Accumulation of Antimicrobials, Triclocarban and Triclosan, In Food Crops.

Antimicrobials, triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS), used in personal care products are washed down household drains, to agricultural lands through the application of biosolids or treated wastewater. In this study, the uptake and translocation of 500ppb TCC and TCS in 11 food crops (tomato, cucumber, chili, okra, cabbage, beetroot, celery, onion, asparagus and broccoli) grown in a hydroponic system was studied. The growth media and plant tissue parts were analyzed for TCS and TCC. Results indicate a significant decrease in both TCC and TCS concentrations in the test media in all the crops studied. Triclocarban concentration in the roots and shoots were 85.21-772.59 mg/kg and 0.43-2.94 mg/kg respectively whereas triclosan concentrations were 100.15-815.72 mg/kg and 0.31-2.41 mg/kg. Further studies on different crop species will help us screen plants with potential accumulating capabilities and its impact on consumption.