Bioconcentration of triclosan, methyl-triclosan, and triclocarban in the plants and sediments of a constructed wetland

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 88; no. 3; pp. 323 - 329
• Main Authors: Zarate, Frederick M., Schulwitz, Sarah E., Stevens, Kevin J., Venables, Barney J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anti-Infective Agents, Local - isolation & purification; Anti-Infective Agents, Local - metabolism; antimicrobial agents; Applied sciences; Aquatic plants; bioaccumulation; Bioconcentration; Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment of waters; Biotechnology; Carbanilides - isolation & purification; Carbanilides - metabolism; Constructed wetland; constructed wetlands; Construction; Construction specifications; detection limit; Effluents; Environment and pollution; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General purification processes; Geologic Sediments - analysis; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; macrophytes; Methyl-triclosan; personal care products; phenol; plant tissues; Plants (organisms); Plants - metabolism; Pollution; Pontederia cordata; Roots; Sagittaria; Sediments; shoots; species differences; Texas; Triclocarban; Triclosan; Triclosan - analogs & derivatives; Triclosan - isolation & purification; Triclosan - metabolism; Typha latifolia; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Waste water; Wastewaters; Water Pollutants, Chemical - isolation & purification; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water treatment and pollution; wetland plants; Wetlands; Triclocarban; Triclosan; Methyl-triclosan; Constructed wetland; Bioconcentration; Aquatic plants; Emerging contaminant; Pollutant behavior; Metabolite; Endocrine disruptor; Sediments; Organic chlorine compounds; Antimicrobial agent; Biological purification; Artificial medium; Phenols; Aquatic plant; Biological accumulation; Waste water purification; Degradation product; Wetland; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.03.005

► We examine the accumulation of PPCPs in an operational constructed wetland. ► We report the accumulation of TCS, MTCS, and TCC in wetland plants and sediments. ► Plant uptake of target compounds showed species and tissue specific differences. ► Bioconcentration patterns varied from inflow to outflow in the constructed wetland. Constructed wetlands are a potential method for the removal of two pharmaceutical and personal care products from wastewater effluent. Triclosan (TCS; 5-chloro-2-[2,4-dichlorophenoxy]phenol) and triclocarban (TCC; 3,4,4′-trichlorocarbanillide) are antimicrobial agents added to a variety of consumer products whose accumulation patterns in constructed wetlands are poorly understood. Here, we report the accumulation of TCS, its metabolite methyl-triclosan (MTCS; 5-chloro-2-[2,4-dichlorophenoxy]), and TCC in wetland plant tissues and sediments. Three wetland macrophytes: Typha latifolia, Pontederia cordata, and Sagittaria graminea were sampled from a constructed wetland in Denton, Texas, USA. MTCS concentrations were below the method detection limit (MDL) for all species. TCS root tissue concentrations in T. latifolia were significantly greater than root concentrations in P. cordata (mean±SE in ngg−1: 40.3±11.3 vs. 15.0±1.9, respectively), while for TCC, shoot tissue concentrations in S. graminea were significantly greater than in T. latifolia (22.8±9.3 vs. 9.0 (MDL), respectively). For both TCS and TCC, T. latifolia root tissue concentrations were significantly greater than shoot concentrations (TCS: 40.3±11.3 vs. 17.2±0.2, TCC: 26.0±3.6 vs. 9.0, (MDL)). TCC concentrations in P. cordata roots were significantly greater than in shoots (34.4±5.3 vs. 15.4±2.8, respectively). TCS concentrations in T. latifolia roots and sediments and TCC concentrations in sediments generally decreased from wetland inflow to outflow. To our knowledge, this is the first study documenting species and tissue specific differences in the accumulation of TCS and TCC in plants from an operational constructed wetland. The species specific differences in bioaccumulation suggest TCS and TCC removal from constructed wetlands could be enhanced through targeted plantings.