# Water and Wastewater Management in Agriculture
## 2 An Overview of Published Articles
In the first vegetation period, the plots with controlled automatic irrigation kept the soil moisture in the desired range: 97.3% in the plot with 33 kPa and 96.6% in the plot with 25 kPa. Compared to the manual irrigation plot, water productivity in the controlled automatic irrigation plots increased by 113.9% and 106.3% for the 33 kPa and 25 kPa controlled plots, respectively. The results indicate that an automatic irrigation system with intermittent irrigation has the potential to significantly increase agricultural production and water use efficiency. In the sixth article, [PERSON] et al. (contribution 6) dealt with the presence of heavy metals and radionuclides in commercially sold mineral waters. This study involved analysing mineral water samples available on the Polish market. The investigation focused on the determination of radionuclide content in 12 water samples, including caesium 137 Cs, thorium 232 Th, potassium 40 K, and radium 226 Ra, as well as heavy metals such as zinc, copper, chromium, nickel, lead, cadmium, and mercury. Spectrometric analysis revealed a trace of 232 Th in one sample (Franciszek water) with a concentration of 2.4 \(\pm\) 2.1 mg/L, which is above the lower limit of detection (LLD). Potassium 40 K was detected in all samples, while radium 226 Ra was found above the detection limit in nine water samples. It is noteworthy that the artificial element 137 Cs was not present in the mineral water. In addition, the study analysed the concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, and Pb) in the water samples and compared them with the permissible levels specified in the regulations of the Ministry of Health. The copper, cadmium, and chromium levels did not exceed the permitted values. However, nickel concentrations exceeded the limit (20 \(\upmu\)g/L) in two water sources, Slotwinka and Jozefowianka, with the water from Amita exceeding the limit of 1.0 \(\upmu\)g/L. Zinc concentrations, for which there are no specific limit values, were between 287 and 1.30 ug/L. Lead in particular posed the greatest risk. The permitted value of 10 ug/L was exceeded in eight water samples, indicating possible health concerns for consumers of these mineral waters. The study by [PERSON] et al. (contribution 7) examines a possible solution for improving the quality of soils contaminated with pesticides: the use of sewage sludge. As an organic substrate, sewage sludge provides the soil with important nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, and at the same time enriches it with organic material, making it a valuable fertiliser. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of granulated sewage sludge (GSS) on the biological properties of soils treated with herbicides (MCPA and dicamba) and fungicides (thiophanate methyl and azoxystrobin). A field experiment was conducted, in which GSS was applied to the soil at a single rate of 3 tonnes/ha, and wheat (_Trticulum aestivum L_) was subsequently grown on the prepared plots. The herbicides (Hs) and fungicides (Fs) and their combination (F + H) were applied to the plants at the recommended doses and at the appropriate growth stages, while the untreated soil (C) served as a control. The results showed that the application of pesticides to soil fertilised with sewage sludge affected the enzymatic activity in the soil, although the effects varied depending on the enzyme analysed. The activity of urease (URE) and dehydrogenase (DHA) was about 20% and 30% higher, respectively, in the plots treated with CSS than in the plots without CSS application. In addition, both the genetic diversity of the microorganisms and the abundance of a moA gene varied depending on the experimental treatment. The application of sewage sludge significantly affected the growth of the analysed gene compared to the control, with its abundance reaching 9.15 log10 gene copies/g dry weight of soil. Due to its nutrient content, sewage sludge proves to be a valuable fertiliser for agricultural crops exposed to pesticide treatment. The study carried out by [PERSON] et al.