Response of Maize ( Zea mays L.) to Soil Contamination with Diclofenac, Ibuprofen and Ampicillin and Mixtures of These Drugs

Diclofenac (DIC) and ibuprofen (IBU) are popular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), while ampicillin (AMP) is a relatively common antibiotic for treating bacterial infections. All of these drugs are only slightly retained in the human body, and therefore, their presence is found in the environment. In the present study, an attempt was made to determine the effects of diclofenac, ibuprofen and ampicillin on the growth and development of early stages of maize. The drugs were used both separately and in binary mixtures and a ternary mixture. The study found that NSAIDs exhibited the greatest phytotoxicity. Both diclofenac and ibuprofen, applied at the highest doses, reduced the fresh weight yield of maize seedlings relative to the control. Ampicillin, on the other hand, showed no adverse effect on the growth and development of maize seedlings. Analyzing the effect of selected drugs on changes in the content of photosynthetic pigments, it should be noted that they led to a systematic decrease in the content of chlorophylls and carotenoids in maize seedlings. Small changes in the values of the basic parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence may indicate the possibility of stress in maize seedlings.