The aim of the research was to show the presence of micropollutants contained in the wastewater of Mexico City within the distribution canals of the Mezquital Valley (MV), as well as their retention in agricultural soil and aquifers. This system constitutes the world’s oldest and largest example of the use of untreated wastewater for agricultural irrigation. The artificial recharge associated with the MV aquifers, with groundwater extracted for human consumption showing its importance as a water resource for Mexico City. The results of sampling show the presence of 18 compounds, with 10 of these considered as endocrine disruptor compounds (EDCs). The concentration of these pollutants ranged from 2 ng/L for 17 β-estradiol to 99 ng/L for DEHP, with these values decreasing throughout the course of the canals due to the wastewater dilution factor, their retention in agricultural soil, and their accumulation in the local aquifer. The main mechanisms involved in natural attenuation are adsorption, filtration, and biodegradation. Drinking water equivalent levels (DWELs) were estimated for 11 compounds with regard to acceptable daily intakes (ADIs), by assuming local exposure parameters for a rural Mexican population. These were compared with the maximum groundwater concentrations (Cgw) to screen the potential risks. The very low ratios of Cgw to DWELs indicate no appreciable human health risk from the presence of trace concentrations of these compounds in the source of drinking water in the MV. Despite this, far from being exceeded after more than 100 years of irrigation with residual water, the natural soil attenuation seems to remain stable.

Waterborne diseases produced by organisms of public health concern are prevalent worldwide, continuing to cause deaths annually. Conventional disinfectants (ozone, UV radiation, chlorine) have been insufficient in providing safe water as many studies revealed. TiO₂ is an attractive alternative to conventional methods because of its versatility and recently explored biocidal capacity due to advanced oxidation processes. The oligodynamic effect that TiO₂ seems to have on some microorganisms consists of effective lipid hyper oxidation of microorganism membranes, as well as protein interactions that lead to the alteration of the internal conditions and the inhibition of metabolic processes that eventually lead to their lysis. Nevertheless, a satisfactory description of other organisms is necessary to complete the disinfectant–organism interaction, and then the subsequent evaluation parameters of sanitation should proceed. In addition, solutions for feasibility, standardization of results for achieving consistent results and defined applications, lower costs, scalability, and security after its application need to be studied. Understanding its usage implies knowing the actual state of the art and its limitations for water disinfection purposes, as well as the potential benefits that overcoming such limitations would provide, thus allowing the possibility of establishing it as a feasible and popular technology.