Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Impact of domestic wastewater irrigation on heavy metal contamination in soil and vegetables

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, the impacts of domestic wastewater irrigation on the concentration of heavy metals such as lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and copper (Cu) in soil and vegetables were investigated by monitoring an experimental area irrigated with effluent from a domestic wastewater treatment plant. The risk of people consuming vegetables that may contain heavy metals was also assessed. Three replications were performed on 10 × 2-m test plots, and heavy metal concentrations in soil and vegetables were monitored from 2005 to 2007. The risks to human health from consuming vegetables containing heavy metals were assessed using the hazard quotient, which is defined as the ratio of average daily dose to the reference dose. The monitored results showed that the concentrations of Cu, Cd, and Pb in soil during the experimental period were lower than the initial soil levels before irrigation, whereas Zn increased. However, the ranges of Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb in soils were below the soil pollution standards of the Republic of Korea. A risk assessment indicated that vegetables grown with domestic wastewater are safe for human consumption with respect to heavy metal concentrations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abaidoo RC, Keraita B, Drechsel P, Dissanayake P, Maxwell AS (2010) Soil and crop contamination through wastewater irrigation and options for risk reduction in developing countries. In: Dion P (ed) Soil biology and agriculture in the tropics, soil biology vol. 21. Springer, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Alam MGM, Snow ET, Tanaka A (2003) Arsenic and heavy metal contamination of vegetables grown in Samta Village, Bangladesh. Sci Total Environ 308:83–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alobaidy AHMJ, AL-Sameraiy MA, Kadhem AJ, Abdul-Majeed A (2010) Evaluation of treated municipal wastewater quality for irrigation. J Environ Prot 1:216–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Angelakis AN, Maresco do Monte MHF, Bontoux L, Asano T (1999) The status of wastewater reuse practice in the Mediterranean Basin, need for guidelines. Water Res 33:2201–2217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Candela L, Fabgegat S, Josa A, Suriol J, Vigues N, Mas J (2007) Assessment of soil and groundwater impacts by treated urban wastewater reuse. A case study: application in a golf course (Girona, Spain). Sci Total Environ 374:26–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang AC, Granato TC, Page AL (1992) A methodology for establishing phytotoxicity criteria for chromium, copper, nickel and zinc in agricultural and application of municipal sewage sledges. J Environ Qual 21:21–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crook J (1998) Water reclamation and reuse criteria. In: Asano T (ed) Wastewater reclamation and reuse. Technomic Publishing, Lancaster

    Google Scholar 

  • Drechsel P, Scott CA, Raschid-Sally L, Redwood M, Bahri A (2010) Wastewater irrigation and health: assessing and mitigating risk in low-income countries: International Water Management Institute and International Development Research Centre, London

  • Fatta-Kassinos D, Kalavrouziotis IK, Koukoulakis PH, Vasquez MI (2011) The risks associated with wastewater reuse and xenobiotics in the agroecological environment. Sci Total Environ 409:3555–3563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta N, Khan DK, Santra SC (2008) An assessment of heavy metal contamination in vegetables grown in wastewater-irrigated areas of Titagarh, West Bengal, India. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 80:115–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta N, Khan DK, Santra SC (2010) Determination of public health hazard potential of wastewater reuse in crop production. World Rev Sci Technol Sustain Dev 7:328–340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hseu ZY (2004) Evaluating heavy metal contents in nine composts using four digestion methods. Bioresour Tehcnol 95:53–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hussain I, Raschid L, Hanjra M, Marikar F, van der Hoek W (2001) A framework for analyzing socioeconomic, health and environmental impacts of wastewater use in agriculture in developing countries, Working Paper 26, International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka

  • Jackson AP, Alloway BJ (1992) The transfer of cadmium from agricultural soils to the human food chain. In: Adriano DC (ed) Biogeochemistry of trace metals. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  • Jung MC (2008) Heavy metal concentrations in soils and factors affecting metal uptake by plants in the vicinity of Korean Cu-W mind. Sensors 8:2123–2413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jung GB, Kim HC, Jung KY, Jung BK, Kim WI (1998) Heavy metal contents in upland soils and crops of Korea. Korean Soc Soil Sci Fertil 31:225–232 (in Korean with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lai HY, Chen BC (2013) The dynamic growth exhibition and accumulation of cadmium of Pak choi (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis) grown in contaminated soils. Int J Environ Res Public Health 10:5284–5298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu WH, Zhao JZ, Ouyang ZY, Soderlund L, Liu GH (2005) Impacts of sewage irrigation on heavy metal distribution and contamination in Beijing. China Environ Int 31:805–812

