Plant uptake of some pharmaceuticals commonly present in sewage sludge compost (original) (raw)
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Plant uptake of some pharmaceuticals from fertilized soils
Land application of sewage sludge can be a source of the contamination of food plants by pharmaceutical products. In this study the uptake of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, sulfadimethoxine and sulfamethoxazole from soil into lettuce was demonstrated. In spite of this phenomenon the concentrations of the studied pharmaceuticals were clearly low in the plant samples, if compared to their concentrations in soil.
African Journal of Agricultural Research, 2013
Sewage sludge compost can be a source of nutrients for plants and contamination by pharmaceutical products. In this study the presence of some widely used pharmaceuticals in sewage sludge and its compost-namely ciprofloxacin C17H18FN3O3, ofloxacin C18H20FN3O4, norfloxacin C16H18FN3O3, sulfadimethoxine C12H14N4O4S and sulfamethoxazole C10H11N3O3S-was shown. In several sewage sludge samples their concentrations exceeded the relevant trigger values for manure. The highest concentrations of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and norfloxacin in the compost ready for commercialization sufficiently exceeded the threshold concentration-1 µg/kg-for pharmaceuticals in soil. The values of the highest detected concentrations of these pharmaceuticals in compost were respectively 70, 64 and 8 µg/kg. The uptake of these pharmaceuticals was demonstrated from both sandy and loamy soils into food plants such as carrot (Daucus carota L), potato (Solanum tuberosum L) and wheat (Triticum vulgare L).
Journal of Environmental Management, 2019
Sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants, which may contain various contaminants including pharmaceuticals, is often used as a soil amendment. These contaminants may subsequently be taken up by plants. In the present study we examined uptake of select pharmaceuticals from sewage sludge applied to soils by spinach plants. Seven soils were amended with sewage sludge from two wastewater treatment plants (A and B). Concentrations of compounds in plant tissues (roots and leaves) of spinach planted 45 days in these soils under greenhouse conditions were evaluated after harvest. The largest bioaccumulation in the roots and leaves was observed for sertraline (bioaccumulation factors (BAF) of 3.3-37.9 and 1-13.4, respectively), tramadol (1.3-10.0 and 4.8-30.0), and carbamazepine (2.2-17.2 and 6.1-48.8) and its metabolite carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide (not-quantified to 7.3 and 9.3-96.7). Elevated bioaccumulation in spinach roots was also identified for telmisartan (3.0-20.3) and miconazole (4.3-15.1), and leaves for metoprolol acid (not-quantified to 24.3). BAF values resulting from application of sludge B were similar to or moderately higher than BAFs from sludge A. The BAF values of carbamazepine and carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide in all tissues were negatively correlated with soil cation exchange capacity (CEC). This negative correlation between BAF and CEC was also observed for tramadol (A-roots and B-leaves), citalopram (B-roots), and telmisartan (B-roots) or between BAF and clay content for metoprolol acid (A-leaves and B-roots), tramadol (B-roots and A-leaves) and venlafaxine (B-roots). However, in the case of some other compounds (i.e. sertraline, amitriptyline, mirtazapine, metoprolol), uptake and the subsequent translocation and transformation from 3 soils of a higher pH and base cation saturation (Stagnic Chernozem Siltic, Haplic Chernozem and Greyic Phaeozem) significantly differed from 4 soils with a lower pH and base cation saturation (Haplic Luvisol, Haplic Cambisol, Dystric Cambisol and Arenosol Epieutric). Such observations proved strong compound dependent influences of soil conditions on various compounds bioaccumulations in plants and necessity of studying these processes always in diverse soils.
Enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin uptake by plants from soil
Abstract. Very small amounts of pharmaceuticals present in everyday food may generate strains of resistant microorganisms in human and animal organisms. This study involves the uptake and accumulation of some widely used fluoroquinolones – enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin – by plants cultivated in soil augmented with drugs using the microbiological agar diffusion method. Bacillus subtilis was used as the test bacterium. The three plants chosen for the experiment were lettuce (Lactuca sativa), common barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), which were cultivated in a laboratory in soils mixed with enroor ciprofloxacin at nominal concentrations of 500, 200, 50 and 10 μg/g. The concentrations of fluoroquinolones remained unchanged in the soil during the experiment. The presence of enrofloxacin was detected in all plants grown at enrofloxacin concentrations of 500, 200 and 50 μg/g. The presence of ciprofloxacin was only detected in barley and cucumber grown in soil w...
Degradation of some pharmaceuticals during sewage sludge composting
The fate of five antibiotics was studied during sewage sludge composting. These pharmaceutic als were fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin C 17 H 18 FN 3 O 3 , norfloxacin C 16 H 18 FN 3 O 3 and ofloxacin C 18 H 20 FN 3 O 4) and sulfonamides (sulfadimethoxine C 12 H 14 N 4 O 4 S and sulfamethoxazole C 10 H 11 N 3 O 3 S). Different composting technologies were applied. The selection of drugs was made considering the extent of consumption, resistance in soil and the results of plant uptake studies. The presence of these substances in sewage sludge and possible accumulation in plants are acknowledged, but little information is available on their degradation. No systematic work concerning biodegradation of pharmaceuticals when using different sewage sludge composting technologies has been published. This study shows that composting remarkably reduces the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals. In most experiments their concentrations decreased by 95% or more during 4 months of composting. The best results were obtained when the sludge was mixed with sawdust. In the case of using straw or peat instead the decomposition rates were lower.
