Abstract
BackgroundUsing 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.ResultsThe 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.ConclusionsThe 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.
Highlights
Using treated wastewater in agriculture irrigation could be a realistic solution for the shortage of fresh water in Iran, it is associated with environmental and health threats; effluent quality assessment is quite necessary before use
Due to the scarcity of fresh water resources in these regions, wastewater reuse could be a realistic option to alleviate the shortage of fresh water resources in these communities and until now, the largest and most popular wastewater reuse has been in the agricultural irrigation field [2,3]
Using new fresh water resources is very important in this country, especially in Fars province in which, drought is considered as the main climatic feature [22]. It seems that Shiraz Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent (SWTPE) could potentially be considered as a good source of fresh water supply and Fars Regional Water Organization plans to reuse SWTPE; the current study aims to evaluate SWTPE quality for agricultural irrigation
Summary
Using treated wastewater in agriculture irrigation could be a realistic solution for the shortage of fresh water in Iran, it is associated with environmental and health threats; effluent quality assessment is quite necessary before use. Due to the presence of pathogens in wastewater effluent, the irrigation by this water resource could be associated with health hazards and increasing the risk of intestinal infections [19,20]. It seems that quality assessment of wastewater effluent before reuse projects is essential in order to prevent adverse health and environmental impacts
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