Susceptibility of Riparian Wetland Plants to Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Accumulation

• Published in: International journal of phytoremediation 2014, Vol.16 (9), p.926-936
• Main Authors: Mudumbi, J. B.N, Ntwampe, S. K.O, Muganza, M, Okonkwo, J. O
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Affinity; amphibians; Artemisia; bioaccumulation factor; bioconcentration factor (BCF); Biodegradation, Environmental; Caprylates - analysis; Caprylates - metabolism; Caprylates - toxicity; carbon; Carica; Chromatography; Contaminants; Contaminated sediments; Contamination; Cyperus; Cyperus congestus; Eichhornia crassipes; environmental impact; Ficus carica; Flowers & plants; Fluorocarbons - analysis; Fluorocarbons - metabolism; Fluorocarbons - toxicity; Freshwater; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; liquid chromatography; Magnoliopsida - drug effects; Magnoliopsida - metabolism; Maritime; Mass spectrometry; organic compounds; perfluorinated compounds; Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA); Persicaria; Phragmites australis; phytoremediation; Plant Roots - drug effects; Plant Roots - metabolism; Plants (organisms); Polygonum; Populus canescens; reed grass; Reeds; riparian areas; Riparian ecology; Rivers - chemistry; rooting; Ruppia; Ruppia maritime; salinity; Schoenoplectus; sediment contamination; Sediments; South Africa; tandem mass spectrometry; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; wetland plants; Wetlands; Xanthium strumarium
• ISSN: 1549-7879; 1522-6514; 1549-7879
• DOI: 10.1080/15226514.2013.810574

As plants have been shown to accumulate organic compounds from contaminated sediments, there is a potential for long-lasting ecological impact as a result of contaminant accumulation in riparian areas of wetlands, particularly the accumulation of non-biodegradable contaminants such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). In this study, commonly found riparian wetland plants including reeds, i.e., Xanthium strumarium, Phragmites australis, Schoenoplectus corymbosus, Ruppia maritime; Populus canescens, Polygonum salicifolium, Cyperus congestus; Persicaria amphibian, Ficus carica, Artemisia schmidtiana, Eichhornia crassipes , were studied to determine their susceptibility to PFOA accumulation from PFOA contaminated riparian sediment with a known PFOA concentration, using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The bioconcentration factor (BCF) indicated that the plants affinity to PFOA accumulation was; E. crassipes , > P. salicifolium , > C. congestus , > P. x canescens , > P. amphibian , > F. carica , > A. schmidtiana , > X. strumarium , > P. australis , > R. maritime , > S. corymbosus . The concentration of PFOA in the plants and/or reeds was in the range 11.7 to 38 ng/g, with a BCF range of 0.05 to 0.37. The highest BCF was observed in sediment for which its core water had a high salinity, total organic carbon and a pH which was near neutral. As the studied plants had a higher affinity for PFOA, the resultant effect is that riparian plants such as E. crassipes , X. strumarium , and P. salicifolium , typified by a fibrous rooting system, which grow closer to the water edge, exacerbate the accumulation of PFOA in riparian wetlands.