Partition uptake of a brominated diphenyl ether by the edible plant root of white radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

•BDE-3 was taken into white radish under hydroponics, sand, and soil systems.•BDE-3 concentration in plants: fibrous roots > peels > main roots > leaves.•The uptake amounts by the plant: hydroponics > silica sand > soil.•Quasi-equilibrium factors developed by partition-limited model for BDE-3 uptake.•Uptake parameters help to estimate the equilibrium of BDE-3 in soil-plant system.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are of a class of emerging contaminants. In this study, the accumulation of 4-bromodiphenyl ether (BDE-3) by different parts of a live white radish was investigated. Different cultural media (hydroponics, silica sand, and soil) were used to sustain the radish plant during its uptake and in-plant translocation of BDE-3. The results showed that BDE-3 can be translocated from the roots to the aboveground organs and the accumulated levels of BDE-3 in different parts of the white radish followed the order for the three types of cultivation: fibrous roots > peels > main roots > leaves. The results were analyzed by the aid of the partition-limited model for the plant uptake. The relevant partition coefficients (KOC and Kd) and uptake parameters of BDE-3 with plant components (Kpt and Klip) were obtained for analyzing the BDE-3 distribution. The partition-limited model offers a significant insight into the uptakes of BDE-3 by the various components of live white radishes. The types of cultivation affected the total sorption level, translocation factors (TFs), extent to equilibrium (αpt), and root concentration factors (RCFs).

Graphical abstractDownload high-res image (177KB)Download full-size image