Wastewater Application in Agriculture-A Review

In many developing countries of the world, freshwater scarcity has made wastewater application a common practice in the agricultural sector. In water-deficit countries, wastewater is widely used for irrigation purposes. It is deemed as the most conventional and low-cost practice that has been receiving immense attention in the agricultural sector due to the global decline in freshwater resources. In many arid and semiarid areas of the world, where water reservoirs are limited and decreasing day by day, farmers are considering other alternative sources of water such as wastewater, seawater, rainwater, stormwater, and captured condensate. Hence, wastewater is the richest source of macro- and micronutrients, resulting in improving plant growth and performance. However, some negative impacts are also associated with the use of wastewater in agriculture including health risks and environmental degradation. Therefore, to minimize the potential health hazards, wastewater should be treated before its application. This review highlights the beneficial and harmful impacts of wastewater application on soils and plants which include the transfer of potentially toxic elements into plants and humans. Integrated sustainable solutions and future perspectives are also proposed.