Sulfadiazine uptake and effects on Salix fragilis L. and Zea mays L. plants.

Frequently, sulfonamide antibiotic agents reach arable soils via excreta of medicated livestock. In this study, accumulation and phytotoxicity indicators were analyzed to evaluate the effects of sulfonamides on plants. In a greenhouse experiment, willow (Salix fragilis L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) plants were grown for 40 days in soil spiked with 10 and 200 mg kg−1 sulfadiazine (SDZ). Distribution of SDZ and major metabolites among bulk and rhizosphere soil, roots, leaves, and stems was determined using accelerated solvent extraction and LC − MS/MS analysis. Accumulation of SDZ was stronger in willow. The antibiotic was mainly stored inside roots and 4-hydroxy-sulfadiazine presence increased with the administered SDZ concentration. SDZ altered root geotropism, increased the lateral root number, and affected plant water uptake. The high concentration caused serious stress in willow (e.g., reduced C/N ratio and total chlorophyll content) and the death of maize plants. Even at environmentally relevant soil concentrations (10 mg kg−1), SDZ exhibited adverse effects on root growth, while at artificially high concentrations (200 mg kg−1), it showed a strong potential to impair plant performance and biomass. Willow, a fast growing tree species, showed potential for possible phytoremediation purposes.