Chemical and microbiological evaluation of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) using wastewaters irrigation

It was carried out and performed a research with the purpose to demostrate the possibility of reusing wastewaters, after they were treated by the system of stabilization ponds at Center of Investigation of Water (CIA) of the Faculty of Engineering of University of Zulia, in the hydroponic cultivation of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L). Three treatments were performed: potable water with nutritious solution; residual water from the system B of stabilization ponds and residual water from the system B with nutritious solution, preparing six repetitions by treatment. Every fifteen days was carried out a complete renovation of the used waters; it was evaluated to the water and fruits: total nitrogen, total phosphorus, heavy metals, pH, electric conductivity; as well as total and fecal coliforms. The results demonstrated that significant differences do not exist among the treatments with nutritious solution elaborated with potable water or wastewater; they produced a good microbiological quality fruits and similar chemical and physical properties in both treatments. These results allow concluding that the treated residual waters from the system were appropriated for the elaboration of nutritious solutions in hydroponics cultivations.