Differential Bioaccumulation Patterns of Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products in Typha Latifolia (Cattail) as Function of Physicochemical Properties and Transpiration Rate

The ubiquitous occurrence of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic environments is a worldwide concern. Macrophytes provide a management option to reduce the PPCPs levels due to their intrinsic bioaccumulation capacity. We aimed to study PPCPs differential bioaccumulation in Typha latifolia tissues after long-term exposure and its relationship with water transpirated and physicochemical properties, as lipophilicity (LogKow), ionization behavior (pKa) and distribution coefficient (LogDow). Hydroponically grown plants (18 control and 18 exposed) were exposed to a mixture of carbamazepine, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil and triclosan at 20 μg/L each one over 42 days. Plants were harvested at 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days and separated into roots, rhizome, sprouts, stem and leaf sections (lower, middle and top). Carbamazepine, fluoxetine and triclosan were detected in all tissues, while gemfibrozil only was detected in roots and rhizomes. PPCPs were mainly accumulated in roots and leaf, with more than 70 µg over 42 days. In roots, triclosan and gemfibrozil masses represented more than 80% of the total PPCPs mass, while in leaf carbamazepine and fluoxetine masses surpassed 90%. Fluoxetine was mainly accumulated in lower and middle leaf, and carbamazepine in the top leaf. The PPCPs mass in roots and rhizome was strongly positive correlated with LogKow and LogDow, while in leaf was correlated with water transpirated and pKa. We discussed how PPCPs distribution pattern in T. latifolia is a dynamic processes related with plant development, tissue functions, transpiration and PPCPs physicochemical properties.