Optimisation of a hybrid wastewater treatment via full factorial design and its preliminary physicochemical and short-term agronomic assessment for irrigation reuse

Boulahia, Nadjiba; Hank, Dalila; Sellam, Fouad; Chergui, Abdelmalek

doi:https://doi.org/10.5513/NPFB3849

Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus, Vol. 91 No. 3, 2026.

Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5513/NPFB3849

Optimisation of a hybrid wastewater treatment via full factorial design and its preliminary physicochemical and short-term agronomic assessment for irrigation reuse

Nadjiba Boulahia ; Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique (ENSA), Hacen Badi, El Harrach Alger, Algérie
Dalila Hank ; Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique (ENSA), Hacen Badi, El Harrach Alger, Algérie *
Fouad Sellam ; Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique (ENSA), Hacen Badi, El Harrach Alger, Algérie
Abdelmalek Chergui ; Ecole Nationale Polytechnique, Hacen Badi, El Harrach Alger, Algérie

* Corresponding author.

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cite

APA 6th Edition

Boulahia, N., Hank, D., Sellam, F. & Chergui, A. (2026). Optimisation of a hybrid wastewater treatment via full factorial design and its preliminary physicochemical and short-term agronomic assessment for irrigation reuse. Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus, 91 (3). Retrieved from https://hrcak.srce.hr/351425

MLA 8th Edition

Boulahia, Nadjiba, et al. "Optimisation of a hybrid wastewater treatment via full factorial design and its preliminary physicochemical and short-term agronomic assessment for irrigation reuse." Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus, vol. 91, no. 3, 2026 https://hrcak.srce.hr/351425. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

Chicago 17th Edition

Boulahia, Nadjiba, Dalila Hank, Fouad Sellam and Abdelmalek Chergui. "Optimisation of a hybrid wastewater treatment via full factorial design and its preliminary physicochemical and short-term agronomic assessment for irrigation reuse." Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus 91, no. 3 https://hrcak.srce.hr/351425

Harvard

Boulahia, N., et al. (2026). 'Optimisation of a hybrid wastewater treatment via full factorial design and its preliminary physicochemical and short-term agronomic assessment for irrigation reuse', Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus, 91(3). Available at: https://hrcak.srce.hr/351425 (Accessed 01 October 2026)

Vancouver

Boulahia N, Hank D, Sellam F, Chergui A. Optimisation of a hybrid wastewater treatment via full factorial design and its preliminary physicochemical and short-term agronomic assessment for irrigation reuse. Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus [Internet]. 2026 [cited 2026 October 01];91(3). Available from: https://hrcak.srce.hr/351425

IEEE

N. Boulahia, D. Hank, F. Sellam and A. Chergui, "Optimisation of a hybrid wastewater treatment via full factorial design and its preliminary physicochemical and short-term agronomic assessment for irrigation reuse", Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus, vol.91, no. 3, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://hrcak.srce.hr/351425. [Accessed: 01 October 2026]

Abstract

This study develops an economical hybrid treatment process for removing organic compounds from wastewater, along with a preliminary assessment of the treated effluent for potential agricultural reuse. The research first investigated the decontamination of water from phenol, gallic acid, and humic substances through two methods: adsorption onto activated acorn bark and coagulation-flocculation using aluminium sulfate. To maximise treatment efficiency, a hybrid system was developed. Optimal operating conditions were determined using a factorial design methodology. Under optimised parameters conditions, the treatment efficiency achieved a 96.36% rate of organic matter removal. In the context of water scarcity in Algeria, a localised irrigation trial was conducted on green beans to evaluate the physicochemical quality of the treated effluent and its short-term agricultural performance. The preliminary effects of the hybrid process on soil properties and plant growth were evaluated in the short term. Water quality, soil properties,
and plant growth were compared across three sources: physicochemically treated wastewater (PCTW), biologically treated wastewater, and conventional water. PCTW was compliant with the relevant international guidelines for agricultural reuse. Furthermore, the irrigation trial demonstrated that PCTW significantly improved soil fertility, while promoting superior vegetative growth compared to conventional water. These findings highlight the potential of this hybrid process to produce treated wastewater with satisfactory physicochemical quality and nutrient content while supporting short-term plant growth under localised irrigation conditions.