Mexico is considered to be a leading country in terms of
wastewater recycling [20]. This practice does not appear to
be on the wane and it is envisaged that more land will
make use of wastewater for irrigation in the future. Mexican
regulations [53-55] and World Health Organization
guidelines for irrigation [56] consider ≤ 1000 CFU/100
mL coliform bacteria as an acceptable limit for the irrigation
of land that is used to grow crops. However, according
to the results discussed here, this limit has been
exceeded in the study area. The enteric virus and bacterial
survival on vegetable surfaces [57], constitutes a serious
health risk for agricultural workers, as well as for consumers
[58].