USING TREATED WASTEWATER IN IRRIGATION AND ITS EFFECT ON SOME SOIL PROPERTIES AND THE GROWTH MORINGA OLEIFERA PLANT

This study investigated the feasibility of using greywater from a school or treated wastewater from the Rustamiya wastewater treatment plant for irrigating Moringa oleifera plants and its effects on growth and some soil properties, including electrical conductivity, soil pH, and heavy metal content in the soil and plants. The experiment consisted of four treatments using a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The first treatment served as the control, irrigating the plants with river water; the second with greywater; the third with wastewater; and the fourth with a mixture of greywater and wastewater. The experiment lasted for 180 days. The results indicated statistically significant differences in the length and diameter of Moringa oleifera plants when using wastewater mixed with greywater compared to the other irrigation treatments. Statistically significant differences were observed in the electrical conductivity of soil paste derived from soils irrigated with a mixture of wastewater and greywater. The findings indicated an elevation in the height and diameter of Moringa seedlings, alongside a rise in heavy metal concentrations in both the soil and the plants, subsequent to watering with wastewater or the incorporation of greywater. Nevertheless, the majority of micronutrients and minerals stayed below permissible thresholds and did not surpass dangerous levels for the soil and vegetation.