Reuse of treated wastewater to irrigate agricultural crops is increasing in many arid and semi-arid areas around the world. The presence of numerous pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in treated wastewater and their potential transfer into food produce such as vegetables poses an unknown human health risk. The goal of this study was to identify PPCPs that have a comparatively high potential for plant uptake and translocation. A total of 20 frequently-occurring PPCPs were compared for their accumulation into four staple vegetables (lettuce, spinach, cucumber, and pepper) grown in nutrient solutions containing PPCPs at 0.5 or 5 �g L-1. Triclocarban, fluoxetine, triclosan, and diazepam were consistently found at high levels in roots, while fluoxetine, diuron, and carbamazepine exhibited more translocation from roots to leaves. Root uptake of neutral PPCPs was positively correlated with the hydrophobicity or Kow, and was likely driven by chemical adsorption onto the root surfaces. In contrast, translocation from roots to leaves was negatively related to Kow, suggesting hydrophilicity-regulated transport via xylems. Compounds preferentially sorbed to roots (e.g., triclocarban, fluoxetine, triclosan, and diazepam) should be further evaluated for their transfer into tuber vegetables (e.g., carrot, radish) under field conditions, while those easily translocated into leaves (e.g., carbamazepine, fluoxetine) merit further consideration for leafy and other vegetables (e.g., lettuce, cucumber).

Comparative uptake and translocation of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) by common vegetables

246th National Meeting (2013)

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