People in arid and semi-arid areas are reusing domestic wastewater to irrigate because of water scarcity and urbanization (Alnaimy et al., 2021). The wastewater contains nutrients including N, P, K, and organic matter that favor the plants. It may also contain high levels of salt and heavy metals which degrade the soil and render the crops unsafe (Dotaniya et al., 2023; Du et al., 2022). The long-term irrigation with sewage or untreated household wastewater results in salinity of the soil, the sodium content, and the accumulation of metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Zn) that enter the food chain and pose hazards to human health (Alnaimy et al., 2021; Khan et al., 2023).