Alarcón, Juan José; Pedrero Salcedo, Francisco

    2018-05-01

    The DESERT-prototype, a state-of-the-art compact combination of water treatment technologies based on filtration and solar-based renewable energy, was employed to reclaim water for agricultural irrigation. Water reclaimed through the DESERT-prototype (PW) from a secondary effluent of a wastewater treatment plant, as well as conventional irrigation water (CW) and the secondary effluent (SW) itself, were employed to cultivate baby romaine lettuces in a greenhouse in Murcia (Spain), by means of drip and sprinkler irrigation methods, thus establishing six treatments. Assessments of physicochemical and microbiological quality of irrigation water, as well as agronomic and microbiological quality of crops from all treatments, showed that results associated to PW complied in all cases with relevant standards and guidelines. In contrast, results linked to SW and CW presented certain non-compliance cases of water and crop microbiological quality. These assessments lead to conclude that the DESERT-prototype is an appropriate technology for safe water reclamation oriented to agricultural production, that can be complemented by a proper irrigation method in reaching safety targets. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Geochemical signatures of groundwater in the coastal aquifers of Thiruvallur district, south India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Senthilkumar, S.; Balasubramanian, N.; Gowtham, B.; Lawrence, J. F.

    2017-03-01

    An attempt has been made to identify the chemical processes that control the hydrochemistry of groundwater in the coastal aquifers of Thiruvallur coastal village of Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, south India. The parameters such as pH, EC, TDS and major ion concentrations of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, HCO3, SO4 and NO3 of the groundwater were analyzed. Abundances of these ions are in the following order Na > Ca > Mg > K and HCO3 > Cl > SO4 > NO3. The dominant water types are in the order of NaCl> mixed CaMgCl > CaHCO3 > CaNaHCO3. Water types (mixed CaHCO3, mixed CaMgCl and NaCl) suggest that the mixing of high salinity water caused from surface contamination sources such as irrigation return flow, domestic wastewater and septic tank effluents with existing water followed by ion exchange reaction processes, silicate weathering and evaporation are responsible for the groundwater chemistry of the study area. The above statement is further supported by Gibbs plot where most of the samples fall within the evaporation zone.

  15. Improving irrigation management in L'Horta Nord (Valencia, Spain)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pascual-Seva, Nuria; San Bautista, Alberto; López-Galarza, Salvador; Maroto, Jose Vicente; Pascual, Bernardo

    2014-05-01

    L'Horta Nord is an important irrigation district in Valencia (Spain), especially for vegetable crops. The traditional cropping pattern in the region consists of a rotation of chufa with crops such as potato, onion, lettuce, escarole and red cabbage, being all these crops furrow irrigated. Currently, the quality of the water used is acceptable, water is not expensive and there are no limitations on supply. Consequently, growers are not aware of the volumes of water used, application efficiencies, nor water productivity for any of the crops cited. The European Framework Directive 2000/60, based on the precautionary principle, considers preventive action for measures to be taken; moreover, drought periods are becoming more frequent and extended, and water is being diverted to other uses. Thus, water use is an issue to improve. In this sense, the current situation of the irrigation in the area is analysed using chufa (Cyperus esculentus L. var. sativus Boeck.) as representative of the crops, since most of the crops in the area have shallow root systems, as chufa, which are irrigated in similar patterns. In order to analyse the irrigation performance of the traditional chufa crop as well as to achieve more sustainable results, different studies have been carried out, during the last decade. Efforts have been directed to increase water productivity, increasing yield and minimising the volumes of water applied. Different planting configurations and different irrigation thresholds, not only in furrow irrigation but also in drip irrigation, are examples of how the irrigation performance could be improved. Herein is presented a two-year study, comparing, in both furrow and drip irrigation, two irrigation schedules based on the volumetric soil water content, which was continuously monitored using capacitance sensors. Yield was significantly affected by the growing season, the irrigation system and by the irrigation schedule, and by the second order interactions of the

  16. Impact of municipal wastewater effluent on seed bank response and soils excavated from a wetland impoundment

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Finocchiaro, R.G.; Kremer, R.J.; Fredrickson, L.H.

    2009-01-01

    Intensive management of wetlands to improve wildlife habitat typically includes the manipulation of water depth, duration, and timing to promote desired vegetation communities. Increased societal, industrial, and agricultural demands for water may encourage the use of alternative sources such as wastewater effluents in managed wetlands. However, water quality is commonly overlooked as an influence on wetland soil seed banks and soils. In four separate greenhouse trials conducted over a 2-yr period, we examined the effects of municipal wastewater effluent (WWE) on vegetation of wetland seed banks and soils excavated from a wildlife management area in Missouri, USA. We used microcosms filled with one of two soil materials and irrigated with WWE, Missouri River water, or deionized water to simulate moist-soil conditions. Vegetation that germinated from the soil seed bank was allowed to grow in microcosms for approximately 100 d. Vegetative taxa richness, plant density, and biomass were significantly reduced in WWE-irrigated soil materials compared with other water sources. Salinity and sodicity rapidly increased in WWE-irrigated microcosms and probably was responsible for inhibiting germination or interfering with seedling development. Our results indicate that irrigation with WWE promoted saline-sodic soil conditions, which alters the vegetation community by inhibiting germination or seedling development. ?? 2009, The Society of Wetland Scientists.

  17. NPDES Permit for Charlo Wastewater Treatment Facility in Montana

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Under NPDES permit MT-0022551, the Consolidated Charlo-Lake County Water & Sewer District is authorized to discharge from its wastewater treatment facility located in Lake County, Montana to an unnamed swale that runs to Dublin Gulch.

  18. Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogenic Escherichia coli O157 in fresh produce obtained from irrigated fields

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Escherichia coli O157 has been implicated in many outbreaks of gastroenteritis associated with the consumption of contaminated fresh vegetables, fruits and sprouts. In Nigeria, the use of untreated wastewater in irrigation is largely considered an inevitable option to compensate for water shortages....

  19. Assessment of the efficiency and water productivity in the Spanish irrigation associations "Canal Toro-Zamora" and "Canal Villagonzalo" from the Duero basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodriguez-Sinobas, Leonor; Amado Mendoza Hidalgo, Edwin

    2017-04-01

    Within a water scarcity scenario, the irrigated agriculture economic sector would be affected by the reduction on water supply and this might have a negative impact on the National gross income. Water for irrigation in Spain comprises the 75% of total consumption. Therefore, the search for irrigation strategies dealing with sustainable irrigation by saving water and improving the environment quality is encouraged. Within this framework the assessment of water use in the irrigation districts to assist water stakeholder decisions is reinforced. Water resources can be assessed at field scheme or regional scale by analyzing the water use efficiency and the water productivity indicators. Which determine the water availability and the water supply quality in irrigation areas. Among then, the following are broadly used: water productivity WP, and irrigation water productivity IWP, annual relative water supply (ARWS) and the annual relative irrigation water supply (ARIS). Keeping in mind the water scarcity scenario for irrigation in the short and long term and the probably scenario of water allocation for different uses following criteria of efficiency and productivity, this work is aimed at assessing the water use efficiency and water productivity of two modernized Spanish irrigation districts CCRRs: "Canal Toro-Zamora" and "Canal Villagonzalo" from the Duero basin. For that purpose, the above indicators were estimated for years 2014 and 2015. Crop water requirements are needed to calculate the indicators. For this study, maize was chosen since it is the major crop in the area and its water needs were estimated with the FAO program Cropwat. Local crop coefficients (Kc) were determined with the open access application SpiderWebGis (http://maps.spiderwebgis.org/webgis/) which uses satelital images to monitor Kc coefficients in all crops across Spain. In both CCRRs the maize Kc coefficients were similar for all the phenology stages although a slightly spatial variability was

  20. Assessing the use of treated waste water for irrigation agricultural lands by using soil quality indices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arcenegui, V.; Morugán, A.; García-Orenes, F.; Zornoza, R.; Mataix-Solera, J.; Navarro, M. A.; Guerrero, C.; Mataix-Beneyto, J.

    2009-04-01

    The use of treated wastewater for the irrigation of agricultural soils is an alternative to utilizing better-quality water, especially in semiarid regions where water shortage is a very serious problem. However, this practise can modify the soil equilibrium and affect its quality. In this work two soil quality indices (models) are used to evaluate the effects of long-term irrigation with treated wastewater in soil. The models were developed studying different soil properties in undisturbed forest soils in SE Spain, and the relationships between soil parameters were established using multiple linear regressions. Model 1, that explained 92% of the variance in soil organic carbon (SOC) showed that the SOC can be calculated by the linear combination of 6 physical, chemical and biochemical properties (acid phosphatase, water holding capacity (WHC), electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorus (P), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and aggregate stability (AS)). Model 2 explains 89% of the SOC variance, which can be calculated by means of 7 chemical and biochemical properties (urease, phosphatase, and

  1. Effects of irrigating poplar energy crops with landfill leachate on soil micro- and meso-fauna

    Treesearch

    Jill A. Zalesny; David R. Coyle; Ronald S. Jr. Zalesny; Adam H. Wiese

    2009-01-01

    Increased municipal solid waste generated worldwide combined with substantial demand for renewable energy has prompted testing and deployment of woody feedstock production systems that reuse and recycle wastewaters as irrigation and fertilization for the trees. Populus species and hybrids (i.e., poplars) are ideal for such systems given their fast...

  2. Impact of watering with UV-LED-treated wastewater on microbial and physico-chemical parameters of soil.

    PubMed

    Chevremont, A-C; Boudenne, J-L; Coulomb, B; Farnet, A-M

    2013-04-15

    Advanced oxidation processes based on UV radiations have been shown to be a promising wastewater disinfection technology. The UV-LED system involves innovative materials and could be an advantageous alternative to mercury-vapor lamps. The use of the UV-LED system results in good water quality meeting the legislative requirements relating to wastewater reuse for irrigation. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of watering with UV-LED treated wastewaters (UV-LED WW) on soil parameters. Solid-state ¹³C NMR shows that watering with UV-LED WW do not change the chemical composition of soil organic matter compared to soil watered with potable water. Regarding microbiological parameters, laccase, cellulase, protease and urease activities increase in soils watered with UV-LED WW which means that organic matter brought by the effluent is actively degraded by soil microorganisms. The functional diversity of soil microorganisms is not affected by watering with UV-LED WW when it is altered by 4 and 8 months of watering with wastewater (WW). After 12 months, functional diversity is similar regardless of the water used for watering. The persistence of faecal indicator bacteria (coliform and enterococci) was also determined and watering with UV-LED WW does not increase their number nor their diversity unlike soils irrigated with activated sludge wastewater. The study of watering-soil microcosms with UV-LED WW indicates that this system seems to be a promising alternative to the UV-lamp-treated wastewaters. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Food-processes wastewaters treatment using food solid-waste materials as adsorbents or absorbents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rapti, Ilaira; Georgopoulos, Stavros; Antonopoulou, Maria; Konstantinou, Ioannis; Papadaki, Maria

    2016-04-01

    The wastewaters generated by olive-mills during the production of olive oil, wastewaters from a dairy and a cow-farm unit and wastewaters from a small food factory have been treated by means of selected materials, either by-products of the same units, or other solid waste, as absorbents or adsorbents in order to identify the capacity of those materials to remove organic load and toxicity from the aforementioned wastewaters. The potential of both the materials used as absorbents as well as the treated wastewaters to be further used either as fertilizers or for agricultural irrigation purposes are examined. Dry olive leaves, sheep wool, rice husks, etc. were used either in a fixed-bed or in a stirred batch arrangemen,t employing different initial concentrations of the aforementioned wastewaters. The efficiency of removal was assessed using scpectrophotometric methods and allium test phytotoxicity measurements. In this presentation the response of each material employed is shown as a function of absorbent/adsorbent quantity and kind, treatment time and wastewater kind and initial organic load. Preliminary results on the potential uses of the adsorbents/absorbents and the treated wastewaters are also shown. Keywords: Olive-mill wastewaters, dairy farm wastewaters, olive leaves, zeolite, sheep wool

  4. Guidelines for the microbiological quality of treated wastewater used in agriculture: recommendations for revising WHO guidelines.

    PubMed Central

    Blumenthal, U. J.; Mara, D. D.; Peasey, A.; Ruiz-Palacios, G.; Stott, R.

    2000-01-01

    Three different approaches for establishing guidelines for the microbiological quality of treated wastewater that is reused for agriculture are reviewed. These approaches have different objectives as their outcomes: the absence of faecal indicator organisms in the wastewater, the absence of a measurable excess of cases of enteric disease in the exposed population and a model-generated estimated risk below a defined acceptable risk. If the second approach (using empirical epidemiological studies supplemented by microbiological studies of the transmission of pathogens) is used in conjunction with the third approach (using a model-based quantitative risk assessment for selected pathogens) a powerful tool is produced that aids the development of regulations. This combined approach is more cost-effective than the first approach and adequately protects public health. The guideline limit for faecal coliform bacteria in unrestricted irrigation (< or = 1000 faecal coliform bacteria/ 100 ml) is valid, but for restricted irrigation < or = 10(5) faecal coliform bacteria/100 ml is recommended when adult farmworkers are exposed to spray irrigation. A limit of < or = 10(3) faecal coliform bacteria/100 ml is recommended if flood irrigation is used or children are exposed. The guideline limit for nematode eggs for both types of irrigation is adequate except when conditions favour the survival of nematode eggs and where children are exposed; in these cases it should be reduced from < or = 1 egg/l to < or = 0.1 egg/l. PMID:11019459

  5. Potential dual use of biochar for wastewater treatment and soil amelioration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marschner, Bernd; Werner, Steffen; Alfes, Karsten; Lübken, Manfred

    2013-04-01

    Irrigating crops with wastewater from open drainage channels is a common practice in urban agricultural production in many dry regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America. While the wastewater-borne nutrients reduce the need for inputs of mineral fertilizers or manures and thus reduce production costs, wastewater-borne pathogens and contaminants pose a health risk for the producers and consumers of the crops. Furthermore, the input of nutrients with the irrigation water may greatly exceed crop requirements and thus lead to unproductive leaching losses of nutrients. It is generally acknowledged that biochar additions can increase the soil's sorption and retention capacity for nutrients and water. However, positive effects on crop production are generally only observed, if this is combined with mineral fertilizers or manures due to the low nutrient content of biochars. Biochar possibly also has a high potential for use in water purification, replacing the coal-based activated carbon as a sorbent for contaminants and pathogens. It was therefore hypothesized that biochar can be used for pathogen removal from wastewater while at the same time being loaded with nutrients and contaminants. If contaminants are of minor concern the "loaded" biochar can be used as a soil amendment, providing not only long-term sorption capacity but also nutrients. Experiments were conducted with pyrochar from Miscanthus, rice husks and wood chips, which strongly differed in elemental composition, MIR-DRIFT spectra, surface charge properties and sorption potential for DOC and phosphate. When used as top filter layer in a sand column system, the biochars effectively reduced E. coli concentrations from raw wastewater by up to 2 log units. While biochars from rice husks and Miscanthus accumulated N substantially, wood chip biochar showed no N retention. On the other hand, P accumulation was most pronounced for wood chip biochar. Ongoing incubation experiments with the "loaded" and fresh biochar in

  6. [Wastewater pollution characteristics from typical intensive pig farms in the Pearl River Delta and its ecological risk assessment].

    PubMed

    Li, Wen-Ying; Peng, Zhi-Ping; Yu, Jun-Hong; Huang, Ji-Chuan; Xu, Pei-Zhi; Yang, Shao-Hai

    2013-10-01

    Based on the wastewater quality investigation data from March 2009 to November 2011, wastewater qualities from typical intensive pig farms were assessed in the Pearl River Delta by single and comprehensive pollution index model. The results showed that key pollutants of piggery wastewater were fecal coliform (FC), total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), with their average mass concentrations of 1.98 x 10(9) CFU.L-1, 158.61 mg.L-1, 5 608.68 mg.L-1 and 1984.34 mg.L-1, respectively; key pollutants of biogas slurry were FC, TP, ammonia nitrogen (NH+4 -N) and suspended substance (SS), with their average mass concentrations of 8. 10 x 10(6) CFU.L-1, 81.76 mg.L-1, 476.24 mg.L-1 and 464.58 mg.L-1, respectively. Under the effect of wastewater pollutants, environment surrounding of typical intensive pig farms was seriously polluted, which decreased gradually from piggery wastewater to biogas slurry, and comprehensive pollution indices were 11.41, 6.91, 5.27, respectively. The risk analysis showed that the high-risk wastewater could never be discharged directly and irrigated crops. After the anaerobic treatment, FC, TP, NH+4 -N and SS were still strong factors with the potential ecological risk in the biogas slurry. In the long run, the ecological risk still exists for direct discharge or irrigation of them, and it is necessary to apply further treatment.

  7. Nematode suppression and growth stimulation in corn plants (Zea mays L.) irrigated with domestic effluent.

    PubMed

    Barros, Kenia Kelly; do Nascimento, Clístenes Williams Araújo; Florencio, Lourdinha

    2012-01-01

    Treated wastewater has great potential for agricultural use due to its concentrations of nutrients and organic matter, which are capable of improving soil characteristics. Additionally, effluents can induce suppression of plant diseases caused by soil pathogens. This study evaluates the effect of irrigation with effluent in a UASB reactor on maize (Zea mays L.) development and on suppression of the diseases caused by nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne. Twelve lysimeters of 1 m(3) each were arranged in a completely randomized design, with four treatments and three replicates. The following treatments were used: T1 (W+I), irrigation with water and infestation with nematodes; T2 (W+I+NPK), irrigation with water, infestation with nematodes and fertilization with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K); T3 (E+I), irrigation with effluent and infestation with nematodes; and T4 (E+I+P), irrigation with effluent, infestation with nematodes and fertilization with phosphorus. The plants irrigated with the effluent plus the phosphorus fertilizer had better growth and productivity and were more resistant to the disease symptoms caused by the nematodes. The suppression levels may have been due to the higher levels of Zn and NO(3)(-) found in the leaf tissue of the plants irrigated with the effluent and phosphorus fertilizer.

  8. Validation and application of a multiresidue method based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for evaluating the plant uptake of 74 microcontaminants in crops irrigated with treated municipal wastewater.

    PubMed

    Martínez-Piernas, A B; Polo-López, M I; Fernández-Ibáñez, P; Agüera, A

    2018-01-26

    Reuse of treated wastewater for agricultural purposes can mitigate water stress in some regions where the lack of water is an extended problem. However, the environmental long-term consequences of this practice are still unknown. It is demonstrated that using reclaimed water for irrigation lead to accumulation and translocation of some microcontaminants (MCs) in soil and crops. However, so far, only a small group of contaminants has been investigated. This study aims to develop and validate a simple and efficient multiresidue method based on QuEChERs (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective and Rugged) extraction coupled to liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The novelty of the study relays in the large number of MCs analyzed (74), some of them not previously investigated, in three commodities (lettuce, radish and strawberry). Optimized conditions yielded good results for the three commodities under study. Up to 84% of the compounds were recovered within a 70-120% range, with good repeatability (relative standard deviations below 20% in most cases). Method detection (MDLs) and quantification limits (MQLs) ranged from 0.01 to 2 ng/g. The proposed method was successfully applied to assess the potential uptake of MCs by lettuce and radish crops irrigated with wastewater under controlled conditions for 3 and 1.5 months, respectively. 12 compounds were detected in the crops with concentrations ranging from 0.03 to 57.6 ng/g. N-Formyl-4-aminoantipyrine (4FAA) was the most concentrated compound. The application of this method demonstrated for the first time the accumulation of 5 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) not previously reported: 4FAA, N-Acetyl-4-aminoantipyrine (4AAA), hydrochlorothiazide, mepivacaine and venlafaxine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Investigation of remote sensing to detect near-surface groundwater on irrigated lands

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ryland, D. W.; Schmer, F. A.; Moore, D. G.

    1975-01-01

    The application of remote sensing techniques was studied for detecting areas with high water tables in irrigated agricultural lands. Aerial data were collected by the LANDSAT-1 satellite and aircraft over the Kansas/Bostwick Irrigation District in Republic and Jewell Counties, Kansas. LANDSAT-1 data for May 12 and August 10, 1973, and aircraft flights (midday and predawn) on August 10 and 11, 1973, and June 25 and 26, 1974, were obtained. Surface and water table contour maps and active observation well hydrographs were obtained from the Bureau of Reclamation for use in the analysis. Results of the study reveal that LANDSAT-1 data (May MSS band 6 and August MSS band 7) correlate significantly (0.01 level) with water table depth for 144 active observation wells located throughout the Kansas/Bostwick Irrigation District. However, a map of water table depths of less than 1.83 meters prepared from the LANDSAT-1 data did not compare favorably with a map of seeped lands of less than 1.22 m (4 feet) to the water table. Field evaluation of the map is necessary for a complete analysis. Analysis of three fields on a within or single-field basis for the 1973 LANDSAT-1 data also showed significant correlation results.

  10. Holistic irrigation water management approach based on stochastic soil water dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alizadeh, H.; Mousavi, S. J.

