A qualitative risk assessment model for water reuse: Risks related to agricultural irrigation in Brazil

Urbanization and industrialization are increasing extreme weather events, causing water quantity and quality reduction. Global water scarcity impacts 32.5 % of the urban population and is growing. Brazil has also witnessed water scarcity, notably in the southeast (2014-2015) and south (2019-2020), with reservoirs dropping below 20 % capacity. Water reuse is vital for mitigating scarcity, though it presents risks due to contaminants. Risk analysis studies are crucial for evaluating contamination sources, pathways, and exposure scenarios in water reuse practices. Various methodologies, including quantitative, semi-quantitative, and qualitative analyses, can be employed. Given the uncertainty and diverse factors, qualitative methods are recommended for non-potable water reuse risk analysis. This work presents a qualitative risk analysis methodology that allows to evaluate non-potable water reuse categories. It assesses factors affecting human health and the environment, considering exposure scenarios, characteristics of the receptors, and sources of reused water. The risk analysis of water reuse was carried out focusing on agricultural reuse, considering as alternatives the irrigation of soybean and sugarcane crops. By reviewing literature, the probability of occurrence and the magnitude of impact of the risk factors were identified and rated, using an increasing relative numeric scale. This process resulted in an overall risk value for comparing agricultural irrigation alternatives. The obtained results indicate a promising risk analysis model that can be adjusted and applied to various water reuse modalities and key factors. This adaptable risk analysis model is mainly related to water treatment methods, prompting the proposal of risk control measures.