Urban Wastewater Reuse for Citrus Irrigation in Algarve, Portugal—Environmental Benefits and Carbon Fluxes

Manuela Moreira da Silva, Flávia C. Resende, Bárbara Freitas, Jaime Aníbal, António Martins and Amílcar Duarte ()
Additional contact information
Manuela Moreira da Silva: Institute of Engineering, Campus da Penha, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Flávia C. Resende: Institute of Engineering, Campus da Penha, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Bárbara Freitas: Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Campus de Gambelas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Jaime Aníbal: Institute of Engineering, Campus da Penha, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
António Martins: Águas do Algarve, S.A., Águas de Portugal Group, Rua do Repouso, 10, 8000-302 Faro, Portugal
Amílcar Duarte: Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Campus de Gambelas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 17, 1-13

Abstract: Water scarcity is increasing in the Mediterranean and alternative sources of water are needed to meet food production needs, protect the environment and reduce the effects of climate change. Currently, many urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) produce high volumes of treated effluents which can be an alternative source of water for agriculture irrigation, since they fulfill the quality requirements for crops and the environment. This work analyzed the quantity and quality of a treated effluent produced by an urban WWTP in Algarve, and the environmental benefits of its use on the irrigation of a citrus orchard, as an alternative to groundwater. Carbon dioxide emissions related to orange production were quantified and the orchard’s potential to sequester CO 2 was estimated. The reuse of this urban wastewater is revealed to be technologically feasible and environmentally advantageous, avoiding the overexploitation of the local aquifer and preventing the eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems, contributing to the improvement of soil characteristics and decreasing the carbon emissions in orange production. Furthermore, it was found that during the five-month experimental period, the citrus orchard sequestered 87.5% of the CO 2 e emitted by WWTP in the effluent treatment, converting 72,623 kg of sequestered CO 2 into orange biomass.

Keywords: carbon emissions; citrus irrigation; environmental protection; sustainable agriculture; water reuse (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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