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Effects of long-term irrigation with untreated municipal wastewater on soil properties and crop quality

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Abstract

Irrigating crops with untreated wastewater leads to elevated concentrations of heavy metals both in soil and cultivated crops. The current study was designed to determine heavy metal (i.e., Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Hg) accumulation in Konya soils in selected nine sites irrigated with wastewater for over 40 years. Non-irrigated soil samples and soil samples irrigated with well water were taken as control samples. Transport of these pollutants to the wheat samples cultivated in the investigated site was also examined. The obtained results reveal that high alkaline properties and clay structure of Konya soil reduce the mobility of contaminants and cause accumulation in the top layer of soil. Intense effect of wastewater irrigation on soil EC was determined. The highest concentrations of Pb, Cr, Cu, Cd, Zn, Ni, and Hg in wastewater irrigated soil were 5.32, 37.1, 31.5, 11.4, 91.5, 134, and 0.34 mg kg−1, respectively. Wastewater irrigated soils were strongly polluted by means of Cd (8.23–11.6 mg kg−1) and moderately to strongly polluted by means of Ni (47.7–134 mg kg−1), exceeding Maximum Admissible Concentrations for Trace Elements in Agricultural Soils and Sewage Sludge Regulation limit values of Turkey. Maximum concentrations found for Pb, Cr, Cu, Cd, Zn, and Ni in wastewater irrigated wheat grain were 8.44, 1.30, 9.10, n.d, 29.31, and 0.94 mg kg−1, respectively. Besides, Hg was not detected in any samples of wheat grain. Based on the regulation of Turkish Food Codex, Pb contamination in wheat samples grown in the sampling site was evidenced.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) and the International Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research Germany (BMBF-IB) under Grant 110Y206.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering, Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, No: 501, Meram, Koycegiz Campus, 42060, Konya, Turkey

    Mehmet Emin Aydin, Senar Aydin, Fatma Beduk, Ali Tor & Arzu Tekinay

  2. Institute of Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry, Technical University of Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany

    Marit Kolb & Müfit Bahadir

Authors
  1. Mehmet Emin Aydin
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  2. Senar Aydin
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  3. Fatma Beduk
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  4. Ali Tor
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  5. Arzu Tekinay
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  6. Marit Kolb
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  7. Müfit Bahadir
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Correspondence to Fatma Beduk.

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Responsible editor: Zhihong Xu

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Aydin, M.E., Aydin, S., Beduk, F. et al. Effects of long-term irrigation with untreated municipal wastewater on soil properties and crop quality. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 19203–19212 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5123-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5123-1

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