Abstract
The reuse of wastewater for irrigation, when correctly managed, can save large amounts of good quality water. A greenhouse experiment was conducted, considering as treatments four types of irrigation water (domestic supply water, fertilized water, sewage effluent, and modified sewage effluent with KCl at 0.1 mol L-1), and two soil types (Gleysol and Argisol), planted with corn (Zea mays). The experimental unit was composed of 32 PVC columns of 200 mm diameter and 1.0 m high. The reuse impact on the leachate chemical characteristics of leachate, and the risk of water table contamination were evaluated. It was verified that nitrate concentrations, electrical conductivity and sodium concentration were higher in Argisol columns than in Gleysol ones, restricting the Argisoil potential for treated effluent applications from domestic waste, especially where water table was shallow.
Key words:
residual water; Gleysoil; Argisoil
