Pharmaceuticals in edible crops irrigated with reclaimed wastewater: Evidence from a large survey in Israel

JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

卷:416

Article

Mordechay, Evyatar Ben¹  Mordehay, Vered¹  Tarchitzky, Jorge¹  Chefetz, Benny¹ 

[1] Hebrew Univ Jerusalem, Robert H Smith Fac Agr Food & Environm, Inst Environm Sci, Dept Soil & Water Sci, POB 12, IL-7610001 Rehovot, Israel

关键词: Water reuse;    Plant uptake;    Wastewater treatment;    Contaminants of emerging concern;    Effluents;    Treated wastewater;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126184

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are continuously introduced into the agroecosystem via reclaimed wastewater irrigation, a common agricultural practice in water-scarce regions. Although reclaimed wastewater irrigated crops are sold and consumed, only limited information is available on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and other CECs in edible produce. Here, we report data on CECs in irrigation water, soils, and crops collected from 445 commercial fields irrigated with reclaimed wastewater in Israel. The following produce were analyzed: leafy greens, carrot, potato, tomato, orange, tangerine, avocado, and banana. Pharmaceuticals and CECs were found in quantifiable levels in all irrigation water, soils, and plants (>99.6%). Leafy greens exhibited the largest number and the highest concentration of pharmaceuticals. Within the same crop, contamination levels varied due to wastewater source and quality of treatment, and soil characteristics. Anticonvulsants (carbamazepine, lamotrigine, and gabapentin) were the most dominant therapeutic group found in the reclaimed wastewater-soil-plant continuum. Antimicrobials were detected in similar to 85% of the water and soil samples, however they exhibited low detection frequencies and concentrations in produce. Irrigation with reclaimed wastewater should be limited to crops where the risk for pharmaceutical transfer to the food chain is minimal.

【 授权许可】

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