TOLERANCE RESPONSES, PHYTOMETABOLISM AND PHYTOREMOVAL ACTIVITY IN LEMNA GIBBA L. PLANTS EXPOSED TO IBUPROFEN

The release of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment is considered an increasing threat for the ecosystems and human health. Among PPCPs, a particular attention is paid to ibuprofen (IBU), one of the most diffused pharmaceuticals in surface waters and sediments. Concern about IBU presence in wastewater is rising also from the growing practice to utilise reclaimed waters for irrigation, especially in countries with water scarcity, increasing the risk of water table and food chain contamination. Then, low-cost and eco-friendly technologies related to biomonitoring and phytoremediation should be improved to detect and remove IBU and other PPCPs from wastewaters. In this context, more information about the effects of IBU and its metabolites on plant growth is requested. The present study put in evidence a growth stimulation of Lemna gibba L., a model plant of the aquatic environment, in response to high level of IBU and the detection of IBU and some metabolites within plant tissues. Moreover, the presence of IBU metabolites was assessed also in the plant growth medium. The implications of these results for biomonitoring and phytometabolism are discussed.