Evaluating the Impact of Magnetized and Filtered Wastewater on Irrigation Water Quality

Global water scarcity intensifies with diminishing freshwater resources, largely due to intensive agriculture. While reusing treated wastewater for irrigation is pivotal, persistent contamination risks warrant investigation. Hence, this study explores four wastewater types: wastewater, magnetized wastewater, filtered wastewater, and filtered magnetized wastewater. The wastewater was obtained from a wastewater treatment plant after the sedimentation process. To produce magnetized wastewater, the wastewater underwent a magnetization process using a magnetizer with a magnetic flux density of 220 mT. For filtered wastewater and filtered magnetized wastewater, the wastewater and magnetized wastewater samples were filtered through biochar filters. The application of magnetic treatment to wastewater revealed discernible effects on various water quality parameters. Notably, SO₄, TP, and Mn concentrations increased by 20.13%, 14.40%, and 11.15%, respectively, indicating a potential enhancement in the retention of these constituents through magnetization. Conversely, certain parameters, including Cu and TN, demonstrated substantial decreases of − 23.62% and − 19.50%, respectively. The biochar filter treatment for wastewater showcased substantial improvements, notably reducing turbidity by 96.53%, and lowering Mn, Zn, and Fe concentrations by 79.47%, 76.68%, and 48.75%, respectively. In the comparative assessment of biochar and combined magnetic biochar filter treatments, observed reductions ranged from − 20.15% for Cu to − 0.67% for Mn, highlighting the treatment’s diverse impact. Conversely, certain parameters exhibited increases, spanning from 21.52% for SO₄ to 1.07% for Zn.