    2012-04-01

    Appreciating the essential gap between fundamental unsaturated zone transport processes and soil and water management due to low effectiveness of some of monitoring and modeling approaches, this study presents a mathematical programming model for irrigation management optimization based on stochastic soil water dynamics. The model is a nonlinear non-convex program with an economic objective function to address water productivity and profitability aspects in irrigation management through optimizing irrigation policy. Utilizing an optimization-simulation method, the model includes an eco-hydrological integrated simulation model consisting of an explicit stochastic module of soil moisture dynamics in the crop-root zone with shallow water table effects, a conceptual root-zone salt balance module, and the FAO crop yield module. Interdependent hydrology of soil unsaturated and saturated zones is treated in a semi-analytical approach in two steps. At first step analytical expressions are derived for the expected values of crop yield, total water requirement and soil water balance components assuming fixed level for shallow water table, while numerical Newton-Raphson procedure is employed at the second step to modify value of shallow water table level. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, combined with the eco-hydrological simulation model, has been used to solve the non-convex program. Benefiting from semi-analytical framework of the simulation model, the optimization-simulation method with significantly better computational performance compared to a numerical Mote-Carlo simulation-based technique has led to an effective irrigation management tool that can contribute to bridging the gap between vadose zone theory and water management practice. In addition to precisely assessing the most influential processes at a growing season time scale, one can use the developed model in large scale systems such as irrigation districts and agricultural catchments. Accordingly

  11. Disposal of olive mill wastewater with DC arc plasma method.

    PubMed

    Ibrahimoglu, Beycan; Yilmazoglu, M Zeki

    2018-07-01

    Olive mill wastewater is an industrial waste, generated as a byproduct of olive oil production process and generally contains components such as organic matter, suspended solids, oil, and grease. Although various methods have been developed to achieve the disposal of this industrial wastewater, due to the low cost, the most common disposal application is the passive storage in the lagoons. The main objective of this study is to reduce pollution parameters in olive mill wastewater and draw water to discharge limits by using plasma technology. Plasma-assisted disposal of olive mill wastewater method could be an alternative disposal technique when considering potential utilization of treated water in agricultural areas and economic value of flammable plasma gas which is the byproduct of disposal process. According to the experimental results, the rates of COD (chemical oxygen demand) and BOD (biological oxygen demand) of olive mill wastewater are decreased by 94.42% and 95.37%, respectively. The dissolved oxygen amount is increased from 0.36 to 6.97 mg/l. In addition, plasma gas with high H 2 content and treated water that can be used in agricultural areas for irrigation are obtained from non-dischargeable wastewater. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Effects of Wastewater from Oil Exploration on Soil Mesofauna.

    PubMed

    Ferreira, Raimundo N C; Weber, Olmar B; Correia, Maria E F; Benazzi-Ikeda, Eloísa S; Scoriza, Rafael N; Mesquita, Antonio L M

    2015-12-01

    Wastewater from oil exploration may contain substances that can alter the diversity of soil organisms. This study evaluated whether produced water treated by filtration or reverse osmosis and glutaraldehyde from reverse osmosis treatments negatively affected the mesofauna in an irrigated area. In the field, irrigation with produced water treated by reverse osmosis and filtration influenced Hymenoptera and Cosmochthonius sp., while Entomobryomorpha springtails were affected only by the reverse osmosis water. In the ecotoxicological tests, reproduction in the springtail Folsomia candida was inhibited by the reverse osmosis treatment, while reproduction in the earthworm Enchytraeus crypticus was affected by both water treatments. Although glutaraldehyde did not affect the survival of F. candida, the reproduction was inhibited (EC50 = 44.4 mg/L). No adverse effect of glutaraldehyde was observed on reproduction or survival of E. crypticus. These results indicate that produced water, when used in irrigated agriculture, may affect soil functional mesofauna.

  13. [Simulation of effect of irrigation with reclaimed water on soil water-salt movement by ENVIRO-GRO model].

    PubMed

    Lü, Si-Dan; Chen, Wei-Ping; Wang, Mei-E

    2012-12-01

    As the conflict between water supply and demand, wastewater reuse has become an important measure, which can relieve the water shortage in Beijing. In order to promote safe irrigation with reclaimed water and prevent soil salinisation, the dynamic transport of salts in urban soils of Beijing, a city of water shortage, under irrigation of reclaimed water was simulated by ENVIRO-GRO model in this research. The accumulation trends of soil salinity were predicted. Simultaneously, it investigated the effects of different irrigation practices on soil water-salt movement and salt accumulation. Results indicated that annual averages of soil salinity (EC(e)) increased 29.5%, 97.2%, 197.8% respectively, with the higher irrigation, normal irrigation, and low irrigation under equilibrium conditions. Irrigation frequency had little effect on soil salt-water movement, and soil salt accumulation was in a downward trend with low frequency of irrigation. Under equilibrium conditions, annual averages of EC(e) increased 23.7%, 97.2%, 208.5% respectively, with irrigation water salinity (EC(w)) 0.6, 1.2, 2.4 dS x m(-1). Soil salinity increased slightly with EC(w) = 0.6 dS x m(-1), while soil salinization did not appear. Totally, the growth of Blue grass was not influenced by soil salinity under equilibrium conditions with the regular irrigation in Beijing, but mild soil salinization appeared.

  14. Occurrence of vancomycin-resistant and -susceptible Enterococcus spp. in reclaimed water used for spray irrigation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carey, Stephanie Ann; Goldstein, Rachel E. Rosenberg; Gibbs, Shawn G.

    Reclaiming municipal wastewater for agricultural, environmental, and industrial purposes is increasing in the United States to combat dwindling freshwater supplies. However, there is a lack of data regarding the microbial quality of reclaimed water. In particular, no previous studies have evaluated the occurrence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in reclaimed water used at spray irrigation sites in the United States. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the occurrence, concentration, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of VRE and vancomycin-susceptible enterococci at three U.S. spray irrigation sites that use reclaimed water. We collected 48 reclaimed water samples from one Mid-Atlantic and two Midwestmore » spray irrigation sites, as well as their respective wastewater treatment plants, in 2009 and 2010. Samples were analyzed for total enterococci and VRE using standard membrane filtration. Isolates were purified and then confirmed using biochemical tests and PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted using the Sensititre® microbroth dilution system. Data were analyzed by two-sample proportion tests and one-way analysis of variance. We detected total enterococci and VRE in 71% (34/48) and 4% (2/48) of reclaimed water samples, respectively. Enterococcus faecalis was the most common species identified. At the Mid-Atlantic spray irrigation site, UV radiation decreased total enterococci to undetectable levels; however, subsequent storage in an open-air pond at this site resulted in increased concentrations of enterococci. E. faecalis isolates recovered from the Mid-Atlantic spray irrigation site expressed intrinsic resistance to quinupristin/dalfopristin; however, non-E. faecalis isolates expressed resistance to quinupristin/dalfopristin (52% of isolates), vancomycin (4%), tetracycline (13%), penicillin (4%) and ciprofloxacin (17%). Our findings show that VRE are present in low numbers in reclaimed water at point-of-use at the

  15. Characterization of natural ventilation in wastewater collection systems.

    PubMed

    Ward, Matthew; Corsi, Richard; Morton, Robert; Knapp, Tom; Apgar, Dirk; Quigley, Chris; Easter, Chris; Witherspoon, Jay; Pramanik, Amit; Parker, Wayne

    2011-03-01

    The purpose of the study was to characterize natural ventilation in full-scale gravity collection system components while measuring other parameters related to ventilation. Experiments were completed at four different locations in the wastewater collection systems of Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, Los Angeles, California, and the King County Wastewater Treatment District, Seattle, Washington. The subject components were concrete gravity pipes ranging in diameter from 0.8 to 2.4 m (33 to 96 in.). Air velocity was measured in each pipe using a carbon-monoxide pulse tracer method. Air velocity was measured entering or exiting the components at vents using a standpipe and hotwire anemometer arrangement. Ambient wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity; headspace temperature and relative humidity; and wastewater flow and temperature were measured. The field experiments resulted in a large database of measured ventilation and related parameters characterizing ventilation in full-scale gravity sewers. Measured ventilation rates ranged from 23 to 840 L/s. The experimental data was used to evaluate existing ventilation models. Three models that were based upon empirical extrapolation, computational fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics, respectively, were evaluated based on predictive accuracy compared to the measured data. Strengths and weaknesses in each model were found and these observations were used to propose a concept for an improved ventilation model.

  16. Use of naturally growing aquatic plants for wastewater purification.

    PubMed

    Zimmels, Y; Kirzhner, F; Roitman, S

    2004-01-01

    This paper examines potential uses of naturally growing aquatic plants for wastewater purification. These plants enhance the removal of pollutants by consuming part of them in the form of plant nutrients. This applies to urban and agricultural wastewater, in particular, where treatment units of different sizes can be applied at the pollution source. The effectiveness of wastewater purification by different plants was tested on laboratory and pilot scales. The growth rate of the plants was related to the wastewater content in the water. Batch and semicontinuous experiments verified that the plants are capable of decreasing all tested indicators for water quality to levels that permit the use of the purified water for irrigation. This applies to biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids. pH, and turbidity. In specific cases, the turbidity reached the level of drinking water. Comparison of BOD concentrations with typical levels in water treatment facilities across the country indicates the effectiveness of water purification with plants. A major effect of treatment with plants was elimination of the disturbing smell from the wastewater. It is shown that mixtures of wastewater and polluted water from the Kishon River are amenable in varying degrees to treatment by the plants. The higher the wastewater content in the mixture, the more effective the treatment by the plants. In this context, a scheme for rehabilitation and restoration of the Kishon River is presented and technical and economical aspects of the purification technology are considered.

  17. Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 in vegetables and fish raised in wastewater irrigated fields and stabilization ponds during a non-cholera outbreak period in Morogoro, Tanzania: an environmental health study.

    PubMed

    Hounmanou, Yaovi M G; Mdegela, Robinson H; Dougnon, Tamègnon V; Mhongole, Ofred J; Mayila, Edward S; Malakalinga, Joseph; Makingi, George; Dalsgaard, Anders

    2016-10-18

    Cholera, one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, remains rampant and frequent in Tanzania and thus hinders existing control measures. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the occurrence of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 in wastewater, fish and vegetables during a non-outbreak period in Morogoro, Tanzania. From October 2014 to February 2015, 60 wastewater samples, 60 fish samples from sewage stabilization ponds and 60 wastewater irrigated vegetable samples were collected. Samples were cultured for identification of V. cholerae using conventional bacteriological methods. Isolates were confirmed as V. cholerae by detection of the outer membrane protein gene (ompW) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Isolates were further tested for antibiotic susceptibility and presence of virulence genes including, cholera enterotoxin gene (ctx), the toxin co-regulated pilus gene (tcpA) and the haemolysin gene (hlyA). The prevalence of V. cholerae in wastewater, vegetables and fish was 36.7, 21.7 and 23.3 %, respectively. Two isolates from fish gills were V. cholerae O1 and tested positive for ctx and tcpA. One of these contained in addition the hlyA gene while five isolates from fish intestines tested positive for tcpA. All V. cholerae isolates were resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin and some to tetracycline, but sensitive to gentamicin, chloramphenicol, and ciprofloxacin. Our results show that toxigenic and drug-resistant V. cholerae O1 species are present and persist in aquatic environments during a non-cholera outbreak period. This is of public health importance and shows that such environments may be important as reservoirs and in the transmission of V. cholerae O1.

  18. 2012 Annual Wastewater Reuse Report for the Idaho National Laboratory Site's Central facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mike Lewis

    2013-02-01

    This report describes conditions, as required by the state of Idaho Wastewater Reuse Permit (#LA-000141-03), for the wastewater land application site at Idaho National Laboratory Site’s Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant from November 1, 2011, through October 31, 2012. The report contains the following information: • Site description • Facility and system description • Permit required monitoring data and loading rates • Status of compliance conditions and activities • Discussion of the facility’s environmental impacts. During the 2012 permit year, no wastewater was land-applied to the irrigation area of the Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant.

  19. Real-time implementation of model predictive control on Maricopa-Stanfield irrigation and drainage district's WM canal

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Water resources are limited in many agricultural areas. One method to improve the effective use of water is to improve delivery service from irrigation canals. This can be done by applying automatic control methods that control the gates in an irrigation canal. The model predictive control MPC is ...

  20. Safe and High Quality Food Production using Low Quality Waters and Improved Irrigation Systems and Management (SAFIR)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cary, L.; Kloppmann, W.; Battilani, A.; Bertaki, M.; Blagojevic, S.; Chartzoulakis, K.; Dalsgaard, A.; Forslund, A.; Jovanovic, Z.; Kasapakis, I.

    2009-04-01

    The safe use of treated domestic wastewater for irrigation needs to address the risks for humans (workers, exposed via contact with irrigation water, soil, crops and food, consumers, exposed via ingestion of fresh and processed food), for animals (via ingestion of crops an soil), for the crops and agricultural productivity (via salinity and trace element uptake), for soil (via accumulation or release of pollutants) as well as for surface, groundwaters and the associated ecosystems (via runoff and infiltration, Kass et al., 2005, Bouwer, 2000). A work package in the EU FP5 project SAFIR is dedicated to study the impact of wastewater irrigation on the soil-water-plant-product system. Its monitoring program comprises pathogens and inorganic pollutants, including both geogenic and potentially anthropogenic trace elements in the aim to better understand soil-irrigation water interactions. The SAFIR field study sites are found in China, Italy, Crete, and Serbia. A performance evaluation of SAFIR-specific treatment technology through the monitoring of waste water and irrigation water quality was made through waste water chemical and microbiological qualities, which were investigated upstream and downstream of the SAFIR specific treatment three times per season. Irrigation water transits through the uppermost soil decimetres to the crop roots. The latter will become, in the course of the irrigation season, the major sink of percolating water, together with evaporation. The water saving irrigation techniques used in SAFIR are surface and subsurface drip irrigation. The investigation of the solid soil phase concentrates on the root zone as main transit and storage compartment for pollutants and, eventually, pathogens. The initial soil quality was assessed through a sampling campaign before the onset of the first year irrigation; the soil quality has been monitored throughout three years under cultivation of tomatoes or potatoes. The plot layout for each of the study sites

  1. A quantitative microbial risk assessment for center pivot irrigation of dairy wastewaters

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In the western United States where livestock wastewaters are commonly land applied, there are concerns over individuals being exposed to airborne pathogens. In response, a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) was performed to estimate infectious risks from inhaling pathogens aerosolized dur...

  2. Estimated Colorado Golf Course Irrigation Water Use, 2005

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ivahnenko, Tamara

    2009-01-01

    Golf course irrigation water-use data were collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Use Program's 2005 compilation to provide baseline information, as no golf course irrigation water-use data (separate from crop irrigation) have been reported in previous compilations. A Web-based survey, designed by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association (RMGCSA), was electronically distributed by the association to the 237 members in Colorado. Forty-three percent of the members returned the survey, and additional source water information was collected by telephone for all but 20 of the 245 association member and non-member Colorado golf courses. For golf courses where no data were collected at all, an average 'per hole' coefficient, based on returned surveys from that same county, were applied. In counties where no data were collected at all, a State average 'per hole' value of 13.2 acre-feet was used as the coefficient. In 2005, Colorado had 243 turf golf courses (there are 2 sand courses in the State) that had an estimated 2.27 acre-feet per irrigated course acre, and 65 percent of the source water for these courses was surface water. Ground water, potable water (public supply), and reclaimed wastewater, either partially or wholly, were source waters for the remaining courses. Fifty-three of the 64 counties in Colorado have at least one golf course, with the greatest number of courses in Jefferson (23 courses), Arapahoe (22 courses), and El Paso Counties (20 courses). In 2005, an estimated 5,647.8 acre-feet in Jefferson County, 5,402 acre-feet in Arapahoe County, and 4,473.3 acre-feet in El Paso County were used to irrigate the turf grass.

  3. Effect of treated tannery effluent with domestic wastewater and amendments on growth and yield of cotton.

    PubMed

    Jagathjothi, N; Amanullah, M Mohamed; Muthukrishnan, P

    2013-11-15

    Pot culture and field experiments were carried out at the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), Dindigul during kharif 2011-12 to investigate the influence of irrigation of treated tannery effluent along with domestic wastewater on growth, yield attributes and yield of cotton. The pot culture was in a factorial completely randomized design and field experiment laid out in factorial randomized block design with four replications. The results revealed that the mixing proportion of 25% Treated Tannery Effluent (TTE)+75% domestic wastewater (DWW) application recorded taller plants, higher dry matter production, number of sympodial branches plant(-1), number of fruiting points plant(-1), number of bolls plant(-1) and seed cotton yield with yield reduction of 15.28 and 16.11% compared to normal water irrigation under pot culture and field experiment, respectively. Regarding amendments, gypsum application registered higher seed cotton yield followed by VAM.

  4. Assessing actual evapotranspiration via surface energy balance aiming to optimize water and energy consumption in large scale pressurized irrigation systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Awada, H.; Ciraolo, G.; Maltese, A.; Moreno Hidalgo, M. A.; Provenzano, G.; Còrcoles, J. I.

    2017-10-01

    Satellite imagery provides a dependable basis for computational models that aimed to determine actual evapotranspiration (ET) by surface energy balance. Satellite-based models enables quantifying ET over large areas for a wide range of applications, such as monitoring water distribution, managing irrigation and assessing irrigation systems' performance. With the aim to evaluate the energy and water consumption of a large scale on-turn pressurized irrigation system in the district of Aguas Nuevas, Albacete, Spain, the satellite-based image-processing model SEBAL was used for calculating actual ET. The model has been applied to quantify instantaneous, daily, and seasonal actual ET over high- resolution Landsat images for the peak water demand season (May to September) and for the years 2006 - 2008. The model provided a direct estimation of the distribution of main energy fluxes, at the instant when the satellite overpassed over each field of the district. The image acquisition day Evapotranspiration (ET24) was obtained from instantaneous values by assuming a constant evaporative fraction (Λ) for the entire day of acquisition; then, monthly and seasonal ET were estimated from the daily evapotranspiration (ETdaily) assuming that ET24 varies in proportion to reference ET (ETr) at the meteorological station, thus accounting for day to day variation in meteorological forcing. The comparison between the hydrants water consumption and the actual evapotranspiration, considering an irrigation efficiency of 85%, showed that a considerable amount of water and energy can be saved at district level.

  5. The use of semi-structured interviews for the characterisation of farmer irrigation practices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Keeffe, Jimmy; Buytaert, Wouter; Mijic, Ana; Brozović, Nicholas; Sinha, Rajiv

    2016-05-01

    For the development of sustainable and realistic water security, generating information on the behaviours, characteristics, and drivers of users, as well as on the resource itself, is essential. In this paper we present a methodology for collecting qualitative and quantitative data on water use practices through semi-structured interviews. This approach facilitates the collection of detailed information on actors' decisions in a convenient and cost-effective manner. Semi-structured interviews are organised around a topic guide, which helps lead the conversation in a standardised way while allowing sufficient opportunity for relevant issues to emerge. In addition, they can be used to obtain certain types of quantitative data. While not as accurate as direct measurements, they can provide useful information on local practices and users' insights. We present an application of the methodology on farmer water use in two districts in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. By means of 100 farmer interviews, information was collected on various aspects of irrigation practices, including irrigation water volumes, irrigation cost, water source, and their spatial variability. Statistical analyses of the information, along with data visualisation, are also presented, indicating a significant variation in irrigation practices both within and between districts. Our application shows that semi-structured interviews are an effective and efficient method of collecting both qualitative and quantitative information for the assessment of drivers, behaviours, and their outcomes in a data-scarce region. The collection of this type of data could significantly improve insights on water resources, leading to more realistic management options and increased water security in the future.

  6. The use of semi-structured interviews for the characterisation of farmer irrigation practices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Keeffe, J.; Buytaert, W.; Mijic, A.; Brozovic, N.; Sinha, R.

    2015-08-01

    Generating information on the behaviours, characteristics and drivers of users, as well on the resource itself, is vital in developing sustainable and realistic water security options. In this paper we present a methodology for collecting qualitative and quantitative data on water use practices through semi-structured interviews. This approach facilitates the collection of detailed information on actors' decisions in a convenient and cost-effective manner. The interview is organised around a topic guide, which helps lead the conversation in a standardised way while allowing sufficient opportunity to identify relevant issues previously unknown to the researcher. In addition, semi-structured interviews can be used to obtain certain types of quantitative data. While not as accurate as direct measurements, it can provide useful information on local practices and farmers' insights. We present an application of the methodology on two districts in the State of Uttar Pradesh in North India. By means of 100 farmer interviews, information was collected on various aspects of irrigation practices, including irrigation water volumes, irrigation cost, water source and their spatial variability. A statistical analysis of the information, along with some data visualisation is also presented, which highlights a significant variation in irrigation practices both within and between the districts. Our application shows that semi-structured interviews are an effective and efficient method of collecting both qualitative and quantitative information for the assessment of drivers, behaviours and their outcomes in a data scarce region. The collection of this type of data could significantly improve insight on water resources, leading to more realistic management options and increased water security in the future.

  7. Use of treated wastewater in agriculture: effects on soil environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Levy, Guy J.; Lado, Marcos

    2014-05-01

    Disposal of treated sewage, both from industrial and domestic origin (herein referred to as treated wastewater [TWW]), is often considered as an environmental hazard. However, in areas afflicted by water scarcity, especially in semi-arid and arid regions, where the future of irrigated agriculture (which produces approximately one third of crop yield and half the return from global crop production) is threatened by existing or expected shortage of fresh water, the use of TWW offers a highly effective and sustainable strategy to exploit a water resource. However, application of TWW to the soil is not free of risks both to organisms (e.g., crops, microbiota) and to the soil. Potential risks may include reduction in biological activity (including crop yield) due to elevated salinity and specific ion toxicity, migration of pollutants towards surface- and ground-water, and deterioration of soil structure. In recent years, new evidence about the possible negative impact of long-term irrigation with TWW on soil structure and physical and chemo-physical properties has emerged, thus putting the sustainability of irrigation with TWW in question. In this presentation, some aspects of the effects of long-term irrigation with TWW on soil properties are shown.

  8. Assessment of Groundwater quality in Krishnagiri and Vellore Districts in Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shanmugasundharam, A.; Kalpana, G.; Mahapatra, S. R.; Sudharson, E. R.; Jayaprakash, M.