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manpanda F, Mangwayana EN, Nyamangara J, Giller KE (2005) The effect of long-term irrigation using wastewater on heavy metal contents for soils under vegetables in Harare, Zimbabwe. Agr Ecosyst Environ 107:151–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGrath SP, Chang AC, Page AL, Witter E (1994) Land application of sewage sludge, scientific perspectives of heavy metal loading limits in Europe and the United States. Environ Rev 2:108–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Environment (MOE) (2005) Safety standards for soil contaminants. Ministry of Environmen, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea (in Korean)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) (2006) The Third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005 Nutrition Survey (I). Ministry of Health and Welfare, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea (in Korean)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mojiri A (2011) Effects of municipal wastewater on physical and chemical properties of saline soil. J Biol Environ Sci 5(14):71–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Nan Z, Li J, Zhang C, Cheng G (2002) Cadmium and zinc interaction and their transfer in a soil–crop system under actual field conditions. Sci Total Environ 285:187–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nikaido M, Tonani KAA, Juliao FC, Trevilato TMB, Takayanagui AMM, Sanchez SM, Domingo JL, Segura-Munoz SI (2010) Analysis of bacteria, parasites and heavy metals in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and rocket salad (Eruca sativa L.). Irrigated with treated effluent from a biological treated wastewater plant. Biol Trace Elem Res 34:342–351

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pescod MB (1992) Wastewater treatment and use in agriculture-FAO irrigation and drainage paper 47. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy

    Google Scholar 

  • Pierzynski GM, Sims JT, Vance GF (2000) Soils and environmental quality. CRC Press, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  • Pivelli RP, Gunther WMR, Matte GR, Razzolini MTP, Cutolo SA, Martone-Rocha S, Peternella FAS, Doria MCO, Matte MH (2008) Sanitation sssessment of wastewater treated by stabilization ponds for potential reuse in agricultural irrigation sanitation assessment. Water Environ Res 80(3):205–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rattan RK, Datta SP, Chandra S, Saharan N (2002) Heavy metals and environmental quality: Indian scenario. Fertil News 47:21–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Rattan RK, Datta SP, Chhonkar PK, Suribabu K, Singh AK (2005) Long-term impact of irrigation with sewage effluents on heavy metal content in soils, crops and groundwater—a case study. Agric Ecosyst Environ 109:310–322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott CA, Faruqui NI, Raschid-Sally L (2004) Wastewater use in irrigated agriculture. Confronting the livelihood and environmental realities. CAB International in Association with International Water Management Institute: Colombo, Sri Lanka, and International Development Research Centre: Ottawa, Canada

  • Sharma RK, Agrawal M, Marshall F (2007) Heavy metal contamination of soil and vegetables in suburban areas of Varanasi, India. Ecotoxicol Environ Safe 66:258–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh KP, Mohon D, Shinha S, Dalwani R (2004) Impact assessment of treated/untreated wastewater toxicants discharge by sewage treatment plants on health, agricultural, and environmental quality in a wastewater disposal area. Chemosphere 55:227–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh A, Sharma RK, Agrawal M, Marshall FM (2010) Health risk assessment of heavy metals via dietary intake of foodstuffs from the wastewater irrigated site of a dry tropical area of India. Food Chem Toxicol 48:611–619

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sridhara Chary N, Kamala CT, Samuel Suman Raj D (2008) Assessing risk of heavy metals from consuming food grown on sewage irrigated soils and food chain transfer. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 69:513–524

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tandi NK, Nyamangara J, Cangira C (2004) Environmental and potential health effects of growing leafy vegetables on soil irrigated using sewage sludge and effluent: a case of Zn and Cu. J Environ Sci Health B 39:461–471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) (2007) Integrated risk information system. http://www.epa.gov/iriswebp/iris (Accessed December 11, 2007)

  • Vousta D, Grimanis A, Samara C (1996) Trace elements in vegetables grown in an industrial area in relation to soil and air particulate matter. Environ Pollut 94:325–335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (WHO) (1982) Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminant. Twenty-sixth report of the joint FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives; WHO Technical Report Series 683. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (WHO) (2000) Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminant. Fifty-third report of the joint FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives; WHO Technical Report Series 896. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This project was supported by the Technology Development Program for Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Republic of Korea. Funding for this research was also provided by a Grant (code No. 4-5-3) from the Sustainable Water Resources Research Center of the twenty-first century Frontier Research Program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Green Bio Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Pyeongchang-gun, Republic of Korea

    H. K. Kim

  2. Department of Rural Construction Engineering, Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk, 561-756, Republic of Korea

    T. I. Jang

  3. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea

    S. M. Kim

  4. Department of Rural Systems Engineering, Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    S. W. Park

Authors
  1. H. K. Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. I. Jang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. M. Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. W. Park
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. I. Jang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kim, H.K., Jang, T.I., Kim, S.M. et al. Impact of domestic wastewater irrigation on heavy metal contamination in soil and vegetables. Environ Earth Sci 73, 2377–2383 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3581-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3581-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation