Accumulation of perchlorate in aquatic and terrestrial plants at a field scale

• Published in: Journal of environmental quality 2004-09, Vol.33 (5), p.1638-1646
• Main Authors: Tan, K, Anderson, T.A, Jones, M.W, Smith, P.N, Jackson, W.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accumulation; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Applied sciences; Aquatic ecosystems; Aquatic plants; bioaccumulation; Biodegradation; Biological and medical sciences; Bioremediation; Biotechnology; Broussonetia papyrifera; Celtis laevigata; Chemical compounds; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment and pollution; Environmental conditions; environmental factors; environmental fate; Environmental quality; Exact sciences and technology; Floating plants; Fraxinus; Fraxinus greggii; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; groundwater contamination; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Leaching; Leaf litter; Leaves; Melia azedarach; military lands; Nasturtium; Nasturtium - chemistry; Perchlorate; perchlorates; Perchlorates - chemistry; Perchlorates - pharmacokinetics; Plant Roots; Plant species; Plant tissues; Plants; polluted soils; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Polygonum; Polygonum - chemistry; Rain; Risk Assessment; Salix nigra; Shallow water; Sodium Compounds - chemistry; Sodium Compounds - pharmacokinetics; Soil Pollutants - pharmacokinetics; soil pollution; Soil sciences; Solubility; streams; Terrestrial environments; trees; Trees - chemistry; Ulmus parvifolia; uptake mechanisms; water pollution; Water table; Willow trees
• ISSN: 0047-2425; 1537-2537
• DOI: 10.2134/jeq2004.1638

Previous laboratory-scale studies have documented perchlorate(CIO4-) uptake by different plant species, but less information is available at field scale, where CIO4- uptake may be affected by environmental conditions, such as distance to streams or shallow water tables, exposure duration, and species. This study examined uptake of CIO4- in smartweed (Polygonum spp.) and watercress (Nasturtium spp.) as well as more than forty trees, including ash (Fraxinus greggii A. Gray), chinaberry (Melia azedarach L.), elm (Ulmus parvifolia Jacq.), willow (Salix nigra Marshall), mulberry [Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent.], and hackberry (Celtis laevigata Willd.) from multiple streams surrounding a perchlorate-contaminated site. Results indicate a large potential for CIO4- accumulation in aquatic and terrestrial plants, with CIO4- concentration in plant tissues approximately 100 times higher than that in bulk water. Perchlorate accumulation in leaves of terrestrial plants was also dependent on species, with hackberry, willow, and elm having a strong potential to accumulate CIO4-. Generally, trees located closer to the stream had a higher CIO4- accumulation than trees located farther away from the stream. Seasonal leaf sampling of terrestrial plants indicated that CIO4- accumulation also was affected by exposure duration, with highest accumulation observed in the late growing cycle, although leaf concentrations for a given tree were highly variable. Perchlorate may be re-released into the environment via leaching and rainfall as indicated by lower perchlorate concentrations in collected leaf litter. Information obtained from this study will be helpful to understand the fate of CIO4- in macrophytes and natural systems.