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

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2016-04, Vol.23 (7), p.6264-6276
• Main Authors: Tunc, Talip, Sahin, Ustun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: aeration; Agricultural Irrigation; Agricultural production; Agricultural research; Agriculture; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Brassica - chemistry; Brassica - growth & development; cabbage; Cadmium; Chemical properties; coliform bacteria; Crop yield; Crops; Crops, Agricultural - chemistry; Crops, Agricultural - growth & development; Dietary minerals; Drip irrigation; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Efficiency; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Evapotranspiration; field experimentation; Filtered wastewater; Filtration; freshwater; Heavy metal content; Heavy metals; Humidity; Irrigation; Irrigation water; Metals, Heavy - analysis; microirrigation; physicochemical properties; Plant growth; pollution; Population; Precipitation; Public health; Research Article; Soil - chemistry; soil chemical properties; Soil fertility; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil properties; Studies; Waste Water - chemistry; Waste Water Technology; wastewater; Wastewater irrigation; Wastewater treatment; Water; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution Control; Water reuse; Water treatment; Water use; Water use efficiency
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5848-x

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.