You are here:
Method Development and Application to Determine Potential Plant Uptake of Antibiotics and Other Drugs in Irrigated Crop Production Systems
Citation:
JONES-LEPP, T. L., C. A. Sanchez, T. Moy, AND R. Kazemi. Method Development and Application to Determine Potential Plant Uptake of Antibiotics and Other Drugs in Irrigated Crop Production Systems . JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 58(22):11568-11573, (2011).
Impact/Purpose:
Diminishing fresh water supplies has prompted a “use and reuse” practice where water is often used, treated, and released back into a reservoir or river, before being reused again as drinking water by the same or downstream communities (1-3). In the southwestern part of the United States, increasing demands on scarce water resources has forced water authorities to look for alternative water resources. Some water authorities use treated wastewater effluent for injection into groundwater aquifers, for the purpose of pumping it out later and re-use as drinking water, with further treatment (4). Other municipalities use treated wastewater effluent for non-potable water reuse, e.g., watering of golf courses and municipal green spaces, as well as a source of irrigation water for crops (5). Of concern are the reports of numerous pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants (ECs) found in these waters. This issue was highlighted by Kolpin et al. (6), who found at least one emerging contaminant in 80% of the 139 streams sampled across the United States. Rowe et al. (7) reported that at least one EC was present in 76% of shallow urban wells sampled in the Great and Little Miami River Basins in Ohio and found that the number of ECs detected increased with increasing urban land use. While urban streams are impacted by contamination due to the concentration of people and potential point sources, surface and groundwater systems in rural areas can also be at risk due to less efficient waste treatment systems and non-point source contamination from agricultural practices (8, 9).
Description:
Recent studies have shown the detection of pharmaceuticals in surface waters across the United States. The objective of this study was to develop methods, and apply them, to evaluate the potential for food chain transfer when pharmaceutical containing wastewaters are used for crop irrigation. Greenhouse experiments were performed where selected food crops were irrigated with water spiked with three antibiotics. Field experiments were conducted, where selected crops were irrigated with treated wastewater effluent or Colorado River water. Finally, bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) hay was harvested, from a field receiving biosolids as fertilizer amendments and evaluated for potential uptake. The results of the greenhouse studies show the potential for uptake of one or more of the antibiotics evaluated, albeit at very low-levels. In those food crops watered with treated wastewater effluent only, n,n’-dimethylphenethylamine was consistently found. None of the evaluated contaminants were found in crops irrigated with Colorado River water. Azithromycin, clindamycin, and n,n’- dimethylphenethylamine were observed in the roots of the bermuda grass hay.
URLs/Downloads:
jafcau
JONES 10-064 FINAL JOURNAL ARTICLE METHOD APPLIC CROP UPTAKE PHARMACEUTICALS JONESLEPP 092710.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 323 KB, about PDF)