    2017-07-01

    Groundwater quality is important as it is the main factor determining its suitability for drinking, domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes. The suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation has been assessed in north and eastern part of Krishnagiri district, South-western part of Vellore district and contiguous with Andhra Pradesh states, India. A total of 31 groundwater samples were collected in the study area. The groundwater quality assessment has been carried out by evaluating the physicochemical parameters such as pH, EC, TDS, {HCO}3^{ - }, Cl-, {SO}4^{2 - }, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+. The dominant cations are in the order of Na+ > K+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ while the dominant anions have the trends of Cl- > {HCO}3^{ - } > {SO}4^{2 - } > CO3. The quality of the water is evaluated using Wilcox diagram and the results reveals that most of the samples are found to be suitable for irrigation. Based on these parameters, groundwater has been assessed in favor of its suitability for drinking and irrigation purpose.

  9. Spectrophotometric determination of irrigant extrusion using passive ultrasonic irrigation, EndoActivator, or syringe irrigation.

    PubMed

    Rodríguez-Figueroa, Carolina; McClanahan, Scott B; Bowles, Walter R

    2014-10-01

    Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) irrigation is critical to endodontic success, and several new methods have been developed to improve irrigation efficacy (eg, passive ultrasonic irrigation [PUI] and EndoActivator [EA]). Using a novel spectrophotometric method, this study evaluated NaOCl irrigant extrusion during canal irrigation. One hundred fourteen single-rooted extracted teeth were decoronated to leave 15 mm of the root length for each tooth. Cleaning and shaping of the teeth were completed using standardized hand and rotary instrumentation to an apical file size #40/0.04 taper. Roots were sealed (not apex), and 54 straight roots (n = 18/group) and 60 curved roots (>20° curvature, n = 20/group) were included. Teeth were irrigated with 5.25% NaOCl by 1 of 3 methods: passive irrigation with needle, PUI, or EA irrigation. Extrusion of NaOCl was evaluated using a pH indicator and a spectrophotometer. Standard curves were prepared with known amounts of irrigant to quantify amounts in unknown samples. Irrigant extrusion was minimal with all methods, with most teeth showing no NaOCl extrusion in straight or curved roots. Minor NaOCl extrusion (1-3 μL) in straight roots or curved roots occurred in 10%-11% of teeth in all 3 irrigant methods. Two teeth in both the syringe irrigation and the EA group extruded 3-10 μL of NaOCl. The spectrophotometric method used in this study proved to be very sensitive while providing quantification of the irrigant levels extruded. Using the PUI or EA tip to within 1 mm of the working length appears to be fairly safe, but apical anatomy can vary in teeth to allow extrusion of irrigant. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Treatment and Reuse of Wastewaters Discharged by Petroleum Industries (HMD/Algeria)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sellami, MH, E-mail: sellami2000dz@gmail.com; Loudiyi, K; Boubaker, MC

    Industrial wastewaters discharged by petroleum industries contains: oil, heavy metals and chemicals used in the process of oil separation and treatment. These waters are a source of soil, water and air pollution, and lead a mortal danger to the ecosystem. Our aim in this work has an aspect that can contribute to the collective effort to address the enormous amount of water purges storage bins and reuse them to avoid any environmental damage. This was achieved by chemical treating of these wastewaters discharged from three different locations of Hassi Messaoud (HMD) petroleum field by flocculation with (C-5563) followed by coagulationmore » with (C-2061) using two different acids as sequestering namely: Ascorbic and Citric acid. After experiments, the results showed that the wastewater can be treated without sequestering by adding 40 ppm of activated silicates. The best result was obtained by addition of 160 ppm of Ascorbic acid as sequestering agent and 20 ppm of activated silicates; resulting in removal of 92.81 % of suspended matter and 95.53 % of turbidity. Finally we concluded that this wastewater was satisfactorily treated and we recommend either inject it for enhanced oil recovery in industrial closest field (North field) to maintain the reservoir pressure and the improved rate recovery of oil reserves or reuse it in garden irrigation. In order to see the impact of the treated water on plants, irrigation tests have conducted on two types of plants (date palm and shaft apocalyptic) for one year. The tests showed that the thick layer of 5 cm and 0.08mm of particles diameter of dune sand removes most of remaining oil. The sand layer that fills the basin surrounding the shaft is removed and replaced every 06 months. So, Dune sand plays the role of natural filter. The garden plants appear and grow normally.« less

  11. Occurrence and potential transport of selected pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater compounds from wastewater-treatment plant influent and effluent to groundwater and canal systems in Miami-Dade County, Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Foster, Adam L.; Katz, Brian G.; Meyer, Michael T.

    2012-01-01

    An increased demand for fresh groundwater resources in South Florida has prompted Miami-Dade County to expand its water reclamation program and actively pursue reuse plans for aquifer recharge, irrigation, and wetland rehydration. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) and the Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM), initiated a study in 2008 to assess the presence of selected pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater compounds in the influent and effluent at three regional wastewater-treatment plants (WWTPs) operated by the WASD and at one WWTP operated by the City of Homestead, Florida (HSWWTP).

  12. Sustainability of water reclamation: long-term recharge with reclaimed wastewater does not enhance antibiotic resistance in sediment bacteria

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Wastewater reclamation for municipal irrigation is an increasingly attractive option for extending water supplies. However, public health concerns include the potential for development of antibiotic resistance (AR) in soil bacteria after exposure to residual pharmaceuticals in reclaimed water. Thoug...

  13. Climate change impacts on irrigated rice and wheat production in Gomti River basin of India: a case study.

    PubMed

    Abeysingha, N S; Singh, Man; Islam, Adlul; Sehgal, V K

    2016-01-01

    Potential future impacts of climate change on irrigated rice and wheat production and their evapotranspiration and irrigation requirements in the Gomti River basin were assessed by integrating a widely used hydrological model "Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)" and climate change scenario generated from MIROC (HiRes) global climate model. SWAT model was calibrated and validated using monthly streamflow data of four spatially distributed gauging stations and district wise wheat and rice yields data for the districts located within the basin. Simulation results showed an increase in mean annual rice yield in the range of 5.5-6.7, 16.6-20.2 and 26-33.4 % during 2020s, 2050s and 2080s, respectively. Similarly, mean annual wheat yield is also likely to increase by 13.9-15.4, 23.6-25.6 and 25.2-27.9 % for the same future time periods. Evapotranspiration for both wheat and rice is projected to increase in the range of 3-9.6 and 7.8-16.3 %, respectively. With increase in rainfall during rice growing season, irrigation water allocation for rice is likely to decrease (<5 %) in future periods, but irrigation water allocation for wheat is likely to increase by 17.0-45.3 % in future periods.

  14. Amendment soil with biochar to control antibiotic resistance genes under unconventional water resources irrigation: Proceed with caution.

    PubMed

    Cui, Er-Ping; Gao, Feng; Liu, Yuan; Fan, Xiang-Yang; Li, Zhong-Yang; Du, Zhen-Jie; Hu, Chao; Neal, Andrew L

    2018-05-10

    The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has become a cause for serious concern because of its potential risk to public health. The use of unconventional water resources (e.g., reclaimed water or piggery wastewater) in agriculture to relieve groundwater shortages may result in an accumulation of ARGs in soil. Biochar addition has been proven to be a beneficial method to alleviate the pollution of ARGs in manure-amended soil. However, the role of biochar on ARGs in soil-plant systems repeatedly irrigated with unconventional water resources is unknown. Under reclaimed water or piggery wastewater irrigation, rhizobox experiments using maize plants in soil amended with biochar were conducted to investigate the variation of typical ARGs (tet and sul genes) in soil-plant systems during a 60-day cultivation, and ARGs was characterized by high-throughput qPCR with a 48 (assays) × 108 (samples) array. Only piggery wastewater irrigation significantly increased the abundance of ARGs in rhizosphere and bulk soils and root endophytes. Following 30-day cultivation, the abundance of ARGs in soil was significantly lower due to biochar addition. However, by day 60, the abundance of ARGs in soil supplemented with biochar was significantly higher than in the control soils. Antibiotics, bio-available heavy metals, nutrients, bacterial community, and mobile gene elements (MGEs) were detected and analyzed to find factors shaping ARGs dynamics. The behavior of ARGs were associated with antibiotics but not with bio-available heavy metals. The correlation between ARGs and available phosphorus was stronger than that of ARGs with total phosphorus. MGEs had good relationship with ARGs, and MGEs shifts contributed most to ARGs variation in soil and root samples. In summary, this study provides insights into potential options for biochar use in agricultural activities. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Duckweed based wastewater stabilization ponds for wastewater treatment (a low cost technology for small urban areas in Zimbabwe)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dalu, J. M.; Ndamba, J.

    A three-year investigation into the potential use of duckweed based wastewater stabilizations ponds for wastewater treatment was carried out at two small urban areas in Zimbabwe. The study hoped to contribute towards improved environmental management through improving the quality of effluent being discharged into natural waterways. This was to be achieved through the development and facilitation of the use of duckweed based wastewater stabilizations ponds. The study was carried out at Nemanwa and Gutu Growth Points both with a total population of 23 000. The two centers, like more than 70% of Zimbabwe’s small urban areas, relied on algae based ponds for domestic wastewater treatment. The final effluent is used to irrigate gum plantations before finding its way into the nearest streams. Baseline wastewater quality information was collected on a monthly basis for three months after which duckweed ( Lemna minor) was introduced into the maturation ponds to at least 50% pond surface cover. The influent and effluent was then monitored on a monthly basis for chemical, physical and bacteriological parameters as stipulated in the Zimbabwe Water (Waste and Effluent Disposal) regulations of 2000. After five months, the range of parameters tested for was narrowed to include only those that sometimes surpassed the limits. These included: phosphates, nitrates, pH, biological oxygen demand, iron, conductivity, chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, total dissolved solids and total suspended solids. Significant reductions to within permissible limits were obtained for most of the above-mentioned parameters except for phosphates, chemical and biological oxygen demand and turbidity. However, in these cases, more than 60% reductions were observed when the influent and effluent levels were compared. It is our belief that duckweed based waste stabilization ponds can now be used successfully for the treatment of domestic wastewater in small urban areas of Zimbabwe.

  16. Treated Wastewater's Potential for Improving Water and Food Security in the Middle East and North Africa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dare, A. E.

    2014-12-01

    The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) contains just 1% of the world's freshwater; however, even in the very arid countries of the Gulf region, high quality treated wastewater rarely sees a productive use. As countries deal with growing populations and strive for increased food security, freshwater alone cannot be relied upon to meet these demands. This research identifies best practices from the MENA for reusing treated wastewater in agricultural production, and calculates the potential of treated wastewater for increasing food production in select countries. Drawing upon both published and original treated wastewater quality data for locations in the MENA, the annual volume of treated wastewater produced, and crop water demands, estimates for potential crop production from treated wastewater are calculated. The volume of wastewater treated annually is equivalent to 10-40% of agricultural withdrawals in most MENA countries. Irrigation by treated wastewater has significant potential to impact water and food security by reducing agricultural water withdrawals and increasing domestic food production. Such initiatives require application of best management practices, such as transparent monitoring and evaluation of reuse projects for public and environmental health risks, and support from both farmers and policy makers.

  17. A comparative study on the anaerobic membrane bioreactor performance during the treatment of domestic wastewaters of various origins.

    PubMed

    Saddoud, A; Ellouze, M; Dhouib, A; Sayadi, S

    2006-09-01

    This study examined the practical performance of a cross-flow ultrafiltration membrane coupled to an anaerobic bioreactor, for treatment of raw domestic wastewater (RDW), at a pilot-scale plant. Wastewaters used in this study originated from two different domestic wastewater treatment plans (DWTPs) (Sfax and Ksour Essef). During the treatment in the membrane bioreactor (MBR) of the RDW originating from Sfax DWTP, the bioreactor did not reach its stationary phase because the anaerobic biomass was unable to adapt to the wastewater. This was explained by the considerable fluctuations in the domestic wastewater composition and a possible contamination of Sfax wastewater by industrial discharges. However, the treatment of RDW originating from Ksour Essef (DWTP) was successful. In both cases, the treatment led to a total removal of all tested pathogens. The quality of treated wastewater fits largely with WHO guidelines for unrestricted irrigation. The phytotoxicity and the microtoxicity tests, using Lepidium sativum and Vibrio fischeri respectively, demonstrated that wastewater from Sfax exhibited higher toxicity than that from Ksour Sssef.

  18. Helminth ova control in wastewater and sludge for advanced and conventional sanitation.

    PubMed

    Jiménez, B; Maya, C; Galván, M

    2007-01-01

    Worldwide, the most important reuse of wastewater, in volume, is agricultural irrigation. Therefore, there is a need to properly treat wastewater for such purpose, considering the removal of pathogens while leaving suitable amounts of nutrients and other compounds to increase productivity. Helminth ova are one of the main targeted pathogens in the new guidelines for water reuse in agriculture and aquaculture issued in 2006 by the World Health Organization. However, relatively little research has been done recently on how to remove and inactivate helminth ova from wastewater and sludge and recommendations given several decades ago are still used, but when put into practice, particularly in developing countries, produce unsatisfactory results. One problem is that these criteria were developed using inaccurate analytical techniques and the other is the large number and variety of helminth ova species found in wastewater and sludge from the developing world. In fact, the few technological options to remove and inactivate helminth ova come from research performed using wastewater and sludge with low helminth ova content, and refer almost only to Ascaris (one type of helminth). This paper summarises recent research work and results from practical experience concerning helminth ova control for advanced and conventional sanitation.

  19. Faecal pollution loads in the wastewater effluents and receiving water bodies: a potential threat to the health of Sedibeng and Soshanguve communities, South Africa.

    PubMed

    Teklehaimanot, Giorgis Z; Coetzee, Martie A A; Momba, Maggy N B

    2014-01-01

    The discharge of untreated or inadequately treated effluents has been identified among the activities responsible for the spread of a wide range of potentially infectious agents. The aim of this study was to determine whether inadequate treatment of wastewater and the faecal pollution load of effluents and receiving water bodies in Sedibeng District and Soshanguve peri-urban area of the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality could be a potential threat to the health of the surrounding communities. Variations in the counts of faecal indicator bacteria and pathogenic microorganisms and compliance of the effluents and receiving water bodies with South African and World Health Organization standards were assessed between August 2011 and May 2012 using culture-based methods and molecular techniques. The overall quality of effluents did not comply with the South African special standard of no risk for unrestricted irrigation (zero Escherichia coli/100 ml). The quality of the receiving water bodies did not comply with South African regulatory limits set for domestic purposes (zero E. coli/100 ml, <30 faecal enterococci/100 ml and <1 somatic coliphages/100 ml), for full contact recreation (<20 somatic coliphages/100 ml) and aquaculture (<10 E. coli/100 ml) and WHO standards for full and intermediate contact recreational use (<1 E. coli/100 ml and <40 faecal enterococci/100 ml, respectively). The PCR results revealed the prevalence of pathogenic microorganisms; between 0 and 60 % of samples tested positive for Salmonella Typhimurium and Shigella dysenteriae, and between 20 and 60% of samples tested positive for Vibrio cholerae. These findings demonstrated that potential health risks might be associated with the use of the target river waters for domestic, recreational and irrigation purposes. This study calls for a prompt intervention to improve wastewater management.

  20. Removal of oil and grease from automobile garage wastewater using electrocoagulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manilal, A. M.; Harinarayanan Nampoothiri, M. G.; Soloman, P. A.

    2017-06-01

    Wastewater from automobile garages and workshops is an important contributor to the water pollution. Oil and grease is one of the major content of wastewater from vehicle garages. Wastewater from a public transport depot at Thrissur district in Kerala, India was collected for the study. A batch reactor has been devised to assess the efficacy of electrocoagulation in removing oil and grease from the wastewater. Aluminium and iron were tested as the anode material with stainless steel as cathode. Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of various operating parameters such as current density, pH, time and salt concentration on oil and grease removal. The results shown that aluminium is superior to iron in removing the oil and grease from the wastewater. The reactor with aluminium as anode was able to remove 90.8 % of the oil and grease at a current density of 0.6 A/dm2 in 15 minutes. The calculated specific energy consumption is also less for aluminium in comparison with iron.

  1. Seasonal ammonia losses from spray-irrigation with secondary-treated recycled water.

    PubMed

    Saez, Jose A; Harmon, Thomas C; Doshi, Sarika; Guerrero, Francisco

    2012-01-01

    This work examines ammonia volatilization associated with agricultural irrigation employing recycled water. Effluent from a secondary wastewater treatment plant was applied using a center pivot irrigation system on a 12 ha agricultural site in Palmdale, California. Irrigation water was captured in shallow pans and ammonia concentrations were quantified in four seasonal events. The average ammonia loss ranged from 15 to 35% (averaging 22%) over 2-h periods. Temporal mass losses were well-fit using a first-order model. The resulting rate constants correlated primarily with temperature and secondarily with wind speed. The observed application rates and timing were projected over an entire irrigation season using meteorological time series data from the site, which yielded volatilization estimates of 0.03 to 0.09 metric tons NH(3)-N/ha per year. These rates are consistent with average rates (0.04 to 0.08 MT NH(3)-N/ha per year) based on 10 to 20 mg NH(3)-N/L effluent concentrations and a 22% average removal. As less than 10% of the treated effluent in California is currently reused, there is potential for this source to increase, but the increase may be offset by a corresponding reduction in synthetic fertilizers usage. This point is a factor for consideration with respect to nutrient management using recycled water.

  2. Soil-transmitted helminth infections associated with wastewater and sludge reuse: A review of current evidence.

    PubMed

    Amoah, Isaac Dennis; Adegoke, Anthony Ayodeji; Stenström, Thor Axel

    2018-05-19

    To review current evidence on infections related to the concentration of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) eggs in wastewater, sludge and vegetables irrigated with wastewater or grown on sludge-amended soils. Search of Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar databases for publications reporting on STH egg concentration in wastewater, sludge and vegetables and for epidemiological studies on wastewater/sludge reuse and STH infections. STH egg concentrations were variable but high in wastewater and sludge especially in developing countries. They ranged from 6 to 16,000 eggs/L in wastewater and from 0 to 23,000 eggs/g in sludge and far exceed limits set in the WHO guideline for wastewater/sludge reuse. Numbers of STH eggs on vegetables ranged from 0 to 100 eggs/g. The concentration of STH eggs in wastewater, sludge and vegetables therefore relates to risks of infection through different exposure routes. Epidemiological evidence reveals an increased prevalence of STH infections associated with direct exposure to wastewater or sludge (farmers) and consumption of vegetables grown on soil treated with it. This calls for increased efforts to reduce the adverse health impact of wastewater and sludge reuse in line with the WHO multi-barrier approach. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  3. [Helminth prevalence in a waste-water plant at El Rosal, Cundinamarca].

    PubMed

    Ortiz, Carolina; López, Myriam C; Rivas, Favio A

    2012-01-01

    Assessing helminth egg prevalence in sludge and raw and treated wastewater from a wastewater treatment system located in the village of El Rosal, Cundinamarca. 30 wastewater and 10 sludge samples from the El Rosal plant were taken during a 10-week period. The sludge and water samples were processed according to the Bailinger and the official Mexican standard methodology, respectively. Egg viability was determined by the method described by Victórica & Galván and the Mexican official standard. Descriptive statistics were used for analysing data. 100 % of the untreated wastewater samples showed the presence of eggs and at least one viable helminth egg/litre was found in 90 % of them. 90 % of the treated wastewater samples were positive for the presence of eggs, finding that 70 % had at least one viable egg. All raw wastewater samples being dumped directly into the stream were positive for helminths; the same situation was found at the time of the viability test. All sludge samples were positive for helminths, finding that 100 % of these had at least one viable egg. Using this water for crop irrigation and using the sludge as fertiliser is a potential risk for public health. The sludge can only be used in forestry activities, as long as it does not come into contact with humans.

  4. Treatment and desalination of domestic wastewater for water reuse in a four-chamber microbial desalination cell.

    PubMed

    Lu, Yaobin; Abu-Reesh, Ibrahim M; He, Zhen

    2016-09-01

    Microbial desalination cells (MDCs) have been studied for contaminant removal from wastewater and salinity reduction in saline water. However, in an MDC wastewater treatment and desalination occurs in different streams, and high salinity of the treated wastewater creates challenges for wastewater reuse. Herein, a single-stream MDC (SMDC) with four chambers was developed for simultaneous organic removal and desalination in the same synthetic wastewater. This SMDC could achieve a desalination rate of 12.2-31.5 mg L(-1) h(-1) and remove more than 90 % of the organics and 75 % of NH4 (+)-N; the pH imbalance between the anode and cathode chambers was also reduced. Several strategies such as controlling catholyte pH, increasing influent COD concentration, adopting the batch mode, applying external voltage, and increasing the alkalinity of wastewater were investigated for improving the SMDC performance. Under a condition of 0.4 V external voltage, anolyte pH adjustment, and a batch mode, the SMDC decreased the wastewater salinity from 1.45 to below 0.75 mS cm(-1), which met the salinity standard of wastewater for irrigation. Those results encourage further development of the SMDC technology for sustainable wastewater treatment and reuse.

  5. Bioenergy from coastal bermudagrass receiving subsurface drip irrigation with advance-treated swine wastewater

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Coastal bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) may be a potentially important source of bio-based energy in the southern United States due to its vast acreage. It is often produced as part of a waste management plan with varying nutrient composition and energy characteristics on fields irrigated with li...

  6. Microbial contamination in vegetables due to irrigation with partially treated municipal wastewater in a tropical city.

    PubMed

    Rai, Prabhat Kumar; Tripathi, B D

    2007-10-01

    A total of 144 samples of water used for irrigation were collected from Dinapur, DLW sewage treatment plant and river water of Ganga at Rajghat and 258 irrigated vegetable samples were collected from nearby agricultural fields in the close vicinity of three treatment plants and examined using standard procedures for coliform and viable counts and the presence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Clostridium and Vibrio during the winter and rainy seasons. Irrigation water from Rajghat drain had significantly higher coliform counts by location and season than the water from the Dinapur and DLW. Although all the vegetables had coliform counts higher than the recommended standard (range 3.40 - 6.38 log10 cfuml(-1)), spinach and cabbage had significantly higher (p < 0.05) counts compared to other vegetables during the dry season. Salmonella was significantly more likely to be detected during the rainy season than during the dry season. Contaminated vegetable intake may pose a serious threat to human health.

