Antonio Lonigro

• PhD and Biologist
• University of Bari Aldo Moro

Industrial and municipal wastewaters are often used for irrigating agricultural fields in arid and semi-arid countries, representing the most attractive option to alleviate pressure on fresh-water resources. However, the wastewater may contain various potentially toxic elements and organic matters with highly harmful effects on human and animal hea...

The reuse of treated municipal wastewater for irrigation is an established alternative to conventional water, in many countries of the world, particularly where or when water resources are extremely limited. Wastewater reuse could represent a double benefit when used in agriculture, helping overcome any lack of water resources and additionally, enr...

We present an analytical method developed and validated to study the potential uptake of 13 selected drugs (ten pharmaceuticals, one illicit drug, and two transformation products) into lettuce plants from contaminated water and soil. Some of the selected drugs (i.e., cocaine, methadone, cis-diltiazem, valsartan, and valsartan acid), which are commo...

Bio-concentration of elements such as Mo, As, Se, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni and Pb was analyzed in spring onion (Allium fistulosum L.) in three different locations of central Punjab, Pakistan. At location GW, relatively low level of hazardous elements was found in spring onion, suggesting that groundwater is a safe source of water for irrigating food crops. T...

The accidental or continuous release of residual chlorine in water reclaimed for irrigational purposes could compromise the crop yield and increase the load of toxic organo-halogenated compounds, posing additional risks for environment and human health. This study was aimed at assessing the consequences of using chlorinated water for irrigating let...

This study was performed over two growing seasons to evaluate the effects of three irrigation sources on the morpho-productive and microbiological parameters of globe artichoke yields: secondary wastewater (SWW), tertiary wastewater (TWW), and fresh water (FW, control). Escherichia coli, faecal enterococci and Salmonella spp. were monitored in the...

The paper reports results of treated wastewater reuse field experiments carried out in Apulia (Southern Italy). Fennel and lettuce were irrigated with four different water sources: three reclaimed wastewater streams, obtained by applying different treatment schemes to the same municipal wastewater, and a conventional source (well water). Difference...

The use of treated wastewater to irrigate the sugar beet (Beta Vulgaris L. var. saccharifera) for bioethanol could play a strategic role to contrast the use of natural water resources and increase the productivity of the crop. The 2-year experiment (2013-2014) was performed on sugar beet irrigated with fresh water and wastewater at different steps...

The use of non-conventional water resources including treated municipal wastewater has been increasing in the Mediterranean regions over the last decades to cope with water shortages and uneven rainfalls due to climate change. The aim of this paper is to present the first results from two years of experimental field activities carried out in two di...

The use of non-conventional water resources including treated municipal wastewater has been increasing in the Mediterranean regions over the last decades to cope with water shortages and uneven rainfalls due to climate change. The aim of this paper is to present the first results from two years of experimental field activities carried out in two d...

The use of non-conventional water resources including treated municipal wastewater has been increasing in the Mediterranean regions over the last decades to cope with water shortages and uneven rainfalls due to climate change. The aim of this paper is to present the first results from two years of experimental field activities carried out in two di...

Municipal wastewaters reuse can lead to an important benefit linked to improve water resources and to preserve water quality, so reducing the environmental impacts. In many parts of the world the reuse of municipal wastewaters in agriculture has become a very common practice. One of the many benefits of the reuse is the possibility to utilize the w...

Results of field experiments of wastewater reuse are presented. Fennel and lettuce were irrigated with four different water sources: three reclaimed wastewater streams, obtained by applying different treatment schemes to the same municipal wastewater, and a conventional source. Differences between the three effluents were significant in terms of su...

The sustainability of biomass sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench.) in the Mediterranean environment is linked to the possibility of increasing crop productivity by using conventional clean water and wastewater irrigation. An experimental setup was arranged in Southern Italy during 2012 and 2013 seasons to determine the potential productivity of bio...

Municipal wastewaters reuse can lead to an important benefit linked to improve water resources and to preserve water quality, so reducing the environmental impacts. In many parts of the world the reuse of municipal wastewaters in agriculture has become a very common practice. One of the many benefits of the reuse is the possibility to utilize the w...

Hyperspectral (HS) data represents an extremely powerful means for rapidly detecting crop stress and then aiding in the rational man-agement of natural resources in agriculture. However, large volume of data poses a challenge for data processing and extracting crucial infor-mation. Multivariate statistical techniques can play a key role in the anal...

In this paper the utility of the treated municipal wastewaters in agriculture, analyzing the chemical, physical and microbiological characteristics and their pollution indicators evaluation are being illustrated. Some methods employed for treating wastewaters are examined, as well as instructions and rules actually in force in different countries o...

Silybum marianum Gaertner is spreading in many crops of Southern Italy, particularly in durum wheat, sugar beet and some vegetable crops. Information about its biology are useful to set up effective control strategies. Four experiments were carried out at the Crop Science Department of the University of Bari (Southern Italy). Two trials were conduc...

Municipal wastewater for irrigation, though treated, can contain substances and pathogens toxic for humans and animals. Pathogens, although not harmful from an agronomical aspect, undoubtedly represent a major concern with regards to sanitary and hygienic profile. In fact, vegetable crops irrigated with treated wastewater exalt the risk of infectio...

Membrane filtration was investigated at field scale in order to assess its effectiveness for reusing municipal effluents in agriculture. The study was started on April 2002 and ended on September 2007, as part of a national R&D project (AQUATEC). Preliminary results, which we already reported elsewhere, concerned the first two project years while t...

Giardia and Cryptosporidium spp. are important enteric protozoan pathogens for humans and animals, and have been found to contaminate water as well as edible shellfish all over the world. This is the first study to simultaneously investigate the presence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in inflowing water and harvested shellfish in a geographically c...

The use of tertiary membrane-filtered municipal wastewater for irrigation as an alternative to natural freshwater sources was evaluated. Membrane filtration was considered as a viable technology to reclaim wastewater for irrigation, and the microbial and heavy metal impact on crops and soil was studied. The results of 2 years of research (2003 – 20...

SUMMARY - In the framework of a nationally relevant project named AQUATEC carried out in the period 2002-2006 and focused on innovative tools for mitigating the water-stress and/or scarcity in southern Italy, a technical scale investigation was performed to test the suitability of membrane filtration for agricultural reuse of municipal wastewater....

Within a strategic R&D project, since April 2002, membrane filtration, simplified treatments, storage reservoirs and constructed wetlands technologies are under investigation, at field scale, to evaluate their effectiveness for treating municipal effluents to be reused in agriculture. So far, the main results recorded have been the following: membr...

A wastewater tertiary treatment system based on membrane ultrafiltration and fed with secondary-treated municipal wastewater was evaluated for its Giardia cyst and Cryptosporidium oocyst removal efficiency. Giardia duodenalis (assemblages A and B) and Cryptosporidium parvum were identified in feed water but were found in filtered water only during...

Results are reported concerning a 2-year field investigation on municipal wastewater reclamation for the irrigation of two experimental crops: tomato and fennel. Throughout the investigation, approximately 500 m(3) of tertiary membrane filtered wastewater without further disinfection was supplied to one of two parcels (500 m(2) each) of a test fiel...