Groundwater-irrigated Soil Research Articles

Effect of improved land and water management strategies on crop productivity and soil fertility in wastewater irrigated eggplant (Solanum melongena)

Wastewater irrigation with efficient land and water management strategies improve the marketable yield as well as reduce the pollutant threat posed by the irrigation. A field experiment was conducted for two years (2014- 2016) at ICAR- IARI farm, New Delhi to study the effect of municipal wastewater irrigation along with two land configurations (ridge and furrow and basin) and two methods of irrigation (drip and flood) on the yield of eggplant (Solanum melongena cv. Supriya) and soil health. Wastewater irrigated eggplants resulted significantly higher yield (37.1 t/ha), fruit weight (325 g) and fruit diameter (10.02 cm) in the tune of 38, 26 and 7% higher respectively over groundwater irrigated plot. Among irrigation methods, drip irrigation increased yield, fruit weight and fruit diameter of eggplant by 10, 9 and 1% higher over flood irrigation. Significantly higher fruit weight (294 g) of eggplant was recorded with the flat bed system compared to a raised bed system (288 g) and higher yield (4%) was also recorded under a flat bed system over a raised bed system. Wastewater irrigated plots recorded higher plant height, number of branches per plant as compared to groundwater irrigated plants at 120 and 180 days after transplanting. Application of wastewater significantly enhanced available N and P content and DTPA-Pb and Fe in the soil as compared to groundwater irrigated soil. Flood irrigation led to the accumulation of DTPA-Pb and Ni in soil, compared to drip irrigation. Significantly higher dehydrogenase activity, fluorescein diacetate activity and soil microbial biomass carbon were noticed in wastewater irrigated soil as compared to groundwater plots at upper depth (0-5cm). The findings of the present investigation illustrate that wastewater applied through drip irrigation resulted in yield increment as well as reduced metal concentrations in soil.

The impact of using low-saline oilfield produced water for irrigation on water and soil quality in California

The consecutive occurrence of drought and reduction in natural water availability over the past several decades requires searching for alternative water sources for the agriculture sector in California. One alternative source to supplement natural waters is oilfield produced water (OPW) generated from oilfields adjacent to agricultural areas. For over 25 years, OPW has been blended with surface water and used for irrigation in the Cawelo Water District of Kern County, as permitted by California Water Board policy. This study aims to evaluate the potential environmental impact, soil quality, and crop health risks of this policy. We examined a large spectrum of salts, metals, radionuclides (226Ra and 228Ra), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in OPW, blended OPW used for irrigation, groundwater, and soils irrigated by the three different water sources. We found that all studied water quality parameters in the blended OPW were below current California irrigation quality guidelines. Yet, soils irrigated by blended OPW showed higher salts and boron relative to soils irrigated by groundwater, implying long-term salts and boron accumulation. We did not, however, find systematic differences in 226Ra and 228Ra activities and DOC in soils irrigated by blended or unblended OPW relative to groundwater-irrigated soils. Based on a comparison of measured parameters, we conclude that the blended low-saline OPW used in the Cawelo Water District of California is of comparable quality to the local groundwater in the region. Nonetheless, the salt and boron soil accumulation can pose long-term risks to soil sodification, groundwater salinization, and plant health; as such, the use of low-saline OPW for irrigation use in California will require continual blending with fresh water and planting of boron-tolerant crops to avoid boron toxicity.