  7. OXYGEN TRANSFER STUDIES AT THE MADISON METROPOLITAN SEWERAGE DISTRICT FACILITIES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Field studies at the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District facilities were conducted over a 3-year period to obtain long-term data on the performance of fine pore aeration equipment in municipal wastewater. The studies were conducted on several basins in the East Plant containi...

  8. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Randolph County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Randolph County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Randolph County was 613 (494 groundwater and 119 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 0.08 Mgal/d (0.08 Mgal/d groundwater and none from surface water) for agriculture and 69.48 Mgal/d (53.60 Mgal/d groundwater and 15.88 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 30,530 acres of land to irrigate rice, corn, soybeans, milo, and hay as well as for the agricultural use of animal aquaculture.

  9. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Miller County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Miller County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Miller County was 98 (62 groundwater and 36 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 0.06 Mgal/d (0.06 Mgal/d groundwater and none from surface water) for agriculture and 24.74 Mgal/d (5.44 Mgal/d groundwater and 19.30 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 9,872 acres of land to irrigate rice, corn, soybeans, cotton, and sod as well as for the agricultural use of animal aquaculture.

  10. Olive oil mill wastewater for soil nitrogen and carbon conservation.

    PubMed

    Aguilar, Manuel Jimenez

    2009-06-01

    In this work the application of two levels of N fertilizer (NH(4)NO(3)) dissolved in water or olive oil mill wastewater (OOMW) diluted 10 or 20 times in water, has been studied in relation to the properties of two soils (Loam and Silt-Clay-Loam). Also, the effect of irrigation water bubbled with CO(2) (Dissolved Inorganic Carbon, DIC) was studied. Nitrate N, ammonium N, total N, organic C (OC), and CaCO(3) contents were determined in the soil as well as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), and absorbance at 250 and 360 nm. Our data provide evidence that inorganic-N fertilizer dissolved in OOMW significantly reduced the emission of nitrates from soils for two months, increasing OC values. Moreover, OOMW significantly lowered the ORP. The irrigation with DIC also increased soil OC. Thus, the application of inorganic-N fertilizers dissolved in OOMW diluted with water on soils and the irrigation with water bubbled with CO(2) could reduce the environmental impact of OOMW, nitrates, and CO(2).

  11. Antibiotic Concentrations Decrease during Wastewater Treatment but Persist at Low Levels in Reclaimed Water

    PubMed Central

    Kulkarni, Prachi; Olson, Nathan D.; Raspanti, Greg A.; Rosenberg Goldstein, Rachel E.; Gibbs, Shawn G.; Sapkota, Amir; Sapkota, Amy R.

    2017-01-01

    Reclaimed water has emerged as a potential irrigation solution to freshwater shortages. However, limited data exist on the persistence of antibiotics in reclaimed water used for irrigation. Therefore, we examined the fate of nine commonly-used antibiotics (ampicillin, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, linezolid, oxacillin, oxolinic acid, penicillin G, pipemidic acid, and tetracycline) in differentially treated wastewater and reclaimed water from two U.S. regions. We collected 72 samples from two Mid-Atlantic and two Midwest treatment plants, as well as one Mid-Atlantic spray irrigation site. Antibiotic concentrations were measured using liquid-chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon tests and Kruskal Wallis tests. Overall, antibiotic concentrations in effluent samples were lower than that of influent samples. Mid-Atlantic plants had similar influent but lower effluent antibiotic concentrations compared to Midwest plants. Azithromycin was detected at the highest concentrations (of all antibiotics) in influent and effluent samples from both regions. For most antibiotics, transport from the treatment plant to the irrigation site resulted in no changes in antibiotic concentrations, and UV treatment at the irrigation site had no effect on antibiotic concentrations in reclaimed water. Our findings show that low-level antibiotic concentrations persist in reclaimed water used for irrigation; however, the public health implications are unclear at this time. PMID:28635638

  12. Irrigation: Erosion

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Irrigation is essential for global food production. However, irrigation erosion can limit the ability of irrigation systems to reliably produce food and fiber in the future. The factors affecting soil erosion from irrigation are the same as rainfall—water detaches and transports sediment. However, t...

  13. Development of a district information system for water management planning and strategic decision making

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loukas, A.; Tzabiras, J.; Spiliotopoulos, M.; Kokkinos, K.; Fafoutis, C.; Mylopoulos, N.

    2015-06-01

    The overall objective of this work is the development of a District Information System (DIS) which could be used by stakeholders for the purposes of a district day-to-day water management as well as for planning and strategic decisionmaking. The DIS was developed from a GIS-based modeling approach, which integrates a generic crop model and a hydraulic model of the transport/distribution system, using land use maps generated by Landsat TM imagery. The main sub-objectives are: (i) the development of an operational algorithm to retrieve crop evapotranspiration from remote sensing data, (ii) the development of an information system with friendly user interface for the data base, the crop module and the hydraulic module and (iii) the analysis and validation of management scenarios from model simulations predicting the respective behavior. The Lake Karla watershed is used in this study, but the overall methodology could be used as a basis for future analysis elsewhere. Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) was used to derive monthly actual evapotranspiration (ET) values from Landsat TM imagery. Meteorological data from the archives of the Institute for Research and Technology, Thessaly (I.RE.TE.TH) has also been used. The methodology was developed using high quality Landsat TM images during 2007 growing season. Monthly ET values are used as an input to CROPWAT model. Outputs of CROPWAT model are then used as input for WEAP model. The developed scenario is based on the actual situation of the surface irrigation network of the Local Administration of Land Reclamation (LALR) of Pinios for the year of 2007. The DIS is calibrated with observed data of this year and the district parameterization is conducted based on the actual operation of the network. The operation of the surface irrigation network of Pinios LALR is simulated using Technologismiki Works, while the operation of closed pipe irrigation network of Lake Karla LALR is simulated using Watercad. Four

  14. Nitrogen and water management strategies to reduce nitrate leaching under irrigated maize

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schepers, J. S.; Varvel, G. E.; Watts, D. G.

    1995-12-01

    Cropping systems that fail to integrate nitrogen (N) water management are frequently associated with elevated concentrations of nitrate-N in soil and groundwater. Examples of poorly integrated management practices are abundant, especially where irrigation is used to minimize the effects of drought and N fertilizer is inexpensive. Two maize fields under improved water and N management practices at the Nebraska Management Systems Evaluation Area (MSEA) project were compared with an adjacent field under conventional furrow irrigation that followed management guidelines mandated by the local Natural Resources District. Surge-flow furrow irrigation with laser grading and a runoff-water recovery system reduced water application by 45-69% compared to conventional furrow irrigation over the three years of this study. Center-pivot sprinkler irrigation reduced water application by 60-72% compared to conventional furrow irrigation. Uniformity of water application was improved with the surge-flow and sprinkler irrigation systems, which made it reasonable to consider adding fertilizer N in the water (fertigation) to meet crop needs. The spoon-feeding strategy, based on chlorophyll meter readings to schedule fertigation, saved 168 kg ha t1¯ N the first year and 105 kg ha -1 N the second year without reducing yields. Near total reliance of fertigation to meet crop N needs resulted in a 15% yield reduction the second year because spatial variability in soil N status made it difficult to collect representative chlorophyll meter data. Plot studies showed chlorophyll meter readings and yields were consistently higher for maize following soybean than where maize was grown in monoculture.

  15. Satellite detection of wastewater diversion plumes in Southern California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gierach, Michelle M.; Holt, Benjamin; Trinh, Rebecca; Jack Pan, B.; Rains, Christine

    2017-02-01

    Multi-sensor satellite observations proved useful in detecting surfacing wastewater plumes during the 2006 Hyperion Treatment Plant (HTP) and 2012 Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) wastewater diversion events in Southern California. Satellite sensors were capable of detecting biophysical signatures associated with the wastewater, compared to ambient ocean waters, enabling monitoring of environmental impacts over a greater spatial extent than in situ sampling alone. Thermal satellite sensors measured decreased sea surface temperatures (SSTs) associated with the surfacing plumes. Ocean color satellite sensors did not measure a distinguishable biological response in terms of chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations during the short lived, three-day long, 2006 HTP diversion. A period of decreased chl-a concentration was observed during the three-week long 2012 OCSD diversion, likely in association with enhanced chlorination of the discharged wastewater that suppressed the phytoplankton response and/or significant uptake by heterotrophic bacteria. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data were able to identify and track the 2006 HTP wastewater plume through changes in surface roughness related to the oily components of the treated surfacing wastewater. Overall, it was found that chl-a and SST values must have differences of at least 1 mg m-3 and 0.5 °C, respectively, in comparison with adjacent waters for wastewater plumes and their biophysical impact to be detectable from satellite. For a wastewater plume to be identifiable in SAR imagery, wind speeds must range between ∼3 and 8 m s-1. The findings of this study illustrate the benefit of utilizing multiple satellite sensors to monitor the rapidly changing environmental response to surfacing wastewater plumes, and can help inform future wastewater diversions in coastal areas.

  16. Re-thinking wastewater landscapes: combining innovative strategies to address tomorrow's urban wastewater treatment challenges.

    PubMed

    Smith, B R

    2009-01-01

    Most major cities worldwide face urban water management challenges relating to drinking supply, stormwater and wastewater treatment, and ecological preservation. In light of climate change and finite natural resources, addressing these challenges in sustainable ways will require innovative solutions arising from interdisciplinary collaboration. This article summarizes five major urban water management strategies that bridge the fields of engineering, ecology, landscape architecture, and urban planning. A conceptual implementation of these strategies is demonstrated through a design for a small constructed wetland treatment system in San Francisco, California. The proposed decentralized system described in this article consists of a detention basin, vegetated and open free water surface wetlands, and ultraviolet disinfection. In wet weather, the system would detain and treat combined sewer discharges (CSD), and in dry weather it would treat residential greywater for toilet flushing and irrigation in a nearby neighborhood. It is designed to adapt over time to changing climatic conditions and treatment demands. Importantly, this proposal demonstrates how constructed wetland engineers can incorporate multiple benefits into their systems, offering a vision of how wastewater infrastructure can be an attractive community, educational, recreational, and habitat amenity through the integration of engineering, ecology, and landscape design.

  17. Completion of potential conflicts of interest through optimization of Rukoh reservoir operation in Pidie District, Aceh Province, Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azmeri, Hadihardaja, Iwan K.; Shaskia, Nina; Admaja, Kamal Surya

    2017-11-01

    Rukoh Reservoir's construction was planned to be built in Krueng Rukoh Watershed with supplet ion from Krueng Tiro River. Rukoh Reservoir operating system as a multipurpose reservoir raised potential conflict of interest between raw water and irrigation water. In this study, the operating system of Rukoh Reservoirs was designed to supply raw water in Titeu Sub-District and replenish water shortage in Baro Irrigation Area which is not able to be served by the Keumala Weir. Reservoir operating system should be planned optimally so that utilization of water in accordance with service area demands. Reservoir operation method was analyzed by using optimization technique with nonlinear programming. Optimization of reservoir operation is intended to minimize potential conflicts of interest in the operation. Suppletion discharge from Krueng Tiro River amounted to 46.62%, which was calculated based on ratio of Baro and Tiro irrigation area. However, during dry seasons, water demands could not be fully met, so there was a shortage of water. By considering the rules to minimize potential conflicts of interest between raw water and irrigation water, it would require suppletion from Krueng Tiro amounted to 52.30%. The increment of suppletion volume could minimize conflicts of interest. It produced l00% reservoir reliability for raw water and irrigation demands. Rukoh reservoir could serve raw water demands of Titeu Sub-District and irrigation demands of Baro irrigation area which is covering an area of 6,047 hectars. Reservoir operation guidelines can specify reservoir water release to balance the demands and the target storage.

  18. 2011 Annual Wastewater Reuse Report for the Idaho National Laboratory Site’s Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Michael G. Lewis

    2012-02-01

    This report describes conditions, as required by the state of Idaho Wastewater Reuse Permit (LA-000141-03), for the wastewater land application site at Idaho National Laboratory Site's Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant from November 1, 2010, through October 31, 2011. The report contains the following information: (1) Site description; (2) Facility and system description; (3) Permit required monitoring data and loading rates; (4) Status of special compliance conditions and activities; and (5) Discussion of the facility's environmental impacts. During the 2011 permit year, approximately 1.22 million gallons of treated wastewater was land-applied to the irrigation area at Central Facilities Areamore » Sewage Treatment plant.« less

  19. Predcition of Long term Water table Trends in Response to Groundwater Irrigation and Climate Change in an Indian Context

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thekkemeppilly Sivakumar, I.; Steenhuis, T. S.; Walter, M. F.; Ghosh, S.; Salvi, K. A.

    2015-12-01

    Intensified groundwater irrigation is a major factor that contributes to water table decline. This phenomenon has been documented in many parts of the world. This study investigates trends in water table in response to agriculture intensification to meet increasing food demand, water management practices and climate change. A shallow-aquifer model based on the extended Thornthwaite-Mather procedure is used to predict groundwater levels in response to precipitation, evapotranspiration, and groundwater pumping for irrigation. Krishna district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in southern India which has a sub-humid, monsoon climate and Calicut district of Kerala state with a wet tropical monsoon climate have been chosen as sites for this study. The effect of increasing food demand by a growing population is investigated by increasing the number of crops per year from one to three. We consider three climate scenarios and two water management practices in this study. The three climate scenarios are the ones those envisaged by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC). The two water management practices considered are the traditional flooded agriculture and the system of rice intensification method which does not use total flooding. The results show that single crop agriculture in Krishna district is sustainable for all climate scenarios and water management practices with a maximum depth to water table around 6 - 7 m at the end of dry season and the water table recovers to the surface most of the time. Increasing crop production with two or three crops per year with groundwater irrigation is unsustainable with the water table levels dropping potentially to 200 - 1000 m at the end of 21st century. We found that climate change and better irrigation water management practices affected ground water levels only minimally compared to the growing more than one crop per year. Our study leads to the conclusion that ground water irrigated rice can only be sustainable

  20. A Multi-tracer Approach to Determining the Fate of Wastewater in Groundwater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moran, J. E.; Beller, H. R.; Leif, R.; Singleton, M. J.

    2006-12-01

    In California, demand for limited fresh water supplies for use as drinking water has increased, and recycled water is increasingly used for irrigation or for groundwater recharge. In this study, analysis of multiple tracers, including general minerals, stable isotopes of the water molecule (for source water identification and evidence for evaporation) and of nitrate (wastewater denitrification indicators), and tritium-helium groundwater age, allow identification and quantification of the fraction of water produced at a well that originated as applied wastewater effluent. Wastewater target compounds include metabolites of alkylphenol ethoxylate nonionic surfactants, pharmaceuticals such as ibuprofen and carbamazepine, personal care products such as triclosan and polycyclic musk fragrance compounds, the insect repellent DEET, and caffeine. In spite of a high fraction (up to 70 percent) of wastewater recharge produced at monitoring wells from two sites (in Livermore, CA and Gilroy, CA), the only detections greater than 50 ng/L were of alkylphenol carboxylic acids and the anti-seizure pharmaceuticals carbamazepine and primadone. However, even these compounds occurred at concentrations in groundwater that were significantly lower than concentrations observed in treated wastewater effluent. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-ENG-48.

  1. [Isolation and characterization of petroleum catabolic broad-host-range plasmids from Shen-Fu wastewater irrigation zone].

    PubMed

    Wang, Ya-Fei; Wang, Ya-Fei; Li, Hui; Li, Xiao-Bin

    2013-11-01

    Based on triparental mating, we isolated a total of eight broad host range (BHR) petroleum hydrocarbon catabolic plasmids from the soils, sediments, and wastewater samples in the Shen-Fu irrigation zone. The antibiotic resistance of the plasmids was tested, and then, the plasmids were transferred to Escherichia coli EC100. The plasmids carrying no antibiotic resistance were tagged by miniTn5 transposon consisting of antibiotic resistant genes. The PCR-based incompatibility test revealed that the pS3-2C and pS4-6G belonged to Inc P group, the pS3-2G, pW22-3G, and pA15-7G belonged to Inc N group, the pS7-2G was identified as Inc W plasmid, and the pA23-1G and pA10-1C were placed into Inc Q group. By adopting the reported PCR amplification methods of petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading catabolic genes, the petroleum-degrading capability of these BHR plasmids were preliminarily analyzed. The plasmids pS3-2G, pS7-2G, pA23-1G, pW22-3G, and pA10-1C carried aromatic ring- hydroxylating dioxygenase gene phdA and toluene monooxygenase gene touA; the plasmid pA15-7G carried touA and toluene dioxygenase gene tod; the plasmid pS3-2C carried ben, phdA, and tod; whereas the pS4-6G only carried ben. The host range test showed that all the isolated plasmids except pS3-2C could be transferred and maintained stably in the representative strains Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58, Cupriavidus necator JMP228, and E. coli EC100 of the alpha-, beta-, and gamma-Proteobacteria, respectively.

  2. Effect of wastewater on properties of Portland pozzolana cement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Babu, G. Reddy

    2017-07-01

    This paper presents the effect of wastewaters on properties of Portland pozzolana cement (PPC). Fourteen water treatment plants were found out in the Narasaraopet municipality region in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Approximately, from each plant, between 3500 and 4000 L/day of potable water is selling to consumers. All plants are extracting ground water and treating through Reverse Osmosis (RO) process. During water treatment, plants are discharging approximately 1,00,000 L/day as wastewater in side drains in Narasaraopet municipality. Physical and chemical analysis was carried out on fourteen plants wastewater and distilled water as per producer described in APHA. In the present work, based on the concentrations of constituent's in wastewater, four typical plants i.e., Narasaraopeta Engineering College (NECWW), Patan Khasim Charitable Trust (PKTWW), Mahmadh Khasim Charitable Trust (MKTWW) and Amara (ARWW) were considered. The performance of four plants wastewater on physical properties i.e., setting times, compressive strength, and flexural strength of Portland pozzolana Cement (PPC) were performed in laboratories and compared same with reference specimens i.e., made with Distilled Water (DW) as mixing water. No significant change was observed in initial and finial setting time but setting times of selected wastewaters were retarded as compared to that of reference water. Almost, no change was observed in 90 days compressive and flexural strengths in four plants wastewaters specimens compared to that of reference water specimens. XRD technique was employed to find out main hydration compounds formed in the process.

  3. Physicochemical and microbiological effects of long- and short-term winery wastewater application to soils.

    PubMed

    Mosse, K P M; Patti, A F; Smernik, R J; Christen, E W; Cavagnaro, T R

    2012-01-30

    Application of winery wastewaters to soils for irrigation of various crops or landscapes is a common practice in the wine industry. In this study, we sought to investigate the effects of this practice, by comparing the physicochemical and microbiological soil properties in paired sites that differed in having had a history of winery waste application or not. We also compared the effects of a single application of untreated winery wastewater, to application of treated winery wastewater (sequencing batch reactor) and pure water to eliminate the effects of wetting alone. Long-term application of winery wastes was found to have significant impacts on soil microbial community structure, as determined by phospholipid fatty acid analysis, as well as on many physicochemical properties including pH, EC, and cation concentrations. (13)C NMR revealed only slight differences in the nature of the carbon present at each of the paired sites. A single application of untreated winery wastewater was shown to have significant impacts upon soil respiration, nitrogen cycling and microbial community structure, but the treated wastewater application showed no significant differences to wetting alone. Results are discussed in the context of sustainable winery wastewater disposal. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. 2013 Annual Wastewater Reuse Report for the Idaho National Laboratory Site’s Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mike Lewis

    2014-02-01

    This report describes conditions, as required by the state of Idaho Wastewater Reuse Permit (#LA-000141-03), for the wastewater land application site at the Idaho National Laboratory Site’s Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant from November 1, 2012, through October 31, 2013. The report contains, as applicable, the following information: • Site description • Facility and system description • Permit required monitoring data and loading rates • Status of compliance conditions and activities • Discussion of the facility’s environmental impacts. During the 2013 permit year, no wastewater was land-applied to the irrigation area of the Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plantmore » and therefore, no effluent flow volumes or samples were collected from wastewater sampling point WW-014102. However, soil samples were collected in October from soil monitoring unit SU-014101.« less

  5. Groundwater quality assessment using geospatial and statistical tools in Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arulbalaji, P.; Gurugnanam, B.

    2017-10-01

    The water quality study of Salem district, Tamil Nadu has been carried out to assess the water quality for domestic and irrigation purposes. For this purpose, 59 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), major anions (HCO3 -, CO3 -, F-, Cl-, NO2 - + NO3 -, and SO4 2-), major cations (Ca2+ Mg2+, Na+, and K+), alkalinity (ALK), and hardness (HAR). To assess the water quality, the following chemical parameters were calculated based on the analytical results, such as Piper plot, water quality index (WQI), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), magnesium hazard (MH), Kelly index (KI), and residual sodium carbonate (RSC). Wilcox diagram represents that 23% of the samples are excellent to good, 40% of the samples are good to permissible, 10% of the samples are permissible to doubtful, 24% of the samples are doubtful unsuitable, and only 3% of the samples are unsuitable for irrigation. SAR values shows that 52% of the samples indicate high-to-very high and low-to-medium alkali water. KI values indicate good quality (30%) and not suitable (70%) for irrigation purposes. RSC values indicate that 89% of samples are suitable for irrigation purposes. MH reveals that 17% suitable and 83% samples are not suitable for irrigation purposes and for domestic purposes the excellent (8%), good (48%), and poor (44%). The agricultural waste, fertilizer used, soil leaching, urban runoff, livestock waste, and sewages are the sources of poor water quality. Some samples are not suitable for irrigation purposes due to high salinity, hardness, and magnesium concentration. In general, the groundwater of the Salem district was polluted by agricultural activities, anthropogenic activities, ion exchange, and weathering.

