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Mininni AN, Pietrafesa A, Calabritto M, Di Biase R, Brunetti G, De Mastro F, Murgolo S, De Ceglie C, Salerno C, Dichio B. Uptake and translocation of pharmaceutically active compounds by olive tree ( Olea europaea L.) irrigated with treated municipal wastewater. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1382595. [PMID: 38756964 PMCID: PMC11096453 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1382595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Introduction The use of treated municipal wastewater (TWW) represents a relevant opportunity for irrigation of agricultural crops in semi-arid regions to counter the increasing water scarcity. Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) are often detected in treated wastewater, posing a risk to humans and the environment. PhACs can accumulate in soils and translocate into different plant tissues, reaching, in some cases, edible organs and entering the food chain. Methods This study evaluated the uptake and translocation processes of 10 PhACs by olive trees irrigated with TWW, investigating their accumulation in different plant organs. The experiment was conducted in southern Italy, in 2-year-old plants irrigated with three different types of water: freshwater (FW), TWW spiked with 10 PhACs at a concentration of 200 µg L-1 (1× TWW), and at a triple dose (3× TWW), from July to October 2021. The concentration of PhACs in soil and plant organs was assessed, collecting samples of root, stem, shoot, leaf, fruit, and kernel at 0 (T0), 50 (T1), and 107 (T2) days of irrigation. PhACs extraction from soil and plant organs was carried out using the QuEChERS method, and their concentrations were determined by high-resolution mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography. Results Results of uptake factors (UF) showed a different behavior between compounds according to their physicochemical properties, highlighting PhACs accumulation and translocation in different plant organs (also edible part) in 1× TWW and 3× TWW compared to FW. Two PhACs, carbamazepine and fluconazole, showed interactions with the soil-plant system, translocating also in the aerial part of the plant, with a translocation factor (TF) greater than 1, which indicates high root-to-leaf translocation. Discussion Findings highlight that only few PhACs among the selected compounds can be uptaken by woody plants and accumulated in edible parts at low concentration. No effects of PhACs exposure on plant growth have been detected. Despite the attention to be paid to the few compounds that translocate into edible organs, these results are promising for adapting wastewater irrigation in crops. Increasing knowledge about PhACs behavior in woody plants can be important for developing optimized wastewater irrigation and soil management strategies to reduce PhACs accumulation and translocation in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba N. Mininni
- Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, Environment, and Cultural Heritage (DICEM), University of Basilicata, Matera, Italy
| | - Angela Pietrafesa
- Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, Environment, and Cultural Heritage (DICEM), University of Basilicata, Matera, Italy
| | - Maria Calabritto
- Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, Environment, and Cultural Heritage (DICEM), University of Basilicata, Matera, Italy
| | - Roberto Di Biase
- Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, Environment, and Cultural Heritage (DICEM), University of Basilicata, Matera, Italy
| | - Gennaro Brunetti
- Department of Soil, Plant, and Food Science, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco De Mastro
- Department of Soil, Plant, and Food Science, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Sapia Murgolo
- Department of Bari, Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque, CNR, Bari, Italy
| | | | - Carlo Salerno
- Department of Bari, Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque, CNR, Bari, Italy
| | - Bartolomeo Dichio
- Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, Environment, and Cultural Heritage (DICEM), University of Basilicata, Matera, Italy
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Fernandes AS, Bragança I, Homem V. Personal care products in soil-plant and hydroponic systems: Uptake, translocation, and accumulation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168894. [PMID: 38036128 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Personal care products (PCPs) are organic compounds that are incorporated in several daily life products, such as shampoos, lotions, perfumes, cleaning products, air fresheners, etc. Due to their massive and continuous use and because they are not routinely monitored in the environment, these compounds are considered emerging contaminants. In fact, residues of PCPs are being discharged into the sewage system, reaching wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), where most of these compounds are not completely degraded, being partially released into the environment via the final effluents and/or accumulating in the sewage sludges. Environmental sustainability is nowadays one of the main pillars of society and the application of circular economy models, promoting the waste valorisation, is increasingly encouraged. Therefore, irrigation with reclaimed wastewater or soil fertilization with sewage sludge/biosolids are interesting solutions. However, these practices raise concerns due to the potential risks associated to the presence of hazardous compounds, including PCPs. When applied to agricultural soils, PCPs present in these matrices can contaminate the soil or be taken up by crops. Crops can therefore become a route of exposure for humans and pose a risk to public health. However, the extent to which PCPs are taken up and bioaccumulated in crops is highly dependent on the physicochemical properties of the compounds, environmental variables, and the plant species. This issue has attracted the attention of scientists in recent years and the number of publications on this topic has rapidly increased, but a systematic review of these studies is lacking. Therefore, the present paper reviews the uptake, accumulation, and translocation of different classes of PCPs (biocides, parabens, synthetic musks, phthalates, UV-filters) following application of sewage sludge or reclaimed water under field and greenhouse conditions, but also in hydroponic systems. The factors influencing the uptake mechanism in plants were also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Sofia Fernandes
