The Influence of Groundwater Desalination by Modified Active Carbon/Bentonite on Its Application in Agriculture

Abstract

It cannot be denied the importance of groundwater (Gw) as a source for irrigation. It is considered the only source of water in some locations such as newly reclaimed lands. However, the groundwater quality could be affected by salinity or heavy metals because of human activities or natural reasons. Thence, groundwater desalination comes to above as a part of the solution. In this study, the modified active carbon by inorganic iron polymer (Fex(OH)y) (Fe-AC) and bentonite (Ben) were used in groundwater desalination. The treatment process of 2 liters of groundwater was carried out by using a fixed-bed column where the flow rate was 120 mL/hour for each 20 grams sorbent. The results showed that the EC value of groundwater (2.54 dS/m) was reduced to 1.12 dS/m for treated groundwater (TGw) by Fe-AC/Ben mixture. Furthermore, the effect of irrigation by Gw and TGw was tested on the Faba bean and soil properties. The vegetative characters were significantly affected by irrigation by saline Gw while plant characters were much better after irrigation with TGw as well as soil chemical properties. Accordingly, the desalination of groundwater by Fe-AC/Ben mixture considers an effective and economic method that can be applied to reduce groundwater salinity and its impact on soil and crop.