Is it Sustainable the Production of Perennial Grasses with Wastewaters?
Year: 2015
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The reuse of treated wastewaters to irrigate energy crops could be a strategy to minimize freshwater abstraction and use of mineral resources. Perennial grasses, such as Miscanthus or Arundo donax, are energy crops, presenting high efficiencies in the use of resources. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the benefits and constraints associated with the production of perennial grasses, when irrigated with wastewaters, in order to integrate them into a sustainable agriculture development. With extensive radicular systems, perennial grasses have potential to simultaneously deliver high yields, restore soil properties and promote water quality improvement, protecting freshwater resources. The increased plant growth and yields due to wastewater reuse may contribute to increase the amplitude of the energy balance and greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions reduction. However, the presence of harmful substances in wastewaters can be also detrimental to the biomass growth, limiting the amount of saved GHG emissions. Moreover, they can contaminate soils and be leached to the ground and surface waters. Additionally, the high level of heavy metals or nitrogen accumulation in the biomass may limit its use. Therefore pros and cons of combining wastewater irrigation with perennial grasses production should be adequately weighed, so that opportunities to produce sustainable biomass can be effective.
Source: ETA Florence
Language: English
Subfield: Waste Management and Disposal
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2963970523