Abstract
Reclaimed water is an important resource for irrigation, and exploration in making full use of it is an important way to alleviate water shortage. This paper analyzes the effects of irrigation with reclaimed water through field trials on the content and distribution of heavy metals in both tomatoes and the soil. By exploring the effects of reclaimed water after secondary treatment on the content and distribution characteristics of heavy metals in tomatoes and the heavy metal balance in the soil-crop system under different conditions, the study shows that there are no significant differences in the heavy metal content when the quantity of reclaimed water for irrigation varies. Reclaimed water for short-term irrigation does not cause pollution to either the soil environment or the crops. Nor will it cause the accumulation of heavy metals, and the index for the heavy metal content is far below the critical value of the national standard, which indicates that the vegetables irrigated with reclaimed water during their growth turn out to be free of pollutants. The heavy metals brought into the soil by reclaimed water are less than that taken away by the crops. The input and output quantities have only small effects on the heavy metal balance in the soil. This paper provides a reference for the evaluation and safety control of irrigation with reclaimed water.
Highlights
Reclaimed water is a complementary water resource, which does reduce the amount of sewage, and reduces the demand for high quality water [1,2]
The agricultural use of reclaimed water means that reclaimed water of different qualities replaces conventional water resources and is used as irrigation water for different kinds of crops
Its advantages are mainly embodied in the following two aspects: (1) Since the water source is stable and reliable, it can avoid competition between water for agricultural use and water for other purposes, and reduce the pressure on the water supply; (2) Since the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients available in reclaimed water can be used as a source of manure, it can promote crop growth, reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers, and improve soil properties
Summary
Reclaimed water is a complementary water resource, which does reduce the amount of sewage, and reduces the demand for high quality water [1,2]. The agricultural use of reclaimed water means that reclaimed water of different qualities replaces conventional water resources (surface water and groundwater) and is used as irrigation water for different kinds of crops. Its advantages are mainly embodied in the following two aspects: (1) Since the water source is stable and reliable, it can avoid competition between water for agricultural use and water for other purposes, and reduce the pressure on the water supply; (2) Since the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients available in reclaimed water can be used as a source of manure, it can promote crop growth, reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers, and improve soil properties. When heavy metals enter into the soil along with water and get taken up into crops; after being absorbed in the process
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