Pharmaceuticals, Antimicrobial Chemicals Can Migrate to Crops Through Treated Sewage Used as Fertilizer

Soybeans grown in soil that contains pharmaceuticals and the chemicals found in personal care products can reportedly absorb those compounds. Chenxi Wu, et al., “Uptake of Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products by Soybean Plants from Soils Applied with Biosolids and Irrigated with Contaminated Water,” Environ. Sci. Technol., July 21, 2010. The plants were apparently grown under conditions simulating fertilization with treated sewage and irrigation with recycled water. Three pharmaceuticals and two antimicrobials common in personal care products were added to the soil and water, and the plant tissues were tested just before flowering and then after they sprouted beans. The environmental scientists found that uptake “of selected compounds differed by treatment, with biosolids application resulting in higher plant concentrations, likely due to higher loading. However, compounds introduced by irrigation appeared to be more available for uptake and dislocation.”