Good news for wastewater irrigation: Three crops store pharmaceutical byproducts in their leaves

In areas where freshwater is scarce, farmers often turn to treated wastewater to irrigate crops. And many regulators and consumers worry about exposing food to compounds routinely found in wastewater, including many psychoactive medications that treat mental disorders. But new research from Johns Hopkins University has found that certain crops—tomatoes, carrots, and lettuce—store those chemicals in their leaves. This may be good news for tomato and carrot lovers who eat the fruit and roots of those vegetables, respectively.