  6. Interactive Online Real-time Groundwater Model for Irrigation Water Allocation in the Heihe Mid-reaches, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pedrazzini, G.; Kinzelbach, W.

    2016-12-01

    In the Heihe Basin and many other semi-arid regions in the world the ongoing introduction of smart meter IC-card systems on farmers' pumping wells will soon allow monitoring and control of abstractions with the goal of preventing further depletion of the resource. In this regard, a major interest of policy makers concerns the development of new and the improvement of existing legislation on pricing schemes and groundwater/surface water quotas. Predictive knowledge on the development of groundwater levels for different allocation schemes or climatic change scenarios is required to support decision-makers in this task. In the past groundwater models have been a static component of investigations and their results delivered in the form of reports. We set up and integrated a groundwater model into a user-friendly web-based environment, allowing direct and easy access to the novice user. Through operating sliders the user can select an irrigation district, change irrigation patterns such as partitioning of surface- and groundwater, size of irrigation area, irrigation efficiency, as well as a number of climate related parameters. Reactive handles allow to display the results in real-time. The implemented software is all license free. The tool is currently being introduced to irrigation district managers in the project area. Findings will be available after some practical experience to be expected in a given time. The accessibility via a web-interface is a novelty in the context of groundwater models. It allows delivering a product accessible from everywhere and from any device. The maintenance and if necessary updating of model or software can occur remotely. Feedback mechanisms between reality and prediction will be introduced and the model periodically updated through data assimilation as new data becomes available. This will render the model a dynamic tool steadily available and evolving over time.

  7. Field accumulation risks of heavy metals in soil and vegetable crop irrigated with sewage water in western region of Saudi Arabia.

    PubMed

    Balkhair, Khaled S; Ashraf, Muhammad Aqeel

    2016-01-01

    Wastewater irrigated fields can cause potential contamination with heavy metals to soil and groundwater, thus pose a threat to human beings . The current study was designed to investigate the potential human health risks associated with the consumption of okra vegetable crop contaminated with toxic heavy metals. The crop was grown on a soil irrigated with treated wastewater in the western region of Saudi Arabia during 2010 and 2011. The monitored heavy metals included Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn for their bioaccumulation factors to provide baseline data regarding environmental safety and the suitability of sewage irrigation in the future. The pollution load index (PLI), enrichment factor (EF) and contamination factor (CF) of these metals were calculated. The pollution load index of the studied soils indicated their level of metal contamination. The concentrations of Ni, Pb, Cd and Cr in the edible portions were above the safe limit in 90%, 28%, 83% and 63% of the samples, respectively. The heavy metals in the edible portions were as follows: Cr > Zn > Ni > Cd > Mn > Pb > Cu > Fe. The Health Risk Index (HRI) was >1 indicating a potential health risk. The EF values designated an enhanced bio-contamination compared to other reports from Saudi Arabia and other countries around the world. The results indicated a potential pathway of human exposure to slow poisoning by heavy metals due to the indirect utilization of vegetables grown on heavy metal-contaminated soil that was irrigated by contaminated water sources. The okra tested was not safe for human use, especially for direct consumption by human beings. The irrigation source was identified as the source of the soil pollution in this study.

  8. Field accumulation risks of heavy metals in soil and vegetable crop irrigated with sewage water in western region of Saudi Arabia

    PubMed Central

    Balkhair, Khaled S.; Ashraf, Muhammad Aqeel

    2015-01-01

    Wastewater irrigated fields can cause potential contamination with heavy metals to soil and groundwater, thus pose a threat to human beings . The current study was designed to investigate the potential human health risks associated with the consumption of okra vegetable crop contaminated with toxic heavy metals. The crop was grown on a soil irrigated with treated wastewater in the western region of Saudi Arabia during 2010 and 2011. The monitored heavy metals included Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn for their bioaccumulation factors to provide baseline data regarding environmental safety and the suitability of sewage irrigation in the future. The pollution load index (PLI), enrichment factor (EF) and contamination factor (CF) of these metals were calculated. The pollution load index of the studied soils indicated their level of metal contamination. The concentrations of Ni, Pb, Cd and Cr in the edible portions were above the safe limit in 90%, 28%, 83% and 63% of the samples, respectively. The heavy metals in the edible portions were as follows: Cr > Zn > Ni > Cd > Mn > Pb > Cu > Fe. The Health Risk Index (HRI) was >1 indicating a potential health risk. The EF values designated an enhanced bio-contamination compared to other reports from Saudi Arabia and other countries around the world. The results indicated a potential pathway of human exposure to slow poisoning by heavy metals due to the indirect utilization of vegetables grown on heavy metal-contaminated soil that was irrigated by contaminated water sources. The okra tested was not safe for human use, especially for direct consumption by human beings. The irrigation source was identified as the source of the soil pollution in this study. PMID:26858563

  9. Consistency between health risks and microbial response mechanism of various petroleum components in a typical wastewater-irrigated farmland.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Juan; Fan, Shu-kai

    2016-06-01

    Various petroleum components possess distinctive migration and toxicity characteristics. Evaluation of contamination levels on the basis of total concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil and groundwater is limited. Hunpu, a typical wastewater-irrigated area, is located at the southwest of Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China. In this study, various fractions, exposure pathways, and soil microbial communities were taken into account to make petroleum contamination evaluation more effective and precise in the region. The concentrations and hazard quotients of aliphatic fractions, as the bulk of an oil, verified that the groundwater must not be drunk directly. The total concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons (TAHs) for C10-34 were 68.90-199.87 μg g(-1) in soil in Hunpu, which required cleanup according to Oklahoma criteria. However, both health and ecological risks indicated that petroleum contamination in surface soil was not serious. Microbes may use aliphatic fractions as carbon and energy source for their growth, which was indicated by positive correlation between them. TAHsC12-16 posed highest human health risks and had the most significant effect on the soil microbial composition, although its concentration was low in both the groundwater and the soil. Straight-, branched-chain saturated, and cyclopropyl phospholipid fatty acids had more closely positive correlation with TAHsC12-16, which indicated that regulation of bacterial membrane fluidity to toxic petroleum pollutants. This study can also provide the guidelines for assessment and management of petroleum contamination. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Water management challenges at Mushandike irrigation scheme in Runde catchment, Zimbabwe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malanco, Jose A.; Makurira, Hodson; Kaseke, Evans; Gumindoga, Webster

    2018-05-01

    Mushandike Irrigation Scheme, constructed in 1939, is located in Masvingo District and is one of the oldest irrigation schemes in Zimbabwe. Since 2002, the scheme has experienced severe water shortages resulting in poor crop yields. The low crop yields have led to loss of income to the smallholder farmers who constitute the irrigation scheme leading to water conflicts. The water stress at the scheme has been largely attributed to climate change and the uncontrolled expansion of the land under irrigation which is currently about 1000 ha against a design area of 613 ha. This study sought to determine the actual causes of water shortage at Mushandike Irrigation Scheme. Hydro-climatic data was analysed to establish if the Mushandike River system generates enough water to guarantee the calculated annual yield of the dam. Irrigation demands and efficiencies were compared against water availability and dam releases to establish if there is any deficit. The Spearman's Rank Correlation results of 0.196 for rainfall and 0.48 for evaporation confirmed positive but insignificant long-term changes in hydro-climatic conditions in the catchment. Water budgets established that the yield of the dam of 9.2 × 106 m3 year-1 is sufficient to support the expanded area of 1000 ha provided in-field water management efficiencies are adopted. The study concludes that water shortages currently experienced at the scheme are a result of inefficient water management (e.g. over-abstraction from the dam beyond the firm yield, adoption of inefficient irrigation methods and high channel losses in the canal system) and are not related to hydro-climatic conditions. The study also sees no value in considering inter-basin water transfer to cushion the losses being experienced at the scheme.

  11. Opportunities for woody crop production using treated wastewater in Egypt. II. Irrigation strategies

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Egypt's share of Nile waters is allocated according to international treaty obligations and is fixed at 55.5 billion cubic meters annually. As a result, Egypt will not be able to meet increasing water demand using freshwater from the Nile and has been developing non-conventional wastewater reuse st...

  12. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Mississippi County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Mississippi County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Mississippi County was 981 (946 groundwater and 35 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 0.06 Mgal/d (0.01 Mgal/d groundwater and 0.05 Mgal/d surface water) for agriculture and 97.82 Mgal/d (94.16 Mgal/d groundwater and 3.66 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 109,345 acres of land to irrigate rice, corn, soybeans, milo, cotton, hay, vegetables, berries, and sod as well as for the agricultural use of animal aquaculture.

  13. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Poinsett County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office of Poinsett County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Poinsett County was 1,826 (1,644 groundwater and 182 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 15.12 Mgal/d (11.76 Mgal/d groundwater and 3.26 Mgal/d surface water) for agriculture and 443.50 Mgal/d (394.22 Mgal/d groundwater and 49.28 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 244,505 acres of land to irrigate rice, corn, soybeans, milo, cotton, and hay as well as for the agricultural uses of animal aquaculture and ducks.

  14. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Lincoln County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Lincoln County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Lincoln County was 1,167 (868 groundwater and 299 surface water). Water with- drawals reported during the registration process total 3.88 Mgal/d (3.88 Mgal/d groundwater and none from surface water) for agriculture and 114.31 Mgal/d (98.59 Mgal/d groundwater and 15.72 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 81,477 acres of land to irrigate rice, corn, soybeans, milo, cotton and vegetables as well as for the agricultural use of animal aquaculture.

  15. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Woodruff County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Woodruff County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Woodruff County was 1,930 (1,755 groundwater and 175 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 0.91 Mgal/d (0.91 Mgal/d groundwater and none from surface water) for agriculture and 284.20 Mgal/d (258.13 Mgal/d groundwater and 26.07 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 138,452 acres of land to irrigate wheat, rice, corn, soybeans, milo, cotton, and vegetables, as well as for the agricultural uses of animal aquaculture and ducks.

  16. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Drew County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Drew County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Drew County was 505 (342 groundwater and 163 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 0.32 Mgal/d (0.32 Mgal/d groundwater and none from surface water) for agriculture and 43.04 Mgal/d (37.43 Mgal/d groundwater and 5.61 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 23,775 acres of land to irrigate wheat, rice, corn, soybeans, milo, cash grains, cotton, and hay as well as for the agricultural use of animal aquaculture and catfish.

  17. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Greene County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Greene County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Greene County was 1,567 (1,510 groundwater and 57 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 26.69 Mgal/d (23.98 Mgal/d groundwater and 2.71 Mgal/d surface water) for agriculture and 92.46 Mgal/d (91.03 Mgal/d groundwater and 1.43 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 70,947 acres of land to irrigate rice, corn, soybeans, milo, cotton, fruit trees, and sod as well as for the agricultural use of animal aquaculture.

  18. Pathogens and fecal indicators in waste stabilization pond systems with direct reuse for irrigation: Fate and transport in water, soil and crops.

    PubMed

    Verbyla, M E; Iriarte, M M; Mercado Guzmán, A; Coronado, O; Almanza, M; Mihelcic, J R

    2016-05-01

    Wastewater use for irrigation is expanding globally, and information about the fate and transport of pathogens in wastewater systems is needed to complete microbial risk assessments and develop policies to protect public health. The lack of maintenance for wastewater treatment facilities in low-income areas and developing countries results in sludge accumulation and compromised performance over time, creating uncertainty about the contamination of soil and crops. The fate and transport of pathogens and fecal indicators was evaluated in waste stabilization ponds with direct reuse for irrigation, using two systems in Bolivia as case studies. Results were compared with models from the literature that have been recommended for design. The removal of Escherichia coli in both systems was adequately predicted by a previously-published dispersed flow model, despite more than 10years of sludge accumulation. However, a design equation for helminth egg removal overestimated the observed removal, suggesting that this equation may not be appropriate for systems with accumulated sludge. To assess the contamination of soil and crops, ratios were calculated of the pathogen and fecal indicator concentrations in soil or on crops to their respective concentrations in irrigation water (termed soil-water and crop-water ratios). Ratios were similar within each group of microorganisms but differed between microorganism groups, and were generally below 0.1mLg(-1) for coliphage, between 1 and 100mLg(-1) for Giardia and Cryptosporidium, and between 100 and 1000mLg(-1) for helminth eggs. This information can be used for microbial risk assessments to develop safe water reuse policies in support of the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Asian irrigation, African rain: Remote impacts of irrigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vrese, Philipp; Hagemann, Stefan; Claussen, Martin

    2016-04-01

    Irrigation is not only vital for global food security but also constitutes an anthropogenic land use change, known to have strong effects on local hydrological and energy cycles. Using the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology's Earth System Model, we show that related impacts are not confined regionally but that possibly as much as 40% of the present-day precipitation in some of the arid regions in Eastern Africa are related to irrigation-based agriculture in Asia. Irrigation in South Asia also substantially influences the climate throughout Southeast Asia and China via the advection of water vapor and by altering the Asian monsoon. The simulated impact of irrigation on remote regions is sensitive to the magnitude of the irrigation-induced moisture flux. Therefore, it is likely that a future extension or decline of irrigated areas due to increasing food demand or declining fresh water resources will also affect precipitation and temperatures in remote regions.

  20. Soil-pit Method for Distribution and Leaching Loss of Nitrogen in Winter Wheat’s Soil, Weishan Irrigation District

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Erni; Xu, Lirong; Wang, Rongzhen

    2018-01-01

    Unreasonable application of irrigation and fertilizer will cause the waste of water and nitrogen and environmental pollution. In this paper, a series of soil-pit experiments were carried out to study the distribution and leaching loss of nitrogen in winter wheat’s soil. The results showed that NO3 - concentration at 20-80cm depth mainly responded to fertilizer application at the beginning of field experiment, but the amount of irrigation became the dominant factor with the growth of winter wheat. It is noteworthy that the distribution of NO3 - was mainly affected by the amount of fertilizer applied at the depth of 120-160cm in the whole period of growth of winter wheat. The accumulation position of NH4 + was deepened as the amount of irrigation increased, however, the maximum aggregation depth of ammonium nitrogen was no more than 80cm owing to its poor migration. It can be concluded that the influence of irrigation amount on the concentration of NH4 + in soil solution was more obvious than that of fertilizer. Compared with fertilizer, the amount of irrigation played a leading role in the utilization ratio of nitrogen and the yield of winter wheat. In summary, the best water and fertilizer treatment occurred in No.3 soil-pit, which meant that the middle amount of water and fertilizer could get higher wheat yield and less nitrogen leaching losses in the study area.

  1. A GIS based district information system for water resources management and planning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tzabiras, John; Spiliotopoulos, Marios; Kokkinos, Kostantinos; Fafoutis, Chrysostomos; Sidiropoulos, Pantelis; Vasiliades, Lampros; Loukas, Athanasios; Mylopoulos, Nikitas

    2014-05-01

    In many watersheds of the Mediterranean Countries, water resources are presently fully or overcommitted. Irrigators are the largest consumers of fresh water in Mediterranean Countries using up to 80% of all allocated water in some regions. Administrative efforts should be directed towards an integrated policy of water allocation which accounts for the characteristics and specificity of each farm, requiring the availability of data bases and management tools (decision support systems) specifically designed to fulfil the objectives of maximizing water use efficiency. The overall objective of this program was the development of a District Information System (DIS) which could be used by stakeholders at purposes of irrigation district day-to-day management as well as for planning and strategic decision-making. The DIS was developed from a GIS-based modelling approach which integrates a generic crop model, a hydraulic module for the water transfer/distribution system and uses remote sensing information. The main sub-objectives were: (i) the development of an operational algorithm to retrieve crop evapotranspiration from remote sensing data, (ii) the development of an information system with friendly user interface for the data base, the crop module and the hydraulic module and (iii) the analysis and validation of management scenarios from model simulations predicting the respective behaviour. Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) was used to derive monthly actual evapotranspiration (ET) values from Landsat TM imagery. Meteorological data from the archive of the Institute for Research and Technology, Thessaly (I.RE.TE.TH) have also been used. The methodology was developed using high quality Landsat TM images during 2007 growing season. Monthly ET values are then used as an input to CROPWAT model. Outputs of CROPWAT model are then used as input for the hydraylic module consisted of TECHNOLOGISMIKI, WATERCAD and WEAP model. Hence, a reference scenario was

  2. Environmental and cost life cycle assessment of disinfection options for municipal wastewater treatment

    EPA Science Inventory

    This document summarizes the data collection, analysis, and results for a base case wastewater treatment (WWT) plant reference model. The base case is modeled after the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSDGC) Mill Creek Plant. The plant has an activated sludge s...

  3. Increasing Crop Yields in Water Stressed Countries by Combining Operations of Freshwater Reservoir and Wastewater Reclamation Plant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhushan, R.; Ng, T. L.

    2015-12-01

    Freshwater resources around the world are increasing in scarcity due to population growth, industrialization and climate change. This is a serious concern for water stressed countries, including those in Asia and North Africa where future food production is expected to be negatively affected by this. To address this problem, we investigate the potential of combining freshwater reservoir and wastewater reclamation operations. Reservoir water is the cheaper source of irrigation, but is often limited and climate sensitive. Treated wastewater is a more reliable alternative for irrigation, but often requires extensive further treatment which can be expensive. We propose combining the operations of a reservoir and a wastewater reclamation plant (WWRP) to augment the supply from the reservoir with reclaimed water for increasing crop yields in water stressed regions. The joint system of reservoir and WWRP is modeled as a multi-objective optimization problem with the double objective of maximizing the crop yield and minimizing total cost, subject to constraints on reservoir storage, spill and release, and capacity of the WWRP. We use the crop growth model Aquacrop, supported by The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), to model crop growth in response to water use. Aquacrop considers the effects of water deficit on crop growth stages, and from there estimates crop yield. We generate results comparing total crop yield under irrigation with water from just the reservoir (which is limited and often interrupted), and yield with water from the joint system (which has the potential of higher supply and greater reliability). We will present results for locations in India and Africa to evaluate the potential of the joint operations for improving food security in those areas for different budgets.

  4. Heavy metal pollution in farmland irrigated with river water near a steel plant—magnetic and geochemical signature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Chunxia; Appel, Erwin; Qiao, Qingqing

    2013-03-01

    The presence of heavy metals (HMs) in the environment is a major threat for humans. Magnetic proxies provide a rapid method for assessing the degree of HM pollution in environment. We have studied farmland soil irrigated with polluted river water in the vicinity of a steel plant in Loudi city (Hunan Province, China) to test the efficiency of magnetic methods for detecting the degree of HM pollution. Both magnetic and non-magnetic (microscopic, chemical and statistical) methods were used to characterize these farmland soils. Enhanced magnetic concentration values were found in the upper arable soil horizon (0-20 cm), which is related to the presence of spherical ˜10 to 30 μm sized magnetite particles. The spatial distribution of magnetic concentration and HM contents in the farmland soils matches with the spatial pattern of these parameters in river sediments. These findings provide evidence that HM pollution of the farmland soil is mainly caused by irrigation with wastewater. HMs Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Co, Ni, V are well correlate with magnetic susceptibility (χ). The pollution load index (PLI) of all nine anthropogenic HMs (including also Cr and Mo) and log10(χ) are significantly correlated. Using the resulting linear PLI-log10(χ) function, values of χ can serve as a convenient tool for semi-quantifying the degree of HM pollution in the uppermost ˜20 cm of the studied farmland soils. These findings suggest that magnetic methods can generally serve as a convenient tool for detecting and mapping HM pollution in farmland soil irrigated with wastewater from sites nearby heavy industrial activities.

  5. Use of hydroponics culture to assess nutrient supply by treated wastewater.

    PubMed

    Adrover, Maria; Moyà, Gabriel; Vadell, Jaume

    2013-09-30

    The use of treated wastewater for irrigation is increasing, especially in those areas where water resources are limited. Treated wastewaters contain nutrients that are useful for plant growth and help to reduce fertilizers needs. Nutrient content of these waters depends on the treatment system. Nutrient supply by a treated wastewater from a conventional treatment plant (CWW) and a lagooned wastewater from the campus of the University of Balearic Islands (LWW) was tested in an experiment in hydroponics conditions. Half-strength Hoagland nutrient solution (HNS) was used as a control. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seedlings were grown in 4 L containers filled with the three types of water. Four weeks after planting, barley was harvested and root and shoot biomass was measured. N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na and Fe contents were determined in both tissues and heavy metal concentrations were analysed in shoots. N, P and K concentrations were lower in LWW than in CWW, while HNS had the highest nutrient concentration. Dry weight barley production was reduced in CWW and LWW treatments to 49% and 17%, respectively, comparing to HNS. However, to a lesser extent, reduction was found in shoot and root N content. Treated wastewater increased Na content in shoots and roots of barley and Ca and Cr content in shoots. However, heavy metals content was lower than toxic levels in all the cases. Although treated wastewater is an interesting water resource, additional fertilization is needed to maintain a high productivity in barley seedlings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Review of ultrasonic irrigation in endodontics: increasing action of irrigating solutions

    PubMed Central

    Mozo, Sandra; Llena, Carmen

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: Effective irrigant delivery and agitation are prerequisites for successful endodontic treatment. Ultrasonic irrigation can be performed with or without simultaneous ultrasonic instrumentation. Existing literature reveals that ultrasonic irrigation may have a very positive effect on chemical, biological and physical debridement of the root canal system as investigated in many in vitro studies. Objective: The purpose of this review article was to summarize and discuss the available information concerning ultrasonic irrigation in endodontics. Methods: This article presents an overview of ultrasonic irrigation methods and their debridement efficacy. In this paper the relevant literature on passive ultrasonic irrigation is reviewed. Information from original scientific papers or reviews listed in MEDLINE and Cochrane were included in the review. Results: The use of ultrasound in the irrigation procedure results in improved canal cleanliness, better irrigant transfer to the canal system, soft tissue debridement, and removal of smear layer and bacteria. There are many in vitro studies, but there is a need to standardize protocols, and correlate the clinical efficacy of ultrasonic devices with improved treatment outcomes. Understanding the basis of ultrasonic irrigation is fundamental for clinicians and researchers to improve the design and use of ultrasonic irrigation. Key words:Ultrasonic irrigation, ultrasound, smear layer, endodontics. PMID:22143738

  7. MBR pilot plant for textile wastewater treatment and reuse.

    PubMed

    Lubello, C; Caffaz, S; Mangini, L; Santianni, D; Caretti, C

    2007-01-01

    An experimental study was carried out in order to evaluate the possibility of upgrading the conventional activated sludge WWTP of Seano (Prato, Italy) which treats municipal and textile wastewaters, by using membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology. The MBR pilot plant, set up within Seano WWTP, was fed with mixed municipal-industrial wastewaters during the first experimental period and with pure industrial wastewaters during the second. Performances and operation of the MBR were evaluated in terms of permeate characteristics and variability (COD, colour, surfactants, total N and P) and other operational parameters (sludge growth and observed yield). According to the experimental results the MBR permeate quality was always superior to the Seano WWTP one and it was suitable for industrial reuse in the textile district of the Prato area. Respirometric tests provided a modified IWA ASM1 model which fits very well the experimental data and can be used for the design and the monitoring of a full-scale MBR pilot plant.

