title: Wastewater reuse in irrigation: a microbiological perspective on implications in soil fertility and human and environmental health.
abstract: The reuse of treated wastewater, in particular for irrigation, is an increasingly common practice, encouraged by governments and official entities worldwide. Irrigation with wastewater may have implications at two different levels: alter the physicochemical and microbiological properties of the soil and/or introduce and contribute to the accumulation of chemical and biological contaminants in soil. The first may affect soil productivity and fertility; the second may pose serious risks to the human and environmental health. The sustainable wastewater reuse in agriculture should prevent both types of effects, requiring a holistic and integrated risk assessment. In this article we critically review possible effects of irrigation with treated wastewater, with special emphasis on soil microbiota. The maintenance of a rich and diversified autochthonous soil microbiota and the use of treated wastewater with minimal levels of potential soil contaminants are proposed as sine qua non conditions to achieve a sustainable wastewater reuse for irrigation.
authors.affiliation: CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa/Porto, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal; LEPABE, Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Becerra-Castro
authors.affiliation: CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa/Porto, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal; LEPABE, Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Rita
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa/Porto, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal; LEPABE, Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ivone
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vaz-Moreira
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Campus Politécnico de Repeses, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal.
authors.forename: Elisabete F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa/Porto, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: cmanaia@porto.ucp.pt.
authors.forename: Célia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Manaia
authors.affiliation: LEPABE, Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: opnunes@fe.up.pt.
authors.forename: Olga C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Nunes
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D004782:Environmental Health; D006801:Humans; D059027:Recycling; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater
chemical_list: D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Autochthonous microbiota; Biological contamination; Chemical contamination; Irrigation; Soil microbiota; Wastewater microbiota; Wastewater reuse