(cest2017_01312) Monitoring of soil in Mediterranean olive groves irrigated with reclaimed water

摘要

Nowadays, many countries face significantproblems of water scarcity. In this context, the reuse oftreated wastewater represents a valid option, in some casesurged by the absence of viable alternatives. This studyevaluates long-term effects of reclaimed water irrigation onsoil of olive groves in a typical semi-arid region in Crete,Greece. Sampling was conducted in olive groves irrigatedfor more than 10 years with secondary treated wastewater.A 4-year monitoring period was conducted. Results shownthat irrigation with reclaimed water had no significantimpact on soil properties. Organic matter, nitrogen andphosphorus concentration was 2.5%, 625 mg/kg and 40mg/kg, respectively. Soil salinity was also stable rangedfrom 1.0 mS/cm to 1.3 mS/cm. No accumulation of heavymetals in soils was observed during the experimentalperiod.