Consequence of Groundwater Irrigation on Physico-chemical Properties of Soils of Kanholibara Village in Nagpur District, Maharashtra, India

A field experiment entitled “Effect of Groundwater irrigation on various soil properties of Kanholi-Bara in Nagpur District Was conducted during Kharif season of 2015-2016 at Kanholi-Bara of Hingana tahsil in Nagpur District Maharashtra, India. The soil samples were collected from that area comprises two source of irrigations viz well water and bore well water and soybean crop which were taken in these fields. The mean value of pH 7.79 was recorded with ground water irrigation and EC in groundwater irrigated soil 0.81 dS m-1.The organic carbon contains in ground water irrigated soil with high Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR) and Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) was lower by 35.19 per cent less than mean value of organic carbon. The lowest available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium status were 185.44, 15.65 and 178.80 kg ha-1 respectively were obtained with the application of ground water of high RSC and SAR. Whereas the highest accumulation of heavy metal in soil 1.16 mg kg-1 lead, 1.30 mg kg-1 Cobalt, 1.19 mg Kg-1Nikel and 0.037 mg kg-1 Cadmium were present in soil with the application of high SAR and RSC irrigation water. Due to continuous and injudicious irrigation with poor quality groundwater adversely affect the physical and chemical properties of soil.

Microbial assessments of soil with a 40-year history of reclaimed wastewater irrigation

The long-term effects on soil microorganisms from 40 years of irrigating soil with reclaimed wastewater was investigated by determining the quantity, composition, and inter-species connection of microorganisms. No significant difference in microbial quantity and composition were identified in the reclaimed wastewater- and groundwater-irrigated soils. The dominant bacterial phylum in both irrigation water sources and soils was Proteobacteria, which commonly exists in soil. From the analysis of four (4) alpha diversity metrics, including the observed number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs), Chao1, and the Shannon and Simpson diversity, there was no significant difference between the reclaimed wastewater- and groundwater-irrigated soils. Three zones (shallow, medium and deep) were identified in the reclaimed wastewater- and groundwater-irrigated soils based on the taxonomic networks and clusters generated by graphical lasso and random walk algorithm. The cluster profiles (shallow, medium and deep zones) appear to be different in the reclaimed wastewater- and groundwater-irrigated soils. Soil irrigated with reclaimed wastewater showed less depth of clustered profile in medium zone than that in soil irrigated with groundwater (20–60 cm of reclaimed wastewater-irrigated soil compared to 20–100 cm of groundwater-irrigated soil), although the significance of such a variance (the depth of medium zone of reclaimed wastewater-irrigated soil decreased 40 cm than that of groundwater-irrigated soil) is not clear at this time. Positive influence has been identified in the growth and yield of eggplant, tomato and cucumber between the reclaimed wastewater- and groundwater-irrigated soils, suggesting that reclaimed wastewater irrigation can potentially substitute groundwater irrigation, despite the variance in inter-species clustering profiles in soil microbes in certain soil zones. Nevertheless, the possible negative influence of pathogens, organic compounds and pharmaceuticals should be seriously considered during the reclaimed wastewater irrigation.

Reducing water use by alternate-furrow irrigation with livestock wastewater reduces antibiotic resistance gene abundance in the rhizosphere but not in the non-rhizosphere

Livestock wastewater is rich in nutrients but may contain antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Their discharge to watercourses or soil may result in proliferation of ARGs. Irrigation with wastewater appears to be the most feasible option of disposing of it. One efficient irrigation technology used in arid regions is alternate-furrow irrigation (AFI) by alternately drying part of the plant roots for a prolonged period to physiologically reduce transpiration without compromising yield. However, the extent to which AFI with wastewater influences the concentration of antibiotics and spread of ARGs in soil is poorly understood. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how AFI using swine wastewater alters antibiotic kinetics and ARGs abundance under different irrigation rates, using pepper as the model plant. We examined three AFI treatments using 50%, 65% and 80% of the amount of water employed in sufficient conventional furrow irrigation. Each treatment had a groundwater irrigation control. The results showed that antibiotic concentrations and relative ARGs abundance in the top 20 cm of soil did not increase with the irrigation amount, although they were higher than those in the groundwater-irrigated soils. The relative ARGs abundance in the soil was modulated by irrigation amount and reducing the irrigation amount in AFI reduced ARGs dispersion only in rhizosphere. When the soil moisture was close to field capacity, ARGs were more abundant in rhizosphere than in non-rhizosphere, possibly because the rhizosphere is rich in microbes and increasing antibiotic concentrations due to an increase in irrigation rate favors antibiotic-resistant microbiome in competing for substrates. These, however, were not mirrored in the relative ARGs abundance in the roots. These results have important implications as it revealed that reducing the input of antibiotics and ARGs into soil with AFI does not necessarily reduce ARGs proliferation.

