Effect of copper on in vivo fate of BDE-209 in pumpkin

Interaction of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil-crop systems: The effects and mechanisms

In natural environments, the removal and degradation of two major pollutants, heavy metals (HMs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are explored through targeted experimental investigations. However, these endeavors reveal that outcomes in situ may significantly diverge from the idealized effects observed in laboratory settings due to the complex interaction between HMs and PAHs, underscoring a pressing need for thorough research into their mutual impacts. This review examines the origins and migratory pathways of compound pollution stemming from HMs and PAHs. Concurrently, it provides an overview of the farmland ecosystem's response to combined HMs-PAHs pollution. This encompassed the assessments of changes in the soil's physical and chemical properties, the intricacies of the migration and transformation processes of the combined pollution within plants, and the consequential impact on the physiological functions of soil microorganisms. The varying concentration ratios of HMs and PAHs can modulate the permeability of plant root cell membranes, thereby influencing the translocation of these substances within the plant via symplastic and apoplastic pathways. Recent research has uncovered the mechanisms underlying cation-π interactions between HMs and PAHs. This review aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the current state of HMs-PAHs co-pollution, offering both qualitative and quantitative insights into their interaction patterns within the farmland ecosystem. The ultimate goal is to establish a robust theoretical foundation to support the in-situ remediation of these pollutants in agricultural practices and to provide a theoretical basis for soil health management in agricultural production.

Uptake, translocation and subcellular distribution of organophosphate esters in rice by co-exposure to organophosphate esters and copper oxide nanoparticle

This study investigated the influence of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) and Cu²⁺ on the uptake, translocation and subcellular distribution of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in rice seedlings using hydroponic experiments. The OPE concentrations in roots and shoots under the OPEs+CuONPs treatment were significantly lower than those with the OPEs+Cu²⁺ (low level) or OPEs-only treatments, indicating that CuONPs can hinder the uptake of OPEs by root via competitive adsorption under short-term exposure. The plasma membrane permeability and antioxidant enzyme activity implied that CuONPs had a negligible impact on rice seedlings and could even reduce the toxicity of OPEs to rice root. A significant negative correlation between translocation factor and octanol-water partition coefficient was observed for the three treatments, implying an important role of hydrophobicity on the acropetal translocation of OPEs. Relatively hydrophobic OPEs were mainly adsorbed on cell wall, while hydrophilic OPEs were concentrated in cell sap. The subcellular distributions of OPEs in the OPEs+Cu²⁺ (high level) or OPEs+CuONPs treatments slightly differed from the OPEs-only treatment, indicating that the coexistence of Cu²⁺ or CuONPs with OPEs can influence the subcellular distribution of OPEs by affecting their adsorption or partitioning processes. Inhibition experiment suggested that root uptake of OPEs is a non-energy-consuming facilitated diffusion mediated by aquaporin channel, which can be slightly changed by the co-exposure of CuONPs. This study improved the understanding of uptake and translocation of OPEs by rice under the co-exposure to CuONPs.

Plant accumulation and transformation of brominated and organophosphate flame retardants: A review

Plants can take up and transform brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) from soil, water and the atmosphere, which is of considerable significance to the geochemical cycle of BFRs and OPFRs and their human exposure. However, the current understanding of the plant uptake, translocation, accumulation, and metabolism of BFRs and OPFRs in the environment remains very limited. In this review, recent studies on the accumulation and transformation of BFRs and OPFRs in plants are summarized, the main factors affecting plant accumulation from the aspects of root uptake, foliar uptake, and plant translocation are presented, and the metabolites and metabolic pathways of BFRs and OPFRs in plants are analyzed. It was found that BFRs and OPFRs can be taken up by plants through partitioning to root lipids, as well as through gaseous and particle-bound deposition to the leaves. Their microscopic distribution in roots and leaves is important for understanding their accumulation behaviors. BFRs and OPFRs can be translocated in the xylem and phloem, but the specific transport pathways and mechanisms need to be further studied. BFRs and OPFRs can undergo phase I and phase II metabolism in plants. The identification, quantification and environmental fate of their metabolites will affect the assessment of their ecological and human exposure risks. Based on the issues mentioned above, some key directions worth studying in the future are proposed.