Journal of Environment Quality, 2015
With rising demands on water supplies necessitating water reuse, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent is often used to irrigate agricultural lands. Emerging contaminants, like pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), are frequently found in effluent due to limited removal during WWTP processes. Concern has arisen about the environmental fate of PPCPs, especially regarding plant uptake. The aim of this study was to analyze uptake of sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, ofloxacin, and carbamazepine in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants that were spray-irrigated with WWTP effluent. Wheat was collected before and during harvest, and plants were divided into grain and straw. Subsamples were rinsed with methanol to remove compounds adhering to surfaces. All plant tissues underwent liquid-solid extraction, solid-phase extraction cleanup, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Residues of each compound were present on most plant surfaces. Ofloxacin was found throughout the plant, with higher concentrations in the straw (10.2 ± 7.05 ng g −1) and lower concentrations in the grain (2.28 ± 0.89 ng g −1). Trimethoprim was found only on grain or straw surfaces, whereas carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole were concentrated within the grain (1.88 ± 2.11 and 0.64 ± 0.37 ng g −1 , respectively). These findings demonstrate that PPCPs can be taken up into wheat plants and adhere to plant surfaces when WWTP effluent is spray-irrigated. The presence of PPCPs within and on the surfaces of plants used as food sources raises the question of potential health risks for humans and animals.
Uptake of Three Pharmaceuticals by Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from Contaminated Soils
Baghdad Science Journal
The ability of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to uptake three pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, mefenamic acid and metronidazole) from two types of soil (clay and sandy soil) was investigated in this study to explore the human exposure to these pharmaceuticals via the consumption of beans. A pot experiment was conducted with beans plants which were grown in two types of soil for six weeks under controlled conditions. During the experiment period, the soil pore water was collected weekly and the concentrations of the test compounds in soil pore water as well as in plant organs (roots, stems and leaves) were weekly determined. The results showed that the studied pharmaceuticals were detected in all plant tissues; their concentrations in plant roots were higher than plant stems and leaves. The extent level and accumulation of the studied pharmaceuticals in sandy soil was higher than the clay soil. The concentration of diclofenac in plant tissues was higher than both of mefenamic acid and met...
Mobility of Veterinary Drugs in Soil with Application of Manure Compost
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2011
Sulfonamides and tetracyclines are pharmaceuticals widely used to treat human and animal diseases. They are of considerable concern in Korea because of the potential risk of residues in aquatic and terrestrial environments. This study investigated the mobility of veterinary drugs in the soil column with the application of manure compost to assess the risk of groundwater contamination by leaching in the Korean agricultural environment. The degree of sulfonamides and tetracyclines mobility, measured by the concentration of leachates from silty loam soil for 9 days, was observed being on the first day of this study, in the order sulfathiazole, sulfamethazine [ sulfamethoxazole [ chlortetracycline [ oxytetracycline, and the sulfonamides concentrations were about ten times higher than the tetracyclines concentrations with continuous leaching. The results indicate that sulfonamides pose a high risk of ground and surface water contamination and tetracyclines have the potential to persist in soils with bioactive epimers.
Uptake of veterinary medicines from soils into plants
Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 2006
Medicines play an important role in the treatment and prevention of disease. Whereas the side effects on human and animal health resulting directly from treatment have been widely documented, only recently have the occurrence and fate of medicines in the environment and the potential consequences for human health been recognized as an issue warranting consideration. Medicines have been shown to be released to soils and to persist in the environment. This study was performed to investigate the potential for a range of veterinary medicines to be taken up from soil by plants used for human consumption and to assess the potential significance of this exposure route in terms of human health. Soil analyses indicated that, for selected substances, measurable residues of these are likely to occur in soils for at least 5 months following application of manure containing these compounds. Experimental studies on the uptake of veterinary medicines into carrot roots (tubers) and lettuce leaves showed that only florfenicol, levamisole, and trimethoprim were taken up by lettuces, whereas diazinon, enrofloxacin, florfenicol, and trimethoprim were detected in carrot roots. Measured concentrations in plant material were used to model potential adult human exposure to these compounds. Although exposure concentrations were appreciable in a few instances, accounting for ∼10% of the acceptable daily intake values (ADI), all were lower than the ADI values, indicating that, at least for compounds with properties similar to those considered here, there is little evidence of an appreciable risk. This exposure route may, however, be important when veterinary medicines have a very low ADI, at which they elicit subtle effects over prolonged periods, or when exposure is occurring via a number of routes at once. Although degradation products (produced in the soil or the plant) were not measured, it is possible for some substances that these could increase the risks to consumers.
Journal of environmental management, 2012
In this work, the distribution and the ecotoxicological risk of sixteen pharmaceutically active compounds belonging to seven different therapeutic groups (five anti-inflammatory drugs, two antibiotics, an anti-epileptic drug, a β-blocker, a nervous stimulant, four estrogens and two lipid regulators) have been studied in sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants. Only three of the sixteen pharmaceutical compounds were never detected in sludge while eleven of the studied pharmaceuticals were still detected in compost. Mean concentration levels of the pharmaceutically active compounds ranged between 24.9 and 4105 μg/kg dm, 14.5-944 μg/kg dm, 3.29-636 μg/kg dm and 9.19-974 μg/kg dm in primary, secondary, digested sludge and compost, respectively. An increase in the concentration levels of most of the pharmaceuticals was observed from summer to winter (mean values in primary and secondary sludge were 304 and 85.1 μg/kg dm in summer and 435 and 175 μg/kg dm in winter, respectively) p...