Analysis of nature-based treatment of surface water runoff from an informal settlement to irrigate vegetables

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorWinter, Kevin
dc.contributor.authorLubobo, Lwandile
dc.date.accessioned2025-12-03T08:02:19Z
dc.date.available2025-12-03T08:02:19Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.updated2025-12-03T07:56:31Z
dc.description.abstractAn increasingly common feature among cities in the Global South (including South Africa) is informal urban settlements (IS). This study was conducted to analyse and make a comparative analysis of the physicochemistry of the soil, and nutrient concentration in crops following irrigation with biofiltration-treated surface runoff from IS. Municipal Treated Water (MTW) was used alongside Biofiltration-treated Water (BTW) to irrigate crops for nine months. Three soil treatments were prepared along each irrigation system mirroring each other: 1) control soil, 2) duckweed-treated soil, and 3) biochar-treated soil. Bulbous (belowground) and leafy (aboveground) crops were selected for the experiment. Following each successive harvest during the experimental period, soil samples from a depth of 10 cm were collected and analysed for Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), Sodium (Na+), Cations herein referred to as Exchange Capacity (CEC), Zinc (Zn+), and Iron (Fe+). In addition, the concentration of macro-and micronutrients (N, P, Ca, Mg, Na, Mn, Fe, and Zn) levels of the resulting produce were collected of each successive harvest and analysed at the end of the experiment. Compared with the concentration found in MTW-irrigated soil, the results from the experiment revealed that the concentration of Na +, Ca2 +, Zn+, and CEC was relatively high. Moreover, the results revealed that the concentrations of Zn and Na as measured by range in lettuce, spinach, and beetroot were high. These values were within the World Health Organization [WHO] guidelines and laboratory norms for the concentration of nutrients in vegetables for human consumption. However, the concentration of Na in spinach irrigated using BTW was higher than the laboratory norms and the WHO guidelines. Long-term monitoring and evaluation of soil physicochemistry and soil nutrient changes from BTW irrigation are required.
dc.identifier.apacitationLubobo, L. (2025). <i>Analysis of nature-based treatment of surface water runoff from an informal settlement to irrigate vegetables</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42384en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationLubobo, Lwandile. <i>"Analysis of nature-based treatment of surface water runoff from an informal settlement to irrigate vegetables."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42384en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationLubobo, L. 2025. Analysis of nature-based treatment of surface water runoff from an informal settlement to irrigate vegetables. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42384en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Lubobo, Lwandile AB - An increasingly common feature among cities in the Global South (including South Africa) is informal urban settlements (IS). This study was conducted to analyse and make a comparative analysis of the physicochemistry of the soil, and nutrient concentration in crops following irrigation with biofiltration-treated surface runoff from IS. Municipal Treated Water (MTW) was used alongside Biofiltration-treated Water (BTW) to irrigate crops for nine months. Three soil treatments were prepared along each irrigation system mirroring each other: 1) control soil, 2) duckweed-treated soil, and 3) biochar-treated soil. Bulbous (belowground) and leafy (aboveground) crops were selected for the experiment. Following each successive harvest during the experimental period, soil samples from a depth of 10 cm were collected and analysed for Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), Sodium (Na+), Cations herein referred to as Exchange Capacity (CEC), Zinc (Zn+), and Iron (Fe+). In addition, the concentration of macro-and micronutrients (N, P, Ca, Mg, Na, Mn, Fe, and Zn) levels of the resulting produce were collected of each successive harvest and analysed at the end of the experiment. Compared with the concentration found in MTW-irrigated soil, the results from the experiment revealed that the concentration of Na +, Ca2 +, Zn+, and CEC was relatively high. Moreover, the results revealed that the concentrations of Zn and Na as measured by range in lettuce, spinach, and beetroot were high. These values were within the World Health Organization [WHO] guidelines and laboratory norms for the concentration of nutrients in vegetables for human consumption. However, the concentration of Na in spinach irrigated using BTW was higher than the laboratory norms and the WHO guidelines. Long-term monitoring and evaluation of soil physicochemistry and soil nutrient changes from BTW irrigation are required. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Informal settlements KW - biofiltration treated water KW - municipal treated water KW - biochar KW - duckweed LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - Analysis of nature-based treatment of surface water runoff from an informal settlement to irrigate vegetables TI - Analysis of nature-based treatment of surface water runoff from an informal settlement to irrigate vegetables UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42384 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/42384
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationLubobo L. Analysis of nature-based treatment of surface water runoff from an informal settlement to irrigate vegetables. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42384en_ZA
dc.language.isoen
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Environmental and Geographical Science
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Science
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subjectInformal settlements
dc.subjectbiofiltration treated water
dc.subjectmunicipal treated water
dc.subjectbiochar
dc.subjectduckweed
dc.titleAnalysis of nature-based treatment of surface water runoff from an informal settlement to irrigate vegetables
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMSc
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
thesis_sci_2025_lubobo lwandile.pdf
Size:
1.72 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.72 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Masters