Uptake of Organic Emergent Contaminants in Spath and Lettuce: An In Vitro Experiment

Although a myriad of organic microcontaminants may occur in irrigation waters, little attention has been paid to their incorporation in crops. In this work, a systematic approach to assess the final fate of both ionizable and neutral organic contaminants taken up by plants is described. In vitro uptake of triclosan (TCS), hydrocinnamic acid (HCA), tonalide (TON), ibuprofen (IBF), naproxen (NPX), and clofibric acid (CFA) were studied in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L) and spath (Spathiphyllum spp.) as model plants. After 30 days incubation, analyte depletion from the culture medium was 85-99% (lettuce) and 51-81% (spath). HCA, NPX, and CFA exhibited the highest depletion rate in both plant species. Lettuce plant tissue analysis revealed an accumulation of all compounds except for HCA. These compounds reached a peak in tissue concentration followed by a sudden drop, probably due to the plant detoxification system and analyte depletion from the culture medium. Kinetic characterization of the uptake and detoxification processes was fitted to a pseudo-first-order rate. Compounds with a carboxylic group in their structure exhibited higher uptake rates, possibly due to the contribution of an ion trap effect. Molecular weight and log K-ow played a direct role in uptake in lettuce, as proven by the significant correlation of both properties to depletion and by the correlation of molecular weight to kinetic uptake rates.