Work

Environmental toxicity of selected aminoglycoside antibiotics to Lemna minor

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Aminoglycoside antibiotics (AGs) are widely used in human and veterinary medicine. After administration, AGs undergo minimal metabolism and are excreted in their active form, contributing to their presence in the environment. The aim of our study was to determine the ecotoxicological characteristics of five AGs commonly used in human and veterinary medicine: gentamicin, neomycin, spectinomycin, streptomycin and dihydrostreptomycin. Their effects on growth and chlorophyll synthesis were investigated under laboratory conditions using the model plant organism Lemna minor. For each AG, logarithmic dilution was performed to yield test solutions with concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 100 mg/L. In the growth inhibition test, low concentrations of spectinomycin and streptomycin stimulated the growth of Lemna minor. The lowest EC₅₀ values, indicating the greatest toxicity, were detected for gentamicin and dihydrostreptomycin at 0.397 and 0.625 mg/L, respectively. The chlorophyll synthesis test revealed that neomycin and gentamicin had the lowest EC50 values, at 45.33 and 56.01 mg/L, respectively. The other AGs tested did not notably affect chlorophyll synthesis. The results of our study show that AGs are an important group of environmental toxicants, as they affect Lemna minor at environmentally relevant concentrations.

Source: Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances

DOI: 10.1016/j.hazadv.2026.101186

Authors: Tilen Vake, Lina Krulec, Petra Kubelj, Tomaž Snoj

Institution: University of Ljubljana

Language: English

Topic: Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts

Subfield: Pollution

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,400

Funder: Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS