Diclofenac influence on photosynthetic parameters and volatile organic compounds emission from Phaseolus vulgaris L. Plants

Abstract

Diclofenac, both from human and veterinary consumption, may arrive in landfills or in the wastewater treatment plants, becoming an environmental pollutant. Therefore, we aimed to study the influence of diclofenac on plants growth and development. We chose as model plant the bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) that was watered with different concentrations of aqueous diclofenac solutions (0-0.4 g/L). The plants exhibited linear decreased values of net assimilation rates and stomatal conductance to water vapors with increased diclofenac's concentrations. Emission of 3-hexenol was determined to scale up with diclofenac concentration, therefore this compound may be proposed as stress marker. Also in the emission of bean plants were detected 3 different monoterpenes (α-pinene, camphene and 3-carene), their concentration increasing with elevated concentration of diclofenac. We can conclude that diclofenac may affect the plants photosynthetic parameters and also might disturb the methylerythritol phosphate pathway (MEP) in plastids.