Phytoremediation Potential of Plantago coronopus L. for the Uptake and Accumulation of Carbamazepine and Gemfibrozil under Hydroponic Conditions

Plantago coronopus L. was grown under hydroponic conditions and exposed to carbamazepine and gemfibrozil to assess its efficiency in removing them from water, as well as their uptake and accumulation in tissues. Concentrations of 10 μgL⁻¹ of each compound were provided in the medium for the experimental durations. By the end of the experiment, carbamazepine elimination from the spiked solution reached up to 84%, of which 40.7% may be attributed to abiotic factors. In contrast, 64% elimination was observed for gemfibrozil, which is largely attributed to abiotic factors rather than plant-mediated removal. Both compounds were detected in the roots and aerial parts of the plants, indicating uptake and translocation within the tissues. Accumulation of carbamazepine was higher in the leaves, whereas for gemfibrozil, it was higher in the roots. The bioconcentration factor was also calculated for both compounds, confirming their contrasting behavior in terms of accumulation. The concentration inside tissues increased while it decreased in the medium with the duration of exposure, as hypothesized. Overall, this study successfully determined the effectiveness of the selected species’ phytoremediation potential in removing carbamazepine (specifically) and was novel in its investigation of gemfibrozil.