The escalating global water scarcity demands innovative solutions, one of which is hydroponic vegetable cultivation systems that increasingly use reclaimed wastewater. Nevertheless, even treated wastewater may still harbor various emerging organic contaminants, including pharmaceuticals. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the impact of pharmaceuticals, focusing on bioconcentration factors (BCFs), translocation factors (TFs), pharmaceutical persistence in aqueous environment, ecotoxicological end points, and associated environmental and health risks. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) was cultivated hydroponically throughout its entire growth cycle, exposed to seven distinct concentration levels of contaminants ranging from 0 to 500 μg·L-1 over a 35-day period. The findings revealed a diverse range of BCFs (2.3 to 880 L·kg-1) and TFs (0.019-1.48), suggesting a high potential of pharmaceutical uptake and translocation by L. sativa. The degradation of 20 pharmaceuticals within the water-lettuce system followed first-order degradation kinetics. Substantial ecotoxicological effects on L. sativa were observed, including increased mortality, alterations in root morphology and length, and changes in biomass weight (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the estimated daily intake of pharmaceuticals through L. sativa consumption suggested considerable health risks, even if lettuce would be one of the many vegetables consumed. It is hypothetical, as the values were calculated. Moreover, this study assessed the environmental risk associated with the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic environments, revealing a significantly high risk of AMR emergence. In conclusion, these findings emphasize the multifaceted challenges posed by pharmaceutical contamination in aquatic environments and the necessity of proactive measures to mitigate associated risks to both environmental and human health.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Pharmaceuticals released into the aquatic and soil environments can be absorbed by plants and soil organisms, potentially leading to the formation of unknown metabolites that may negatively affect these organisms or contaminate the food chain. The aim of this study was to identify pharmaceutical metabolites through a triplet approach for metabolite structure prediction (software-based predictions, literature review, and known common metabolic pathways), followed by generating in silico mass spectral libraries and applying various mass spectrometry modes for untargeted LC-qTOF analysis. Therefore, Eisenia fetida and Lactuca sativa were exposed to a pharmaceutical mixture (atenolol, enrofloxacin, erythromycin, ketoprofen, sulfametoxazole, tetracycline) under hydroponic and soil conditions at environmentally relevant concentrations. Samples collected at different time points were extracted using QuEChERS and analyzed with LC-qTOF in data-dependent (DDA) and data-independent (DIA) acquisition modes, applying both positive and negative electrospray ionization. The triplet approach for metabolite structure prediction yielded a total of 3762 pharmaceutical metabolites, and an in silico mass spectral library was created based on these predicted metabolites. This approach resulted in the identification of 26 statistically significant metabolites (p < 0.05), with DDA + and DDA - outperforming DIA modes by successfully detecting 56/67 sample type:metabolite combinations. Lettuce roots had the highest metabolite count (26), followed by leaves (6) and earthworms (2). Despite the lower metabolite count, earthworms showed the highest peak intensities, closely followed by roots, with leaves displaying the lowest intensities. Common metabolic reactions observed included hydroxylation, decarboxylation, acetylation, and glucosidation, with ketoprofen-related metabolites being the most prevalent, totaling 12 distinct metabolites. In conclusion, we developed a high-throughput workflow combining open-source software with LC-HRMS for identifying unknown metabolites across various sample types.

• Klíčová slova
• High-resolution mass spectrometry, In silico spectral library, Liquid chromatography, Metabolite identification in Eisenia fetida and Lactuca sativa, Pharmaceuticals, Software prediction,
• MeSH
• chromatografie kapalinová metody   MeSH
• hmotnostní spektrometrie metody   MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• léčivé přípravky metabolismus   chemie   analýza   MeSH
• Oligochaeta * metabolismus   chemie   MeSH
• počítačová simulace MeSH
• salát (hlávkový) * metabolismus   chemie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• látky znečišťující půdu MeSH
• léčivé přípravky MeSH

Agricultural practices introduce pharmaceutical (PhAC) residues into the terrestrial environment, potentially endangering agricultural crops and human health. This study aimed to evaluate various aspects related to the presence of pharmaceuticals in the lettuce-soil system, including bioconcentration factors (BCFs), translocation factors (TFs), ecotoxicological effects, the influence of biochar on the PhAC bioavailability, persistence in soil, and associated environmental and health risks. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was exposed to a mixture of 25 PhACs in two scenarios: initially contaminated soil (ranging from 0 to 10,000 ng·g-1) and soil irrigated with contaminated water (ranging from 0 to 1000 μg·L-1) over a 28-day period. The findings revealed a diverse range of BCFs (0.068-3.7) and TFs (0.032-0.58), indicating the uptake and translocation potential of pharmaceuticals by lettuce. Significant ecotoxicological effects on L. sativa, including weight change and increased mortality, were observed (p < 0.05). Interestingly, biochar did not significantly affect PhAC uptake by L. sativa (p > 0.05), while it significantly influenced the soil degradation kinetics of 12 PhACs (p < 0.05). Additionally, the estimated daily intake of PhACs through the consumption of L. sativa suggested negligible health risks, although concerns arose regarding the potential health risks if other vegetable sources were similarly contaminated with trace residues. Furthermore, this study evaluated the environmental risk associated with the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in soil, as medium to high. In conclusion, these findings highlight the multifaceted challenges posed by pharmaceutical contamination in agricultural environments and emphasize the importance of proactive measures to mitigate the associated risks to both environmental and human health.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

In the European circular economy, agricultural practices introduce pharmaceutical (PhAC) residues into the terrestrial environment, posing a potential risk to earthworms. This study aimed to assess earthworm bioaccumulation factors (BAFs), the ecotoxicological effects of PhACs, the impact of biochar on PhAC bioavailability to earthworms, and their persistence in soil and investigate earthworm uptake mechanisms along with the spatial distribution of PhACs. Therefore, earthworms were exposed to contaminated soil for 21 days. The results revealed that BAFs ranged from 0.0216 to 0.329, with no significant ecotoxicological effects on earthworm weight or mortality (p > 0.05). Biochar significantly influenced the uptake of 14 PhACs on the first day (p < 0.05), with diminishing effects over time, and affected significantly the soil-degradation kinetics of 16 PhACs. Moreover, MALDI-MS analysis revealed that PhAC uptake occurs through both the dermal and oral pathways, as pharmaceuticals were distributed throughout the entire earthworm tissue without specific localization. In conclusion, this study suggests ineffective PhAC accumulation in earthworms, highlights the influence of biochar on PhAC degradation rates in soil, and suggests that uptake can occur through both earthworm skin and oral ingestion.

• Klíčová slova
• Biochar, Earthworms, MALDI-MS, Mass spectrometry, Pharmaceutical uptake, QuEChERS, Liquid chromatography, Soil pollution,
• MeSH
• biologická dostupnost MeSH
• dřevěné a živočišné uhlí * chemie   MeSH
• kapalinová chromatografie-hmotnostní spektrometrie MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu * MeSH
• léčivé přípravky metabolismus   MeSH
• Oligochaeta * MeSH
• půda * chemie   MeSH
• spektrometrie hmotnostní - ionizace laserem za účasti matrice MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• biochar MeSH Prohlížeč
• dřevěné a živočišné uhlí * MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu * MeSH
• léčivé přípravky MeSH
• půda * MeSH