Toxicity evaluation of textile effluents and role of native soil bacterium in biodegradation of a textile dye.

Water pollution caused by the discharge of hazardous textile effluents is a serious environmental problem worldwide. In order to assess the pollution level of the textile effluents, various physico-chemical parameters were analyzed in the textile wastewater and agricultural soil irrigated with the wastewater (contaminated soil) using atomic absorption spectrophotometerand gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis that demonstrated the presence of several toxic heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Cr, Pb, Cd, and Zn) and a large number of organic compounds. Further, in order to get a comprehensive idea about the toxicity exerted by the textile effluent, mung bean seed germination test was performed that indicated the reduction in percent seed germination and radicle-plumule growth. The culturable microbial populations were also enumerated and found to be significantly lower in the wastewater and contaminated soil than the ground water irrigated soil, thus indicating the biotic homogenization of indigenous microflora. Therefore, the study was aimed to develop a cost effective and ecofriendly method of textile waste treatment using native soil bacterium, identified as Arthrobacter soli BS5 by 16S rDNA sequencing that showed remarkable ability to degrade a textile dye reactive black 5 with maximum degradation of 98% at 37°C and pH in the range of 5-9 after 120h of incubation.

Effect of Water Quality on Heavy Metal Redistribution and Mobility in Polluted Agricultural Soils in a Semi-Arid Region

Mornag Plain is a coastal area of the Mediterranean basin, which has undergone an agricultural industrial boom. The aim of this study was to investigate the different water qualities used for irrigation on heavy metal mobility in these polluted agricultural soils. The geo-accumulation indices for heavy metals (Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn) revealed that industrial activities and used treated wastewater (TWW) contributed to soil pollution, and water irrigation always decreased this contamination. After long-term use of different water types, high perturbation of heavy metal redistribution has occurred. Groundwater use altered all heavy metal redistributions in the irrigated soil among various soil-solid and soil-solution fractions, as compared to the unirrigated soil. Slight acid water use transferred some metals from different solid phase components into water-soluble and exchangeable fractions. However, TWW use transformed some Ni, Cr, Cd, Cu, and Zn from water-soluble and exchangeable fractions to less labile fractions, particularly into organically bound fractions. Reuse of conventional water within the same soil decreased the whole soil redistribution index values, indicating tendency to return to the pattern of distribution of groundwater-irrigated soil.

Spatial Variations of Soil Microbial Activities in Saline Groundwater-Irrigated Soil Ecosystem.

Spatial variations of soil microbial activities and its relationship with environmental factors are very important for estimating regional soil ecosystem function. Based on field samplings in a typical saline groundwater-irrigated region, spatial variations of soil microbial metabolic activities were investigated. Combined with groundwater quality analysis, the relationship between microbial activities and water salinity was also studied. The results demonstrated that moderate spatial heterogeneity of soil microbial activities presented under the total dissolved solids (TDS) of groundwater ranging from 0.23 to 12.24 g L(-1). Groundwater salinity and microbial activities had almost opposite distribution characteristics: slight saline water was mainly distributed in west Baqu and south Quanshan, while severe saline and briny water were dominant in east Baqu and west Huqu; however, total AWCD was higher in the east-center and southwest of Baqu and east Huqu, while it was lower in east Baqu and northwest Huqu. The results of correlation analyses demonstrated that high-salinity groundwater irrigation had significantly adverse effects on soil microbial activities. Major ions Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Cl(-), and SO4(2-) in groundwater decisively influenced the results. Three carbon sources, carbohydrates, amines, and phenols, which had minor utilization rates in all irrigation districts, were extremely significantly affected by high-salinity groundwater irrigation. The results presented here offer an approach for diagnosing regional soil ecosystem function changes under saline water irrigation.

