Mesocosm Evaluation of the Safety of the Use of Reclaimed Water Regarding Emerging Pollutants in Murcia, Spain

Abstract

The increasing shortage of conventional water for crop irrigation in arid and semiarid regions is encouraging the use of nonconventional water resources. Nevertheless, concern about the presence and possible negative effects of emerging contaminants in reclaimed water can cause individuals to avoid using these water sources. To clarify the guarantees that reclaimed water offers, a mesocosm study was carried out. Lettuce plants were cultivated in pots watered with three different types of water (distilled, reclaimed, and spiked with contaminants of emerging concern). The results showed low concentrations of contaminants in the leachates and plant tissues when the reclaimed water was used. However, their concentrations were high when the pots were watered with the spiked water; this was mainly true for carbamazepine, which reached a maximum of 2982 ng L−1 in the leachates and 45.2 ng g−1 in the plant roots. In the lettuce watered with the spiked water, carbamazepine was found in the edible part at very low concentrations that did not imply any human risk. Finally, an acute toxicity test was performed on the leachates, which were found to be only slightly toxic in the spiked water. This work indicates that with the current technical improvements in active sludge water treatment, reclaimed water can be used for irrigation without the risk of contamination by contaminants of emerging concern.