1. Fate and Transport of Bisphenol A, F and S in Soil and Potatoes Irrigated with Wastewater
Mawof, Ali1; Prasher, Shiv1; ElSayed, Eman1; Bayen, Stephane2; Nzediegwu,Christopher1 and Dhiman, Jaskaran1
1Department of Bioresource Engineering, 2 Department of Food Science, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, H9X 3V9, QC, Canada
Abstract
Samples were taken from topsoil, and at depths of 0.10 m and 0.30 m from the surface on a 10-day interval, following each irrigation event (Fig. 2). Soil samples and harvested potato tubers were extracted and bisphenol levels were assessed by a Quantum Triple Quadrupole Instrument.
Bisphenols have the ability to disrupt the endocrine system and cause harmful health effects in humans. Crops’ potential uptake and distribution of bisphenol A and bisphenol F in their tissues, along with bisphenol transport through soil need to be closely examined. Therefore, the focus of this study was to (i) investigate the fate and transport of bisphenol A, F and S in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers grown in soil, irrigated with untreated bisphenol-tainted wastewater; (ii) examine the effect of three amendments, plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.) peel biochar, super absorbent polymer (SAP) as well as both biochar and SAP, in reducing plant uptake and soil pollution. A four-month study in field lysimeters, each housing a potato plant, was conducted to investigate these goals. None of the tested bisphenols was found in the flesh of potato tubers after harvest. However, the concentration of bisphenols in topsoil increased over the growing season, indicating the cumulative effect on the soil. The biochar treatment showed a higher bisphenol removal efficiency (45%) than the other treatments.
At the end of the growing season, high (> 200 µg/kg) bisphenol A, F and S concentrations were detected at the soil surface, with lesser amounts measured in PPB and SAP +PPB treated soils.
At a depth of 0.10 m, fairly low (<40 µg/kg) concentrations of bisphenol A, F and S were measured
No detectable levels of bisphenol A, F or S were detected in the flesh or peels of the tubers
Fig 1. Outdoor lysimeter
Fig 2. Soil sampling from lysimeter
Results
Conclusions
Methods
Bisphenol A, F and S showed a potential to accumulate at the soil surface over the growing season.
Bisphenol A, F and S showed a low transport potential through the soil profile, indicating a lower risk of ground water contamination.
No Bisphenol A, F or S could be detected in the flesh of potato irrigated with wastewater containing bisphenol A, F and S.
Potatoes (cv. Russet Burbank) were planted in a sandy soil in PVC lysimeters (Fig. 1), amended with plantain peel biochar (PPB), super absorbent polymer (SAP), both or neither (Control). Synthetic untreated wastewater was applied to all the treatments. Along with other inorganic and organic contaminants, bisphenol A, F and S were present in the wastewater mixture at a concentration of 50 µg L-1.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to IC-IMPACTS, Canada - India Research Center of Excellence for funding this project