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PERCHLORATE CROP INTERACTIONS VIA CONTAMINATED IRRIGATION WATER
Citation:
Lewis Hutchinson, S, S. Susarla, AND S C. McCutcheon. PERCHLORATE CROP INTERACTIONS VIA CONTAMINATED IRRIGATION WATER. Presented at 20th Annual Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, November 14-18, 1999.
Description:
Perchlorate has contaminated water and sods at several locations in the United States. Perchlorate is water soluble, exceedingly mobile in aqueous systems, and can persist for many decades under typical ground- and surface water conditions. Perchlorate is of concern because of uncertainties about toxicity and health effects from low levels in drinking water, the impact on ecosystems, and possible indirect exposure pathways for humans from agricultural and other activities. To determine the impact of irrigating crops with contaminated water, a greenhouse study was conducted using tomato and green pepper plants. Both surface and subsurface irrigation application techniques were simulated with 3 replicates of each treatment. Four Perchlorate concentrations, 0.02mg/L, 0.2 mg/L, 2.0 mg/L, and 20.0 mg/L, and a zero control, were applied to the vegetation. At maturity, the plant was separated by leaves, stems, roots, and fruit. Plant tissue was analyzed for Perchlorate uptake, accumulation, and transformation products.