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Can Potato Crop on Sandy Soil Be Safely Irrigated with Heavy Metal Polluted Water?

Selim, Tarek ; Elkefafy, Samah M. ; Berndtsson, Ronny LU orcid ; Elkiki, Mohamed and El-Kharbotly, Ahmed A. (2022) In Water (Switzerland) 14(8).
Abstract

Heavy metal (HM) accumulation in soil and plants can occur when water contaminated with HMs is used as a source of irrigation (El-Salam Canal, Egypt). In this study, the effect of watering potato crop in sandy soil from a polluted water source under flood irrigation (FI), sprinkler irrigation (SI), and surface drip irrigation (DI) on the transport of the HMs copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the root zone was experimentally investigated. HM concentrations in potato plant parts was also determined. The field experiments were conducted in a completely randomized block with three replicates for each irrigation method by using nine field lysimeters. Soil and plant samples were collected at the end of the growing... (More)

Heavy metal (HM) accumulation in soil and plants can occur when water contaminated with HMs is used as a source of irrigation (El-Salam Canal, Egypt). In this study, the effect of watering potato crop in sandy soil from a polluted water source under flood irrigation (FI), sprinkler irrigation (SI), and surface drip irrigation (DI) on the transport of the HMs copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the root zone was experimentally investigated. HM concentrations in potato plant parts was also determined. The field experiments were conducted in a completely randomized block with three replicates for each irrigation method by using nine field lysimeters. Soil and plant samples were collected at the end of the growing season to determine their HM content. The results showed that regardless of irrigation method, irrigation with HM contaminated water raised HM concentrations in both soil and potato plants. DI produced the highest concentrations of most HMs (Cu, Mn, and Pb) in the upper soil layer (0–40 cm) and highest Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations in plant tubers as well. Maximum Zn concentration in the upper soil layer and maximum Mn concentration in plant tubers occurred under SI. The maximum concentrations of Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn in both the upper soil layer and plant tubers were 12.0, 140.0, 11.6 and 67.9 mg/kg and 6.3, 9.4, 2.3 and 23.9 mg/kg, respectively. However, FI produced the highest concentrations in the deep soil layer (40–60 cm) and the least concentration of HMs in plant tubers. These concentrations were 18.8, 203.8, 13.3 and 70 mg/kg and 4.0, 6.0, 0.6 and 17.1 mg/kg in soil and plant tubers for Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn, respectively. The maximum concentrations of HMs in soil and potato plants were lower than the maximum permissible limits. Therefore, El-Salam Canal water appears not to be harmful in the short term. However, as shown in the results, HM accumulation depends on irrigation technique; thus, more studies are needed to determine harmful effects in the long term.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
drip irrigation, El-Salam Canal, flood irrigation, heavy metals, potato crop, sandy soil, sprinkler irrigation
in
Water (Switzerland)
volume
14
issue
8
article number
1226
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • scopus:85128811127
ISSN
2073-4441
DOI
10.3390/w14081226
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
36188d35-f7b5-4dfc-894c-ff6a0488a278
date added to LUP
2022-07-01 11:47:24
date last changed
2023-10-09 08:00:53
@article{36188d35-f7b5-4dfc-894c-ff6a0488a278,
  abstract     = {{<p>Heavy metal (HM) accumulation in soil and plants can occur when water contaminated with HMs is used as a source of irrigation (El-Salam Canal, Egypt). In this study, the effect of watering potato crop in sandy soil from a polluted water source under flood irrigation (FI), sprinkler irrigation (SI), and surface drip irrigation (DI) on the transport of the HMs copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the root zone was experimentally investigated. HM concentrations in potato plant parts was also determined. The field experiments were conducted in a completely randomized block with three replicates for each irrigation method by using nine field lysimeters. Soil and plant samples were collected at the end of the growing season to determine their HM content. The results showed that regardless of irrigation method, irrigation with HM contaminated water raised HM concentrations in both soil and potato plants. DI produced the highest concentrations of most HMs (Cu, Mn, and Pb) in the upper soil layer (0–40 cm) and highest Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations in plant tubers as well. Maximum Zn concentration in the upper soil layer and maximum Mn concentration in plant tubers occurred under SI. The maximum concentrations of Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn in both the upper soil layer and plant tubers were 12.0, 140.0, 11.6 and 67.9 mg/kg and 6.3, 9.4, 2.3 and 23.9 mg/kg, respectively. However, FI produced the highest concentrations in the deep soil layer (40–60 cm) and the least concentration of HMs in plant tubers. These concentrations were 18.8, 203.8, 13.3 and 70 mg/kg and 4.0, 6.0, 0.6 and 17.1 mg/kg in soil and plant tubers for Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn, respectively. The maximum concentrations of HMs in soil and potato plants were lower than the maximum permissible limits. Therefore, El-Salam Canal water appears not to be harmful in the short term. However, as shown in the results, HM accumulation depends on irrigation technique; thus, more studies are needed to determine harmful effects in the long term.</p>}},
  author       = {{Selim, Tarek and Elkefafy, Samah M. and Berndtsson, Ronny and Elkiki, Mohamed and El-Kharbotly, Ahmed A.}},
  issn         = {{2073-4441}},
  keywords     = {{drip irrigation; El-Salam Canal; flood irrigation; heavy metals; potato crop; sandy soil; sprinkler irrigation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Water (Switzerland)}},
  title        = {{Can Potato Crop on Sandy Soil Be Safely Irrigated with Heavy Metal Polluted Water?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w14081226}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/w14081226}},
  volume       = {{14}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}