Enhanced remediation of BDE-209 in contaminated mangrove sediment by planting and aquaculture effluent

Toxic and persistent flame retardant (BDE-209) and aquaculture effluent (AE) are ubiquitous in coastal environments, but how their co-existence influences their fate is not yet investigated. This study investigated AE effects on remediation and uptake of BDE-209 by Kandelia obovata (Ko) and Avicennia marina (Am), true and dominant mangrove species. After 12-months, a significant removal of BDE-209 was achieved in planted mangrove sediment and the removal was significantly enhanced by AE addition, possibly due to the enhancement of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) content in sediment. Residual percentages of parent BDE-209 in Ko and Am planted sediments without AE were 61.4% and 70.9%, respectively, but decreased to 46.9% and 48.0% with AE addition after 12-months. A similar trend was found in unplanted sediment, with 86.5% and 65.3% of BDE-209 retained in sediments without and with AE addition, respectively. The results demonstrated that AE addition not only increased the debromination of BDE-209 in all treated sediments with the production of debrominated congeners (de-PBDEs) like di- to nona-BDEs in unplanted and planted sediments, but also enhanced the take up of BDE-209 in Ko root, and de-PBDEs in both Ko and Am, thus enhancing the phytoremediation of BDE-209 in contaminated sediments.

The combination of warming and copper decreased the uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by spinach and their associated cancer risk

Both climate warming and co-contamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals are environmental issues of great concern. However, the interactive effects of warming and heavy metals on PAH accumulation in edible plants and the PAH-associated health risk remain unclear. In this study, enclosed soil/water-air-plant microcosm experiments were conducted to explore the effects of copper (Cu), warming (+6 °C), and their combination on the uptake of four deuterated PAH (PAH-d₁₀) by spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) in aged soil. PAH-associated health risks for soil, plant, and air exposure pathways were also assessed. The results showed that both individual Cu or warming decreased the PAH-d₁₀ concentrations in root and shoot (non-normalized by lipid content) as well as the total PAH-associated cancer risk. Although antagonism existed between warming and Cu, compared to the presence of Cu, warming further reduced the spinach uptake of PAHs-d₁₀ and total PAH-associated cancer risk, and the reductions were stronger at higher Cu levels. The inhibitory effect of the binary combination on PAH-d₁₀ root uptake was attributed to decreased root lipid content and phytoavailable concentrations of PAHs-d₁₀ in soil as a consequence of biodegradation, aging effect and cation-π interaction. The antagonism between warming and Cu on spinach uptake could be explained by their opposite effects on PAH-d₁₀ biodegradation and the inhibition of the cation-π interaction caused by warming. Additionally, the shoot uptake of PAHs-d₁₀ was mainly controlled by their soil to air to shoot partitioning. The findings suggest that the interactive effects of climate warming and co-existing pollutants should be taken into account for the assessment of plant uptake and health risk of PAHs.

Cation-π Interactions with Coexisting Heavy Metals Enhanced the Uptake and Accumulation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Spinach