Impact of Long-Term Irrigation with Treated Sewage on Soil Magnetic Susceptibility and Organic Matter Content in North China.

This study assessed the effect on magnetic susceptibility and organic matter content of arable soil by irrigation with either treated sewage or groundwater. Results indicated that organic matter and magnetic susceptibility values in the soil irrigated with sewage were increased by 7.1 % and 13.5 %, respectively, compared to agricultural soil that irrigated with groundwater. Both the sewage and groundwater irrigated soils contained a significant fraction of ultrafine superpara magnetic grains, as indicated by high frequency dependent susceptibility (χfd > 6 %). The enhancement of soil magnetic properties was determined to be caused by anthropogenic sewage irrigation and agrochemical use by investigation of vertical soil profiles. Magnetic susceptibility parameters were shown to be significantly correlated with organic matter content (y = 0.0057x + 1.3439, R(2) = 0.09, p < 0.05). This work indicates that measurements of magnetic susceptibility may offer a rapid first step for identifying the potential pollution in arable soils.

Long-term effects of irrigation using water from the river receiving treated industrial wastewater on soil organic carbon fractions and enzyme activities

Reuse of wastewater for agricultural irrigation is one of the useful managements to alleviate the shortage of water resources in arid and semi-arid regions in China. Industrial wastewater from the city of Shijiazhuang is discharged into Wangyang River after treatment. The water is used downstream to irrigate agricultural soils. The objective of this study was to investigate how almost 20 years of irrigation with water from the Wangyang River affected soil characteristics, labile soil organic C and soil enzyme activities, and to compare the microbial response to the long-term irrigation in different locations alongside the river. The results showed that long-term irrigation with river water has resulted in accumulation of Hg, Cd, As, Pb, Cu, Cr, Zn and Mn in the downstream soils. In comparison with groundwater irrigated soils, long-term irrigation with river water significantly increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and permanganate oxidizable C (KMnO4-C) contents, and dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, urease, alkaline phosphatase and arylsulphatase activities in the upstream and midstream soils (P<0.05), but not in the downstream soils. On the contrary, the enzyme activities in the downstream soils were significantly decreased after 20 years of river water irrigation (P<0.05). A significant negative correlation (P<0.01) was observed between enzyme activities and concentrations of heavy metals in the soils irrigated with river water, suggesting the inhibition of microbial activity caused by accumulated heavy metals, especially in the downstream soil. The effects of irrigation with water from the wastewater-receiving river on soil quality depends not only on the properties and components of irrigation water, but also on the soil characteristics such as soil type, nutrient conditions and concentrations of heavy metals.

Investigation of organic pollutants in wastewater-irrigated soil and its DNA damage and oxidative damage on mice

This work aimed to determine the DNA and oxidative damage on mice by mixtures of organic contaminants in wastewater-irrigated soil, in order to assess their usefulness as markers for this kind of pollution. Wastewater-irrigated soil samples in the vicinity of an industrial area in Tangshan, China were collected, and soil irrigated by underground water satisfying drinking water standards was used as control group. Organic pollutants were extracted from the soil using ultrasonic oscillation, and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Meanwhile, DNA damage on mice was determined by the Comet assay after oral gavage with the extracts, and changes in total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity, glutathione peroxidase glutathione, GSH peroxidase (GSH-P(X)) activity and malondialdehyde content in serum of mice were investigated. The number of categories and concentrations of organic compounds in the wastewater-irrigated soil is more than those in groundwater-irrigated soil, as identified by the GC-MS. The toxicity test of mice showed that compared with reagent control group, the activities of T-SOD and GSH-P(X) decreased; the tailing rate of peripheral blood lymphocyte of mice increased and was more than that of the control group. This shows that mammalian toxicity end points can be used to determine the joint toxicity of organic pollutants in soil. When there is no means to identify each and every pollutant in soil, it is feasible to evaluate the combined effects of various pollutants to determine the extent to which the soil is polluted.

