Germs in wastewater often become airborne
Thursday, October 13, 2016 - 08:31
in Earth & Climate
Using household wastewater to irrigate food crops in drought-stricken or arid regions isn't the perfect solution. The chemicals and disease-causing germs it might contain could contaminate crops. Viruses that have their origin in the human intestines are often released into the air as fine spray during irrigation and then carried further even on moderately windy days. This is according to a new study in Springer's journal Agronomy for Sustainable Development, led by researchers Guillaume Girardin and Pierre Renault of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research in France.