title: Accumulation of contaminants of emerging concern in food crops-part 1: Edible strawberries and lettuce grown in reclaimed water.
abstract: Contaminants of emerging concern present in domestic waste streams include a highly diverse group of potentially biologically active compounds that can be detected at trace levels in wastewater. Concerns about potential uptake into crops arise when reclaimed water is used in food crop production. The present study investigated how 9 contaminants of emerging concern in reclaimed water are taken up into edible portions of two food crops. Two flame retardant chemicals, tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP) and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and several polar pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, diphenhydramine, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim) accumulated in a linear, concentration-dependent manner in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) irrigated with reclaimed water, suggesting passive uptake of both neutral and ionizable chemical contaminants in lettuce. Furthermore, concentration-dependent accumulation of TCEP and TCPP from reclaimed water was also observed in strawberry fruits (Fragaria ananassa). Collectively, these data suggest that highly polar or charged contaminants can be taken up by crops from water bearing contaminants of emerging concern and can be accumulated in the edible portions. Using these data, however, estimates of human exposure to these contaminants from reclaimed water food crop accumulation suggest that exposure to the contaminants of emerging concern examined in the present study is likely substantially lower than current exposure guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hyland
authors.affiliation: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Blaine
authors.affiliation: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, USA.|Southern Nevada Water Authority, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
authors.forename: Eric R V
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Dickenson
authors.affiliation: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Higgins
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D018556:Crops, Agricultural; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis; D031985:Fragaria / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018545:Lactuca / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000032:analysis; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005411:Flame Retardants; D010755:Organophosphates; D062065:Wastewater; C012085:tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate
keywords: Accumulation; Emerging contaminants; Reclaimed water