Basics

This page is largely in a USA Regulatory Environment based context, feel free to add more information/clarify however!
As of 2026, Most Chemicals of Emerging Concern (essentially “new (mainly anthropogenic) things that may be fine, or may be novel pollutants, but the science hasn’t figured out yet) aren’t regulated
- Thus while Reclaimed Water is VERY clean in terms of:
  - Turbidity (How clear the water is)
  - Biochemical Oxygen Demand (Mainly “will it cause an algae bloom/a fish kill if you dump it in a river?
  - Other “Conventional” Specs like PH, Salinity, Hydrocarbons, Heavy Metal Pollutants, Dioxins, etc
- It may contain trace amounts of PFAS / other “Forever Chemicals” that may accumulate, ESPECIALLY in prolonged irrigation
  - Use of Human Biosolids as fertilizer (akin to Non-Human Animal Derived Manure ) had this problem, numerous farms were too PFAS contaminated to be usable without years of crops being sent to disposal as Phytoremediation etc
- ALTHOUGH given this was the solids fraction, concentrations of pollutants may be far higher
  - Especially if certain Flocculants / Chelating Agents are added before the Clarifier (Wastewater Treatment)

Impact of Reclaimed Water Based Irrigation on the Concentration of Chemicals of Emerging Concern in the Irrigated Area