Uptake of Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP) by the
Plant Benincasa hispida and Its Use
for Lowering DEHP Content of Intercropped Vegetables
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Abstract
Uptake
of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) by the plant Benincasa
hispida and its use for topical phytoremediation were
investigated by cultivation of plants in DEHP-contaminated environments.
The results showed that major plant organs of B. hispida, including leaves, stems, and fruits, readily absorbed DEHP from
the air. The amount of DEHP that accumulated in leaves, stems, and
fruits was mainly dependent upon exposure time, and most DEHP accumulated
in their inner tissues. A single plant of B. hispida with a gourd was able to absorb more than 700 mg of DEHP when it
was exposed to DEHP-contaminated air for 6 week. B.
hispida reduced air DEHP concentration by 65–76%
as the air DEHP concentration ranged from 2351 to 3955 μg/m<sup>3</sup> (high DEHP level) and 85–92% as the air DEHP concentration
ranged from 35.1 to 65.3 μg/m<sup>3</sup> (low DEHP level) in
greenhouse experiments. When intercropping of B. hispida and Brassica chinensis or Brassica campestris, B. hispida reduced more than 87% of DEHP accumulation in the latter, which
indicates that B. hispida has excellent
use potential for lowering the DEHP content of intercropped vegetables