Skip to main content
Log in

Simulation of the plant uptake of organophosphates and other emerging pollutants for greenhouse experiments and field conditions

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The uptake of the organophosphates tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP), tributyl phosphate (TBP), the insect repellant N,N-diethyl toluamide (DEET), and the plasticizer n-butyl benzenesulfonamide (NBBS) into plants was studied in greenhouse experiments and simulated with a dynamic physiological plant uptake model. The calibrated model was coupled to a tipping buckets soil transport model and a field scenario with sewage sludge application was simulated. High uptake of the polar, low-volatile compounds TCEP, TCPP, and DEET into plants was found, with highest concentrations in straw (leaves and stem). Uptake into carrot roots was high for TCPP and TBP. NBBS showed no high uptake but was rapidly degraded. Uptake into barley seeds was small. The pattern and levels of uptake could be reproduced by the model simulations, which indicates mainly passive uptake and transport (i.e., by the transpiration stream, with the water) into and within the plants. Also the field simulations predicted a high uptake from soil into plants of TCEP, TCPP, and DEET, while TBP is more likely taken up from air. The BCF values measured and calculated in the greenhouse study are in most cases comparable to the calculated values of the field scenario, which demonstrates that greenhouse studies can be suitable for predicting the behavior of chemicals in the field. Organophosphates have a high potential for bioaccumulation in crops and reach agricultural fields both via sewage sludge and by atmospheric deposition.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.

References

  • ACD Advanced Chemistry Development (2010). ACD/i-lab 2.0. Toronto, 2010.

  • Andresen JA, Grundmann A, Bester K (2004) Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticisers in surface waters. Sci Total Environ 332:155–166

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aronson D, Weeks J, Guiney PD, Howard PH (2011) Environmental release, environmental concentrations, and ecological risk of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET). Integr Environ Assess Manag 8:135–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bester K (2005) Comparison of TCPP concentrations in sludge and wastewater in a typical German sewage treatment plant—comparison of sewage sludge from 20 plants. J Environ Monit 7:509–513

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Briggs GG, Bromilow RH, Evans AA (1982) Relationship between lipophilicity and root uptake and translocation of non-ionised chemicals by barley. Pestic Sci 13:495–504

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eggen T, Asp TN, Grave K, Hormazabal V (2011) Uptake and translocation of metformin, ciprofloxacin and narasin in forage and crop plants. Chemosphere 85:26–33

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eggen T, Heimstad ES, Stuanes AO, Norli HR (2012) Uptake and translocation of organophosphates and other emerging contaminants in food and forage crops. Environ Sci Pollut Res. (in press)

  • European Commission (2009) EU risk assessment report, tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate, TCEP Draft, 2009.

  • Fries E, Mihajlovic I (2011) Pollution of soils with organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers. J Environ Monit 13:2692–2694

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Green N, Schlabach M, Bakke T, Brevik EM, Dye C, Herzke D, Huber S, Plosz B, Remberger M, Schøyen M, Uggerud HT, Vogelsang C (2008) Screening of selected metals and new organic contaminants 2007. NIVA report no. 5569–2008

  • Huppert N, Würtele M, Hahn HH (1998) Determination of the plasticizer N-butylbenzenesulfonamide and the pharmaceutical Ibuprofen in wastewater using solid phase microextraction (SPME). Fresenius J Anal Chem 362:529–536

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kolpin DW, Furlong ET, Meyer MT, Thurman EM, Zaugg SD, Barber LB, Buxton HT (2002) Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, 1999–2000: a national reconnaissance. Environ Sci Technol 36:1202–1211

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • KLIF Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency (2011) Screening of organophosphor flame retardants 2010. Norway, Report No. 1091/2011

  • Legind CN, Trapp S (2009) Modeling the exposure of children and adults via diet to chemicals in the environment with crop-specific models. Environ Pollut 157:778–785

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Legind CN, Kennedy CM, Rein A, Snyder N, Trapp S (2011) Dynamic plant uptake model applied for drip irrigation of an insecticide to pepper fruit plants. Pest Manage Sci 67(5):521–527

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Legind CN, Rein A, Serre J, Brochier V, Haudin C-S, Cambier P, Houot S, Trapp S (2012) Simultaneous simulations of uptake into plants and leaching to groundwater of cadmium and lead for arable land amended with organic waste. PLoS one Public Library of Science 7(10):e47002

  • Marklund A, Andersson B, Haglund P (2005) Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in Swedish Sewage Treatment Plants. Environ Sci Technol 39:7423–7429

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McKone TE, Maddalena RL (2007) Plant uptake of organic pollutants from soil: bioconcentration estimates based on models and experiments. Environ Toxicol Chem 26:2494–2504

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer J, Bester K (2004) Organophosphate flame retardants and plasticisers in wastewater treatment plants. J Environ Monit 6:599–605

