Irrigation Water Quality—A Contemporary Perspective

Abstract

In the race to enhance agricultural productivity, irrigation will become more dependent on poorly characterized and virtually unmonitored sources of water. Increased use of irrigation water has led to impaired water and soil quality in many areas. Historically, soil salinization and reduced crop productivity have been the primary focus of irrigation water quality. Recently, there is increasing evidence for the occurrence of geogenic contaminants in water. The appearance of trace elements and an increase in the use of wastewater has highlighted the vulnerability and complexities of the composition of irrigation water and its role in ensuring proper crop growth, and long-term food quality. Analytical capabilities of measuring vanishingly small concentrations of biologically-active organic contaminants, including steroid hormones, plasticizers, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products, in a variety of irrigation water sources provide the means to evaluate uptake and occurrence in crops but do not resolve questions related to food safety or human health effects. Natural and synthetic nanoparticles are now known to occur in many water sources, potentially altering plant growth and food standard. The rapidly changing quality of irrigation water urgently needs closer attention to understand and predict long-term effects on soils and food crops in an increasingly fresh-water stressed world.

Water Management for Sustainable Food Production

“…Two review articles in the special collection bring out the global perspective on irrigation, which is considered the highest consumptive use of freshwater [21,22]. Velasco-Muñoz et al (2019) [21] reviewed 713 articles on sustainable irrigation in agriculture over the last twenty years (1999-2018) through a bibliometric analysis (quantitatively) and a systematic review based on keyword analysis (qualitatively).…”

“…The review brought out the need for integrating environmental, social, and economic dimensions in sustainable irrigation, and aimed to communicate the results of the research to society, as well as to provide greater knowledge of the environmental impacts of irrigation-related practices on different levels (plot, district, basin, region). The second review article [22] in this special collection addressed some of the environmental impacts of irrigation water quality from multiple sources (conventional sources like surface or groundwater, or nonconventional sources like reclaimed water) [22]. The study highlights the vulnerability of crop and soil quality, as well as the complexities of the composition of irrigation water to various emerging contaminants from various water sources.…”

Detection, occurrence, and fate of emerging contaminants in agricultural environments (2020)

“…ENMs are present in irrigation water and soil and are also likely making their way to the food chain through edible crops. Malakar, Snow, and Ray (2019) reviewed the impact of ENMs and other emerging contaminants on irrigation water quality and pointed out the current limitations in their detection. The review summarized the uptake of different metal oxides such as titanium oxide, silver oxide, iron oxide, and copper oxide accumulation in a variety of crops and their presence in the finished product.…”

Introductory Chapter: Addressing Past Claims and Oncoming Challenges for Irrigation Systems

“…Taking into account the urgent challenge of matching demand for food for a larger population using the same land footprint, the Global Water Forum (an initiative of the UNESCO Chair in Water Economics and Transboundary Water Governance) discussed the expansion of irrigated areas and their affection to agroecosystems and sustainability [40]. To mitigate that risk while responding to increased global water needs, agricultural management options could include blending different qualities of water sources [41], matching irrigation methods or promoting deficit irrigation [42], and selecting salt tolerant crops [43]. Whatever methods and strategies are used to increase food production, they must also preserve soil ecological functionality and minimize environmental risks.…”