title: Effects of long-term irrigation with untreated municipal wastewater on soil properties and crop quality.
abstract: Irrigating crops with untreated wastewater leads to elevated concentrations of heavy metals both in soil and cultivated crops. The current study was designed to determine heavy metal (i.e., Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Hg) accumulation in Konya soils in selected nine sites irrigated with wastewater for over 40 years. Non-irrigated soil samples and soil samples irrigated with well water were taken as control samples. Transport of these pollutants to the wheat samples cultivated in the investigated site was also examined. The obtained results reveal that high alkaline properties and clay structure of Konya soil reduce the mobility of contaminants and cause accumulation in the top layer of soil. Intense effect of wastewater irrigation on soil EC was determined. The highest concentrations of Pb, Cr, Cu, Cd, Zn, Ni, and Hg in wastewater irrigated soil were 5.32, 37.1, 31.5, 11.4, 91.5, 134, and 0.34 mg kg(-1), respectively. Wastewater irrigated soils were strongly polluted by means of Cd (8.23-11.6 mg kg(-1)) and moderately to strongly polluted by means of Ni (47.7-134 mg kg(-1)), exceeding Maximum Admissible Concentrations for Trace Elements in Agricultural Soils and Sewage Sludge Regulation limit values of Turkey. Maximum concentrations found for Pb, Cr, Cu, Cd, Zn, and Ni in wastewater irrigated wheat grain were 8.44, 1.30, 9.10, n.d, 29.31, and 0.94 mg kg(-1), respectively. Besides, Hg was not detected in any samples of wheat grain. Based on the regulation of Turkish Food Codex, Pb contamination in wheat samples grown in the sampling site was evidenced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, No: 501, Meram, Koycegiz Campus, 42060, Konya, Turkey. meaydin@konya.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Mehmet Emin
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, No: 501, Meram, Koycegiz Campus, 42060, Konya, Turkey. sozcan@konya.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Senar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, No: 501, Meram, Koycegiz Campus, 42060, Konya, Turkey. fabeduk@konya.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beduk
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, No: 501, Meram, Koycegiz Campus, 42060, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tor
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Necmettin Erbakan University, No: 501, Meram, Koycegiz Campus, 42060, Konya, Turkey. atekinay@konya.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tekinay
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry, Technical University of Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany. m.bahadir@tu-bs.de.
authors.forename: Marit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kolb
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry, Technical University of Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany. m.kolb@tu-bs.de.
authors.forename: Müfit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahadir
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000378:metabolism*; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014908:Triticum / Q000378:metabolism*; D014421:Turkey; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012722:Sewage; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Accumulation; Heavy metals; Soil; Wastewater irrigation; Wheat