Assessing the Usability of Three Different Treated Wastewater for Irrigation in Rice Production

Abstract

The primary focus of this research was to investigate the feasibility of using various industrial wastewater for irrigation in crop production. Three distinct industrial effluents, namely sugar mill wastewater, paper mill wastewater, and textile mill wastewater, were examined in this study. These wastewaters were subjected to various treatment processes to improve their quality for irrigation. The treated wastewaters were subsequently used as irrigation water in pot experiments with BRRI dhan-28 as a model plant. The experiments were laid out in a completely randomized design with four replications. The treatments were: control (shallow pump water) (T0), untreated wastewater (T1), 50% treated water + 50% shallow pump water (T2), and treated wastewater (T3). Following the harvest of the rice crop, plant samples were separated into roots, straw, husk, and grains and were analyzed for different essential and non-essential elements. The post-harvest soils were also collected and analyzed for different elements. To evaluate the possible impact of industrial wastewater on human health, several key parameters were calculated, including the metal transfer factor (MTF), daily intake of metal (DIM), and health risk index (HRI). The HRI values for adults irrigated with treated sugar mill wastewater were determined for lead, chromium, and zinc, resulting in values of 5.82E-01, 6.50E-04, and 1.92E-01, respectively. These values indicated that no significant health risks were associated with these specific metals. In the case of rice plants irrigated with treated paper mill wastewater for adults, the HRI values were as follows: Pb (4.37E-01)>Zn (1.55E-02)>Cr (7.03E-04). These values suggest that there was a higher potential health risk associated with lead exposure. For rice plants irrigated with treated textile mill wastewater, the HRI values for adults followed the order: lead (4.37E-01)>zinc (2.69E-02)>chromium (9.46E 04). Even when using 50% treated water + 50% shallow pump water, the HRI values for adults remained within acceptable limits for lead, chromium, and zinc. Therefore, among the three industrial wastewater sources investigated, the order of suitability for irrigation was as follows: sugar mill wastewater>papermill wastewater>textile mill wastewater. Agro-based industrial effluents demonstrated better suitability for irrigation compared to textile mill wastewater. These findings emphasized the importance of appropriate treatment and management of industrial wastewater to ensure safe and sustainable agricultural practices.