Environmental Advances (Dec 2020)
Phthalates in Avicennia schaueriana, a mangrove species, in the State Biological Reserve, Guaratiba, RJ, Brazil
Abstract
Phthalates are the most common plasticizer compounds worldwide, providing flexibility to a wide array of plastic products. The inadequate disposal of these chemical residues causes their absorption and accumulation by plant species in contaminated environments. The absorption and accumulation of phthalates in the mangrove species Avicennia schaueriana (Acanthaceae) were monitored over one year. A total of 30 fresh and dried leaf extract samples were collected through the “serapilheira system”, in the Guaratiba Biological Reserve in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in three different regions of the Guaratiba mangrove forest: A (fringe), C (basin), and E (transition). Samples were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Bis-tridecyl phthalate was the main contaminant detected, and bis-isobutyl phthalate and bis-2-ethylhexyl phthalate were the major metabolites of the butanolic fraction obtained from the liquid-liquid partition of the ethanolic leaf extract. The observed chemical profile was rich in secondary metabolites, predominantly lupeol and α-amyrin. Exposure to these contaminants presents several risks to human health. This is the first work to confirm how the mangrove pollution process, through the accumulation of plastic contaminants in sediments and water, can directly affect the plant species and their biosynthesis.Capsule: This study shows how methods used in classical phytochemistry can highlight serious environmental pollution problems that affect plant biosynthesis and human health.