Few studies have considered the effect of co-occurring heavy metals on plant accumulation of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs), and less is known about the role of intermolecular interactions. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of Cu/Zn effects on hydroponic uptake of four deuterated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs-d₁₀) by spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). Both solubility enhancement experiment and quantum mechanical calculations demonstrated the existence of [PAH-Cu(H₂O)_0-4]²⁺ and [2·PAH-Cu(H₂O)_0-2]²⁺ via cation-π interactions when Cu²⁺ concentration was ≤100 μmol/L. Notably, PAH-d₁₀ concentrations in both roots and shoots increased significantly with Cu²⁺ concentration. This was because the formation of phytoavailable PAH-Cu²⁺ complexes decreased PAH-d₁₀ hydrophobicity and consequently decreased their sorption onto dissolved organic carbon (DOC, i.e., root exudates), thereby increasing phytoavailable concentrations and uptake of PAHs-d₁₀. X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis showed that PAH-Cu²⁺ complexes could enter defective spinach roots via apoplastic pathway. However, Zn²⁺ and PAHs-d₁₀ cannot form the cation-π interactions because of the high desolvation penalty of Zn²⁺. Actually, Zn²⁺ decreased the spinach uptake of PAHs-d₁₀ due to the increase of DOC induced by Zn. This work provides molecular insights into how metals could selectively affect the plant uptake of HOCs and highlights the importance of considering the HOC phytoavailability with coexisting metals.

Fate of 4-bromodiphenyl ether (BDE3) in soil and the effects of co-existed copper

The quantitative fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in soil is unknown. Furthermore, the effects of co-contamination by toxic copper on the behavior of PBDEs have not been investigated. Using a ¹⁴C-tracer, we studied mineralization, metabolism, and formation of non-extractable residues (NERs) of one PBDE congener, i.e., the 4-bromodiphenyl ether (BDE3) in oxic soil for 50 days, without and with amendment of Cu (400 mg kg^-1 soil dw). BDE3 rapidly dissipated with a half-life of 5.5 days and large amounts of CO₂ (38.8 ± 0.3% of initial applied amount at the end of incubation) and NERs (42.5 ± 0.4%) were rapidly produced. One hydroxylated metabolite (4'-HO-BDE3) was formed (8.1 ± 0.6%) at the beginning of the incubation, but then decreased to 2.2 ± 0.4%. Only BDE3 occurred in physico-chemically entrapped NERs, amounting to 9.2 ± 0.7%, while only 4'-HO-BDE3 in ester-linked NERs (10.9 ± 0.7%). The addition of Cu strongly reduced the kinetics constants of the transformations (including dissipation, mineralization, and NER-formation), the predicted maximal amounts of mineralization, as well as covalent binding of 4'-HO-BDE3 to soil. The results provide first quantitative insights into the fate of low-brominated congeners of PBDEs in soil and indicate that co-contamination by Cu may increase the environmental risks of biodegradable PBDEs in soil by increasing their persistence.

AM fungi increase uptake of Cd and BDE-209 and activities of dismutase and catalase in amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.) in two contaminants spiked soil

Soil co-contaminated with cadmium (Cd) and decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) is a widespread environmental problem, especially in electronic waste contaminated surroundings. Accumulation of Cd and BDE-209 in crops has possibly harmful effects on local human health. In order to assess the potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.) in remediation of soil co-contaminated with Cd and BDE-209, pot trials were performed to investigate interactive effects of AM fungi, Cd and BDE-209 on growth of amaranth, uptake of Cd and BDE-209, distribution of chemical forms of Cd and activities of antioxidant enzymes in shoots and dissipation of BDE-209 in soil. The present results showed that shoot biomass of non-mycorrhizal plants was significantly inhibited by increasing of Cd addition (5-15 mg kg^-1), but were only slightly declined with BDE-209 addition (5 mg kg^-1). The interaction of Cd and BDE-209 reduced the proportions of ethanol- and d-H₂O-extractable Cd in shoots, consequently alleviated Cd toxicity to plants and enhanced root uptake of Cd and BDE-209. Inoculation of AM fungi resulted in significantly greater shoot biomass as well as higher concentrations of Cd and BDE-209 compared with non-mycorrhizal treatment. Moreover, AM fungi played a beneficial role in relieving oxidative stress on amaranth by increasing the activities of dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in shoots and significantly improved the dissipation of BDE-209 in soil. The present study suggested that combination of AM fungi and amaranth may be a potential option for remediation of Cd and BDE-209 co-contaminated soils.

