نوع مقاله : مقاله مروری
نویسندگان
1 گروه علوم و مهندسی خاک، دانشکده کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی، دانشگاه تهران، اﯾﺮان
2 موسسه تحقیقات خاک و آب، سازمان تحقیقات ترویج و آموزش کشاورزی، کرج، ایران.
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Background and Objectives: The increasing scarcity of freshwater resources in arid and semi-arid regions has led to the growing use of wastewater for agricultural irrigation. In Iran, this practice has become particularly important due to rising water demand and limited access to high-quality water. Wastewater contains substantial quantities of organic matter and essential plant nutrients that can improve soil fertility; however, its long-term application may also result in accumulation of potentially toxic heavy metals in agricultural soils. Balancing the agronomic benefits with the associated environmental risks remains a key challenge for sustainable wastewater reuse. This review aims to systematically evaluate the effects of wastewater irrigation on the physical and chemical properties of soils in Iran, as well as the accumulation patterns of heavy metals in these soils.
Materials and Methods: A total of 335 scientific sources, including peer-reviewed articles, research reports, and academic theses published up to 2021, were collected and critically evaluated. The methodological quality of each study was assessed based on data completeness, sampling design, and analytical reliability. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were subjected to quantitative and qualitative synthesis to identify the magnitude and direction of wastewater effects on key soil indicators. The analyzed parameters included soil bulk density, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon (OC), soil aggregate stability, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and the concentrations of macro- and micronutrients as well as heavy metals. Data were synthesized to calculate average percentage changes relative to control soils irrigated with freshwater.
Results: The results demonstrate that wastewater irrigation significantly improves several soil fertility indicators. On average, soil organic carbon increased by 88%, CEC by 8.4%, and soil aggregate stability improved markedly, indicating enhanced soil structure and water retention capacity. Conversely, bulk density decreased by 9.5%, reflecting improved soil porosity. The effect of wastewater on pH and SAR was variable and highly dependent on the degree of wastewater treatment and its chemical composition. However, EC increased by 39% on average, indicating an overall rise in soil ionic load. Nutrient enrichment was also evident. The total concentrations of essential nutrients, including nitrogen, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese, increased by 12.8–47.3%. The available (plant-available) forms of potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese increased by 30.8%, 42.5%, 89%, 57.2%, 223.9%, 167.6%, and 116.3%, respectively, confirming the fertilization potential of wastewater irrigation. In contrast, a notable increase in total and available heavy metal concentrations was observed. Average increases in total chromium, nickel, manganese, iron, zinc, copper, lead, and cadmium concentrations were 40%, 29.1%, 40.2%, 20.3%, 46.6%, 34.5%, 50.0%, and 42.0%, respectively. The bioavailable fractions of these metals exhibited even higher increases, posing a potential risk to food chain safety. Importantly, this review highlights a significant data gap for arsenic (As) and cobalt (Co), which have not been systematically monitored in Iranian soils, indicating a critical need for expanded surveillance.
Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that wastewater irrigation in Iran substantially enhances soil fertility by improving organic matter content, nutrient availability, and physical structure. However, it simultaneously increases the accumulation of heavy metals, particularly in bioavailable forms that can be transferred to crops and potentially threaten soil and food safety. Sustainable wastewater reuse therefore requires effective pretreatment, chemical quality control, and continuous monitoring of soil and plant heavy metal concentrations in accordance with national and international standards (e.g., WHO, FAO, and Iranian EPA guidelines). Establishing long-term monitoring programs and incorporating risk assessment frameworks into wastewater reuse policies are essential to balance the benefits of nutrient recycling with the prevention of long-term contamination in agricultural soils.
کلیدواژهها [English]