Evaluation of sanity quality of letucce (Lactuca sativa, L.) irrigated with reuse water in comparison with traded samples

Abstract

The misuse of hydric resources contributes to their scarcity, becoming interesting research about their reutilization. This work aimed to the evaluation of sanitary quality of lettuce irrigated with reuse water in comparison with samples traded in Taubaté (SP). An experiment was developed in a greenhouse with 3 beds of lettuce irrigated with reuse water and 3 beds of lettuce irrigated with urban water of provisioning. After lettuce biological cycle had been completed, lettuce samples were collected from the beds (irrigated and non-irrigated with reuse water) and from the trade, and after that they were conducted to a laboratory. The analyses were realized using the multiples tubes methodology. The results showed that the samples from lettuce irrigated with urban water provisioning were not contaminated with total and thermotolerants coliforms, while the ones irrigated with reuse water were contaminated by total coliforms. The samples from commercialized lettuce were contaminated with both kinds of conforms. The results demonstrated that the application of reuse water for agricultural purposes should be treated in a very carefully way, so as to be possible and to contribute to its sustainability.