Mutagenicity assessment of contaminated soil in the vicinity of industrial area

In the industrial area of Chinhat, Lucknow (India) wastewater coming from pesticide manufacturing and other industries is used to irrigate the agricultural crops. This practice has been polluting the soil and pollutants might reach the food chain. Gas chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of certain organochlorine pesticides in soil samples. Samples were extracted using different solvents, i.e., hexane, acetonitrile, methanol, chloroform, and acetone (all were HPLC-grade, SRL, India). Soil extracts were assayed for mutagenicity using Ames Salmonella/mammalian microsome test. Mutagenicity was observed in the test samples and TA98 was the most responsive strain for all the soil extracts (irrigated with wastewater) in terms of mutagenic index in the presence (+S9) and absence (-S9) of metabolic activation. In terms of slope (m) of linear dose-response curve for the most responsive strain TA98 exhibited highest sensitivity against the soil extracts in the presence and absence of S9 fraction. Hexane-extracted soil sample (wastewater) exhibited maximum mutagenicity in terms of net revertants per gram of soil in the presence and absence of S9 mix as compared to the other soil extracts. Groundwater-irrigated soil extracts displayed low level of mutagenicity as compared to wastewater-irrigated soil. The soil is accumulating a large number of pollutants due to wastewater irrigation and this practice of accumulation has an adverse impact on soil health.

Distribution and accumulation of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pharmaceuticals in wastewater irrigated soils in Hebei, China

This study investigated the occurrence of 43 emerging contaminants including 9 endocrine-disrupting chemicals and 34 pharmaceuticals in three sites in Hebei Province, north China. Each site has a wastewater irrigated plot and a separate groundwater irrigated plot for comparison purpose. The results showed that the concentrations of the target compounds in the wastewater irrigated soils were in most cases higher than those in the groundwater irrigated soils. Among the 43 target compounds, nine compounds bisphenol-A, triclocarban, triclosan, 4-nonylphenol, salicylic acid, oxytetracycline, tetracycline, trimethoprim and primidone were detected at least once in the soils. Preliminary environmental risk assessment showed that triclocarban might pose high risks to terrestrial organisms while the other detected compounds posed minimal risks. Irrigation with wastewater could lead to presence or accumulation of some emerging contaminants to some extent in irrigated soils.

Incidence of metal and antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas spp. from the river water, agricultural soil irrigated with wastewater and groundwater

A total of 144 isolates of Pseudomonas spp. (48 each from the Yamuna River water, wastewater irrigated soil and groundwater irrigated soil) were tested for their resistance against certain heavy metals and antibiotics. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Hg(2+ ), Cd(2+ ), Cu(2+ ), Zn(2+ ), Ni(2+ ), Pb(2+ ), Cr(3+ ) and Cr(6+ ) for each isolate were also determined. A maximum MIC of 200 μg/ml for mercury and 3,200 μg/ml for other metals were observed. The incidences of metal resistance and MICs of metals for Pseudomonas isolates from the Yamuna water and wastewater irrigated soil were significantly different to those of groundwater irrigated soil. A high level of resistance against tetracycline and polymyxin B (81.2%) was observed in river water isolates. However, 87.5% of Pseudomonas isolates from soil irrigated with wastewater showed resistance to sulphadiazine, whereas 79.1% were resistant to both ampicillin and erythromycin. Isolates from soil irrigated with groundwater exhibited less resistance towards heavy metals and antibiotics as compared to those of river water and wastewater irrigated soil. Majority of the Pseudomonas isolates from water and soil exhibited resistance to multiple metals and antibiotics. Resistance was transferable to recipient Escherichia coli AB2200 strains by conjugation. Plasmids were cured with the curing agent ethidium bromide and acridine orange at sub-MIC concentration.