Interactions between decabromodiphenyl ether and lead in soil-plant system

Pot experiments were conducted under abiotic conditions to investigate the interactive influence of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) and lead (Pb) on the seed germination, germ length, root exudation and physiological characteristics of tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae), and the uptake, accumulation of Pb and BDE-209 in the plant tissues. Results show that seed germination and germ length were impacted by Pb but less influenced by BDE-209. BDE-209 spiking (10 and 50 mg/L) could alleviate the toxicity of high Pb concentration on seed germination and growth. The chlorophyll content was significantly increased at 500 mg/kg Pb but declined at 2000 mg/kg Pb. Low-level Pb contamination (500 mg/kg) activated antioxidase activity; however, 2000 mg/kg Pb significantly reduced the antioxidase activity. Plant biomass slightly decreased at 500 mg/kg Pb but significantly declined at 2000 mg/kg Pb. The addition of a moderate dosage of BDE-209 (10-50 mg/kg) lessened Pb phytotoxicity, leading to improved plant growth relative to the case of Pb spiking alone. The exudate secretion was significantly enhanced by Pb addition, but BDE-209 spiking only caused slightly increased secretion. Pb could interfere with BDE-209 adsorption and translocation of tall fescue by affecting physiological behavior of the plant, but BDE-209 exhibited little influence on the Pb fate in the plant. Overall, BDE-209 had slight interference on the impact of Pb towards tall fescue. The results demonstrate the complex interactive effects of organic pollutants and heavy metals in the soil-plant system.

Effects of aquaculture effluents on fate of 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99) in contaminated mangrove sediment planted with Kandelia obovata

The problems of aquaculture effluent (AE) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are common in coastal areas. The fate of 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99), a dominant PBDE congener, in mangrove sediments and the effects of AE on it have never been reported. A 12-months microcosm study was conducted and more than 55% of the BDE-99 in contaminated sediment was removed at the end. The removal percentages depended on treatments, with the highest removal in the treatment planted with Kandelia obovata (Ko) and irrigated with AE (WP_AE), followed by Ko planted but without AE (WP), unplanted with AE (NP_AE) and unplanted without AE (NP). Hydroxylation of BDE-99 was observed in all treatments, with a preference in the para position bromine substitution, followed by meta position and the lowest was ortho bromine substitution. BDE-99 was also debrominated to lower brominated congeners like tri- and di-BDEs congeners. Different from parent BDE-99, ortho-substituted BDE-28 and -15 were more dominant than that of para-substituted BDE-17 and -7, suggesting that para-substituted congeners could further be debrominated. The AE addition enhanced root uptake of PBDEs in Ko. These findings suggested that the addition of AE and planting Ko could be an effective way to remedy BDE-99 in contaminated sediments.

Could mangrove plants tolerate and remove BDE-209 in contaminated sediments upon long-term exposure?

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) such as BDE-209, the commonest congener, are known to be toxic. A 24-months study using mangrove mesocosms with mixed mangrove species, namely Avicennia marina (Am), Aegiceras corniculatum (Ac) and Kandelia obovata (Ko), or without any plant was conducted to examine toxicity, removal, translocation and uptake of BDE-209. At month 24, BDE-209 stimulated the production of root superoxide radical (O₂^-*), and leaf and root malondialdehyde (MDA) of Ko, enhanced leaf O₂^-* of Ac, but did not affect the production of O₂^-* and MDA in Am. These findings indicated that the tolerance to BDE-209 was species-specific, with Am being the most tolerant and Ko the most sensitive species. In leaf and root, BDE-209 stimulated peroxidase (POD) activity in both Ac and Ko, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in Am. After 24-months, more than 60% and 40% of BDE-209 in contaminated sediments were removed in planted and unplanted groups, respectively, with more PBDEs in upper than bottom sediment layers. This study demonstrates that planting tolerant species such as Avicennia marina with high uptake could remedy PBDEs in contaminated sediments.

