Treatment and characterization of domestic greywater using simple techniques for home-garden irrigation in samaru-zaria, nigeria
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In response to increasing global water scarcity, greywater irrigation presents an innovative approach to conserving freshwater resources. This study evaluated the suitability of reusing domestic wastewater for home-garden irrigation. Five greywater sources—borehole, bathroom, washing machine, kitchen sink, and floor-cleaning water—and five locally available treatment media—coconut shell, sand, pebble, activated charcoal, and sawdust—were arranged in a completely randomized design, producing twenty-five treatments. Greywater treatment involved simple physical filtration using disposable plastic bottles with perforated bases.
Ion concentrations analyzed included Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, and Na⁺, while pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) served as assessment indices. Bathroom greywater recorded the lowest SAR values (7.6–13), and pebble-treated greywater produced the lowest SAR among all treatments. Sodium exhibited the highest concentration across all greywater sources, following the trend Na⁺ > Ca²⁺ > K⁺ > Mg²⁺. Sodium removal efficiencies ranged from 1.4% to 38.4%, with the highest removal observed in bathroom greywater treated with sand, and the lowest in kitchen-sink greywater treated with coconut shell.
Findings indicate that the simple treatment methods performed best on greywater with relatively low ion concentrations. Although these low-cost techniques are practical and accessible, advanced treatment systems remain necessary for optimal greywater purification for irrigation. Nevertheless, in the absence of advanced systems, bathroom greywater treated with pebbles or sand can be safely utilized for home-garden irrigation.
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