The effect of PFOs on the uptake and translocation of emerging contaminants by crops cultivated under soil and soilless conditions

The Mediterranean is a region of substantial agriculture production that faces concurrent environmental stresses and freshwater pollution given the occurrence of emerging contaminants (ECs). Among these pollutants, the surface-active substances have been suggested to enhance the bioavailability of other ECs. This research evaluates a comparative uptake and translocation assessment of irrigation exposure to atenolol (ATN, 60 µg/L), carbamazepine (CBZ, 60 µg/L) and triclosan (TCS, 30 µg/L) alone vs. these combined with perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS, 10 µg/L) under semifield (i.e., soil experimental set) vs. hydroponics (i.e., soilless experimental set) growing conditions with lettuce, radish and tomato plants. Both experimental sets revealed efficient root uptake and translocation for the three ECs regardless of their co-existence with PFOS. The overall results of the uptake and translocation of the ECs in the lettuce and tomato plants suggested a simultaneous treatment-plant organ interaction, which was not affected by PFOS being present in both experimental sets. PFOS in irrigation water did not increase cellular perviousness to the other three ECs. These observations support the hypothesis of factors other than PFOS being responsible for the differential bioaccumulation and translocation potentials seen in both experimental sets. However, the radish plants co-irrigated with PFOS brought about increased movement of ECs from roots to aerial parts, more specifically ATN and CBZ in the soil experimental set, and ATN and TCS in the soilless set. These results support the notion that factors inherent to the physiological characteristics of this root vegetable contributed to ECs' increased tendency to move from roots to aerial parts. Despite the three ECs efficiently accumulating, the risk to humans from eating the edible parts of these plants grown under soil or soilless conditions was low.