Inverse modeling of the biodegradation of emerging organic contaminants in the soil-plant system

•Many emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) are polar and non-volatile, which makes plant uptake a likely process.•EOCs differ widely in their degradation rates, leading to very different actual accumulation in plants.•Biodegradation rates of EOCs were calculated for soil and fitted for roots and leaves.•Bisphenol A and triclosan had the slowest degradation rate.•Dissipation kinetics found via inverse modeling is not a conclusive proof for biodegradation and confirmation by experiments is needed.

Understanding the processes involved in the uptake and accumulation of organic contaminants into plants is very important to assess the possible human risk associated with. Biodegradation of emerging contaminants in plants has been observed, but kinetical studies are rare. In this study, we analyse experimental data on the uptake of emerging organic contaminants into lettuce derived in a greenhouse experiment. Measured soil, root and leaf concentrations from four contaminants were selected within the applicability domain of a steady-state two-compartment standard plant uptake model: bisphenol A (BPA), carbamazepine (CBZ), triclosan (TCS) and caffeine (CAF). The model overestimated concentrations in most cases, when no degradation rates in plants were entered. Subsequently, biodegradation rates were fitted so that the measured concentrations were met.Obtained degradation kinetics are in the order, BPA < CAF ≈ TCS < CBZ in roots, and BPA ≈ TCS < CBZ << CAF in leaves. Kinetics determined by inverse modeling are, despite the inherent uncertainty, indicative of the dissipation rates. The advantage of the procedure that is additional knowledge can be gained from existing experimental data. Dissipation kinetics found via inverse modeling is not a conclusive proof for biodegradation and confirmation by experimental studies is needed.

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