Calla lily production in enrofloxacin-contaminated soil and manure: An attractive alternative coupling income generation with antimicrobial removal from the environment

Abstract

Enrofloxacin (Enro) is often detected in soil and animal manure used for crop production and phytotoxic responses have been observed in plants grown under antimicrobial presence. In the present paper, we investigated the effects of the presence of Enro in soils (1.9 mg kg-1) and manure (50.4 mg kg-1) in growth and flower production of calla lily plants (Zantedeschia aethiopica). We also reported the accumulation and distribution of Enro between plant tissues aiming to evaluate the safety of commercializing plants produced under Enro-contaminated conditions. The presence of Enro in soils and manure did not affect plant growth and flower production and did not induce any physiological effects in plants (as evaluated by photosynthetic pigment, hydrogen peroxide concentration, superoxide dismutase and catalase activity in leaves). Plants accumulated Enro mainly in their roots, restraining its translocation to shoots, which contributes to the safety of the commercialization of their flowers. However, when commercialized as pots, the amount of Enro carried by plants is a matter of concern, and therefore, selling pot plants must be avoided. Due to their tolerance and capacity to remove Enro (up to 14.76% of Enro from contaminated soil and/or manure), plants are indicated for phytoremediation programs.

Is it safe to commercialize ornamental plants irrigated with antimicrobial-contaminated water?

“…Based on our results, we conclude that no restrictions are necessary in terms of producing S. wallisii and Z. rehmannii plants using water contamination by Enro. Similarly, we have recently showed the safety of the commercialization of owers of calla lily grown under Enro-contaminated soil and manure, indicating the use of ornamental plants for phytoremediation purposes (Rocha et al, 2022a).…”

“…However, due to their stable chemical proprieties and the ine ciency of sewage treatment plants for removing antimicrobials (Al-Gheethi et al, 2015), water contaminated with FQs is commonly used for crop production (Marques et al, 2021). Although the tolerance of some ornamental plants to organic contaminants (and their use for phytoremediation purposes) has been examined (Rocha et al, 2022b), to date, only a recent study focused on the effects of pharmaceuticals on the commercial production of plant parts (such as bulbs, foliage, and owers) (Rocha et al, 2022a). Authors observed that when grown in soil and/or manure contaminated with Enro, the antimicrobial did not affect aesthetical and commercial value of Calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) plants.…”