health
Research: Agricultural land irrigated with wastewater absorbs traces of drugs, fruits remain largely safe
New scientific research shows that crops irrigated with purified wastewater can absorb traces of drugs, but they mostly remain in the leaves, and much less in the edible parts of the plants, Sciencedaily reported.
TL;DR
- Crops irrigated with purified wastewater can absorb trace amounts of drugs.
- These drug residues are primarily found in the leaves of plants, with much lower concentrations in edible parts.
- In tomatoes, leaves had over 200 times more drug concentration than fruit; in carrots, leaves had about seven times more than the edible root.
- The accumulation in leaves is due to water circulation and evaporation, which leaves chemical compounds behind.
- Plants lack efficient mechanisms to excrete these absorbed substances, causing them to accumulate in cell structures like vacuoles.
- Different drugs behave differently; carbamazepine accumulated in higher quantities than lamotrigine.
- This research is crucial for assessing food safety and developing regulations for wastewater reuse in agriculture.