Description

ABOUT THE BOOK
The wastewater generated from urban and industries contain heavy metals depending
upon their source of generation. Water is becoming a scarce commodity even for irrigation
purpose when its present share of 85% of available water resources is likely go down to
68% by 2050. Under this situation, the farmers have to use such wastewaters for irrigation.
Heavy metals are among the most dangerous contaminants of environment. The
accumulation of heavy metals in various human or animal organs leads to various
diseases. The heavy metals have presented a danger to living species, Cd, Cr, and Pb
need special mention. Since soil can no longer bear a greater loading of these metals,
vegetation can be the only means to extract and reduce toxicity of heavy metals. But
this reduction in soil might increase concentration in animals and humanbeings.
Therefore, there is need to understand nature of metals, the way they become absorbed,
the amounts needed and the toxic levels.
While choosing the subject matter and problem, emphasis has been given to
adsorption, solubility of metals in soil, contamination in soil and underground water,
soil-water-plant relationship includes soil and plant factors affecting uptake, bioavailability
of heavy metals and their impact on crop production as well as uptake and
biotransformation in animals, humanbeings and aquatic life. Remediation techniques
are discussed at the last.
It is hoped that this book will prove very useful to students, teachers, researchers,
extension workers, planners and administrator. Although every effort has been made
to make it errorless yet some mistake might have crept in. We shall be greatful to
receive critical comments and suggestion to improve the next edition.

CONTENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHORES
Dr. G.L. Maliwal (b.1942), retired from the post of Research Scientist (Professor),
GAU, Anad in November 2002. During the last 38 years of active research and education
Dr. Maliwal made valuable contributions in the field of irrigation water quality, soil
salinity, utilization of wastewater in agirculture, water management and dryland farming.
He has worked on different positions at University of Udaipur and Gujarat Agricultural
University. He is author of 4 books and has published over 210 research papers and
articles in national and international journals of high repute. He has been awarded i)
Sardar Patel Agriculture Research Award for 1998-99 by Govt. of Gujarat and ii) Hari
Om Ashram Prof. J.P. Trivedi Award” by GAAS, Ahmedabad. Before retirement, he
was Principal Investigator of NATP-MM_project on “Use of Urban and Industrial Effluent
in Agriculture” Anand Centre, GAU, Anand.
Dr. K.P. Patel (b.1959) obtained M.Sc. Ag. from PAU and Ph.D. from I.A.R.I. and
working as Research Scientist (Professor) at AAU, Anand. Dr. Patel has made a valuable
contribution in the field on micro-nutrients, heavy metals, pollutant elements and
utilization of wastewater in agriculture. He has handled different projects financed by
ICAR, SSPA, Rallis, FAI, Unimark, Coromandel Fertilizer Ltd., IOCL, PPIC, GACL,
Deptt. of Forest and Environment, Govt. of Gujarat and AGRI BOR, Mumbai, He has
been awarded i) Sardar Patel Agriculture Research Award, ii) Chaudhary Devi Lal
outstanding AICRP Award 2001 (jointly) iii) FAI Golden Jubilee Award and iv) Hari Om
Ashram Prof. J.P. Trivedi Award. He has attended the training at EPA, Chicago, USA
on Advances in Analytical techniques related to use of effluent in Agriculture.