Effects of Treated Wastewater on Soil Recovery in Degraded Semiarid Region

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of treated wastewater application on soil organic matter and phosphorus recovery in a degraded soil in the semiarid region of Brazil. An experiment was carried out with irrigation of five caatinga forest species, in which three treatments were applied that consisted in the variation of the type and volume of water applied to the soil, being 7 L per week of tap water, 7 and 14 L per week of wastewater. After two years of irrigation, soil samples were taken and analyzed for soil organic matter and phosphorus. The organic matter content in the treatment with 14 L application of wastewater was five times higher than application of tap water in the superficial layer and 8 times higher in the sub-surface, respectively. From the results obtained, it can be considered that the use of wastewater from treated domestic sewage serve as an alternative for the recovery of the productive capacity of the soil by the increase in the organic matter and soil phosphorus contents. Irrigation with treated wastewater can provide a high increase in soil organic matter and phosphorus content up to 30 cm deep.