Treated wastewater application in agriculture: potential assessment in the State of Santa Catarina/Brazil

Authors

  • Leonardo Dalri Cecato Masters in Environmental Engineering, Researcher, Departamento de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4611-3732
  • Maria Elisa Magri Doctor in Environmental Engineering, Professor, Departamento de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5911-4390

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18472/SustDeb.v14n1.2023.46670

Keywords:

Ecological Sanitation, Irrigation, Reuse, Crops, Circular Economy

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of using treated wastewater in the irrigation of 7 crops produced in the State of Santa Catarina by assessing the current demand for irrigation water in the study area and the future production of treated wastewater. Food production data were collected from the most significant public agricultural institution in the study area to calculate their blue water footprint, given the amount of food harvested. Future wastewater production data were gathered from official reports which present the sanitation plans to be performed by 2035. Geographic Information System tools and risk assessment approaches were used to present and discuss results from quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Results show that the amount of wastewater to be produced in 2035 could not only supply the current irrigation water demand for the selected crops but also allow agriculture to expand without consuming more potable water.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Leonardo Dalri Cecato, Masters in Environmental Engineering, Researcher, Departamento de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

The author holds a degree in Sanitary and Environmental Engineering concluded in 2017 at the Federal University of Santa Catarina and a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering concluded in 2019 at the same institution, working mainly on the following topics: reuse, potential assessment, cost assessment, risk assessment, membrane bioreactors, decentralized sanitation, ecological sanitation, and sewage treatment.

Maria Elisa Magri, Doctor in Environmental Engineering, Professor, Departamento de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

The author is a Sanitary and Environmental Engineer graduated the Federal University of Santa Catarina UFSC (2006), finishing her master's in 2009 and doctorate in 2013 in Environmental Engineering at the same institution, having also performed a interuniversity doctoral internship at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SLU, Sweden. Postdoctoral in Biotechnology and Biosciences (2013-2014), and postdoctoral in Environmental Engineering (2016). She has worked in undergraduate and postgraduate
teaching as an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Lavras UFLA (MG), and iscurrently an Associate Professor at the Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. In her current institution, she works in research in the graduate programs in Environmental Engineering (PPGEA) and in Biotechnology and Biosciences (PPGBTC). Besides, she leads the Recovery of Resources in Sanitation Systems Group (RReSSa).

References

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND RURAL EXTENSION COMPANY OF SANTA CATARINA – EPAGRI (EMPRESA DE PESQUISA AGROPECUÁRIA E EXTENSÃO RURAL DE SANTA CATARINA). Infoagro: vegetable production (Infoagro: produção vegetal). 2022. Available at: https://www.infoagro.sc.gov.br/index.php/safra/producao-vegetal. Accessed on: August 2022.

BARBAGALLO, S. et al.. Analysis of treated wastewater reuse potential for irrigation in Sicily. Water Science & Technology, p. 2024–2033, 2012. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2012.102.

BRASIL. Decree Nº 14.026, July 2020, Brasília. Sanitation Framework (Marco do Saneamento). Available at: http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2019-2022/2020/lei/l14026.htm. Accessed on: August 2022.

BRASIL. Ministry of Regional Development (Ministério do Desenvolvimento Regional) National Sanitation Secretariat (Secretaria Nacional de Saneamento – SNS). National Sanitation Information System: 24th diagnosis of water and sewerage services – 2018 (Sistema Nacional de Informações sobre Saneamento: 24º diagnóstico dos serviços de água e esgotos – 2018). Brasília: SNS/MDR, 2019. 180 p.

BRAZILIAN INSTITUTE OF GEOGRAPHY AND STATISTICS – IBGE (INSTITUTO BRASILEIRO DE GEOGRAFIA E ESTATÍSTICA). 2017 Brazilian Census of Agriculture (Censo Agropecuário Brasileiro de 2017). Rio de Janeiro: IBGE. Available at: https://www.ibge.gov.br/en/statistics/economic/agriculture-forestry-and-fishing/21929-2017-2017-censo-agropecuario-en.html?=&t=destaques. Accessed on: August 2022.

COURAULT, D. et al.. Assessment and risk modeling of airborne enteric viruses emitted from wastewater reused for irrigation. Science of the Total Environment, 592, p. 512-526, 2017.

HECKENMÜLLER, M.; NARITA, D.; KLEPPER, G. Global availability of phosphorus and its implications for global food supply: an economic overview, Kiel Working Paper, No. 1897, Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Kiel, 2014.

JONSSON, H. et al.. Source separated urine-nutrient and heavy metal content, water saving and faecal contamination. Water science and technology, v. 35, n. 9, p. 145-152, 1997.

MAGRI, M. E.; PHILIPPI, L. S.; VINNERAS, B. Inactivation of pathogens in faeces by desiccation and urea treatment for application in urine-diverting dry toilets. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, v. 79, p. 2156-2163, 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.03920-12.

MATHERS, C. D. et al. Global Burden of Disease 2000: version 2 methods and results. World Health Organization, Geneva, 2002.

MEKONNEN, M. M.; HOEKSTRA, A. Y. The green, blue and grey water footprint of crops and derived crops products, 2010.

MEKONNEN, M. M.; HOEKSTRA, A. Y. The green, blue and grey water footprint of crops and derived crop products. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, v. 15, n. 5, p. 1577–1600, 2011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1577-2011.

MOAZENI, M. et al. Estimation of health risks caused by exposure to enteroviruses from agricultural application of wastewater effluents. Water research, 125, p. 104-113, 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2017.08.028.

NATIONAL WATER AGENCY – ANA (AGÊNCIA NACIONAL DE ÁGUAS). Wastewater Atlas (Atlas Esgoto). 2013. Available at: http://atlasesgotos.ana.gov.br/. Accessed on: August 2022.

OWAMAHO, H. I. et al. Fertiliser and sanitary quality of digestate biofertiliser from the co-digestion of food waste and human excreta. Waste management, v. 34, n. 4, p. 747-752, 2014.

ROST, S. et al. Agricultural green and blue water consumption and its influence on the global water system. Water Resources Research, 44, 2008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2007WR006331.

SECKLER, D. et al. World water demand and supply, 1990–2025: scenarios and issues. IWMI Research Report 19, IWMI, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 1998.

WIELEMAKER, R. C.; WEIJMA, J.; ZEEMAN, G. Harvest to harvest: recovering nutrients with New Sanitation systems for reuse in Urban Agriculture. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, p. 426-437, 2018.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION – WHO; UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND – UNICEF. Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Update and SDG Baselines. World Health Organization. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO Geneva. 2017. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/258617. Accessed on: August 2022.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION – WHO. World health statistics 2018: monitoring health for the SDGs, sustainable development goals. World Health Organization. Geneva. 2018. Available at: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/272596/9789241565585-eng.pdf. Accessed on: August 2022.

Downloads

Published

2023-04-30

How to Cite

Cecato, L. D., & Magri, M. E. (2023). Treated wastewater application in agriculture: potential assessment in the State of Santa Catarina/Brazil. Sustainability in Debate, 14(1), 202–215. https://doi.org/10.18472/SustDeb.v14n1.2023.46670

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.