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A STUDY ON THE ACCUMULATION OF PERCHLORATE IN YOUNG HEAD LETTUCE
Citation:
HUTCHINSON, S. L. A STUDY ON THE ACCUMULATION OF PERCHLORATE IN YOUNG HEAD LETTUCE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-03/003 (NTIS PB2005-105427), 2004.
Impact/Purpose:
Elucidate and model the underlying processes (physical, chemical, enzymatic, biological, and geochemical) that describe the species-specific transformation and transport of organic contaminants and nutrients in environmental and biological systems. Develop and integrate chemical behavior parameterization models (e.g., SPARC), chemical-process models, and ecosystem-characterization models into reactive-transport models.
Description:
The overall objective of this study was to demonstrate in a greenhouse study the potential for incorporation of perchlorate from aqueous solutions of 10, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 ppb into an agricultural food crop (lettuce; Lactuca sativa), which is typically grown under irrigated conditions. A sand matrix amended with water containing known amounts of perchlorate was used as the growth medium to accentuate uptake. The successful demonstration of the uptake and accumulation of perchlorate by lettuce in the greenhouse study was seen as information that other researchers could use in further research on uptake of perchlorate by lettuce grown under field conditions.