Abstract
BackgroundPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose a potential risk to ecological safety and human health. They have a range of effects on plant growth and there have been few reports on the health risks associated with ingestion of vegetable crops at different growth stages.MethodologyIn this study, a pot experiment in which Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L.) were grown in a greenhouse for 75 days was used to investigate the doseโeffect relationship of pyrene with plant growth and also the exposure risk for adults of ingestion of Chinese cabbage at different growth stages.ResultsThe results showed that low doses of pyrene (5โ45 mg kgโ1) promoted plant growth (20โ220% and 55โ97% higher than control treatment for the root biomass and shoot biomass, respectively), but significant inhibition was observed at a high dose (405 mg kgโ1) (41โ66% and 43โ91% lower than control treatment for the root biomass and shoot biomass, respectively). High doses of pyrene reduced soil bacterial abundance and diversity during the growth of Chinese cabbage, and increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the plant. The effects of pyrene on plant biomass were mainly attributed to changes in root activity induced by pyrene, as the relationship between soil pyrene concentration and biomass was similar to that between soil pyrene concentration and root activity. Furthermore, structural equation modeling analysis showed that pyrene altered growth of the vegetable by directly affecting root activity. The incremental lifetime cancer risk for adults is highest for ingestion of Chinese cabbage at the seedling stage, followed in decreasing order by the rosette stages and heading stages.ConclusionsThe health risk of consumers who have the possibility to ingest the Chinese cabbage planted in pyrene-contaminated soil would be decreased with the increasing growth periods. However, further studies are required to confirm the doseโeffect relationship between pyrene concentration and Chinese cabbage growth on a field scale.Graphical
Highlights
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose a potential risk to ecological safety and human health
The health risk of consumers who have the possibility to ingest the Chinese cabbage planted in pyrene-contaminated soil would be decreased with the increasing growth periods
The objectives of the study were as follows: (1) to investigate the change in biomass, root activity and MDA content in Chinese cabbage, and soil microbial community at different growth stages under pyrene stress; (2) to analyze how pyrene influence the biomass of Chinese cabbage; (3) to assess the potential health risks to adults of ingesting Chinese cabbage at different growth stages after the vegetable had been grown in pyrene-polluted soil
Summary
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose a potential risk to ecological safety and human health. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of ubiquitous and toxic pollutants that are primarily released into the environment through the incomplete combustion of carbonaceous materials [1] Due to their high rate of bioconcentration, PAHs in soils can quickly enter the food chain, where they pose a threat to ecosystems and human health (a 0.4- to 6-fold increase in cancer risks) [2,3,4]. Some studies have reported that PAHs had no effect on plant growth, or that even promoted it [12,13,14] These inconsistent findings could be related to several factors, including oxidation reactions, hydrolysis, pollutantdegrading endophytes in plants [15], soil PAH levels [12], duration of exposure [7], and soil properties [16]. It has not yet been established whether it is only the direct effects of PAHs that inhibit or promote plant growth or whether these compounds may have some other indirect effects
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