title: Differences in p,p'-DDE bioaccumulation from compost and soil by the plants Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita maxima and the earthworms Eisenia fetida and Lumbricus terrestris.
abstract: Two plant species, Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita maxima, and two earthworm species, Eisenia fetida and Lumbricus terrestris, were exposed to soil and compost with equivalent p,p'-DDE contamination. Pollutant bioconcentration was equal in plant roots in both media, but translocation was higher in C. pepo. Bioaccumulation by E. fetida was approximately 6- and 3-fold higher than that by L. terrestris in the soil and compost, respectively. For all species, p,p'-DDE uptake was significantly greater from soil than from compost; 7- to 8-fold higher for plant roots and 3- to 7-fold higher for worms. Abiotic desorption from soil was approximately twice that from the compost. When all the data are normalized for organic-carbon content of the media, the contaminant is more tightly bound by soil than compost. Although the risk associated with p,p'-DDE is higher in soil than compost, important mechanistic differences exist in contaminant binding to organic carbon in the two media.
authors.affiliation: Program in Environmental Science and Department of Chemistry, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA 18104, USA. rp232604@muhlenberg.edu
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Jason W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kelsey
authors.forename: Jason C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D018533:Biomass; D028464:Cucurbita / Q000378:metabolism*; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene