Source: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE submitted to
CONTAMINANTS OF EMERGING CONCERN (CECS): FROM TREATED WASTEWATER AND BIOSOLIDS TO FRESH PRODUCE
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1007559
Grant No.
2016-67017-24433
Cumulative Award Amt.
$468,026.00
Proposal No.
2015-05740
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jan 15, 2016
Project End Date
Jul 14, 2020
Grant Year
2016
Program Code
[A1331]- Improving Food Safety
Project Director
Gan, J.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
(N/A)
RIVERSIDE,CA 92521
Performing Department
College of Nat & Agr Sciences
Non Technical Summary
The use of reclaimed water and biosolids in agriculture has increased drastically due to worsening water scarcity and rising need for waste disposal. Reuse of such previously under-utilized resources has important economic and environmental benefits, but also poses unknown risks to consumers due to the potential introduction of many contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) into food products. The perceived risks are the greatest for fresh produce such as vegetables and fruits that are often consumed raw. However, the occurrence and levels of CECs in vegetables and fruits under field conditions are essentially unknown, preventing assessment of the associated food safety. This project aims to improve food safety by evaluating emerging and under-researched chemical hazards in fresh produce. Specifically, we will first conduct greenhouse and cell-based experiments to develop a short list of CECs that have a high tendency for plant accumulation, and then measure the actual levels of these priority CECs in edible parts of common vegetables (lettuce, spinach, cabbage, celery, tomato, pepper, cucumber, radish, carrot, onions) and fruits (strawberries, melons, apple, citrus, avocado, plum) grown with treated wastewater irrigation or biosolid amendment in fields in Southern California. We will further use typical consumption values to estimate dietary intakes of CECs for different age groups and predict potential human exposure risks. Working with county-based farm advisors in California, we will actively extend science-based information to growers and the general public to promote safe reuse. This project contributes to a sustainable U.S. agriculture by promoting the use of treated wastewater and biosolids as valuable resources while safeguarding consumers.
Animal Health Component
30%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
70%
Applied
30%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
7111499200060%
7110110200040%
Knowledge Area
711 - Ensure Food Products Free of Harmful Chemicals, Including Residues from Agricultural and Other Sources;

Subject Of Investigation
1499 - Vegetables, general/other; 0110 - Soil;

Field Of Science
2000 - Chemistry;
Goals / Objectives
The overall objective of this project is to obtain new information and knowledge on the uptake, accumulation and potential human dietary exposure of CECs in fresh produce including vegetables and fresh fruits when reclaimed water irrigation and biosolids are used in crop production, and to develop guidelines and science-based educational and outreach materials to inform stakeholders and end-users, thus minimizing the potential risks from such practices. Specifically, we will:1).Conduct whole-plant and plant cell experiments to evaluate the uptake, translocation, metabolism, and accumulation of a comprehensive list of CECs and to identify "priority" CECs that have a high potential for plant accumulation;2). Carry out field-plot studies in Southern California on uptake of CECs by vegetables, strawberries, melons and tree fruits grown with reclaimed water irrigation or biosolids amendment under representative agronomic conditions to determine levels of CECs in raw edible tissues at harvest;3). Evaluate the thepotential human health risjsby calculating the human exposure to CECs from dietary intakes of vegetables and fruits that are grown with reclaimed wastewater or biosolids; and4). Produce outreach and education materials, including fact sheets, publications in non-technical venues, web postings, carrying out information dissemination and training workshops and field tours to extend scientific findings to sanitation and water districts, regulators, commodity groups, growers, and the general public.
Project Methods
To accomplish the stated objectives, we will take an integrative approach by carrying out laboratory, greenhouse experiments and field-plot trials to determine the uptake into and levels of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in edible parts of common vegetable and fruit crops as a result of treated wastewater irrigation and biosolid amendment. Further, data will be used to predict potential human dietary exposure to CECs. By working with county-based extension advisors in California, we will develop outreach and educational materials from the study findings and effectively extend the information to a diverse range of stakeholders.We fully understand the importance of rigorous analytical methods and the value of QA/QC procedures. The experiments will be hypothesis driven, andstatistics will be used in experimental design and data interpretation.

Progress 01/15/16 to 07/14/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Scientific community, growers, regulators, municipal water districts, sanitation districts, students Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The funding support from this grant has helped to train one Ph.D. student and one M.S. student. Both students have graduated and have found professional positions in the private industry. The funding also partially helped the training of a postdoctoral scientist. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have published a total of 9 articles on this topic, with funding support from this grant and an EPA STAR grant. We also made a large number of presentations at American Chemical Societymeetings, Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry meetings, and other national or international meetings andworkshops. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. We conducted whole-plant and plant cell experiments to evaluate the uptake, toxicity, translocation, metabolism, and accumulation ofvarious CECs. 2. We assessed molecular mechanisms involved in CEC toxicity to plants and in CEC detoxification in higher plants. 3. We assessed the impacts of repeated low doses of CECs on plant development and production of plant hormone. 4. We proposed a novel framework to prioritize CECs that may have high risks in agro-food systems.

