Could Uptake and Acropetal Translocation of PBDEs by Corn Be Enhanced Following Cu Exposure? Evidence from a Root Damage Experiment

Abstract

Cocontamination by heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is ubiquitous in the environment. Fate of POPs within soil/water-plant system is a significant concern and an area where much uncertainty still exists when plants suffered cotoxicity from POPs and metals. This study investigated the fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) when copper (Cu) was present within the soil/water-plant system using pot and hydroponic experiments. The presence of Cu was found to induce damage to the root cell membranes of corn (Zea mays L. cv. Nongda 108) with increasing concentration in both shoots and roots. The PBDE congeners BDE209 and BDE47 in shoots were also enhanced with the increasing electrolytic leakage from root, attributed to Cu damage, and the highest shoot BDE209 and BDE47 levels were observed under the highest Cu dosage. In addition, positive correlations were observed between the PBDE content of corn shoots and the electrolytic leakage of corn roots. These results indicated that within a defective root system, more PBDEs will penetrate the roots and are acropetally translocated in the shoots. The potential ecological risk associated with the translocation and accumulation of POPs into plant shoots needs careful reconsideration in media cocontaminated with metals and POPs, whereas often ignored or underestimated in environmental risk assessments.

Distribution and Chiral Signatures of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Soils and Vegetables around an e-Waste Recycling Site

“…Plant extracts (prewashed with sulfuric acid) and soils were purified using a multilayer column containing, from the bottom to top, neutral alumina (3% deactivated), neutral silica gel (3% deactivated), 50% (w/w) sulfuric acid−silica gel, and anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 , with 20 mL hexane/DCM (1:1, v/v) as an eluent. After evaporation to approximately 50 μL, 13 C-PCB 141 was added as an internal standard prior to instrumental analysis.…”

“…11 More importantly, root physiological status has been shown to be an important factor in plant uptake of PBDEs and PCBs, with more PBDEs and PCBs penetrating roots and being translocated to shoots in a defective root system damaged by copper addition. 12,13 Hence, the distribution of POPs in soil and the corresponding plant uptake of POPs from contaminated sites is an important topic for investigation, especially in the presence of other pollutants such as heavy metals and organic pollutants in the current study area.…”

Uptake and translocation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals by maize from soil irrigated with wastewater

“…Meanwhile, the electrostatic interaction or formation of hydrogen bond on soil clays also contributes to PAHs adsorption 101 , which is influenced by heavy metals. Another possible mechanism is that heavy metals might damage root cell membrane in defective root system, which significantly enhances the uptake of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) by maize 39 . For the first time, our work reports the similar behaviour in maize cultivated in farmlands irrigated with wastewater, and the findings further suggest that the impacts of heavy metals on PAHs uptake are negligible and might even be the main driven force in agricultural soils with PAHs-metal co-contamination or irrigated with wastewater.…”

“…Since PAHs and heavy metals are both dominant contaminants in industrial wastewater, the wastewater irrigated soils are posed to co-contamination which might change the behaviour of both contaminants in soil-to-root system. Cu is reported to enhance the translocation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in maize, attributing to the root damage caused by Cu ions 39 . However, information is very limited about acropetal translocation of a series of compounds with intermediate and high lipophilicity by plants, particularly in field-contaminated soils.…”

Soil ecotoxicity of seven endocrine‐disrupting chemicals: a review

“…Wang et al . () investigated the effects of PBDEs in soil and water containing copper (Cu) using maize ( Z. mays ). There was significant inhibition in the growth of roots and shoots, particularly of shoots, and BDE‐47 caused greater growth inhibition than BDE‐209.…”