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Wastewater-derived contaminants of emerging concern: Concentration in soil solution under simulated irrigation scenarios

Citation:

Ben Mordechay, E. ; Shenker, M. ; Tarchitzky, J. ; Mordehay, V. ; Elisar, Y. ; Maor, Y. ; Ortega-Calvo, J. Julio; Hennecke, D. ; Polubesova, T. ; Chefetz, B. . Wastewater-Derived Contaminants Of Emerging Concern: Concentration In Soil Solution Under Simulated Irrigation Scenarios. 2023, 100036.

Date Published:

2023/08/07/

Abstract:

In response to the decline in natural water sources, treated wastewater (TWW) has been introduced into the water cycle as a new water source for irrigation. However, this practice exposes the agricultural environment to various contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). To better understand their fate in the soil and to effectively predict their bioavailability for plant uptake, there is a need to quantify their concentrations in soil solutions. In this study, we examined the concentration of TWW-derived CECs in soil solution under three scenarios: (1) shifting from irrigation with freshwater (FW) to TWW (FW→TWW), (2) long-term continuous irrigation with TWW (TWW→TWW), and (3) prolonged irrigation with TWW followed by FW (TWW→FW). Carbamazepine, 1H-benzotriazole, lamotrigine, venlafaxine, and thiabendazole were ubiquitous in the TWW (mean concentrations of 125, 945, 180, 3630, and 90 ng/L, respectively) and irrigated soils. Interestingly, their concentrations in the soil solutions were not similar (higher or lower) to the corresponding concentrations in the irrigation water. In both the FW→TWW and TWW→FW irrigation scenarios, lower CECs concentrations were observed in soil solutions compared to the TWW→TWW scenario, indicating that a steady-state condition was not achieved after a single irrigation season (FW→TWW). For example, the concentrations of 1H-benzotriazole in Nir Oz soil solutions were 638, 310, and 1577 ng/L for the three irrigation scenarios (FW→TWW, TWW→FW, and TWW→TWW), respectively. Moreover, CECs concentrations in soil solutions were slightly lower in the TWW→FW irrigation scenario compared to the TWW→TWW scenario. This suggests that rain-fed crops are also exposed to TWW-derived CECs released from the adsorbed phase into the soil solution. The readily available CEC concentration in soil solutions depends on the soil irrigation history and the CEC concentration in the irrigation water, the soil characteristics, and the physicochemical properties of the CEC.

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