The foliar uptake and downward translocation of trichloroethylene and 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene in air-plant-water systems

The foliar uptake and downward translocation of trichloroethylene (TCE) and 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene (TCB) in wheat, corn, and tomato seedlings were investigated following 2-48-h exposure of the plant shoots to vapor-contaminated air. The results showed that both TCE and TCB could be rapidly transported from air to plant rhizosphere solution through the foliar uptake and downward transport; the TCE and TCB concentrations in rhizosphere solutions increased with exposure time and external contaminant concentration. Among the three plant species studied, the TCE and TCB downward transport followed the order of wheat > tomato > corn. The transport efficiency of TCE by the three plants was far greater than that of TCB. With a 24-h uptake time, the amounts of TCE transported into the rhizosphere solution by wheat, tomato, and corn seedlings were 2.39 ± 0.42, 1.50 ± 0.22 and 1.45 ± 0.08 μg TCE per gram of fresh weight biomass, respectively, when the initial external TCE concentration was set at 12 mg l−1. In a 48-h uptake experiment with corn seedlings, the TCE concentration in the rhizosphere solutions was lower in the TCE-TCB mixture system than in the single TCE system, whereas there was no significant difference in TCB concentration between the single TCB and TCE-TCB mixture systems at 48 h. The downward transport processes of TCE were inhibited, while those of TCB were enhanced in the mixed contaminant system within a 48-h uptake time.