Impact of Rural Domestic Wastewater Irrigation on the Physicochemical and Microbiological Properties of Pakchoi and Soil

Water

Bo Yang¹  Xiao Kong¹  Bingjian Cui²  Decai Jin²  Ye Deng²  Xuliang Zhuang²  Guoqiang Zhuang²  Zhihui Bai² 

[1] College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China; E-Mails:;Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; E-Mails:

关键词: rural domestic wastewater;    pathogens;    pakchoi;    real-time quantitative PCR;    phyllosphere;   

DOI  :  10.3390/w7051825

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Great attention has been paid to the potential of wastewater irrigation as a sustainable water source, particularly due to water scarcity and water pollution issues. However, few studies have focused on its adverse effects and on the health risks it may pose. In this study, the physicochemical properties of soils and plants irrigated with rural domestic wastewater and associated microbiological risks were investigated. The results showed that sewage irrigation could increase the production of vegetables and improve soil fertility. While the nitrate content of plants increased significantly, pathogens on plants and in soils increased after irrigation with raw wastewater. In particular, there was a wide range of pathogenic bacteria in the phyllosphere, which may indicate risks if contaminated vegetables are consumed directly. Treated wastewater irrigation was not significantly different from controls, which were irrigated by tap water; consequently, it can be used as an alternative water resource for agricultural irrigation. The presence of a wide spectrum pathogens in wastewater shows the necessity of long-term monitoring and further evaluation.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.