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      A Review of Health Risks and Pathways for Exposure to Wastewater Use in Agriculture

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          Abstract

          Background:

          Wastewater is increasingly being used in the agricultural sector to cope with the depletion of freshwater resources as well as water stress linked to changing climate conditions. As wastewater irrigation expands, research focusing on the human health risks is critical because exposure to a range of contaminants must be weighed with the benefits to food security, nutrition and livelihoods.

          Objectives:

          The goal of this paper was to review research examining health risks and exposure pathways associated with wastewater irrigation to identify research trends and gaps.

          Methods:

          We conducted a review of the literature and identified a total of 126 studies published from 1995 to 2013. Findings were summarized based on several themes including types of exposure pathways, wastewater contaminants, methodological approaches and the geographical distribution of research.

          Results:

          Only 23 studies used epidemiological methods, while most research applied alternative methods to estimate risk, such as quantitative risk assessment models or comparisons of crop contamination to established guidelines for wastewater reuse. A geographic breakdown demonstrated a focus on microbiological contaminants in specific regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, despite growing chemical risks associated with rapid urbanization and industrialization that may change the types and distribution of wastewater contaminants.

          Conclusions:

          To provide a more comprehensive understanding of the health risks of wastewater use in agriculture, future research should consider multiple exposure routes, long-term health implications, and increase the range of contaminants studied, particularly in regions heavily dependent on wastewater irrigation.

          Citation:

          Dickin SK, Schuster-Wallace CJ, Qadir M, Pizzacalla K. 2016. A review of health risks and pathways for exposure to wastewater use in agriculture. Environ Health Perspect 124:900–909; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509995

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          Assessing risk of heavy metals from consuming food grown on sewage irrigated soils and food chain transfer.

          C S Kamala, Tony Raj, N Sridhara Chary (2008)
          Heavy metal pollution of soils resulting from sewage and wastewater irrigation is causing major concern due to the potential risk involved. In the present study Musi River and its environs were assessed for heavy metal contamination. The study area was assessed for Zn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Co and Pb in soils, forage grass, milk from cattle, leafy and non-leafy vegetables. Partitioning pattern of soil revealed high levels of Zn, Cr, and Cu associated with labile fractions, making them more mobile and plant available. The associated risk was assessed using hazard quotient (HQ). Human risk was assessed in people known to consume these contaminated foods by analyzing metals concentrations in venous blood and urine. Results showed high amounts of Pb, Zn, Cr, and Ni compared to permissible limits. HQ was found to be high for Zn followed by Cr and Pb with special reference to leafy vegetables particularly spinach and amaranthus.
          Article 0 comments Cited 143 times – based on 0 reviews     Review now
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            Global, regional, and country level need for data on wastewater generation, treatment, and use

            Toshio Sato, Manzoor Qadir, Sadahiro Yamamoto … (2013)
            Article 0 comments Cited 126 times – based on 0 reviews     Review now
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              Health risk assessment of heavy metals via dietary intake of foodstuffs from the wastewater irrigated site of a dry tropical area of India.

              Anita Singh, Rajesh Kumar Sharma, Madhoolika Agrawal … (2010)
              The present study was conducted to assess the risk to human health by heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni and Cr) through the intake of locally grown vegetables, cereal crops and milk from wastewater irrigated site. Milk is not directly contaminated due to wastewater irrigation, but is an important route of food chain transfer of heavy metals from grass to animals. Heavy metal concentrations were several fold higher in all the collected samples from wastewater irrigated site compared to clean water irrigated ones. Cd, Pb and Ni concentrations were above the 'safe' limits of Indian and WHO/FAO standards in all the vegetables and cereals, but within the permissible limits in milk samples. The higher values of metal pollution index and health risk index indicated heavy metal contamination in the wastewater irrigated site that presented a significant threat of negative impact on human health. Rice and wheat grains contained less heavy metals as compared to the vegetables, but health risk was greater due to higher contribution of cereals in the diet. The study suggests that wastewater irrigation led to accumulation of heavy metals in food stuff causing potential health risks to consumers.
              Article 0 comments Cited 117 times – based on 0 reviews     Review now
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Journal ID (nlm-ta): Environ Health Perspect
                Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Environ. Health Perspect
                Journal ID (publisher-id): EHP
                Title: Environmental Health Perspectives
                Publisher: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
                ISSN (Print): 0091-6765
                ISSN (Electronic): 1552-9924
                Publication date (Electronic): 29 January 2016
                Publication date (Print): July 2016
                Volume: 124
                Issue: 7
                Pages: 900-909
                Affiliations
                [1 ]School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
                [2 ]United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
                [3 ]Sciences Po, Paris School of International Affairs, Paris, France
                Author notes
                [† ]Address correspondence to S. Dickin, United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), 175 Longwood Rd. South, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8P 0A1. Telephone: 33 770 319 224. E-mail: dickinsk@ 123456mcmaster.ca
                Article
                Publisher ID: ehp.1509995
                DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1509995
                PMC ID: 4937861
                PubMed ID: 26824464
                SO-VID: 2afa15bc-e33c-423b-a17d-fe3007b4db51
                License:

                Publication of EHP lies in the public domain and is therefore without copyright. All text from EHP may be reprinted freely. Use of materials published in EHP should be acknowledged (for example, “Reproduced with permission from Environmental Health Perspectives”); pertinent reference information should be provided for the article from which the material was reproduced. Articles from EHP, especially the News section, may contain photographs or illustrations copyrighted by other commercial organizations or individuals that may not be used without obtaining prior approval from the holder of the copyright.

                History
                Date received : 25 March 2015
                Date revision received : 22 July 2015
                Date accepted : 08 January 2016
                Date accepted : 29 January 2016
                Categories
                Subject: Review

                ScienceOpen disciplines: Public health
                Data availability:
                ScienceOpen disciplines: Public health

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