Effects of wastewater disinfectants on the soil: Implications for soil microbial and chemical attributes

In most cases, chlorination is used for effluent disinfection. However, this process can lead to the formation of byproducts hazardous to the environment and public health. Therefore, new disinfectants, such as calcium hypochlorite (CH) and peracetic acid (PAA), were investigated as alternatives. This study aimed at determining doses of the disinfectants PAA and CH to be applied to the soil and analyzing the possible changes in the major chemical and microbiological attributes of the soil, thus encouraging the practice of reusing wastewater in agriculture. Initially, toxicity bioassays were conducted with lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seeds in order to determine which concentrations affected germination and also which would be analyzed. From these trials, three concentrations of each disinfectant were chosen to be subjected to basal respiration, microbial biomass carbon and metabolic quotient analyses. Doses of 3, 5 and 10 mg L−1 were used for PAA, and concentrations of 25, 32 and 64 mg L−1 for CH. Thus, it was observed that the greater concentration of each disinfectant provided a significant increase in the metabolic potential of microorganisms. However, it was observed that PAA increased ecotoxicity besides promoting changes in the chemical attributes of the soil, compared to CH. On the other hand, concentrations of 3 mg L−1 and 25 mg L−1 of PAA and CH, respectively, did not cause large impacts and could be an alternative in effluent disinfection with the aim of recycling it in agriculture. [Display omitted] •A pool of indicators in assessing soil health would be safer than using only one kind of attribute.•Peracetic acid showed a higher ecotoxicity than calcium hypochlorite.•Dose above 5 mg L−1 of PAA causes greater changes in soil microbiological and chemical attributes.•Dose of 25 mg L−1 of CH can be an alternative in effluent disinfection.