Uptake, Distribution, and Balancing of Perfluorinated Carboxylic Acids (PFCAs) in Brewing Barley (Hordeum vulgare)

Ubiquitously occurring perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) enter the food chain through plant uptake. A pot experiment investigated the uptake and distribution of 11 PFCAs (C4 to C14) in brewing barley using three soil-spiked mixtures at 0.25 mg PFCA per kg soil. Less than 0.1% of each applied compound accumulated in barley grain. In the roots, PFCAs are detectable with increasing carbon chain length up to a concentration of 1950 μg/kg (C12). In barley straw, the concentrations varied from 36,579 μg/kg (C4) to 1.90 μg/kg (C14). In summary, it can be stated that short-chain PFCAs are efficiently taken up by barley and largely translocated to the vegetative parts, whereas long-chain PFCAs are absorbed by the roots but not further transported within the plant, where, after mass balancing, it can be noted that a total of 99% of the long-chain PFCAs (C7 to C14) remain in the soil.