Uptake, Partitioning, and Accumulation of High and Low Rates of Carbamazepine in Hydroponically Grown Lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. capitata)

As potable water becomes limited, alternative water sources, such as reclaimed wastewater, for crop irrigation have gained attention. However, reclaimed wastewater for irrigation may expose edible crops to compounds of emerging concern (CECs), which may include pharmaceutics, hazardous waste, and volatile substances. Of these CECs, carbamazepine (CBZ) is of particular interest because only 7% of CBZ is filtered out during traditional wastewater treatment processing methods. Two trials were designed to evaluate the uptake and partitioning of CBZ in lettuce grown in a deep-water culture system (DWC) at low and high concentrations. The first trial (0 µg L^-1, 12.5 µg L^-1, 25 µg L^-1, and 50 µg L^-1) of CBZ had few effects on lettuce (<i>Lactuca sativa</i> var. <i>capitata</i>) growth, and low concentrations of accumulated CBZ were found in lettuce tissues. As a result, increased concentrations of CBZ were used in the second trial (0 mg L^-1, 21 mg L^-1, 41 mg L^-1, and 83 mg L^-1). Greater amounts of CBZ accumulated in plant tissues and the application of higher rates of CBZ negatively affected the growth and overall health of the lettuce. Further research is needed to determine the impacts of CECs on plant uptake and growth, as well as the environmental conditions.