**3. Impact of Contemporary Irrigation Water Quality Issues on Soil and Crop Quality**

Irrigation water quality has mainly been characterized with respect to effects on crop growth and yield, though an emerging and pressing issue relates to plant uptake and soil enrichment with inorganic and organic contaminants (Figure 2). These "new" issues with respect to irrigation water quality can lead to food quality and safety concerns, as well as affect crop growth and yield [38–41]. Wastewater reuse for irrigation contributes to increasing incidence of organic microcontaminants [42], such as pharmaceuticals and other synthetic organics in soils and crops. Increasing reliance on groundwater also contributes to the probability for elevated concentrations of natural geogenic contaminants such as arsenic and selenium in irrigation water and soils. Understanding the occurrence and fate of these new contaminants in irrigation water sources is paramount in limiting the effects to modern agricultural products [43]. Long term impacts to soil and crop quality (see Figure 2) need to be understood.

**Figure 2.** A conceptual model of the impact of inadequate quality of irrigation water sources on soil and crop quality.