  8. The evaluation of the climate change effects on maize and fennel cultivation by means of an hydrological physically based model: the case study of an irrigated district of southern Italy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonfante, A.; Alfieri, M. S.; Basile, A.; De Lorenzi, F.; Fiorentino, N.; Menenti, M.

    2012-04-01

    The effect of climate change on irrigated agricultural systems will be different from area to area depending on some factors as: (i) water availability, (ii) crop water demand (iii) soil hydrological behavior and (iv) irrigation management strategy. The adaptation of irrigated crop systems to future climate change can be supported by physically based model which simulate the water and heat fluxes in the soil-vegetation-atmosphere system. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects of climate change on the heat and water balance of a maize-fennel rotation. This was applied to a on-demand irrigation district of Southern Italy ("Destra Sele", Campania Region, 22.645 ha). Two climate scenarios were considered, current climate (1961-1990) and future climate (2021-2050), the latter constructed by applying statistical downscaling to GCMs scenarios. For each climate scenario the soil moisture regime of the selected study area was calculated by means of a simulation model of the soil-water-atmosphere system (SWAP). Synthetic indicators of the soil water regimes (e.g., crop water stress index - CWSI, available water content) have been calculated and impacts evaluated taking into account the yield response functions to water availability of different cultivars. Different irrigation delivering strategies were also simulated. The hydrological model SWAP was applied to the representative soils of the whole area (20 soil units) for which the soil hydraulic properties were derived by means of pedo-transfer function (HYPRES) tested and validated on the typical soils in the study area. Upper boundary conditions were derived from two climate scenarios, i.e. current and future. Unit gradient in soil water potential was set as lower boundary condition. Crop-specific input data and model parameters were derived from field experiments, in the same area, where the SWAP model was calibrated and validated. The results obtained have shown a significant increase of CWSI in the future

  9. Using on-farm sedimentation ponds to improve microbial quality of irrigation water in urban vegetable farming in Ghana.

    PubMed

    Keraita, B; Drechsel, P; Konradsen, F

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents an assessment of the potential of using on-farm ponds to reduce levels of microbial contamination in wastewater--contaminated irrigation water. The study involved observations on the use of ponds in urban agriculture in Kumasi, Ghana, and more than 300 irrigation water samples were taken for physico-chemical and microbial laboratory analysis. The study shows that while on-farm ponds are commonly used, their potential to remove pathogens through sedimentation has not been fully optimized. Two-thirds of helminth eggs were in the sediments and careful collection of irrigation water without disturbing sediments reduced helminth eggs in irrigation water by about 70%. Helminth eggs reduced from about 5 to less than 1 egg per litre in three days in both dry and wet seasons while thermotolerant coliforms took six days in the dry season to reduce from about 8 to 4 log units per 100 ml, to meet the WHO guidelines. For optimal pathogen removal, better pond designs, farmers' training on collection of water with minimal disturbance and any other means to enhance sedimentation and pathogen die-off can be essential components of a multiple-barrier approach complementing farm-based measures like simple filtration techniques, better irrigation methods and post-harvest contamination.

  10. The Benchmark Farm Program : a method for estimating irrigation water use in southwest Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Duerr, A.D.; Trommer, J.T.

    1982-01-01

    Irrigation water-use data are summarized in this report for 74 farms in the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Most data are for 1978-90, but 18 farms have data extending back to the early 1970's. Data include site number and location, season and year, crop type, irrigation system, monitoring method, and inches of water applied per acre. Crop types include citrus, cucumbers, pasture, peanuts, sod, strawberries, and tropical fish farms are also included. Water-application rates per growing season ranged from 0 inches per acre for several citrus and pasture sites to 239.7 inches per acre for a nursery site. The report also includes rainfall data for 12 stations throughout the study area. (USGS)

  11. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in St. Francis County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in St. Francis County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for St. Francis County was 1,286 (1,194 groundwater and 92 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 0.14 Mgal/d (0.14 Mgal/d groundwater and none from surface water) for agriculture and 172.48 Mgal/d groundwater and 12.66 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 100,183 acres of land to irrigate rice, soybeans, milo, cotton, and vegetables as well as for the agricultural uses of animal aquaculture and ducks.

  12. Wastewater treatment and reuse in urban agriculture: exploring the food, energy, water, and health nexus in Hyderabad, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller-Robbie, Leslie; Ramaswami, Anu; Amerasinghe, Priyanie

    2017-07-01

    Nutrients and water found in domestic treated wastewater are valuable and can be reutilized in urban agriculture as a potential strategy to provide communities with access to fresh produce. In this paper, this proposition is examined by conducting a field study in the rapidly developing city of Hyderabad, India. Urban agriculture trade-offs in water use, energy use and GHG emissions, nutrient uptake, and crop pathogen quality are evaluated, and irrigation waters of varying qualities (treated wastewater, versus untreated water and groundwater) are compared. The results are counter-intuitive, and illustrate potential synergies and key constraints relating to the food-energy-water-health (FEW-health) nexus in developing cities. First, when the impact of GHG emissions from untreated wastewater diluted in surface streams is compared with the life cycle assessment of wastewater treatment with reuse in agriculture, the treatment-plus-reuse case yields a 33% reduction in life cycle system-wide GHG emissions. Second, despite water cycling benefits in urban agriculture, only <1% of the nutrients are able to be captured in urban agriculture, limited by the small proportion of effluent divertible to urban agriculture due to land constraints. Thus, water treatment plus reuse in urban farms can enhance GHG mitigation and also directly save groundwater; however, very large amounts of land are needed to extract nutrients from dilute effluents. Third, although energy use for wastewater treatment results in pathogen indicator organism concentrations in irrigation water to be reduced by 99.9% (three orders of magnitude) compared to the untreated case, crop pathogen content was reduced by much less, largely due to environmental contamination and farmer behavior and harvesting practices. The study uncovers key physical, environmental, and behavioral factors that constrain benefits achievable at the FEW-health nexus in urban areas.

  13. Adaptive management of irrigation and crops' biodiversity: a case study on tomato

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Lorenzi, Francesca; Alfieri, Silvia Maria; Basile, Angelo; Bonfante, Antonello; Monaco, Eugenia; Riccardi, Maria; Menenti, Massimo

    2013-04-01

    We have assessed the impacts of climate change and evaluated options to adapt irrigation management in the face of predicted changes of agricultural water demand. We have evaluated irrigation scheduling and its effectiveness (versus crop transpiration), and cultivars' adaptability. The spatial and temporal variations of effectiveness and adaptability were studied in an irrigated district of Southern Italy. Two climate scenarios were considered: reference (1961-90) and future (2021-2050) climate, the former from climatic statistics, and the latter from statistical downscaling of general circulation models (AOGCM). Climatic data consist of daily time series of maximum and minimum temperature, and daily rainfall on a grid with a spatial resolution of 35 km. The work was carried out in the Destra Sele irrigation scheme (18.000 ha. Twenty-five soil units were identified and their hydrological properties were determined (measured or estimated from texture through pedo-transfer functions). A tomato crop, in a rotation typical of the area, was considered. A mechanistic model of water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere system (SWAP) was used to study crop water requirements and water consumption. The model was calibrated and validated in the same area for many different crops. Tomato crop input data and model parameters were estimated on the basis of scientific literature and assumed to be generically representative of the species. Simulations were performed for reference and future climate, and for different irrigation scheduling options. In all soil units, six levels of irrigation volumes were applied: full irrigation (100%), deficit irrigation (80%, 60%, 40%, 20%), no irrigation. From simulation runs, indicators of soil water availability were calculated, moreover the marginal increases of transpiration per unit of irrigation volume, i.e. the effectiveness of irrigation (ΔT/I), were computed, in both climate scenarios. Indicators and marginal increases were used to

  14. Water reuse and cost-benefit of pumping at different spatial levels in a rice irrigation system in UPRIIS, Philippines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hafeez, M. M.; Bouman, B. A. M.; Van de Giesen, N.; Mushtaq, S.; Vlek, P.; Khan, S.

    As agricultural water resources in Asia become increasingly scarce, the irrigation efficiency of rice must be improved. However, in this region there is very limited information available about water use efficiency across spatial levels in irrigation systems. This study quantifies the volume of water reuse and its related cost-benefits at five different spatial levels, ranging from 1500 ha to 18,000 ha, under gravity-fed irrigation system in Upper Pumpanga River Integrated Irrigation System (UPRIIS), Philippines. The major sources of water reuse are considered, namely groundwater pumping, pumping from creeks, combined use and irrigation supplies from check dams. The volume of water available from all four sources of water reuse was quantified through extensive measurements. Production functions were developed to quantify water-yield relationships and to measure the economic value of water reuse. This study was conducted during the dry season of 2001, which existed from 19 November 2000 until 18 May 2001. The water reuse by pumping and check dams was 7% and 22% of the applied surface water at District 1 level. The reuse of surface water through check dams increased linearly with 4.6 Mm 3 per added 1000 ha. Similarly, the total amount of reused water from pumping is equivalent to 30% of the water lost through rice evapotranspiration during the dry season 2001. The results showed that water reuse plays a dominant role in growing a rice crop during the dry season. The result showed no difference in pumping costs between the creek (US0.011/m 3) and shallow pumps (US0.012/m 3). The marginal value of productivity (MVP) of water reuse from creek (US0.044/m 3) was slightly higher than the water reuse through the pumping ground water (US0.039/m 3). Results also indicated that the total volume pumped per ha (m 3/ha) was ranging from 0.39 to 6.93 m 3/ha during the dry season. The results clearly indicate that the quantification of amount of water reuse is very crucial for

  15. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Craighead County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Craighead County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Craighead County was 2,384 (2,187 groundwater and 197 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 1.45 Mgal/d (0.50 Mgal/d groundwater and 0.95 Mgal/d surface water) for agriculture and 287.20 Mgal/d (261.52 Mgal/d groundwater and 25.68 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 168,003 acres of land to irrigate rice, sorghum, corn, soybeans, milo, cotton, hay, vegetables, nuts, and sod as well as for the agricultural uses of animal aquaculture and sports clubs.

  16. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Lonoke County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Lonoke County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Lonoke County was 3,313 (2,587 groundwater and 726 surface water). Water with drawals reported during the registration process total 61.30 Mgal/d (59.50 Mgal/d groundwater and 1.80 Mgal/d surface water) for agriculture and 300.45 Mgal/d (241.86 Mgal/d groundwater and 58.59 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registra- tion reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 238,457 acres of land to irrigate rice, sorghum, corn, soybeans, milo, cash grains, cotton, and sod as well as for the agricultural uses of animal aquaculture, hatcheries, and ducks.

  17. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Lee County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Lee County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Lee County was 1,582 (1,533 groundwater and 49 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 3.77 Mgal/d (3.39 Mgal/d groundwater and 0.38 Mgal/d surface water) for agriculture and 169.25 Mgal/d (166.79 Mgal/d groundwater and 2.46 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 97,029 acres of land to irrigate wheat, rice, corn, soybeans, milo, cotton, hay, vegetables, and nuts as well as for the agricultural uses of animal aquaculture and ducks.

  18. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Pulaski County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Pulaski County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Pulaski County was 291 (170 groundwater and 121 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 0.91 Mgal/d (0.71 Mgal/d groundwater and 0.20 Mgal/d surface water) for agriculture and 37.42 Mgal/d (28.53 Mgal/d groundwater and 8.89 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 28,088 acres of land to irrigate wheat, rice, sorghum, corn, soybeans, milo, cash grains, cotton, vegetables, and sod, as well as for the agricultural uses of animal aquaculture, timber, and ducks.

  19. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Phillips County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Phillips County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Phillips County was 1,109 (1,103 groundwater and 6 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 0.15 Mgal/d (0.15 Mgal/d groundwater and none from surface water) for agriculture and 123.75 Mgal/d (122.66 Mgal/d groundwater and 1.09 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 96,502 acres of land to irrigate wheat, rice, corn, soybeans, milo, cotton, hay, vegetables, grapes, nuts, fruit trees, and sod, as well as for the agricultural use of animal aquaculture.

  20. Water quality, pesticide occurrence, and effects of irrigation with reclaimed water at golf courses in Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Swancar, Amy

    1996-01-01

    Reuse of treated wastewater for golf course irrigation is an increasingly popular water management option in Florida, where growth has put stress on potable water supplies. Surface water, ground water, and irrigation water were sampled at three pairs of golf courses quarterly for one year to determine if pesticides were present, and the effect of irrigation with treated effluent on ground-water quality, with an emphasis on interactions of effluent with pesticides. In addition to the six paired golf courses, which were in central Florida, ground water was sampled for pesticides and other constituents at three more golf courses in other parts of the State. This study was the first to analyze water samples from Florida golf courses for a broad range of pesticides. Statistical methods based on the percentage of data above detection limits were used to determine the effects of irrigation with reclaimed water on ground-water quality. Shallow ground water at golf courses irrigated with treated effluent has higher concentrations of chloride, lower concentrations of bicarbonate, and lower pH than ground water at golf courses irrigated with water from carbonate aquifers. There were no statistically significant differences in nutrient concentrations in ground water between paired golf courses grouped by irrigation water type at a 95 percent confidence level. The number of wells where pesticides occurred was significantly higher at the paired golf courses using ground water for irrigation than at ones using reclaimed water. However, the limited occurrences of individual pesticides in ground water make it difficult to correlate differences in irrigation- water quality with pesticide migration to the water table. At some of the golf courses, increased pesticide occurrences may be associated with higher irrigation rates, the presence of well-drained soils, and shallow depths to the surficial aquifer. Pesticides used by golf courses for turf grass maintenance were detected in

  1. [Analysis of mineral elements of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) grown on saline land in Hetao Irrigation District by ICP-AES].

    PubMed

    Tong, Wen-Jie; Chen, Fu; Wen, Xin-Ya

    2014-01-01

    The absorption and accumulation of ten mineral elements in four kinds of organs (root, steam, leaf and flower disc) in Helianthus annuus L. plants cultured in Hetao Irrigation District under different level of salinity stress were determined by ICP-AES with wet digestion (HNO3 + HClO4). The results showed that: (1) The contents of Fe, Mn, Zn, Ca, and Na were highest in roots, so was K in stems, B and Mg in leaves and P in flower discs, while no significant difference was detected in the content of Cu among these organs; (2) The cumulants of Ca, Mg, P, Cu, B and Zn were highest in flower discs, so were Na, Fe and Mn in roots and K in stems; (3) In sunflower plants, the proportion of mineral element cumulant for K : Ca : Mg : P : Na was 16.71 : 5.23 : 3.86 : 1.23 : 1.00, and for Zn : Fe : B : Mn: Cu was 56.28 : 27.75 : 1.93 : 1.17 : 1.00, respectively; (4) The effect of salinity stress on absorption of mineral elements differed according to the kind of organ and element, root was the most sensitive to soil salt content, followed by stem and leaf, and the effect on flower disc seemed complex.

  2. Irrigation strategies using subsurface drip irrigation

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is practiced on approximately 60,000 ha in the Texas High Plains region of the USA. Adoption of SDI continues to increase in the region. This has been attributed to record drought in Texas and the US Southwest in recent years, declining irrigation well yields, and ev...

  3. Emergy evaluation of the contribution of irrigation water, and its utilization, in three agricultural systems in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Dan; Luo, Zhaohui; Webber, Michael; Chen, Jing; Wang, Weiguang

    2014-09-01

    Emergy theory and method are used to evaluate the contribution of irrigation water, and the process of its utilization, in three agricultural systems. The agricultural systems evaluated in this study were rice, wheat, and oilseed rape productions in an irrigation pumping district of China. A corresponding framework for emergy evaluation and sensitivity analysis methods was proposed. Two new indices, the fraction of irrigation water ( FIW), and the irrigation intensity of agriculture ( IIA), were developed to depict the contribution of irrigation water. The calculated FIW indicated that irrigation water used for the rice production system (34.7%) contributed more than irrigation water used for wheat (5.3%) and oilseed rape (11.2%) production systems in a typical dry year. The wheat production with an IIA of 19.0 had the highest net benefit from irrigation compared to the rice (2.9) and oilseed rape (8.9) productions. The transformities of the systems' products represented different energy efficiencies for rice (2.50E + 05 sej·J-1), wheat (1.66E + 05 sej·J-1) and oilseed rape (2.14E + 05 sej·J-1) production systems. According to several emergy indices, of the three systems evaluated, the rice system had the greatest level of sustainability. However, all of them were less sustainable than the ecological agricultural systems. A sensitivity analysis showed that the emergy inputs of irrigation water and nitrogenous fertilizer were the highest sensitivity factors influencing the emergy ratios. Best Management Practices, and other agroecological strategies, could be implemented to make further improvements in the sustainability of the three systems.

  4. Uptake of pharmaceutical and personal care products by soybean plants from soils applied with biosolids and irrigated with contaminated water.

    PubMed

    Wu, Chenxi; Spongberg, Alison L; Witter, Jason D; Fang, Min; Czajkowski, Kevin P

    2010-08-15

    Many pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are commonly found in biosolids and effluents from wastewater treatment plants. Land application of these biosolids and the reclamation of treated wastewater can transfer those PPCPs into the terrestrial and aquatic environments, giving rise to potential accumulation in plants. In this work, a greenhouse experiment was used to study the uptake of three pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, diphenhydramine, and fluoxetine) and two personal care products (triclosan and triclocarban) by an agriculturally important species, soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Two treatments simulating biosolids application and wastewater irrigation were investigated. After growing for 60 and 110 days, plant tissues and soils were analyzed for target compounds. Carbamazepine, triclosan, and triclocarban were found to be concentrated in root tissues and translocated into above ground parts including beans, whereas accumulation and translocation for diphenhydramine and fluoxetine was limited. The uptake of selected compounds differed by treatment, with biosolids application resulting in higher plant concentrations, likely due to higher loading. However, compounds introduced by irrigation appeared to be more available for uptake and translocation. Degradation is the main mechanism for the dissipation of selected compounds in biosolids applied soils, and the presence of soybean plants had no significant effect on sorption. Data from two different harvests suggest that the uptake from soil to root and translocation from root to leaf may be rate limited for triclosan and triclocarban and metabolism may occur within the plant for carbamazepine.

  5. Low C/N ratio raw textile wastewater reduced labile C and enhanced organic-inorganic N and enzymatic activities in a semiarid alkaline soil.

    PubMed

    Roohi, Mahnaz; Riaz, Muhammad; Arif, Muhammad Saleem; Shahzad, Sher Muhammad; Yasmeen, Tahira; Ashraf, Muhammad Arslan; Riaz, Muhammad Atif; Mian, Ishaq A

    2017-02-01

    Application of raw and treated wastewater for irrigation is an extensive practice for agricultural production in arid and semiarid regions. Raw textile wastewater has been used for cultivation in urban and peri-urban areas in Pakistan without any systematic consideration to soil quality. We conducted a laboratory incubation study to investigate the effects of low C/N ratio raw textile wastewater on soil nitrogen (N) contents, labile carbon (C) as water-soluble C (WSC) contents, and activities of urease and dehydrogenase enzymes. The 60-day incubation study used an alkaline clay loam aridisol that received 0 (distilled water), 25, 50, and 100% wastewater concentrations, and microcosms were incubated aerobically under room temperature at 70% water holding capacity. Results revealed that raw wastewater significantly (p < 0.05) changed soil N pools and processes, WSC contents, and enzymatic activities. The organic and inorganic N species increased with increasing wastewater concentrations, whereas WSC contents followed an opposite trend. The highest NH 4 + -N and NO 3 - -N contents were observed in soil treated with 100% wastewater. The extractable organic N (EON) contents always represented >50% of the soil total Kjeldahl N (TKN) contents and served as the major N pool. However, nitrification index (NO 3 - -N/NH 4 + -N ratio) decreased at high wastewater concentrations. A significant negative correlation was observed between EON and WSC (p < 0.05) and between net nitrification and WSC/EON ratio (p < 0.01). In contrast, nitrification index and WSC contents were correlated, positively suggesting WSC potentially controlling N turnover in nutrient-poor aridisol. We found significant (p < 0.0001) positive correlations of soil urease and dehydrogenase enzymatic activities with soil-extractable mineral N contents indicating coupled N cycling and soil biological activity. Higher production and accumulation of soil NO 3 - -N and EON contents in concentrated wastewater

  6. Bilateral waste-water land-treatment research by China and the US EPA

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Leach, L.E.; Duan, Z.B.; Wang, S.T.

    1991-01-01

    The study was conducted to evaluate the rapid infiltration (R.I.) method of land treatment as a partial solution to wastewater treatment and reuse for the 0.45 billion cu m/yr (15.75 billion cu ft/yr) of safe irrigation water needed by the year 2000. Chinese environmental scientists and water supply managers are considering the use of the technology for diluting high concentrations of nitrate in the ground water while simultaneously recharging severely overdrafted aquifers. The wastewater used in the study contained synthetic organic compounds found on EPA's list of priority pollutants. During the development of EPA's Land Treatment Design Manuals, research wasmore » terminated before a thorough evaluation of the treatability of these compounds could be completed. Therefore, during the study, an evaluation of R.I. systems ability to treat selected priority pollutants as well as fecal coliform bacteria was carried out in the interest of RSKERL's research objectives. Even though the research was focused on operations to optimize the removal of various nitrogen species from primary effluent, the normal wastewater parameters of BOD, COD, SS, Total - P, and TOC were also studied. The volatile organic compounds most prominent in the wastewater, dichloroethene, dichloroethane, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride were also evaluated for treatability in the cooperative study.« less

  7. Variable rate irrigation (VRI)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology is now offered by all major manufacturers of moving irrigation systems, mostly on center pivot irrigation systems. Variable irrigation depths may be controlled by sector only, in which case only the speed of the irrigation lateral is regulated. Or, variable ...

  8. Assessment of water quality from water harvesting using small farm reservoir for irrigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dewi, W. S.; Komariah; Samsuri, I. Y.; Senge, M.

    2018-03-01

    This study aims to assess the quality of rainfall-runoff water harvesting using small farm reservoir (SFR) for irrigation. Water quality assessment criteria based on RI Government Regulation number 82 the year 2001 on Water Quality Management and Pollution Control, and FAO Irrigation Water Quality Guidelines 1985. The experiment was conducted in the dry land of Wonosari Village, Gondangrejo District, Karanganyar Regency. SFR size was 10 m x 3 m x 2 m. Water quality measurements are done every week, ten times. Water samples were taken at 6 points, namely: distance of 2.5 m, 5 m, and 7.5 m from the inlet, at depth 25 cm and 175 cm from surface water. In each sampling point replicated three times. Water quality parameters include dissolved oxygen (DO), Turbidity (TSS), water pH, Nitrate (NO3), and Phosphate. The results show that water harvesting that collected in SFR meets both standards quality used, so the water is feasible for agricultural irrigation. The average value of harvested water was DO 2.6 mg/l, TSS 62.7 mg/l, pH 6.6, P 5.3 mg/l and NO3 0.16 mg/l. Rainfall-runoff water harvesting using SFR prospectus for increasing save water availability for irrigation.

  9. Irrigation waters and pipe-based biofilms as sources for antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

    PubMed

    Blaustein, Ryan A; Shelton, Daniel R; Van Kessel, Jo Ann S; Karns, Jeffrey S; Stocker, Matthew D; Pachepsky, Yakov A

    2016-01-01

    The presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in environmental surface waters has gained recent attention. Wastewater and drinking water distribution systems are known to disseminate antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with the biofilms that form on the inner-surfaces of the pipeline as a hot spot for proliferation and gene exchange. Pipe-based irrigation systems that utilize surface waters may contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in a similar manner. We conducted irrigation events at a perennial stream on a weekly basis for 1 month, and the concentrations of total heterotrophic bacteria, total coliforms, and fecal coliforms, as well as the concentrations of these bacterial groups that were resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline, were monitored at the intake water. Prior to each of the latter three events, residual pipe water was sampled and 6-in. sections of pipeline (coupons) were detached from the system, and biofilm from the inner-wall was removed and analyzed for total protein content and the above bacteria. Isolates of biofilm-associated bacteria were screened for resistance to a panel of seven antibiotics, representing five antibiotic classes. All of the monitored bacteria grew substantially in the residual water between irrigation events, and the biomass of the biofilm steadily increased from week to week. The percentages of biofilm-associated isolates that were resistant to antibiotics on the panel sometimes increased between events. Multiple-drug resistance was observed for all bacterial groups, most often for fecal coliforms, and the distributions of the numbers of antibiotics that the total coliforms and fecal coliforms were resistant to were subject to change from week to week. Results from this study highlight irrigation waters as a potential source for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can subsequently become incorporated into and proliferate within irrigation pipe-based biofilms.

  10. Soil salinization in the agricultural lands of Rhodope District, northeastern Greece.

    PubMed

    Pisinaras, V; Tsihrintzis, V A; Petalas, C; Ouzounis, K

    2010-07-01

    The objective of this study was to identify seasonal and spatial trends and soil salinization patterns in a part of Rhodope District irrigated land, northeastern Greece, located east of Vistonis Lagoon. The study area is irrigated from a coastal aquifer, where salt water intrusion occurs because of extensive groundwater withdrawals. Fourteen monitoring sites were established in harvest fields in the study area, where soil samples were collected. Electrical conductivity (ECe), pH, and ion concentrations were determined in the saturated paste extract of the soil samples in the laboratory using standard methods. A clear tendency was observed for ECe to increase from April to September, i.e., within the irrigation period, indicating the effect of saline groundwater to soil. In the last years, the change from moderately sensitive (e.g., corn) to moderately tolerant crops (e.g., cotton) in the south part of the study area indicates the impacts of soil salinity. The study proposes management methods to alleviate this problem.

  11. A California Statewide App to Simulate Fate of Nitrate in Irrigated Agricultural System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Diamantopoulos, E.; Walkinshaw, M.; Harter, T.; O'Geen, A. T.

    2017-12-01

    Groundwater resources are very important for California's economic development and environmental sustainability. Nitrate is by far the most widespread anthropogenic groundwater pollutant in California's mostly alluvial groundwater basins. Major sources are synthetic fertilizer and dairy manure, but also septic systems and urban wastewater effluent. Here, we evaluate agricultural soils in California according to their risk for nitrate leaching. We conducted over 1 million numerical simulations taking into account the effect of climate, crop type, irrigation and fertilization management scenarios across all 4,568 agricultural soil profiles occurring in California. The assessment was done solving 1-D Richards equation and the advection-dispersion equation numerically. This study is focused on the complex water and nitrate dynamics occurring at the shallow vadose zone (rootzone). The results of this study allow the construction of state-wide maps which can be used for the identification of high-risk regions and the design of agricultural nutrient management policy. We investigate how pollution risk can be minimized by adopting simple irrigation and fertilization methods. Furthermore, we show that these methods are more effective for the most permeable soil profiles along with high demanding crops in terms of fertilization amount and irrigation water. We also present how seasonal (winter) climate conditions contribute on nitrate leaching.

  12. Mediterranean irrigation under climate change: more efficient irrigation needed to compensate increases in irrigation water requirements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fader, M.; Shi, S.; von Bloh, W.; Bondeau, A.; Cramer, W.

    2015-08-01

    Irrigation in the Mediterranean is of vital importance for food security, employment and economic development. This study systematically assesses how climate change and increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations may affect irrigation requirements in the Mediterranean region by 2080-2090. Future demographic change and technological improvements in irrigation systems are accounted for, as is the spread of climate forcing, warming levels and potential realization of the CO2-fertilization effect. Vegetation growth, phenology, agricultural production and irrigation water requirements and withdrawal were simulated with the process-based ecohydrological and agro-ecosystem model LPJmL after a large development that comprised the improved representation of Mediterranean crops. At present the Mediterranean region could save 35 % of water by implementing more efficient irrigation and conveyance systems. Some countries like Syria, Egypt and Turkey have higher saving potentials than others. Currently some crops, especially sugar cane and agricultural trees, consume in average more irrigation water per hectare than annual crops. Different crops show different magnitude of changes in net irrigation requirements due to climate change, being the increases most pronounced in agricultural trees. The Mediterranean area as a whole might face an increase in gross irrigation requirements between 4 and 18 % from climate change alone if irrigation systems and conveyance are not improved (2 °C global warming combined with full CO2-fertilization effect, and 5 °C global warming combined with no CO2-fertilization effect, respectively). Population growth increases these numbers to 22 and 74 %, respectively, affecting mainly the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean. However, improved irrigation technologies and conveyance systems have large water saving potentials, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, and may be able to compensate to some degree the increases due to climate change and

  13. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in White County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in White County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for White County was 1,365 (1,146 groundwater and 219 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 1.37 Mgal/d (0.95 Mgal/d groundwater and 0.42 Mgal/d surface water) for agriculture and 69.91 Mgal/d (43.78 Mgal/d groundwater and 26.13 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was supplied to 46,315 acres of land to irrigate rice, sorghum, corn, soybeans, milo, cash grains, hay, vegetables, berries, grapes, fruit trees, sod, and unknown crop as well as for the agricultural uses of animal aquaculture, minnows, ducks, and sport clubs.

  14. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Monroe County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Monroe County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Monroe County was 1,886 (1,677 groundwater and 209 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 8.87 Mgal/d (5.75 Mgal/d groundwater and 3.12 Mgal/d surface water) for agriculture and 210.61 Mgal/d (190.99 Mgal/d groundwater and 19.62 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 127,670 acres of land to irrigate rice, sorghum, soybeans, milo, cash grains, cotton, hay, and unknown crops, as well as for agricultural uses of animal aquaculture, minnows, and ducks. {descriptors: *Water use, *Arkansas, *Monroe County, Selective withdrawal, Groundwater, Surface water

  15. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in Prairie County, Arkansas, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Office in Prairie County, Arkansas. The number of withdrawal registrations for Prairie County was 2,187 (1,786 groundwater and 401 surface water). Water with- drawals reported during the registration process total 26.93 Mgal/d (26.84 Mgal/d groundwater and 0.09 Mgal/d surface water) for agriculture and 191.08 Mgal/d (138.79 Mgal/d groundwater and 52.29 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 144,956 acres of land to irrigate rice, corn, soybeans, milo, cash grains, unknown crop, cotton hay, berries, and fruit trees as well as for the agricultural uses of animal aquaculture, minnows, timber, and ducks.

  16. A review of virus removal in wastewater treatment pond systems.

    PubMed

    Verbyla, Matthew E; Mihelcic, James R

    2015-03-15

    Wastewater treatment ponds (lagoons) are one of the most common types of technologies used for wastewater management worldwide, especially in small cities and towns. They are particularly well-suited for systems where the effluent is reused for irrigation. However, the efficiency of virus removal in wastewater treatment pond systems is not very well understood. The main objective of this paper is to critically review the major findings related to virus removal in wastewater treatment pond systems and to statistically analyze results reported in the literature from field studies on virus removal in these systems. A comprehensive analysis of virus removal reported in the literature from 71 different wastewater treatment pond systems reveals only a weak to moderate correlation of virus removal with theoretical hydraulic retention time. On average, one log10 reduction of viruses was achieved for every 14.5-20.9 days of retention, but the 95th percentile value of the data analyzed was 54 days. The mechanisms responsible for virus removal in wastewater treatment ponds were also reviewed. One recent finding is that sedimentation may not be a significant virus removal mechanism in some wastewater ponds. Recent research has also revealed that direct and indirect sunlight-mediated mechanisms are not only dependent on pond water chemistry and optics, but also on the characteristics of the virus and its genome. MS2 coliphage is considered to be the best surrogate for studying sunlight disinfection in ponds. The interaction of viruses with particles, with other microorganisms, and with macroinvertebrates in wastewater treatment ponds has not been extensively studied. It is also unclear whether virus internalization by higher trophic-level organisms has a protective or a detrimental effect on virus viability and transport in pond systems. Similarly, the impact of virus-particle associations on sunlight disinfection in ponds is not well understood. Future research should focus on

  17. Aspects of municipal wastewater reclamation and reuse for future water resource shortages in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chiou, R J; Chang, T C; Ouyang, C F

    2007-01-01

    The Water Resources Agency (WRA), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has predicted that the annual water demand in Taiwan will reach approximately 20 billion m3 by 2021. However, the present water supply is only 18 billion m3 per year. This means that an additional 2 billion m3 have to be developed in the next 17 years. The reuse of treated wastewater effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plants could be one target for the development of new water resources. The responsible government departments already have plans to construct public sewerage systems in order to improve the quality of life of the populace and protect the environment. The treated wastewater effluent from such municipal wastewater treatment plants could be a very stable and readily available secondary type of water resource, different from the traditional types of water resources. The major areas where reclaimed municipal wastewater can be used to replace traditional fresh water resources include agricultural and landscape irrigation, street cleaning, toilet flushing, secondary industrial reuse and environmental uses. However, necessary wastewater reclamation and reuse systems have not yet been established. The requirements for their establishment include water reuse guidelines and criteria, the elimination of health risks ensuring safe use, the determination of the wastewater treatment level appropriate for the reuse category, as well as the development and application of management systems reuse. An integrated system for water reuse would be of great benefit to us all by providing more efficient ways to utilise the water resources.

  18. High resolution electrical resistivity tomography of golf course greens irrigated with reclaimed wastewater: Hydrological approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tapias, Josefina C.; Lovera, Raúl; Himi, Mahjoub; Gallardo, Helena; Sendrós, Alexandre; Marguí, Eva; Queralt, Ignasi; Casas, Albert

    2014-05-01

    Actually, there are over 300 golf courses and more than three thousand licensed players in Spain. For this reason golf cannot be considered simply a hobby or a sport, but a very significant economic activity. Considered as one of the most rapidly expanding land-use and water demanding business in the Mediterranean, golf course development generates controversy. In the recent years there has been a considerable demand for golf courses to adopt environmentally sustainable strategies and particularly water authorities are forcing by law golf managers to irrigate with alternative water resources, mainly reclaimed wastewater. Watering practices must be based on soil properties that are characterized by samples removed from the different zones of the golf course and submitted to an accredited physical soil testing laboratory. Watering schedules are critical on greens with poor drainage or on greens with excessively high infiltration rates. The geophysical survey was conducted over the greens of the Girona Golf Club. Eighteen electrical resistivity tomographies were acquired using a mixed Wenner-Schlumberger configuration with electrodes placed 0.5 meter apart. Small stainless-steel nails were used as electrodes to avoid any damage in the fine turfgrass of greens The resistivity meter was set for systematically and automatically selects current electrodes and measurement electrodes to sample apparent resistivity values. Particle size analysis (PSA) has been performed on soil materials of any putting green. The PSA analysis has been composed of two distinct phases. The first has been the textural analysis of the soils for determining the content of sand, silt, and clay fraction via the use of a stack of sieves with decreasing sized openings from the top sieve to the bottom. Subsequently, the hydraulic conductivity of the substrates has been evaluated by means of Bredding and Hazen empirical relationships. The results of this research show that the electrical resistivity

  19. Sensor-Based Assessment of Soil Salinity during the First Years of Transition from Flood to Sprinkler Irrigation.

    PubMed

    Casterad, Mª Auxiliadora; Herrero, Juan; Betrán, Jesús A; Ritchie, Glen

    2018-02-17

    A key issue for agriculture in irrigated arid lands is the control of soil salinity, and this is one of the goals for irrigated districts when changing from flood to sprinkling irrigation. We combined soil sampling, proximal electromagnetic induction, and satellite data to appraise how soil salinity and its distribution along a previously flood-irrigated field evolved after its transformation to sprinkling. We also show that the relationship between NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) and ECe (electrical conductivity of the soil saturation extracts) mimics the production function between yield and soil salinity. Under sprinkling, the field had a double crop of barley and then sunflower in 2009 and 2011. In both years, about 50% of the soil of the entire studied field-45 ha-had ECe < 8 dS m-1, i.e., allowing barley cultivation, while the percent of surface having ECe ≥ 16 dS m-1 increased from 8.4% in 2009 to 13.7% in 2011. Our methodology may help monitor the soil salinity oscillations associated with irrigation management. After quantifying and mapping the soil salinity in 2009 and 2011, we show that barley was stunted in places of the field where salinity was higher. Additionally, the areas of salinity persisted after the subsequent alfalfa cropping in 2013. Application of differential doses of water to the saline patches is a viable method to optimize irrigation water distribution and lessen soil salinity in sprinkler-irrigated agriculture.

  20. Sensor-Based Assessment of Soil Salinity during the First Years of Transition from Flood to Sprinkler Irrigation

    PubMed Central

    Herrero, Juan; Betrán, Jesús A.; Ritchie, Glen

    2018-01-01

    A key issue for agriculture in irrigated arid lands is the control of soil salinity, and this is one of the goals for irrigated districts when changing from flood to sprinkling irrigation. We combined soil sampling, proximal electromagnetic induction, and satellite data to appraise how soil salinity and its distribution along a previously flood-irrigated field evolved after its transformation to sprinkling. We also show that the relationship between NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) and ECe (electrical conductivity of the soil saturation extracts) mimics the production function between yield and soil salinity. Under sprinkling, the field had a double crop of barley and then sunflower in 2009 and 2011. In both years, about 50% of the soil of the entire studied field—45 ha—had ECe < 8 dS m−1, i.e., allowing barley cultivation, while the percent of surface having ECe ≥ 16 dS m−1 increased from 8.4% in 2009 to 13.7% in 2011. Our methodology may help monitor the soil salinity oscillations associated with irrigation management. After quantifying and mapping the soil salinity in 2009 and 2011, we show that barley was stunted in places of the field where salinity was higher. Additionally, the areas of salinity persisted after the subsequent alfalfa cropping in 2013. Application of differential doses of water to the saline patches is a viable method to optimize irrigation water distribution and lessen soil salinity in sprinkler-irrigated agriculture. PMID:29462981

  1. Comparative study on the efficiency of peracetic acid and chlorine dioxide at low doses in the disinfection of urban wastewaters.

    PubMed

    De Luca, Giovanna; Sacchetti, Rossella; Zanetti, Franca; Leoni, Erica

    2008-01-01

    A comparison was made between the efficiency of low doses of peracetic acid (PAA: 1.5 mg/l) and chlorine dioxide (ClO(2): 1.5 and 2.0 mg/l) in the disinfection of secondary effluents of a wastewater treatment plant. Peracetic acid was seen to be more active than chlorine dioxide and less influenced by the organic content of the waste. Both PAA and ClO(2) (2.0 mg/l) lead to a higher reduction in total and faecal coliforms and E. coli than in phages (somatic coliphages and F-specific RNA bacteriophages) and enterococci. Detection of faecal coliforms and E. coli should therefore be accompanied by a search for these more resistant microorganisms when assessing the conformity of wastewater for irrigation use, or for discharge into surface waters. Coliphages are also considered suitable indicators of the presence of enteric viruses. Although the application of low doses of both disinfectants offers advantages in terms of costs and produces not significant quantities of byproducts, it is not sufficient to obtain wastewater suitable for irrigation according to the Italian norms (E. coli < 10/100 ml in 80 % of samples and <100/100 ml in the remaining samples). Around 65 % of the samples, however, presented concentrations of E. coli lower than the limit of 5,000/100 ml established by Italian norms for discharge into surface waters.

  2. Contribution of Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents to Nutrient Dynamics in Aquatic Systems: A Review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carey, Richard O.; Migliaccio, Kati W.

    2009-08-01

    Excessive nutrient loading (considering nitrogen and phosphorus) is a major ongoing threat to water quality and here we review the impact of nutrient discharges from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to United States (U.S.) freshwater systems. While urban and agricultural land uses are significant nonpoint nutrient contributors, effluent from point sources such as WWTPs can overwhelm receiving waters, effectively dominating hydrological characteristics and regulating instream nutrient processes. Population growth, increased wastewater volumes, and sustainability of critical water resources have all been key factors influencing the extent of wastewater treatment. Reducing nutrient concentrations in wastewater is an important aspect of water quality management because excessive nutrient concentrations often prevent water bodies from meeting designated uses. WWTPs employ numerous physical, chemical, and biological methods to improve effluent water quality but nutrient removal requires advanced treatment and infrastructure that may be economically prohibitive. Therefore, effluent nutrient concentrations vary depending on the particular processes used to treat influent wastewater. Increasingly stringent regulations regarding nutrient concentrations in discharged effluent, along with greater freshwater demand in populous areas, have led to the development of extensive water recycling programs within many U.S. regions. Reuse programs provide an opportunity to reduce or eliminate direct nutrient discharges to receiving waters while allowing for the beneficial use of reclaimed water. However, nutrients in reclaimed water can still be a concern for reuse applications, such as agricultural and landscape irrigation.

  3. Mesquite wood chips (Prosopis) as filter media in a biofilter system for municipal wastewater treatment.

    PubMed

    Sosa-Hernández, D B; Vigueras-Cortés, J M; Garzón-Zúñiga, M A

    2016-01-01

    The biofiltration system over organic bed (BFOB) uses organic filter material (OFM) to treat municipal wastewater (MWW). This study evaluated the performance of a BFOB system employing mesquite wood chips (Prosopis) as OFM. It also evaluated the effect of hydraulic loading rates (HLRs) in order to achieve the operational parameters required to remove organic matter, suspended material, and pathogens, thus meeting Mexican and US regulations for reuse in irrigation. Two biofilters (BFs) connected in series were installed; the first one aerated (0.62 m(3)air m(-2)h(-1)) and the second one unaerated. The source of MWW was a treatment plant located in Durango, Mexico. For 200 days, three HLRs (0.54, 1.07, and 1.34 m(3)m(-2)d(-1)) were tested. The maximum HLR at which the system showed a high removal efficiency of pollutants and met regulatory standards for reuse in irrigation was 1.07 m(3)m(-2)d(-1), achieving removal efficiencies of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) 92%, chemical oxygen demand (COD) 78%, total suspended solids (TSS) 95%, and four log units of fecal coliforms. Electrical conductivity in the effluent ensures that it would not cause soil salinity. Therefore, mesquite wood chips can be considered an innovative material suitable as OFM for BFs treating wastewaters.

  4. Mediterranean irrigation under climate change: more efficient irrigation needed to compensate for increases in irrigation water requirements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fader, M.; Shi, S.; von Bloh, W.; Bondeau, A.; Cramer, W.

    2016-03-01

    Irrigation in the Mediterranean is of vital importance for food security, employment and economic development. This study systematically assesses how climate change and increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations may affect irrigation requirements in the Mediterranean region by 2080-2090. Future demographic change and technological improvements in irrigation systems are taken into account, as is the spread of climate forcing, warming levels and potential realization of the CO2-fertilization effect. Vegetation growth, phenology, agricultural production and irrigation water requirements and withdrawal were simulated with the process-based ecohydrological and agro-ecosystem model LPJmL (Lund-Potsdam-Jena managed Land) after an extensive development that comprised the improved representation of Mediterranean crops. At present the Mediterranean region could save 35 % of water by implementing more efficient irrigation and conveyance systems. Some countries such as Syria, Egypt and Turkey have a higher savings potential than others. Currently some crops, especially sugar cane and agricultural trees, consume on average more irrigation water per hectare than annual crops. Different crops show different magnitudes of changes in net irrigation requirements due to climate change, the increases being most pronounced in agricultural trees. The Mediterranean area as a whole may face an increase in gross irrigation requirements between 4 and 18 % from climate change alone if irrigation systems and conveyance are not improved (4 and 18 % with 2 °C global warming combined with the full CO2-fertilization effect and 5 °C global warming combined with no CO2-fertilization effect, respectively). Population growth increases these numbers to 22 and 74 %, respectively, affecting mainly the southern and eastern Mediterranean. However, improved irrigation technologies and conveyance systems have a large water saving potential, especially in the eastern Mediterranean, and may be able to

  5. Minimum Irrigation Requirements for Cottonwood (Populus fremontii and P. deltoides) and Willow (Salix gooddingii) Grown in a Desert Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glenn, E. P.; Hartwell, S.; Morino, K.; Nagler, P. L.

    2009-12-01

    Native tree plots have been established in riverine irrigation districts in the western U.S. to provide habitat for threatened and endangered birds. Information is needed on the minimum effective irrigation requirements of the target species. We summarize preliminary (or unpublished) findings of a study or cottonwood (Populus spp.) and willow (Salix gooddingii) trees that were grown for seven years in an outdoor plot in a desert environment in Tucson, Arizona to determine plant water use. Plants were allowed to achieve a nearly complete canopy cover over the first four years, then were subjected to three summer irrigation schedules: 6.2 mm d-1; 8.26 mm d-1 and 15.7 mm d-1. The lowest irrigation rate was sufficient to maintain growth and high leaf area index for cottonwoods over three years, but willows suffered partial die-back on this rate, and required 8.26 mm d-1 to maintain growth. These irrigation rates were required April 15 - September 15, but only 0.88 mm d-1 was required during the dormant periods of the year. Expressed as a fraction of reference crop evapotranspiration (ET/ETo), annual water requirements were 0.83 ETo for cottonwood and 1.01 ETo for willow, which includes irrigation plus precipitation. Current practices tend to over-irrigate restoration plots, and this study can provide guidelines for more efficient water use.

  6. Root canal irrigants

    PubMed Central

    Kandaswamy, Deivanayagam; Venkateshbabu, Nagendrababu

    2010-01-01

    Successful root canal therapy relies on the combination of proper instrumentation, irrigation, and obturation of the root canal. Of these three essential steps of root canal therapy, irrigation of the root canal is the most important determinant in the healing of the periapical tissues. The primary endodontic treatment goal must thus be to optimize root canal disinfection and to prevent reinfection. In this review of the literature, various irrigants and the interactions between irrigants are discussed. We performed a Medline search for English-language papers published untill July 2010. The keywords used were ‘root canal irrigants’ and ‘endodontic irrigants.’ The reference lists of each article were manually checked for additional articles of relevance. PMID:21217955

  7. Significant impacts of irrigation water sources and methods on modeling irrigation effects in the ACME Land Model

    DOE PAGES

    Leng, Guoyong; Leung, L. Ruby; Huang, Maoyi

    2017-06-20

    An irrigation module that considers both irrigation water sources and irrigation methods has been incorporated into the ACME Land Model (ALM). Global numerical experiments were conducted to evaluate the impacts of irrigation water sources and irrigation methods on the simulated irrigation effects. All simulations shared the same irrigation soil moisture target constrained by a global census dataset of irrigation amounts. Irrigation has large impacts on terrestrial water balances especially in regions with extensive irrigation. Such effects depend on the irrigation water sources: surface-water-fed irrigation leads to decreases in runoff and water table depth, while groundwater-fed irrigation increases water table depth,more » with positive or negative effects on runoff depending on the pumping intensity. Irrigation effects also depend significantly on the irrigation methods. Flood irrigation applies water in large volumes within short durations, resulting in much larger impacts on runoff and water table depth than drip and sprinkler irrigations. Differentiating the irrigation water sources and methods is important not only for representing the distinct pathways of how irrigation influences the terrestrial water balances, but also for estimating irrigation water use efficiency. Specifically, groundwater pumping has lower irrigation water use efficiency due to enhanced recharge rates. Different irrigation methods also affect water use efficiency, with drip irrigation the most efficient followed by sprinkler and flood irrigation. Furthermore, our results highlight the importance of explicitly accounting for irrigation sources and irrigation methods, which are the least understood and constrained aspects in modeling irrigation water demand, water scarcity and irrigation effects in Earth System Models.« less

  8. Significant impacts of irrigation water sources and methods on modeling irrigation effects in the ACME Land Model

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Leng, Guoyong; Leung, L. Ruby; Huang, Maoyi

    An irrigation module that considers both irrigation water sources and irrigation methods has been incorporated into the ACME Land Model (ALM). Global numerical experiments were conducted to evaluate the impacts of irrigation water sources and irrigation methods on the simulated irrigation effects. All simulations shared the same irrigation soil moisture target constrained by a global census dataset of irrigation amounts. Irrigation has large impacts on terrestrial water balances especially in regions with extensive irrigation. Such effects depend on the irrigation water sources: surface-water-fed irrigation leads to decreases in runoff and water table depth, while groundwater-fed irrigation increases water table depth,more » with positive or negative effects on runoff depending on the pumping intensity. Irrigation effects also depend significantly on the irrigation methods. Flood irrigation applies water in large volumes within short durations, resulting in much larger impacts on runoff and water table depth than drip and sprinkler irrigations. Differentiating the irrigation water sources and methods is important not only for representing the distinct pathways of how irrigation influences the terrestrial water balances, but also for estimating irrigation water use efficiency. Specifically, groundwater pumping has lower irrigation water use efficiency due to enhanced recharge rates. Different irrigation methods also affect water use efficiency, with drip irrigation the most efficient followed by sprinkler and flood irrigation. Furthermore, our results highlight the importance of explicitly accounting for irrigation sources and irrigation methods, which are the least understood and constrained aspects in modeling irrigation water demand, water scarcity and irrigation effects in Earth System Models.« less

  9. Irrigating poplar energy crops with landfill leachate negatively affects soil micro- and meso-fauna.

    PubMed

    Coyle, David R; Zalesny, Jill A; Zalesny, Ronald S; Wiese, Adam H

    2011-10-01

    Increased municipal solid waste generated worldwide combined with substantial demand for renewable energy has prompted testing and deployment of woody feedstock production systems that reuse and recycle wastewaters as irrigation and fertilization. Populus selections are ideal for such systems given their fast growth, extensive root systems, and high water usage rates. Maintaining ecological sustainability (i.e., the capacity for an ecosystem to maintain its function and retain its biodiversity over time) during tree establishment and development is an important component of plantation success, especially for belowground faunal populations. To determine the impact of solid waste leachate on soil micro- and meso-fauna, we compared soilfrom eight different Populus clones receiving municipal solid waste landfill leachate irrigation with clones receiving fertilized (N, P K) well water irrigation. Microfauna (i.e., nematodes) communities were more diverse in control soils. Mesofauna (i.e., insects) were associated with all clones; however, they were four times more abundant around trees found within the control plot than those that received leachate treatments. Nematode and insect abundance varied among Populus clones yet insect diversity was greater in the leachate-treated soils. Phytotechnologies must allow for soil faunal sustainability, as upsetting this balance could lead to great reductions in phytotechnology efficacy.

  10. Groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and irrigational use in the Southern Tiruchirappalli district, Tamil Nadu, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Selvakumar, S.; Ramkumar, K.; Chandrasekar, N.; Magesh, N. S.; Kaliraj, S.

    2017-03-01

    A total of 20 groundwater samples were collected from both dug and bore wells of southern Tiruchirappalli district and analyzed for various hydrogeochemical parameters. The analyzed physicochemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, carbonate, sulfate, chloride, nitrate, and fluoride are used to characterize the groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and irrigational uses. The results of the chemical analysis indicates that the groundwater in the study area is slightly alkaline and mainly contains Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ cations as well as HCO3 2-, Cl-, SO4 2-and NO3 - anions. The total dissolved solids mainly depend on the concentration of major ions such as Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO3, Cl, and SO4. Based on TDS, 55 % of the samples are suitable for drinking and rest of the samples are unsuitable for drinking. The total hardness indicates that majority of the groundwater samples are found within the permissible limit of WHO. The dominant hydrochemical facies for groundwater are Ca-Mg-Cl, Ca-HCO3, and Ca-Cl type. The USSL graphical geochemical representation of groundwater quality suggests that majority of the water samples belongs to high medium salinity with low alkali hazards. The Gibb's plot indicates that the groundwater chemistry of the study area is mainly controlled by evaporation and rock-water interaction. Spearman's correlation and factor analysis were used to distinguish the statistical relation between different ions and contamination source in the study area.

  11. Summary of reported agriculture and irrigation water use in northwestern Arkansas counties, 1991

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holland, T.W.; Manning, C.A.; Stafford, K.L.

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the 1991 water-use reporting through the Conservation District Offices in the following northwestern Arkansas counties: Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Cleburne, Fulton, Izard, Madison, Marion, Newton, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren, and Washington. The number of withdrawal registrations for northwestern Arkansas counties was 106 (16 groundwater and 90 surface water). Water withdrawals reported during the registration process total 41.72 Mgal/d (0.74 Mgal/d groundwater and 40.98 Mgal/d surface water) for agriculture and 3.33 Mgal/d (0.27 Mgal/d groundwater and 3.06 Mgal/d surface water) for irrigation. The registration reports for 1991 indicate that this water was applied to 3,588 acres of land to irrigate rice, soybeans, cash grains, hay, oats, vegetables, sod, berries, fruit trees, and timber as well as for the agricultural use of animal aquaculture.

  12. Effects of Aquifer Development and Changes in Irrigation Practices on Ground-Water Availability in the Santa Isabel Area, Puerto Rico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kuniansky, Eve L.; Gómez-Gómez, Fernando; Torres-Gonzalez, Sigfredo

    2003-01-01

    The alluvial aquifer in the area of Santa Isabel is located within the South Coastal Plain aquifer of Puerto Rico. Variations in precipitation, changes in irrigation practices, and increasing public-supply water demand have been the primary factors controlling water-level fluctuations within the aquifer. Until the late 1970s, much of the land in the study area was irrigated using inefficient furrow flooding methods that required large volumes of both surface and ground water. A gradual shift in irrigation practices from furrow systems to more efficient micro-drip irrigation systems occurred between the late 1970s and the late 1980s. Irrigation return flow from the furrow-irrigation systems was a major component of recharge to the aquifer. By the early 1990s, furrow-type systems had been replaced by the micro-drip irrigation systems. Water levels declined about 20 feet in the aquifer from 1985 until present (February 2003). The main effect of the changes in agricultural practices is the reduction in recharge to the aquifer and total irrigation withdrawals. Increases in ground-water withdrawals for public supply offset the reduction in ground-water withdrawals for irrigation such that the total estimated pumping rate in 2003 was only 8 percent less than in 1987. Micro-drip irrigation resulted in the loss of irrigation return flow to the aquifer. These changes resulted in lowering the water table below sea level over most of the Santa Isabel area. By 2002, lowering of the water table reversed the natural discharge along the coast and resulted in the inland movement of seawater, which may result in increased salinity of the aquifer, as had occurred in other parts of the South Coastal Plain. Management alternatives for the South Coastal Plain aquifer in the vicinity of Santa Isabel include limiting groundwater withdrawals or implementing artificial recharge measures. Another alternative for the prevention of saltwater intrusion is to inject freshwater or treated sewage

  13. Cotton irrigation timing with variable seasonal irrigation capacities in the Texas south plains.

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Within the Ogallala Aquifer Region of Texas, the irrigation capacity (IC) for a given field often changes within a growing season due to seasonal depletion of the aquifer, in season changes in crop irrigation needs in dry years, or consequences of irrigation volume limits imposed by irrigation distr...

  14. Declining Groundwater Levels in North India: Understanding Sources of Irrigation Inefficiency

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Keeffe, J.; Buytaert, W.; Mijic, A.; Brozovic, N.

    2014-12-01

    Over the last half century, the green revolution has transformed India from a famine-prone, drought-susceptible country, into the world's third largest grain producer and one of the most intensely irrigated regions on the planet. This is in no small part due to the country's vast water resources along with an increase in tubewells and more advanced abstraction methods. While agricultural intensification has had undeniable benefits, it has, and continues to have a significant impact on water resources. Unless solutions which take into consideration the ever evolving socio-economic, hydrological and climatic conditions are found, India's agricultural future looks bleak.This research examines the irrigation behaviour of farmers, using data collected during field work in the State of Uttar Pradesh within the Ganges Basin of North India. Significant differences in farmer behaviour and irrigation practices are highlighted, not only between State districts but between individual farmers. This includes the volume of irrigation water applied and the price paid, as well as differences in the yields of crops produced. Analyses of results suggest that this is due to a number of factors, particularly the source of irrigation water. Study areas which had access to cheaper, but crucially less reliable, canal water were found to invest in more efficient water saving technologies in order to reduce the overall cost of irrigation during periods where less expensive canal water is not available. As a result, overall water use and irrigation cost is lower and yields are higher despite very similar climatic conditions. While cheap canal water is not an option for all farmers, the results show that the introduction of more efficient water saving technologies, despite the significant capital expenditure is a viable option for many farmers and costs can be recovered in a relatively short space of time. In addition, the reduction of declining water levels mean that water is abstracted from

  15. Endocrine disruptors compounds, pharmaceuticals and personal care products in urban wastewater: implications for agricultural reuse and their removal by adsorption process.

    PubMed

    Grassi, Mariangela; Rizzo, Luigi; Farina, Anna

    2013-06-01

    In the last years, a lot of emerging contaminants, such as, endocrine disruptors compounds (EDCs), pharmaceuticals, and personal care products (PPCPs) have been detected in wastewater. Because of their toxicity and possible adverse effects on the environment and humans, their release from urban wastewater treatment plants (UWWTPs) effluents should be minimized, particularly when a wastewater reuse for crops irrigation is expected. Many processes have been investigated for advanced treatment of UWWTP effluents as well as for emerging contaminant degradation; among these, adsorption process was successfully used to remove EDCs and PPCPs from wastewater. This article shortly reviews EDCs and PPCPs removal from UWWTP effluents by adsorption process using conventional and non-conventional adsorbents. The fate of EDCs and PPCPs in UWWTPs and the implications for agricultural wastewater reuse has been addressed too. In spite of the adsorption process looking to be a valuable alternative to other advanced technologies for the removal of emerging contaminants from wastewater, some gaps still remain to evaluate the actual feasibility at full scale. However, according to a few studies available in scientific literature on the use of both powdered activated carbon and granular activated carbon at full scale, adsorption process by activated carbon is a promising, potentially effective, and economically feasible solution for producing safe wastewater for agricultural reuse.

  16. Impact of biosolids and wastewater effluent application to agricultural land on corticosterone content in lettuce plants.

    PubMed

    Shargil, Dorit; Fine, Pinchas; Gerstl, Zev; Nitsan, Ido; Kurtzman, Daniel

    2016-01-15

    We studied corticosterone occurrence in lettuce plants grown on three biosolids amended soils under irrigation with either tap water or secondary wastewater effluent. Corticosterone was examined as it has possible implications for human health. It is a major glucocorticoid, and as such has an effect on regulation of metabolism, immune functions and stress response. The plants were grown in 220-L lysimeters packed with 3 soils which represent a wide range of physicochemical properties. Lettuce was grown in cycles (two in summer and two in winter) during 3 years, and in every spring season the sludges were re-applied. Corticosterone was quantified using ELISA and LCMS, and was found in the biosolids, tap water, wastewater effluent and lettuce plants. The respective ranges of concentrations were: 11-92 ng g(-1), 0.5-1.6 ng L(-1), 4.2-4.7 ng L(-1); and 1-900 ng g(-1) dry weight. A positive relationship was found between corticosterone concentrations in winter-grown lettuces and the plants fresh weight. The corticosterone content of the plants did not correspond with either the type of irrigation water or the biosolids type and rate of application or the soil properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Assessing the concentration of phthalate esters (PAEs) and bisphenol A (BPA) and the genotoxic potential of treated wastewater (final effluent) in Saudi Arabia.

    PubMed

    Al-Saleh, Iman; Elkhatib, Rola; Al-Rajoudi, Tahreer; Al-Qudaihi, Ghofran

    2017-02-01

    secondary-treated wastewater. BPA and some PAEs in the treated wastewater might have the potential to induce genetic damage, despite their low levels. Genotoxicity, however, may also have been due to the presence of other contaminants. Our preliminary findings should be of concern to Saudi agriculture because long-term irrigation with treated wastewater could lead to the accumulation of PAEs and BPA in the soil and ultimately reach the human and animal food chain. WTPs need to remove pollutants more efficiently. Until then, a cautious use of treated wastewater for irrigation is recommended to avoid serious health impacts on local populations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Using a new incentive mechanism to improve wastewater sector performance: the case study of Italy.

    PubMed

    De Gisi, Sabino; Petta, Luigi; Farina, Roberto; De Feo, Giovanni

    2014-01-01

    The system of "Service Objectives", introduced by the Italian National Strategic Framework 2007-2013, is an innovative results-oriented programme concerning 4 thematic areas (education, care for the elderly and children, management of municipal solid wastes and integrated water service) in which the Ministry of Economic Development and eight Southern Italy districts are involved. The system was initially associated to an incentive mechanism which provided subsidies for a total amount of EUR 3 billion from the national Underdeveloped Areas Fund, according to the achievement of specific targets set for 11 service indicators in 2013. The indicators used for the integrated water service refer to the efficiency in water supply service as well as the coverage of wastewater treatment service. The aim of the study is to describe the activities carried out in Italy by the ENEA Agency in order to define a new performance indicator for wastewater treatment service taking into account the appropriateness and efficiency of existing plants equipment and, consequently, evaluating economic incentives. The proposed procedure takes into account both wastewater treatment demand and quality of wastewater treatment service offered to citizens. Input data, provided by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), were elaborated in order to define appropriate parameters, with a multi-criteria analysis being used to define the new performance indicator. The applicability of the proposed procedure was verified considering all the 8 Southern Italy and Island districts (Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia) involved in the programme. The obtained results show that the quality of municipal wastewater may influence the calculation of the incentive amount. The performance indicators defined in this work might be conveniently extended to other contexts similar to the assessed geographical area (Southern Italy and Islands). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd

  19. Irrigation Training Manual. Planning, Design, Operation, and Management of Small-Scale Irrigation Systems [and] Irrigation Reference Manual. A Technical Reference to Be Used with the Peace Corps Irrigation Training Manual T0076 in the Selection, Planning, Design, Operation, and Management of Small-Scale Irrigation Systems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salazar, LeRoy; And Others

    This resource for trainers involved in irrigated agriculture training for Peace Corps volunteers consists of two parts: irrigation training manual and irrigation reference manual. The complete course should fully prepare volunteers serving as irrigation, specialists to plan, implement, evaluate and manage small-scale irrigation projects in arid,…

  20. Two challenges for U.S. irrigation due to climate change: increasing irrigated area in wet states and increasing irrigation rates in dry states.

    PubMed

    McDonald, Robert I; Girvetz, Evan H

    2013-01-01

    Agricultural irrigation practices will likely be affected by climate change. In this paper, we use a statistical model relating observed water use by U.S. producers to the moisture deficit, and then use this statistical model to project climate changes impact on both the fraction of agricultural land irrigated and the irrigation rate (m³ ha⁻¹). Data on water withdrawals for US states (1985-2005) show that both quantities are highly positively correlated with moisture deficit (precipitation--PET). If current trends hold, climate change would increase agricultural demand for irrigation in 2090 by 4.5-21.9 million ha (B1 scenario demand: 4.5-8.7 million ha, A2 scenario demand: 9.1-21.9 million ha). Much of this new irrigated area would occur in states that currently have a wet climate and a small fraction of their agricultural land currently irrigated, posing a challenge to policymakers in states with less experience with strict regulation of agriculture water use. Moreover, most of this expansion will occur in states where current agricultural production has relatively low market value per hectare, which may make installation of irrigation uneconomical without significant changes in crops or practices by producers. Without significant increases in irrigation efficiency, climate change would also increase the average irrigation rate from 7,963 to 8,400-10,415 m³ ha⁻¹ (B1 rate: 8,400-9,145 m³ ha⁻¹, A2 rate: 9,380-10,415 m³ ha⁻¹). The irrigation rate will increase the most in states that already have dry climates and large irrigation rates, posing a challenge for water supply systems in these states. Accounting for both the increase in irrigated area and irrigation rate, total withdrawals might increase by 47.7-283.4 billion m³ (B1 withdrawal: 47.7-106.0 billion m³, A2 withdrawal: 117.4-283.4 billion m³). Increases in irrigation water-use efficiency, particularly by reducing the prevalence of surface irrigation, could eliminate the increase in total