Translocation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products after land application of biosolids

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are common components of the municipal waste stream and well documented to be present in the final products of wastewater treatment including biosolids, which are commonly land applied in agricultural settings and at reclamation sites. Biosolids are therefore an identified source of PPCPs into environments, where biosolids are applied. Here, we review the current understanding of the potential for uptake and translocation of PPCPs within plants and consider knowledge gaps related to PPCP in plants and beyond them. Identified gaps include knowledge related to translocation of PPCPs beyond plants, the importance of transformation products for total exposure/uptake of PPCP, and the role of rhizosphere microorganisms in plant uptake.