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Idalina Bragança
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Vera Homem
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
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Sunyer-Caldú A, Quintana G, Diaz-Cruz MS. Factors driving PPCPs uptake by crops after wastewater irrigation and human health implications. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 237:116923. [PMID: 37598843 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Currently, water scarcity affects more than three billion people. Nevertheless, the volume of treated wastewater discharged into the environment is estimated to exceed 100 m3 per inhabitant/year. These water resources are regularly used in agriculture worldwide to overcome water shortages. Such a practice, however, entails the uptake of waterborne pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), by crops and their further access to the food web, constituting an additional route of human exposure to PPCPs, with potential health outcomes. In this study, the occurrence of 56 PPCPs in tomatoes, lettuce, and carrot, together with soil and irrigation water, was evaluated using a QuEChERS-based methodology for extraction and LC-MS/MS for analysis. The influence of the selected cultivation conditions on the plant uptake levels of PPCPs was assessed. Two irrigation water qualities (secondary and tertiary treatment effluents), two soil compositions (sandy and clayey), two irrigation systems (dripping and sprinkling), and three crop types (lettuce, tomato, and carrot) were tested. Carrots showed the highest load of PPCPs (7787 ng/g dw), followed by tomatoes (1692 ng/g dw) and lettuces (1248 ng/g dw). The most translocated PPCPs were norfluoxetine (fluoxetine antidepressant main metabolite) (521 ng/g dw), and the anti-inflammatory diclofenac (360 ng/g dw). Nine PPCPs, are reported to be accumulated in crops for the first time. Water quality was the most important factor for reducing PPCPs' plant uptake. Overall, the best conditions for reducing PPCP uptake by crops were irrigation with reclaimed water by sprinkling in soils with higher clay content. The risk assessment performed revealed that the crops' consumption posed no risk to human health. This study serves as the first comprehensive assessment of the relevance of diverse cultivation factors on PPCPs' plant uptake under field agricultural practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrià Sunyer-Caldú
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA) Severo Ochoa Excellence Center, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Environmental Science (ACES, Exposure & Effects), Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
| | - Gerard Quintana
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA) Severo Ochoa Excellence Center, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Silvia Diaz-Cruz
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA) Severo Ochoa Excellence Center, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain.
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Denora M, Candido V, Brunetti G, De Mastro F, Murgolo S, De Ceglie C, Salerno C, Gatta G, Giuliani MM, Mehmeti A, Bartholomeus RP, Perniola M. Uptake and accumulation of emerging contaminants in processing tomato irrigated with tertiary treated wastewater effluent: a pilot-scale study. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1238163. [PMID: 37692419 PMCID: PMC10484752 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1238163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The reuse of treated wastewater for crop irrigation is vital in water-scarce semi-arid regions. However, concerns arise regarding emerging contaminants (ECs) that persist in treated wastewater and may accumulate in irrigated crops, potentially entering the food chain and the environment. This pilot-scale study conducted in southern Italy focused on tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv Taylor F1) irrigated with treated wastewater to investigate EC uptake, accumulation, and translocation processes. The experiment spanned from June to September 2021 and involved three irrigation strategies: conventional water (FW), treated wastewater spiked with 10 target contaminants at the European average dose (TWWx1), and tertiary WWTP effluent spiked with the target contaminants at a triple dose (TWWx3). The results showed distinct behavior and distribution of ECs between the TWWx1 and TWWx3 strategies. In the TWWx3 strategy, clarithromycin, carbamazepine, metoprolol, fluconazole, and climbazole exhibited interactions with the soil-plant system, with varying degradation rates, soil accumulation rates, and plant accumulation rates. In contrast, naproxen, ketoprofen, diclofenac, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim showed degradation. These findings imply that some ECs may be actively taken up by plants, potentially introducing them into the food chain and raising concerns for humans and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Denora
- Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, University of Basilicata, Via Lanera, Matera, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Candido
- Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, University of Basilicata, Via Lanera, Matera, Italy
| | - Gennaro Brunetti
- Department of Soil, Plant, and Food Science, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco De Mastro
- Department of Soil, Plant, and Food Science, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Sapia Murgolo
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Bari, Italy
| | - Cristina De Ceglie
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Bari, Italy
| | - Carlo Salerno
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gatta
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering (DAFNE), University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Marcella Michela Giuliani
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering (DAFNE), University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Andi Mehmeti
- Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, University of Basilicata, Via Lanera, Matera, Italy
- Mediterranean Agronomic Insitute of Bari (CIHEAM Bari), Valenzano, Italy
| | - Ruud P. Bartholomeus
- KWR Water Research Institute, Nieuwegein, Netherlands
- Soil Physics and Land Management, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Michele Perniola
- Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, University of Basilicata, Via Lanera, Matera, Italy
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