Uptake and Enantiomeric Selectivity of -Blockers in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum M.) in Soil-Pot Culture

The uptake and translocation of beta-blockers in lettuce(Lactuca sativa L.) and tomato (Lycopersiconesculentum M.) were investigated by carrying out a 70-daysoil-pot cultivation.The root uptake parameters of beta-blockers in lettuce decreasedin the order of atenolol (ATE) > sotalol (SOT) > propranolol(PRO)with root bioconcentration factors (BCFs(root/soil)) of 0.158,0.136, and 0.096, respectively, which were positively correlated withtheir water solubility. The BCFroot/soil of beta-blockersin tomato was higher than those in lettuce. ATE and PRO were proneto migrate to the aerial parts of tomato with translocation factorsof 3.31 and 4.11, respectively. In tomato fruits, the enantiomericprofile of PRO and ATE shifted to that dominated by the more toxicenantiomer, i.e., (S)-PRO and (R)-ATE. The enantiomeric selectivityof beta-blockers in the edible parts of lettuce and tomato indicatedthe potential ecotoxicity of these pharmaceuticals for plants andthe human exposure risk via vegetable intake.