TY - JOUR
T1 - Uptake of selected antiretrovirals by pepper (Capsicum annum), radish (Raphanus sativus), and ryegrass (Lolium perenne) grown on two contrasting soils and fertilized with human urine-derived fertilizers
AU - Migeri, Sharon
AU - Lawal, Muhammad A
AU - Hughes, Jeffrey Charles
AU - Badza, Taruvinga
AU - Abafe, Ovokeroye
AU - Martincigh, Bice S
AU - Odindo, Alfred Oduor
PY - 2023/9/20
Y1 - 2023/9/20
N2 - The use of urine-derived fertilizers has several economic and environmental advantages. However, there is concern that pharmaceutical residues present in urine could enter the food chain after plant uptake and pose potential risks to human and animal health. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the uptake of nine target antiretroviral drugs (ARVDs) by pepper (Capsicum annum), ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and radish (Raphanus sativus) grown in two soils of contrasting texture and organic matter content and fertilized with stored urine, nitrified urine concentrate (NUC), and struvite. Nevirapine was the only ARVD detected in crops grown with NUC and struvite on both soils, but the concentrations were below the limit of quantification. Plants fertilized with stored urine absorbed lamivudine, ritonavir, stavudine, emtricitabine, nevirapine, and didanosine, while abacavir, efavirenz and zidovudine were not detected. The ARVDs detected in the soils after harvest were significantly higher in the soil with high organic matter and clay content. To assess direct human exposure the estimated daily dietary intake (DDI) of ARVDs by consumption of the pepper and radish fertilized with stored urine was compared with the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) values based on the Cramer classification tree. The calculated DDI values for all ARVDs were about 300–3000 times lower than the TTC values for class III compounds. Therefore, daily consumption of these crops fertilized with stored urine does not pose a health risk to the consumer. Future research is required to assess the impact of ARVD metabolites, which may be more harmful to human health than the parent compounds.
AB - The use of urine-derived fertilizers has several economic and environmental advantages. However, there is concern that pharmaceutical residues present in urine could enter the food chain after plant uptake and pose potential risks to human and animal health. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the uptake of nine target antiretroviral drugs (ARVDs) by pepper (Capsicum annum), ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and radish (Raphanus sativus) grown in two soils of contrasting texture and organic matter content and fertilized with stored urine, nitrified urine concentrate (NUC), and struvite. Nevirapine was the only ARVD detected in crops grown with NUC and struvite on both soils, but the concentrations were below the limit of quantification. Plants fertilized with stored urine absorbed lamivudine, ritonavir, stavudine, emtricitabine, nevirapine, and didanosine, while abacavir, efavirenz and zidovudine were not detected. The ARVDs detected in the soils after harvest were significantly higher in the soil with high organic matter and clay content. To assess direct human exposure the estimated daily dietary intake (DDI) of ARVDs by consumption of the pepper and radish fertilized with stored urine was compared with the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) values based on the Cramer classification tree. The calculated DDI values for all ARVDs were about 300–3000 times lower than the TTC values for class III compounds. Therefore, daily consumption of these crops fertilized with stored urine does not pose a health risk to the consumer. Future research is required to assess the impact of ARVD metabolites, which may be more harmful to human health than the parent compounds.
KW - Human urine fertilizers
KW - Antiretroviral drugs
KW - Plant uptake
KW - Human health risk
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164551
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164551
M3 - Article
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 892
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 164551
ER -