The fate of contaminants of emerging concern in wastewater-irrigated cherry trees: a preliminary assessment

Climate change is limiting the availability of conventional irrigation water sources. The adoption of wastewater reuse could be a valid alternative to face irrigation water shortages. Unfortunately, current wastewater purification plants are often not equipped to eliminate contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Consequently, treated wastewater used for crop irrigation could pollute soils and plants with unknown effects of accumulation, biodegradation, and ab-/adsorption. The present study evaluates, on potted cherry trees irrigated with municipal treated wastewater, the potential accumulation/translocation of CECs in soil and plant matrices. From 17 CECs found in the wastewater, only a few were found at a concentration above 2 µg/L (i.e., Candesartan and Hydrochlorothiazide). Furthermore, only Candesartan and Hydrochlorothiazide were detected in the soil medium, while no CECs were found in plant tissues (leaf). Further studies are necessary to better understand the different CECs behavior and pathways in the water-soil-plant continuum. This should go together with an implementation of analytical methods for the detection of CECs and related metabolites.