title: Perfluoroalkyl acid distribution in various plant compartments of edible crops grown in biosolids-amended soils.
abstract: Crop uptake of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) from biosolids-amended soil has been identified as a potential pathway for PFAA entry into the terrestrial food chain. This study compared the uptake of PFAAs in greenhouse-grown radish (Raphanus sativus), celery (Apium graveolens var. dulce), tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum), and sugar snap pea (Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon) from an industrially impacted biosolids-amended soil, a municipal biosolids-amended soil, and a control soil. Individual concentrations of PFAAs, on a dry weight basis, in mature, edible portions of crops grown in soil amended with PFAA industrially impacted biosolids were highest for perfluorooctanoate (PFOA; 67 ng/g) in radish root, perfluorobutanoate (PFBA; 232 ng/g) in celery shoot, and PFBA (150 ng/g) in pea fruit. Comparatively, PFAA concentrations in edible compartments of crops grown in the municipal biosolids-amended soil and in the control soil were less than 25 ng/g. Bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) were calculated for the root, shoot, and fruit compartments (as applicable) of all crops grown in the industrially impacted soil. BAFs were highest for PFBA in the shoots of all crops, as well as in the fruit compartment of pea. Root-soil concentration factors (RCFs) for tomato and pea were independent of PFAA chain length, while radish and celery RCFs showed a slight decrease with increasing chain length. Shoot-soil concentration factors (SCFs) for all crops showed a decrease with increasing chain length (0.11 to 0.36 log decrease per CF2 group). The biggest decrease (0.54-0.58 log decrease per CF2 group) was seen in fruit-soil concentration factors (FCFs). Crop anatomy and PFAA properties were utilized to explain data trends. In general, fruit crops were found to accumulate fewer long-chain PFAAs than shoot or root crops presumably due to an increasing number of biological barriers as the contaminant is transported throughout the plant (roots to shoots to fruits). These data were incorporated into a preliminary conceptual framework for PFAA accumulation in edible crops. In addition, these data suggest that edible crops grown in soils conventionally amended for nutrients with biosolids (that are not impacted by PFAA industries) are unlikely a significant source of long-chain PFAA exposure to humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines , Golden, Colorado 80401, United States.
authors.forename: Andrea C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Blaine
authors.forename: Courtney D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Rich
authors.forename: Erin M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Sedlacko
authors.forename: Lakhwinder S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Hundal
authors.forename: Kuldip
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Marc A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Kimberly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Higgins
mesh_terms: D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005466:Fluorocarbons; D012722:Sewage; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants