Abstract

Irrigation using treated wastewater (TWW) could provoke land degradation and heavy metals’ accumulation. The current study selected two irrigated areas with treated wastewater along Bahr El-Baqar drain in Egypt. The first area (zone A) has been receiving treated wastewater for a period between 10 - 15 years. The second area (zone B) has been receiving treated wastewater for more than 20 years. Vegetation behavior was monitored using Enhanced Vegetation Index. TWW was of grade “C” according to the Egyptian Code (ECP 501-2015). Zone B suffered from significant loss in fertility and noticeable decrease in vegetation compared to zone A. Crops in zone B had lower heavy metal contents in shoots and roots compared to those of zone A probably due to soil alkalinity. Nevertheless, heavy metal concentrations in rice grains were higher in zone B than in zone A reflecting potential hazard on human health. In conclusion, irrigation using low-quality water negatively affected vegetation performance, soil quality and threaten human health. Alfalfa and sugar beet do not tend to uptake heavy metals from contaminated soils. Rice is not recommended for cultivation in heavy metals contaminated soils.

Keywords: “Enhanced Vegetation Index; Heavy Metals’ Toxicity; Soil Quality

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