Ibuprofen and Ketoprofen—Inert Drugs or Potential Environmental Hazard?

Abstract

Ibuprofen (IBU) and ketoprofen (KET) are among the world’s most popular and widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Due to their high usage, these drugs have entered the environment, including the soil, and, like any other chemical compound, can have a negative effect on it. Therefore, an attempt was made to evaluate the effects of these two popular drugs on soil bacteria and fungi, the bivalve crustaceans (Heterocipris incongruens) and the growth and development of spring barley. The tested drugs did not show any negative effects on the total bacterial abundance. Effects were observed on the growth and survival of H. incongruens and on the abundance of fungi in the soil at the highest concentrations tested. The presence of IBU and KET in the soil in which spring barley was cultivated caused an increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and guaiacol peroxidase (POD); an increase in the content of proline and ascorbic acid (AsA) in the seedlings of this grain; and a decrease in the yield of fresh plant weight, especially at the application of concentrations of 100 and 1000 mg·kg−1 of soil’s dry weight (DW). Effects on barley seed germination potential and germination capacity, plant dry matter content, assimilation pigment content and malondialdehyde (MDA) were also observed at the highest concentrations.