Demonstration tests of irrigation water disinfection with chlorine dioxide in open field cultivation of baby spinach

BACKGROUND Treatments for the disinfection of irrigation water have to be evaluated by demonstration tests carried out under commercial settings taking into account not only their antimicrobial activity but also the potential phytotoxic effects on the crop. The consequences of the treatment of irrig...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the science of food and agriculture 2018-06, Vol.98 (8), p.2973-2980
Main Authors: López‐Gálvez, Francisco, Gil, Maria I, Meireles, Ana, Truchado, Pilar, Allende, Ana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accumulation
Agricultural land
Antimicrobial activity
Chemical damage
Chlorates
Chlorine
Chlorine dioxide
Crop damage
Crops
Cultivation
Disinfectants
Disinfection
disinfection by‐products
E coli
food quality
food safety
fresh produce
Irrigation
Irrigation water
Low concentrations
Microorganisms
pathogen
Photosynthesis
Spinach
Sprinkler irrigation
Sprinklers
Statistical analysis
Water treatment
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Summary:BACKGROUND Treatments for the disinfection of irrigation water have to be evaluated by demonstration tests carried out under commercial settings taking into account not only their antimicrobial activity but also the potential phytotoxic effects on the crop. The consequences of the treatment of irrigation water with chlorine dioxide (ClO2) used for sprinkler irrigation of baby spinach in two commercial agricultural fields was assessed. RESULTS Residual ClO2 levels at the sprinklers in the treated field were always below 1 mg L−1. ClO2 treatment provoked limited but statistically significant reductions in culturable Escherichia coli counts (0.2–0.3 log reductions), but not in the viable E. coli counts in water, suggesting the presence of viable but non‐culturable cells (VBNC). Although disinfected irrigation water did not have an impact on the microbial loads of Enterobacteriaceae nor on the quality characteristics of baby spinach, it caused the accumulation of chlorates (up to 0.99 mg kg−1 in plants) and the reduction of the photosynthetic efficiency of baby spinach. CONCLUSION Low concentrations of ClO2 are effective in reducing the culturable E. coli present in irrigation water but it might induce the VBNC state. Presence of disinfection by‐products and their accumulation in the crop must be considered to adjust doses in order to avoid crop damage and chemical safety risks. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
ISSN:0022-5142
1097-0010
DOI:10.1002/jsfa.8794