Keywords: 
• phthalic acid esters /
• tomato /
• uptake and accumulation

Abstract: A plot experiment was conducted to investigate the characteristics of uptake and accumulation of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) by tomato. The results showed that PAEs can be absorbed by the roots, and then be translocated upwards to the above-ground part such as stems, leaves, and fruits. The concentrations of accumulated PAEs were positively related to their initial concentrations in the soils. The concentrations of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in stem, leaf and fruit of tomatoes were higher than di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), while they were lower than those of DEHP in the roots. The residual PAE concentrations of the 4 groups were listed as sterilized unplanted tomato > sterilized planted tomato > non-sterilized unplanted tomato > non-sterilized planted tomato. The residual PAE concentrations of the planted tomato groups were lower than that of unplanted tomato groups, for both sterilized and non-sterilized treatments. The non-sterilized planted tomato group showed the lowest residual PAE concentrations, and the PAE dissipation reached 96.39%. The microorganism test showed that the populations of microorganisms in planted treatment were higher than that in the unplanted treatment. All the results indicated that the PAE dissipation in polluted soils was influenced by the synergistic reaction of tomato and microorganisms.