Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Wastewater Irrigation Effect on Soil, Crop and Environment: a Pilot Scale Study at Irbid, Jordan

  • Published:
Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An investigation was carried out at pilot scale to test the feasibility of using the effluent of a rotating biological contactors (RBC) unit treating wastewater generated from a university campus. The objective of the study was to cerefully monitor the impact of wastewater irrigation on the soil, percolating water, crop growth and the pathogenic condition within the immediate vicinity of wastewater application.

Experimental plots with three crops: alfalfa, radish and tomato were irrigated with fresh and waste waters. The irrigation water was applied by sprinklers. Each crop was given two sub-treatments: with fertilizer and without fertilizer. The physical and chemical properties of the soil, the crop yields, and subsurface drainage were measured. In most of the cases, the yields resulted from the uses of wastewater with fertilizer were compatible with those of the uses of freshwater with fertilizer.

The washings of tomato fruits grown with wastewater were analyzed for fecal coliforms. It appeared that the fruit skins were free of viable fecal coliforms 24 hours after the wastewater application. Subsurface drainage analyses did not show any alarming levels of constituents irrespective of the source of the water: wastewater or freshwater. The wastewater irrigation applied for a season had no significant effect on a silty loam soil. With wastewater irrigation, slught changes in the soil porosity and salinity were observed.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abu Zahra. B. M.: 1988, Wastewater Irrigation. M. S. Thesis. Jordan, U. of Sci and Technology, Irbird.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ali, I. et al.: 1984, Final report of first crop season: Wastewater irrigation. The King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, J. W.: 1981, “Wastewater spray irrigation of Army installations”, J. EED, ASCE, 107, EE3, p 435.

    Google Scholar 

  • Black, C. A: 1965, Methods of Soil Analysis, American Soc. of Ahronomy, Madison, Wisconsin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christiansen et al.: 1977, “Irrigation water quality evaluation”, J. of Irrig and Drainage, ASCE, 103, IR2, pp. 155–169.

  • Finck, A.: 1982, Fertilizers and Fertilization, Verlag Chemie, Weinheim.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finkel, H. H.: 1982, Handbook of Irrigation Technology, V. 1, CRC Press Inc., Boca Raton, Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • HACH: 1987, Company. Standard Equipment for BOD Testing. Leveland, Colorado.

    Google Scholar 

  • James, D. W. et al.: 1982, Modern Irrigated Soils. John Wiley and Sons inc.

  • Mass, E. V. and Hoffman, G. J.: 1977, “Crop salt tolerance —Current assessment”, J. Irrig. and Drainage, ASCE, 103, IR2, pp 115–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Metcalf and Eddy: 1979, Inc. Wastewater Engineering: Treatment, Disposal and Reuse, 2nd ed. McGraw Hill Inc., New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Middlebrooks, J. E.: 1982, Water Reuse, Ann Arbor Science Publishers Inc., Ann Arbor.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Argriculture: 1986, Jordan, Guidelines for Vegetables Farming. Bull. 28/1406.

  • Neis, U. and Bitter, A.: 1984, Water Reuse. Instutute Für Wissenschaftliche Zusammennarbeit, Tubingen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Overman, A. R. and Evans, L. E.: 1978, “Effluent irrigation of Sorghum, Sundangrass and Kenaf”, J. EED, ASCE, 104, EE6, pp. 1061–1066.

    Google Scholar 

  • Qudah, B. and Jaradat, A.: 1988, Soil Assessment of Research Needs and Priorities for Rain-fed Agriculture in Jordan. A Report. Jordan Univ. of Sci. and Tech., Jordan, p. 415.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shainberg, I. and Oster, J. D.: 1978, Quality of Irrigation Water. Pergamon Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater: 1985, 16th ed. American Public Health Assoc., Washington D. C.

  • Suess, M. J.: 1982, Examination of Water for Pollution Control. V. 2, Pergamon Press, London, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO (World Health Organization): 1980, Health Aspects of Treated Sewage Reuse. Report on WHO Seminar, Copenhagen.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Outlying Station, USDA, Ohio State University, Coshocton, OH, 43812

    Albulbasher Shahalam (Formerly Professor)

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Jordan University of Science & Technology, Irbid, Jordan

    Albulbasher Shahalam (Formerly Professor)

  3. C.E. Dept., Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan

    Bassam M. Abu Zahra

  4. Faculty of Agriculture, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan

    A. Jaradat

Authors
  1. Albulbasher Shahalam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bassam M. Abu Zahra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Jaradat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shahalam, A., Abu Zahra, B.M. & Jaradat, A. Wastewater Irrigation Effect on Soil, Crop and Environment: a Pilot Scale Study at Irbid, Jordan. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 106, 425–445 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005046912234

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005046912234

Search

Navigation