Effects of the Municipal Wastewater Use on Some Soil Properties

Masoud Dadivar, Mahommad Ali Khodshenas, Javad Ghadbeiklou

Abstract: Today, due to the existing constraint in availability of the freshwater for irrigation, the municipal wastewater is being used for irrigation of agricultural fields. This study was conducted in the agricultural farm nearby Meighan desert in arak city (Iran). On this field crops were irrigated with wastewater for three years. The results indicated that in 50% of the soil samples treated with municipal wastewater, the organic carbon amount was over 1.6%. Also the amounts of potassium and phosphorous were 256 and 23.5 mg.kg-1, respectively. The average amounts of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn)
were 1.41, 1.10, 4.68 and 7.18 mg.kg-1, respectively. The average amounts of pH and Ec were 8.1 and 1.17 dS.m-1, respectively. The concentration of bicarbonate (HCO3
-), sodium (Na+) and chlorine (Cl-) in wastewater were over the hazardous levels. The mean amounts of wastewater EC reduced noticeably and the mean pH decreased slightly compared to groundwater level. But the amounts of potassium (K+) and boron (B) increased in wastewater.

Keywords: Irrigation; Soil properties; wastewater

Date published: 2018-07-12