Trichoderma harzianum enhances lettuce biomass and modulates plant-soil emerging contaminant dynamics under reclaimed wastewater irrigation.
Brienza M, Peña-Herrera JM, Trotta V, Chiron S, Sauvêtre A
Phytoremediation
PubMedLettuce and other leafy greens grown with recycled wastewater can absorb trace amounts of pharmaceuticals from the soil — adding a common beneficial fungus to the soil may significantly reduce how much of those compounds end up on your plate.
Researchers grew lettuce using recycled wastewater that contained traces of a common seizure medication and an antifungal compound found in shampoos. When they added a helpful fungus to the soil, the lettuce plants grew larger and had noticeably less of those contaminants in their leaves. The fungus seemed to help break down the pollutants in the soil before the plants could absorb them, and it also boosted the plants' own natural defense chemistry.
Key Findings
Trichoderma harzianum inoculation increased lettuce biomass and altered defense-related phytohormones including salicylic acid in roots after 3 weeks of growth
Fungal treatment reduced concentrations of contaminant transformation products in plant leaves, shifting accumulation toward soil rather than plant tissue
The fungus did not significantly affect uptake of the parent compounds (carbamazepine and climbazole) themselves, but intercepted their breakdown products before plant absorption
chevron_right Technical Summary
A beneficial soil fungus (Trichoderma harzianum) helps lettuce grow bigger while also reducing the amount of pharmaceutical and antifungal pollutants that end up in the plant's leaves when crops are irrigated with recycled wastewater.
Abstract Preview
The use of wastewater for irrigation in agricultural soils offers a sustainable means to reduce freshwater consumption and recycle nutrients, but also poses contamination risks associated with emer...
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Lettuce is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae mostly grown as a leaf vegetable. The leaves are most often used raw in green salads, although lettuce is also seen in other kinds of food, such as sandwiches, wraps and soups; it can also be grilled. Its stem and seeds are sometimes used; celtu...