Effects of amendments on the uptake and distribution of DDT in Cucurbita pepo ssp pepo plants

Abstract

The effects of soil amendments on the phytoextraction of summation operatorDDT (DDT + DDD + DDE) from soil ([ summation operatorDDT] approximately 1500 ng/g) by a pumpkin variety of Cucurbita pepo ssp pepo were tested and the patterns of summation operatorDDT storage throughout the plant shoot were examined. The soil amendments did not increase the total amount of summation operatorDDT extracted into plant shoots, but new information about summation operatorDDT distribution in the plants was obtained. As observed previously, the summation operatorDDT concentration in plant leaves (mean 290 ng/g) was significantly lower than in plant stems (mean 2600 ng/g). Further analysis revealed that summation operatorDDT composition was consistent throughout the plant shoot and that summation operatorDDT concentration in leaves and stems decreased exponentially as distance from the root increased, which was previously unknown. This new information about the patterns of summation operatorDDT uptake and translocation within pumpkin plants highlights the need for appropriate plant sampling strategies in future POPs phytoextraction research.