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Land Application of Treated Industrial Wastewater on a Chihuahuan Desert Shrubland: Implications for Water Quality and Mineral Deposition.
- Source :
- Arid Land Research & Management; Jul-Sep2012, Vol. 26 Issue 3, p211-226, 16p
- Publication Year :
- 2012
-
Abstract
- Land application of wastewater conserves fresh water and recycles nutrients, but little is known of its impacts on arid and semiarid landscapes. Lagoon treated saline−sodic industrial effluent was applied from 2002–2005 to a 0.4-ha Chihuahuan Desert shrubland to assess the deposition and recovery of effluent components and changes in soil quality vis-à-vis a non-irrigated area. Effluent irrigation supplied 26% of the average annual nonstressed evapotranspiration (ET) of the native shrubs [Larrea tridentata (DC.) Coville and Prosopis glandulosa Torr. var. glandulosa], and increased both soil stress factors (sodicity, salinity, and pH) and soil fertility (N, P, and K). After 3 yr, the soil saturation extract electrical conductivity (ECe) reached as high as 6.1 dS m−1 and Cl− 76 molc m−3 at 105 cm depth under irrigated L. tridentata. After 4 yr, saturation extract sodium adsorption ratio (SARe) reached 25–35 at 7.5 cm under the irrigated shrubs and intershrub spaces. There were 27 Mg ha−1 of cumulative ionic deposits to the site comprised mostly of Na+, Cl−, and CaCO3 equivalent alkalinity, with soil analysis recovering most of the deposits (>57%) except for K+ and Na+ (8% to 13%). Subsurface leaching of and P was detected within the upper 1 m soil depth after 4 yr, and a high downward mobility of Cl− revealed the potential for deeper leaching at higher N loading rates. While long-term effects on the natural vegetation are unknown, results contribute to a limited scientific database for sustainable wastewater land application in semiarid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 15324982
- Volume :
- 26
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Arid Land Research & Management
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 79988154
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/15324982.2012.680656