Meeting Abstract

P3.7  Thursday, Jan. 6  Exposure of Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato) and the microbial community to Triclosan and Ciprofloxacin WILSON, B.A.*; MENDEZ, M.O.; Texas A & M International University; Texas A & M International University brittan.wilson@tamiu.edu

The majority of the rivers within the United Stated are multi-use streams, accepting effluent from sewage treatment plants in one location then being used as irrigation water further downstream. As a result, many crops are exposed to low levels of pharmaceutical and personal-care-products (PPCPs). This research is a preliminary look at the impact of two common PPCPs, Triclosan (TCN) and Ciprofloxacin (CIP), on tomato plants and their associated microbial community. Experimental concentrations used encompass the concentrations of these contaminants that have been found throughout the United States. Plants were divided into 7 treatments: controls; 0.015 µg/l TCN; 0.15 µg/l TCN; 1.5 µg/l TCN; 0.012 µg/l CIP; 0.12 µg/l CIP and 1.2 µg/l CIP. There was a suggestive (p = 0.07) though not significant reduction in plant biomass on plants exposed to Triclosan and those exposed to Ciprofloxacin when compared to controls for all concentrations tested. However, there was a significant increase in overall microbial productivity with prolonged exposure in treatments containing the contaminants TCN or CIP (p < 0.05). There does not appear to be a correlation in the change in overall microbial activity on the final biomass of tomato plants in the presence of TCN and CIP. Further investigations will isolate the effects of TCN and CIP on plant development and plant-microbe interactions.