On-farm wastewater treatment for irrigation using biochar from local agro-residues in Obuasi, Ghana
- 1Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- 2School of Materials, Energy, Water and Environmental Sciences (MEWES), Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha, Tanzania
Abstract
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a decentralized, on-farm wastewater treatment system using locally generated rice husk biochar for safe agricultural irrigation reuse in Diewuoso-Obuasi, Ghana. The system, a two-stage downflow filtration system, treated raw municipal wastewater over 10 days. Results showed significant removal of turbidity (66.92%), total dissolved solids (38.19%), and salinity (22.03%), meeting FAO irrigation limits. However, electrical conductivity increased (26.58%) due to ash-mineral leaching. Microbial analysis indicated substantial log-scale removal efficiencies for E. coli (90.42%), fecal coliforms (98.39%), and total coliforms (99.99%), but final effluent concentrations exceeded WHO and Ghana EPA thresholds for unrestricted irrigation. The study concludes that while the rice husk biochar filter is an efficient pre-treatment component, it requires secondary post-treatment disinfection to eliminate public health risks, offering a scalable model for circular resource recovery in rural farming communities.
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BibTeX
@article{amponsah2026onfarm,
title = {{On-farm wastewater treatment for irrigation using biochar from local agro-residues in Obuasi, Ghana}},
author = {Lydia Otoo Amponsah and David Nartey Obemah and Belinda Lee Quayson and Albert Banunle and Daniel Kwame Oware Asamoah and Mwema Felix Mwema},
journal = {PLOS Water},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pwat.0000612},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/water/article?id=10.1371/journal.pwat.0000612},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - On-farm wastewater treatment for irrigation using biochar from local agro-residues in Obuasi, Ghana
AU - Lydia Otoo Amponsah
AU - David Nartey Obemah
AU - Belinda Lee Quayson
AU - Albert Banunle
AU - Daniel Kwame Oware Asamoah
AU - Mwema Felix Mwema
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/10
JO - PLOS Water
DO - 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000612
UR - https://journals.plos.org/water/article?id=10.1371/journal.pwat.0000612
AB - This study evaluated the effectiveness of a decentralized, on-farm wastewater treatment system using locally generated rice husk biochar for safe agricultural irrigation reuse in Diewuoso-Obuasi, Ghana. The system, a two-stage downflow filtration system, treated raw municipal wastewater over 10 days. Results showed significant removal of turbidity (66.92%), total dissolved solids (38.19%), and salinity (22.03%), meeting FAO irrigation limits. However, electrical conductivity increased (26.58%) due to ash-mineral leaching. Microbial analysis indicated substantial log-scale removal efficiencies for E. coli (90.42%), fecal coliforms (98.39%), and total coliforms (99.99%), but final effluent concentrations exceeded WHO and Ghana EPA thresholds for unrestricted irrigation. The study concludes that while the rice husk biochar filter is an efficient pre-treatment component, it requires secondary post-treatment disinfection to eliminate public health risks, offering a scalable model for circular resource recovery in rural farming communities.
SN - 2767-3219
ER -