Publications


    Progress 01/15/19 to 01/14/20

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Scientific community, growers, regulators, and students Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two graduate students (Michelle McGinnis and Stacia Dudley) and a postdoc scientist (Chengliang Sun) worked on this project. Michelle graduated and is working as a scientist at a consulting firm in the State of New York. Stacia graduatiedin March 2019 and is working as a scientist at Corteva in Indianapolis. Chengliang Sun is a faculty member at Zhejiang University, China.A Ph.D. student (Yaxin Xiong) iscurrently working on this topic.A postdoc scientist, Harmanpreet Sidhu, was hired in January 2019, but unfortunately left the position due to personal issues. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have published seven articles on this topic. We also made presentations at American Chemical Society meetings, Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry meetings, and other national or international meetings and workshops. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are requesting an additional no-cost extension for 6 months. During the extended time, we will complete a few experiments on metabolism and identification of metabolites. We will also complete analyzing samples from the field study. We will devote time writing up the results and preparing manuscripts for submission.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? 1. We conducted whole-plant and plant cell experiments to evaluate the uptake, toxicity, translocation, metabolism, and accumulation of a various CECs. 2. We assessed molecular mechanisms involved in CEC toxicity to plants and in CEC detoxification in higher plants. 3. We assessed the impacts of repeated low doses of CECs on plant development and production of plant hormone. 4. We proposed a novel framework to prioritize CECs that may have high risks in agro-food systems.

    Publications

    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Fu, Q.G., T. Malch, L. Carter, H. Li, J. Gan, and B. Chefetz. 2019. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products: From wastewater treatment into agro-food systems. Environmental Science & Technology 53 (24), 14083-14090


    Progress 01/15/18 to 01/14/19

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Scientific community, growers, regulators, and students Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two Ph.D. students (Michelle McGinnis and Stacia Dudley) and a postdoc scientist (Chengliang Sun) worked on this project. Michelle graduated, Chengliang started working for another lab at UCR, and Stacia is graduating in March 2019. A Ph.D. student (Yaxin Xiong) and a recently hired postdoc scientist (Harmanpreet Sidhu) are currently working on this topic. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have published six articles on this topic in the last year. We also made presentations at American Chemical Society meetings, Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry meetings, and other national or international meetings and workshops. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue conducting experiments to elucidate the mechanisms of plant uptake, translocation, metabolism, and accumulation of priority CECs. We will also carry out field studies in Southern California on the uptake of biosolids- and/or reclaimed water- borne CECs by vegetables and fruits.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? 1. We conducted whole-plant and plant cell experiments to evaluate the uptake, toxicity, translocation, metabolism, and accumulation of a various CECs. 2. We assessed molecular mechanisms involved in CEC toxicity to plants and in CEC detoxification in higher plant. 3. We assessed the impacts of repeated low doses of CECs on plant development and production of plant hormone.

    Publications

    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Ding, T.D., K.D. Lin, L.J. Bao, M.T. Yang, J.Y. Li, B. Yang, and J. Gan. 2018. Biouptake, toxicity and biotransformation of triclosan in diatom Cymbella sp. and the influence of humic acid. Environmental Pollution 234: 231-242.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Sun, C.L., S. Dudley, M. McGinnis, and J. Gan. 2018. Hydrogen peroxide mediated root growth inhibition in wheat by triclosan. Environmental Pollution 243: 472-479.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Sun, C.L., S. Dudley, M. McGinnis, J. Trumble, and J. Gan. 2018. Acetaminophen detoxification in plants via induction of glutathione S-transferases. Science of the Total Environment 649: 431-439.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Dudley, S., C.L. Sun, J. Zhou, and J. Gan. 2018. Metabolism of sulfamethoxazole in Arabidopsis thaliana cells and cucumbers seedlings. Environmental Pollution 242:1748-1757.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Dudley, S., C.L. Sun, M. McGinnis, J. Trumble, and J. Gan. 2019. Formation of biologically active benzodiazepine metabolites in Arabidopsis thaliana cell cultures and vegetable plants under hydroponic conditions. Science of the Total Environment 662: 622-630.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Sun, C.L., S. Dudley, M. McGinnis, and J. Gan. Nitric oxide regulates triclosan-induced redox disequilibrium by enhancing glutathione metabolism in plants. Environmental Science & Technology Letters (submitted)
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2019 Citation: McGinnis, M., C.L. Sun, S. Dudley, and J. Gan. Effect of low-dose, repeated exposure of contaminants of emerging concern on plant development and hormone homeostasis. Environmental Pollution (submitted)


