Study of Ma aymria Water Treatment Contamination of Heavy Metals with its Suitability for Irrigation

With the increase of water scarcity and its significant impact on the development of agriculture in arid and semi-arid areas, it is necessary to adopt wastewater reuse projects for irrigation purposes. Ma aymira Water Treatment Station, located in the city of Hilla which is the center of Babylon governorate, has been used as a model to study the validity of using such type of water for agriculture. It was found that large lands in the area under study base on wastewater because there is no other source of irrigation. Furthermore, many people, who live near this area, have been diagnosed with dermatological diseases and other diseases that may be attributed to this contaminated water. It was also noticed that this water was not fully treated as stated by laboratory tests. High ratios of heavy elements that were concentrated in this water have caused contamination to both soil and plant. The contamination of lead was the greatest followed by cadmium and cobalt. The researchers believed that adopting alternative methods of primary treatment is necessary. This may include the use of ceratophyllum plant in irrigation channels to absorb these trace elements, mix water with fresh water to reduce residual concentration, activate channels for washing soil, and recommend not to cultivate some high-absorption vegetables such as onions, lettuce, and tomatoes and replace them with low-absorption crops.

Keywords:

Heavy Metals , Water Treatment , irrigation , Contamination water