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Lithium is found in trace amounts in all soils. It is also found in plants and in nearly all the organs of the human body. Low Li intake can cause behavioral defects. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the concentration and distribution of water-soluble Li in soils of the Jordan Valley and its concentration in citrus trees and some important food crops in view of the significant implications of Li for human health. The concentration of soluble Li was measured in 180 soil samples collected at two depths (0-20 and 20-40 cm) whereas its content was determined in fully expanded leaves collected from citrus and different vegetable crops. Concentrations of soluble Li in soils vary from 0.95 to 1.04 mg l(-1) in topsoil and from 1.06 to 2.68 mg l(-1) in subsoil, while Li concentration in leaves ranged from 2 to 27 mg kg(-1) DM. Lithium concentrations in leaves of crops of the same family or different families vary with location in the valley; i.e., they decreased from north to south. It is concluded that soluble Li in soils and the plant family did not solely affect Li transfer in the food chain. In addition, soil EC, Ca, Mg, and Cl, which increased from north to south, might adversely affect plant Li uptake. The current study also showed that consuming 250-300 g FW of spinach day(-1) per person is recommended to provide consumers with their daily Li requirement necessary for significant health and societal benefits.

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Multiple variables associated with agricultural sector, including crop water consumption, salinity tolerance, marketing, evapotranspiration and other factors related to industrial sector, were incorporated into a multi-criteria analysis (MCA). The MCA utilized Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) which resulted in the prioritization of water use for management in the Jordan Valley. The inputs to the MCA were generated through metrological variables for the Jordan Valley for the period 1980 to 1999. Soil data and crop data were evaluated using the EVAPOT program, the KCISA program, and the ISAREG model to estimate reference evapotranspiration, crop coefficiency, crop water requirement, and calculations of water productivity for agricultural and industrial sectors. The results of the MCA make recommendations for enhancing long-term sustainability of water resources in the Jordan Valley, while allowing for water utilization and economic growth. The MCA ranked the date palm as the highest priority crop with respect to the goal of sustainable agricultural use of water. Apparel manufacturing was the most sustainable industry. Overall, the industrial sector seems to perform better with regards to water productivity than the agricultural sector. It can be concluded that the MCA tool and ISAREG model are potentially positive contributions to the process of decision-making for selection and ranking of alternatives for help in solving problems that include conflicting criteria.