Open Access
REVIEW
Impacts of sewage irrigation on soil properties of a farmland in China: A review
Li QK1, J Tang2, T Wang3, D Wu2, CA Busso4, RF Jiao2, XJ Ren2
1 Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Yellow River Conservancy Commission, Zhengzhou, 450003, China.
2 School of Resource and Environment, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, China.
3 Third Institute of Geo-exploration Institute, Henan Bureau of Geo-Exploration & Mineral Development, Zhengzhou, 451464, China.
4 Departamento de Agronomía-CERZOS (CONICET: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República Argentina), Universidad Nacional del Sur, San
Andrés 800, 8000 Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
Address correspondence to: Dafu Wu, e-mail:
Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2018, 87(all), 40-50. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2018.87.040
Abstract
Fresh water is a valuable nonrenewable resource and
plays an important role in maintaining economic and social development.
Considering its large population and consumption potential,
water resource deficits will certainly not allow a sustainable development
of basic industries in China in the near future. Application
of sewage irrigation, to some extent, was regarded as an alternative
way to solve the problem of agricultural water shortage in some areas
(such as North China). However, accompanied with an extensive
implementation of sewage irrigation, some problems with sewage
irrigation became gradually obvious in agriculture, especially those
related with pollution and destruction of farmlands. In this paper,
the effects of sewage irrigation on soil physical (soil bulk density, soil
resistance to penetration and field capacity), chemical (pH, soil organic
matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, heavy metal and organic
pollutants) and biological characteristics (soil microorganisms
and enzyme activities) were systematically reviewed on farmlands in
China, based on the current utilization status of China’s farmland
sewage irrigation. Some feasible suggestions were put forward to the
development prospects in the future. This review will be beneficial for
promoting a healthy development of sewage irrigation and providing
a theoretical support for reclamation and a high efficiency use of
effluents in China.
Keywords
Cite This Article
QK, L., Tang, J., Wang, T., Wu, D., Busso, C. et al. (2018). Impacts of sewage irrigation on soil properties of a farmland in China: A review.
Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, 87(all), 40–50.