Solubility, uptake, and translocation of BDE 47 as affected by DOM extracted from agricultural wastes

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) extracted from wheat straw (SDOM) and cow manure (MDOM) were used to investigate their effects on the solubilization, uptake, and translocation of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47). Partition coefficients (K_DOC) of BDE 47 between water and the two types of DOM were measured by the solubility enhancement method. The uptake and translocation of BDE 47 by wheat plants were explored by hydroponic exposure experiments. In the range of 0 to 100 mg/L of DOM, the solubility of BDE 47 increased with increasing concentrations of DOM. The log [K_DOC] values of BDE 47 in SDOM and MDOM solutions were 5.77 and 5.31, respectively. The log [K_DOC] values of BDE 47 in SDOM solutions were higher than those in MDOM solutions, which might be ascribed to the higher content of aliphatic carbon and lower molecular weight of SDOM. The addition of DOM (50 mg/L) significantly increased the accumulation of BDE 47 in the shoots of wheat plants. Wheat straw DOM had greater effect than MDOM in enhancing the accumulation of BDE 47. This study demonstrated the potential risk of BDE 47 to plants resulting from DOM-facilitated transport or the changes in metabolic properties.

Translocation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers from field-contaminated soils to an edible plant

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), recognised emerging contaminants, widely exist and persist in the environment. Samples were taken from a heavily contaminated farm in Taiwan located near a factory known to regularly use PBDEs. Sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas L., a commonly consumed vegetable in Asia) growing in the surrounding farmlands were found to contain a high concentration of PBDEs of 19.36 ng/g. The possibility of PBDEs translocation into sweet potato vines from soil samples was evaluated. To prevent the PBDEs from air through that factory, the pot experiments were performed in a greenhouse, which showed that the PBDEs concentration of 24 congeners (tri- through deca-BDE) in the sweet potato vine after 14-days cultivation was 29.90 ng/g, 40-times higher than that in the contaminated soil. After another 14-days, the PBDE concentration decreased to 12.30 ng/g as high-brominated PBDEs were transformed to medium- and/or low-brominated PBDEs in the sweet potato vine. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) values exceeded 20.0 for most of the deca-, nona-, and octa-BDEs but BCFs were below 18.9 for the rest of the medium- and low-brominated PBDEs. Our results demonstrate that high-brominated PBDEs can translocate into leafy vegetables from soils, and sweet potato vines tend to accumulate high-brominated PBDEs into their edible parts.

Effect of copper on the translocation and transformation of polychlorinated biphenyls in rice

Contamination of organic pollutants in the environment is usually accompanied by heavy metals. However, a little information on the influences of heavy metals on the uptake, translocation and transformation of organic pollutants in plants is available. In this study, ten-day hydroponic exposure was conducted to explore the influence of copper (Cu) on the bioaccumulation and biotransformation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in intact young rice (Oryza sativa L.). Low dose of Cu (≤100 μmol/L) increased the accumulation of CB-61 in rice plants, while excess concentrations of Cu (>100 μmol/L) inhibited uptake and translocation of CB-61. Effect of Cu on the uptake of CB-61 was attributed to the Cu-triggered damage to the roots of rice plants. The presence of a moderate dose of Cu (50 μmol/L) enhanced the formation of hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs) and methoxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (MeO-PCBs), whereas excess concentrations of Cu (250 μmol/L) inhibited the metabolism of CB-61. The effect of Cu on the interconversion between 4'-OH-CB-61 and 4'-MeO-CB-61 was also concentration dependent: the biotransformation was promoted by a moderate concentration of Cu but inhibited by excess concentrations of Cu. The activities of Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) and S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferase in the roots of rice plants exposed to Cu and CB-61 or its derivatives were consistent with the pattern and trend of the metabolites observed in rice roots. These results could provide valuable insights into the interactions and combined effects of PCBs and heavy metals in plants.