    Progress 01/15/17 to 01/14/18

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Scientific community, growers, regulators, and students Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A postdoc scientist (Xiaoqin Sherry Wu) has been involved in this research and is now working as a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories. A visitingPh.D.student (Qiuguo Fu) worked on this project part time is now a postdoc scientist at Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG).A visiting Ph.D. (Xinyu Du) is now working on this project part time. Two Ph.D. students (Michelle McGinnis and Stacia Dudley) and a postdoc scientist (Chengliang Sun) is currently working on this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have published seven articles on this topic in the last year. We have made presentations at American Chemical Society meetings, Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry meetings, and other national or international meetings or workshops. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue conducting whole-plant experiments to elucidate the mechanisms of plant uptake, translocation, metabolism, and accumulation of selected priority CECs. We will also carry out field-plot studies in Southern California on the uptake of CECs by vegetables, strawberries, melons and tree fruits grown with reclaimed water irrigation or biosolids amendment.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? 1. We have conducted whole-plant and plant cell experiments to evaluate the uptake, translocation, metabolism, and accumulation of a comprehensive list of CECs and to identify "priority" CECs that have a high potential for plant accumulation. 2. We have evaluated PPCP accumulation and potential effects on ROS production and oxidative damage, and investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in the detoxification of PPCPs in higher plant. 3. We have investigated the toxicity, degradation and metabolic fate of PPCPs in freshwater algae. 4. We have investigated the impacts of PPCPs on the production of plant hormone.

    Publications

    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Fu, Q.G., J.B. Zhang, D. Schlenk, D. Borchardt, and J. Gan. 2017. Direct conjugation of emerging contaminants in higher plants: An overlooked risk? Environmental Science & Technology 51: 6071-6081.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Pennington, M.J., J.A. Rothman, M.B. Jones, Q.S. McFrederick, J. Gan, and J.T. Trumble. 2017. Effects of contaminants of emerging concern on Megaselia scalaris (Lowe, Diptera: Phoridae) and its Microbial Community. Scientific Reports 7: 8165, DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-08683-7
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ding, T.D., K.D. Lin, B. Yang, M.T. Yang , J.Y. Li, W.Y. Li, and J. Gan. 2017. Biodegradation of naproxen by freshwater algae Cymbella sp. and Scenedesmus quadricauda and the comparative toxicity. Bioresource Technology 238: 164-173.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Sun, C.L., S. Dudley, and J. Gan. 2018. Pharmaceutical and personal care products-induced stress symptoms and detoxification mechanisms in cucumber plants. Environmental Pollution 234: 39-47.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ding, T.D., K.D. Lin, M.T. Yang, L.J. Bao, J.Y. Li, B. Yang, and J. Gan. 2018. Biodegradation of triclosan in diatom Navicula sp.: Kinetics, transformation products, toxicity evaluation and the effects of pH and potassium permanganate. Journal of Hazardous Materials 344: 200-209.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2018 Citation: Fu, Q.G., C.Y. Liao, D. Schlenk, and J. Gan. Back conversion from product to parent: Methyl triclosan to triclosan in plants. Environmental Science & Technology Letters (accepted)
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Pennington, M., J.A. Rothman, M.B. Jones, Q.S McFrederick, J. Gan, and J.T. Trumble. 2018. Effects of contaminants of emerging concern on Myzus persicae (Sulzer, Hemiptera: Aphididae) biology and on their host plant, Capsicum annum. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 190: 125 (1-11).


    Progress 01/15/16 to 01/14/17

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Scientific community, growers, regulators, and students Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A postdoc scientist (Xiaoqin Sherry Wu) has been involved in this research and is now working as a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories. A visiting PhD student (Qiuguo Fu) worked on this project part time is now a postdoc scientist at Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG). A postdoc scientist, a PhD student, and an undergraduate student is now working on this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have published two articles on this topic in the last year. We have made presentations at American Chemical Society meetings, Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry meetings, and other national or international meetings or workshops. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue conducting whole-plant experiments to elucidate the mechanisms of plant uptake, translocation, metabolism, and accumulation of selected priority CECs. We will also carry out field-plot studies in Southern California on the uptake of CECs by vegetables, strawberries, melons and tree fruits grown with reclaimed water irrigation or biosolids amendment.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? We have conducted whole-plant and plant cell experiments to evaluate the uptake, translocation, metabolism, and accumulation of a comprehensive list of CECs and to identify "priority" CECs that have a high potential for plant accumulation. 1 We applied carrot cell cultures to investigate the plant metabolism of PPCPs. Five phase I metabolites of carbamazepine were identified, and the potential metabolism pathways of carbamazepine were proposed. We also used the carrot cell cultures as a rapid screening tool to initially assess the metabolism potentials of 18 PPCPs. 2 We tested the hypothesis that the relative plant uptake of PPCPs decreases with increasing biosolids amendment. Accumulation of triclosan and triclocarban was measured in roots of radish and carrot grown in soils with or without biosolids.

    Publications

    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Fu Q., Wu X., Ye Q., Ernst F., Gan J. 2016. Biosolids inhibit bioavailability and plant uptake of triclosan and triclocarban. Water Res. 102, 117-124.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wu X., Fu Q., Gan J. 2016. Metabolism of pharmaceutical and personal care products by carrot cell cultures. Environ. Pollut. 211, 141-147.