Assessing the Potential Impacts of Untreated Greywater Irrigation on Select Terrestrial Organisms: Brassica Rapa, Eisenia Andrei, Folsomia Candida

Due to the impacts of global climate change, sustainable use of water resources is critical. Greywater, which is wastewater from domestic sources (excluding toilet effluent), is reused worldwide to mitigate such pressures. Research has focused on greywater quality and its effects on soil properties. However, as there is a lack of information regarding the impact of greywater on the biota that inhabit soils, this study was conducted to assess the growth, behaviour, and reproduction of select terrestrial organisms (Brassica rapa, Eisenia andrei, Folsomia candida) when exposed to untreated and artificial greywater. Overall, untreated greywater was not detrimental to B. rapa seed germination numbers, although artificial greywater resulted in slower germination rates. For E. andrei, untreated greywater soils were preferentially selected in short-term avoidance experiments and more juveniles were produced in reproductive tests than the reference treatment. No significant differences were observed during the avoidance and reproduction bioassays for F. candida.