A translocation analysis of organophosphate pesticides between surface water, sediments and tissues of common reed Phragmites australis

Chijioke Olisah; Gletwyn Rubidge; Lucienne R D Human; Janine B Adams

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131380

A translocation analysis of organophosphate pesticides between surface water, sediments and tissues of common reed Phragmites australis

Chemosphere. 2021 Dec:284:131380. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131380. Epub 2021 Jul 2.

Authors

Chijioke Olisah¹, Gletwyn Rubidge², Lucienne R D Human³, Janine B Adams⁴

Affiliations

¹ DSI/NRF Research Chair, Shallow Water Ecosystems, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa; Department of Botany, Institute of Coastal and Marine Research (CMR), Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa; Department of Chemistry, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Electronic address: olisah.chijioke@gmail.com.
² Department of Chemistry, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
³ Department of Botany, Institute of Coastal and Marine Research (CMR), Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa; South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) Elwandle Coastal Node Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
⁴ DSI/NRF Research Chair, Shallow Water Ecosystems, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa; Department of Botany, Institute of Coastal and Marine Research (CMR), Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

PMID: 34323801
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131380

Abstract

This study investigated the ability of common reed, Phragmites australis to take up organophosphate pesticides (OPPs). The study site was the agriculturally polluted Sundays Estuary in South Africa. Surface water, leaves, roots, and deep-rooted-sediments of P. australis were collected along the length of the estuary and analysed for 13 different OPPS. The extraction of OPPs in plant tissues was performed by QuEChERS method followed by GC-MS analysis. The highest concentration of OPPs was found in leaves (16.41-31.39 μg kg^-1 dw), followed by roots (13.92-30.88 μg kg^-1 dw), and sediments (3.30-8.07 μg kg^-1 dw). Of the 13 targeted OPPs, only one compound was not detected across the four sample matrices, thus reflecting widespread contamination in the Sundays Estuary. The biota sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) values of pyraclofos, quinalphos, fenitrothion, phosalone, EPN, diazinon, chlorpyrifos, pyrazophos, and isazophos were higher than one implying that P. australis possesses the ability to bioaccumulate these compounds. The root-leaf translocation factors (TF_r-l) of these pesticides were higher than 1, suggesting that P. australis possesses the capacity to move these pesticides from roots to leaves. The insignificant correlation observed between log BSAF and log K_ow and log TF_r-l and log K_ow implies that OPPs uptake by P. australis tissues were not dependent on log Kow. Our study demonstrates that P. australis possesses the potential to effectively remove OPPs from contaminated water and sediment.

Keywords: Organic contaminants; Phytoremediation; Plant tissues; Sundays estuary.

MeSH terms

Chlorpyrifos*
Pesticides* / analysis
Poaceae
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Pesticides
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Water
Chlorpyrifos