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mihajlovic I, Miloradov MV, Fries E (2011) Application of Twisselmann extraction, SPME, and GC-MS to assess input sources for organophosphate esters into Soil. Environ Sci Technol 45:2264–2269

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mikes O, Cupr P, Trapp S, Klanova J (2009) Uptake of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides from soil and air into radishes (Raphanus sativus). Environ Pollut 157:488–496

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Möller A, Sturm R, Xie Z, Cai M, He J, Ebinghaus R (2012) Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in airborne particles over the Northern Pacific and Indian Ocean toward the polar regions: Evidence for global occurrence. Environ Sci Technol doi:10.1021/es204272v

  • Reemtsma T, Weiss S, Mueller J, Petrovic M, Gonzalez S, Barcelo D, Ventura F, Knepper T (2006) Polar pollutants entry into the water cycle by municipal wastewater: a European perspective. Environ Sci Technol 40:5451–5458

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reemtsma T, Quintana JB, Rodil R, García-López M, Rodríguez I (2008) Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in water and air I. Occurrence and fate. Trends in Anal Chem 27(9):727–737

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Regnery J, Püttmann W (2009) Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in rain and snow from Middle Germany. Clean 37(4–5):334–342

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rein A, Legind CN, Trapp S (2011) New concepts for dynamic plant uptake models. SAR QSAR Environ Res 22(1–2):191–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Rippen G (1991) Handbuch Umweltchemikalien. ecomed, Landsberg am Lech. Ecomed Verlagsgesellschaft AG&Co KG, Germany

  • Ryan JA, Bell RM, Davidson JM, O'Connor GA (1988) Plant uptake of non-ionic organic chemicals from soils. Chemosphere 17:2299–2323

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas KV, Langford KH, Muthanna T, Schlabach M, Enge EK, Borgen A, Ghebremeskel M, Gundersen H, Leknes H, Uggerud H, Haglund P, Liao Z, Liltved H (2011) Occurrence of selected organic micropollutants and silver at wastewater treatment plants in Norway. NIVA report no. 6157–2011.

  • Trapp S, Mc Farlane JC, Matthies M (1994) Model for uptake of xenobiotics into plants—validation with bromacil experiments. Environ Toxicol Chem 13(3):413–422

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Trapp S, Matthies M (1995) Generic one-compartment model for uptake of organic chemicals by foliar vegetation. Environ Sci Technol 29(9):2333–2338, erratum 30, 360

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Trapp S, Matthies M (1998) Chemodynamics and environmental modeling. Springer, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Trapp S (2007) Fruit tree model for uptake of organic compounds from soil and air. SAR QSAR Environ Res 18(3–4):367–387

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Trapp S, Eggen T (2011) Experiments and simulations to plant uptake of emerging compounds. In: Presentation and discussion at the 3rd International Conference on Occurrence, Fate, Effects, and Analysis of Emerging Contaminants in the Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark, 23–26 August 2011

  • Trapp S, Legind C (2011) Uptake of organic contaminants from soil into vegetation. In: Swartjes F (ed) Dealing with contaminated sites from theory towards practical application. Springer, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Travis CC, Arms AD (1988) Bioconcentration of organics in beef, milk, and vegetation. Environ Sci Technol 22:271–274

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • VKM The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (2009) Risk assessment of contaminants in sewage sludge applied on Norwegian soils. Opinion from the Panel on Contaminants in the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety, Oslo

  • Weigel S, Kuhlmann J, Hühnerfuss H (2002) Drugs and personal care products as ubiquitous pollutants: occurrence and distribution of clofibric acid, caffeine and DEET in the North Sea. Sci Tot Environ 295:131–141

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu C, Spongberg AL, Witter JD, Fang M, Czajkowski KP (2010) Uptake of pharmaceutical and personal care products by soybean plants from soils applied with biosolids and irrigated with contaminated water. Environ Sci Technol 44:6157–6161

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded partly by the European Union, project PHARMAS (grant agreement No. 265 346 (modeling work)) and the Norwegian Research Council, the Food Program (1848339/I10 to TE; plant uptake experiments). We also thank Hans Ragnar Norli, Bioforsk, for analytical work and Isak Drozdik, Mette Hjermann, Henk Maessen, and Hans Martin Hanslin for their contribution throughout the growth experiment. Thanks to Sabine Houot, Philippe Cambier, Claire-Sophie Haudin (INRA), Jeanne Serre and Violaine Brochier (Veolia Environnement) for their cooperation (Feucherolles study, Legind et al. 2012). Thanks also to Arno Rein and Charlotte N. Legind for assistance with model implementation and parameterization and for Figure 1.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stefan Trapp.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Elena Maestri

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

ESM 1

(DOC 362 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Trapp, S., Eggen, T. Simulation of the plant uptake of organophosphates and other emerging pollutants for greenhouse experiments and field conditions. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 4018–4029 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1337-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1337-7

Keywords

Navigation