Bioaccumulation and bound-residue formation of 14C-decabromodiphenyl ether in an earthworm-soil system

Decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) is one of the most frequently detected flame retardants in terrestrial environments. However, the fate of DecaBDE and its transport in an earthworm-soil system with and without a DecaBDE-degrading strain have rarely been evaluated. In this study, ¹⁴C-DecaBDE was self-synthesized, and a DBDE-degrading strain, Rhodococcus erythropolis, was used in an earthworm-soil system. DecaBDE showed limited degradation and mineralization after 35days of all treatments. The bound-residue (BR) formation in soil was <2.5% in the system containing earthworms, which was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that observed in the absence of earthworms (<0.45%). DecaBDE could be adsorbed by the earthworms with a BSAF of ≤0.31. The distribution of ¹⁴C-DecaBDE concentrations in the earthworm roughly followed the pattern of crop gizzard>digestive system>head>tail>body wall, suggesting that DecaBDE was mainly uptaken through ingestion. Up to 31% of the ¹⁴C-DecaBDE in the earthworms was not extractable, revealing that the total concentration of accumulated ¹⁴C-DecaBDE was underestimated. The results also showed that the presence of DecaBDE-degrading bacteria did not significantly affect the fate of DecaBDE and its accumulation in earthworms. The study indicates that the conventional assessment of the bioaccumulation and ecological effects of DecaBDE, which is based only on extractable concentrations, may underestimate the risks.

Could Uptake and Acropetal Translocation of PBDEs by Corn Be Enhanced Following Cu Exposure? Evidence from a Root Damage Experiment

Cocontamination by heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is ubiquitous in the environment. Fate of POPs within soil/water-plant system is a significant concern and an area where much uncertainty still exists when plants suffered cotoxicity from POPs and metals. This study investigated the fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) when copper (Cu) was present within the soil/water-plant system using pot and hydroponic experiments. The presence of Cu was found to induce damage to the root cell membranes of corn (Zea mays L. cv. Nongda 108) with increasing concentration in both shoots and roots. The PBDE congeners BDE209 and BDE47 in shoots were also enhanced with the increasing electrolytic leakage from root, attributed to Cu damage, and the highest shoot BDE209 and BDE47 levels were observed under the highest Cu dosage. In addition, positive correlations were observed between the PBDE content of corn shoots and the electrolytic leakage of corn roots. These results indicated that within a defective root system, more PBDEs will penetrate the roots and are acropetally translocated in the shoots. The potential ecological risk associated with the translocation and accumulation of POPs into plant shoots needs careful reconsideration in media cocontaminated with metals and POPs, whereas often ignored or underestimated in environmental risk assessments.

Short-term enhancement effect of nitrogen addition on microbial degradation and plant uptake of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in contaminated mangrove soil

Effects of nitrogen (N) addition on the microbial degradation and uptake of a mixture of BDE-47 and -209 by Aegiceras corniculatum, a typical mangrove plant species were investigated. At the end of 3-month experiment, a significant dissipation of BDE-47 was observed in the planted soil, and this dissipation, particularly in rhizosphere soil, was significantly accelerated by the frequent addition of N in the form of ammonium chloride. The removal percentage of BDE-47 in the rhizosphere soil without N addition was 47.3% and increased to 58.2% with N. However, the unplanted soil only removed less than 25% BDE-47, irrespective to N supply. The N addition in planted treatments significantly increased soil N content, urease and dehydrogenase activities, and the abundances of total bacteria and dehalogenating bacteria, leading to more microbial degradation of BDE-47. The N addition also enhanced the root uptake and translocation of PBDEs to above-ground tissues of A. corniculatum. These results suggested that N addition could enhance the phytoremediation of BDE-47-contaminated soil within a short period of time. Different from BDE-47, BDE-209 in all contaminated soils was difficult to be removed due to its persistence and low bioavailability.