Pharmaceuticals and Persistent Organic Micropollutants in Reclaimed Irrigation Water

Reclaimed water is one alternative source of water for irrigation of specialty crops.  Reclaimed water, though treated effluent, often contains organic micropollutants including pharmaceuticals, hormones and other endocrine disrupting compounds, personal care products, and persistent organic pollutants that are not removed via wastewater treatment processes.  When reclaimed water is used for irrigation, there is the potential for micropollutant accumulation within plant tissues or for offsite loss via irrigation runoff.  The physiochemical properties of individual micropollutants drives their environmental fate, whether that is accumulation within plant tissues or soils, runoff into surface waters, or leaching into groundwater. This presentation will detail some of the most prevalent micropollutants, their physiochemical properties, the risk of accumulation within plant tissues, soils, surface waters, and ground waters, and the potential for remediation of micropollutants via irrigation applications.