Safe Wastewater Reuse on Farms Demands Unified Risk and Governance Framework

As freshwater scarcity, climate change, and rising food demand intensify pressure on agriculture, a new review argues that wastewater reuse can only become a durable pillar of food security if water quality, risk assessment, and governance are treated as one integrated system rather than separate problems. The work synthesizes peer-reviewed literature from 2010 to 2025, drawn from Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, together with international guidelines from the WHO, FAO, the European Union, the US EPA, and ISO.

Unlike earlier reviews that focused narrowly on treatment technologies or regulation, the review combines conventional water quality indicators such as salinity, nutrients, and microbial pathogens with emerging contaminants, including pharmaceuticals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), microplastics, and antibiotic resistance genes. It then merges Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment with chemical and ecological risk evaluation and AI-assisted multi-criteria decision analysis into a single unified framework for judging whether reused water is safe for crops, ecosystems, and public health.

A central theme is the persistent lack of harmonized standards across jurisdictions. The authors highlight both progress and continuing gaps in aligning international guidelines, noting that inconsistent requirements complicate adoption, particularly in regions where institutional capacity and economic feasibility vary widely. Case studies from the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Australia, the United States, China, and India illustrate how these factors, along with public acceptance, shape diverse national adoption pathways.

Monitoring technology receives a critical assessment as well. Internet-of-Things sensors, biosensors, remote sensing, and digital twins are evaluated for their potential to enable real-time surveillance and adaptive governance, allowing water managers to respond dynamically to changing contaminant loads rather than relying solely on periodic sampling.

The review also identifies specific knowledge gaps that could undermine long-term sustainability. Field data on how contaminants accumulate in soils and crops over extended periods remain limited, regulation of PFAS and microplastics in reuse contexts is inadequate, and artificial intelligence remains insufficiently integrated into formal risk governance. Future research priorities include harmonized monitoring protocols, interdisciplinary One Health approaches that link human, animal, and environmental health, and embedding water reuse within the Water–Energy–Food Nexus so that reuse decisions account for cross-sector trade-offs.

By connecting water quality monitoring, risk assessment, governance, and on-the-ground implementation, the review offers a comprehensive framework intended to support safe and resilient agricultural water reuse as part of global food security and climate adaptation efforts.

Subject of Research: Water quality and integrated risk governance for safe agricultural reuse of treated wastewater

Article Title: Water quality for agricultural reuse: integrating risk assessment, governance, and sustainable implementation for resilient food systems

Article References: AbdelRahman, M. A. E., & El-Feky, A. M. (2026). Water quality for agricultural reuse: integrating risk assessment, governance, and sustainable implementation for resilient food systems. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 10, Article 1970680. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1970680

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2026.1970680

Keywords: wastewater reuse, agriculture, water quality, QMRA, PFAS, microplastics, antibiotic resistance, AI governance, Water-Energy-Food Nexus, food security, Water, quality