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Uptake of Emerging Contaminants and Pathogens by Plants: Use and Impact of Wastewater
Summary
This review examines how emerging contaminants—including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and pathogens—are taken up by plants irrigated with treated wastewater. The authors find that plant uptake depends on root morphology, contaminant properties, and treatment level, and conclude that risks to food safety from wastewater reuse remain insufficiently characterized.
Water is a scarce resource for several geographical regions around the world and this causes a shortage of water supply for irrigation purposes. A suitable alternative for achieving water management and security, without compromising agricultural productivity, can be the use of treated wastewater (TWW) with some degree of treatment. However, this practice may contribute to the dissemination of emerging contaminants (ECs) into the environment, a matter of global concern. Uptake of ECs (such as microplastics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), pharmaceuticals, personal care products, etc.) by the edible plant parts may result in their entry in the food chain, with associated human exposure. The use of poorly treated or untreated wastewater for the irrigation of agricultural crops results in the uptake and deposition of ECs and other toxic elements in plants and soils. This practice also exposes the soil, plants (and farmers) to pathogens, resulting in health hazards to human beings.
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