Sustainable Use of Wastewater and Sludge in Jordan; Residues of Persistent Organic Pollutants, a Review

Water scarcity is the most important natural constraint to Jordan’s economic growth and development. Jordan has very limited water resources which are classified among the lowest per capita worldwide. Two thirds of our water resources are currently used for agriculture; therefore, wastewater reuse is one of the priorities listed on the Jordanian water strategy for the year 2020 as an alternative water resource to meet agricultural water demand. However, with the realization of sustainable development, the wastewater reuse, which contains valuable nutrients, is becoming a key issue and a suitable water resource for irrigation purposes. Wastewater and sludge are considered the most realistic environmental sink for toxic organic and inorganic chemical pollutants produced from domestic and industrial sources. In addition to trace metals, it is worth mentioning that the impact of chemical pollution caused by the conventional “priority” organic pollutants, which displays persistence in the environment, especially those acutely toxic, mutagenic and/or carcinogenic such as pesticides, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), industrial intermediates, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phenols, chlorinated phenols, dioxins and furans, etc. Most of these types of persistent organic pollutants have been found in the Jordanian environment either in reclaimed water or in sewage sludge, as they are the main environmental sinks for most of these pollutants. It is believed that chemical pollutants could reach the food chain easily, and affects soil and crop properties, if wastewater is used for irrigation and sludge as fertilizer or soil conditioner. The present paper is a review of the future prospects for the sustainable use of wastewater and sludge in Jordan, mainly considering their content from the persistent organic pollutants (POPs).