Ethylparaben (EtP) is an emerging pollutant that is widely found in the environment, particularly in agricultural landscapes. With the extensive contamination of agricultural soils and irrigation waters, there is a rising concern about their potential impact on crop yields. To provide some of the first evidence that EtP may be more than just an agricultural contaminant, but a potential pollutant, we evaluated the systemic toxicities and cellular responses triggered by EtP in seed roots of Daucus carota, Lycopersicum esculentum, and Cucumis sativus, and in bulb roots of Allium cepa, at environmentally relevant concentrations of 1, 10, 100, and 1000 ng·L⁻¹. The seeds and bulbs remained in contact with the concentrations for 7 days. Distilled water and Tween 80 at 1000 ng·L⁻¹ were used as negative controls. The results were subjected to Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance followed by Dunn’s test (p ≤ 0.05). In all plants, all concentrations significantly altered the activity of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. In carrot (10, 100, and 1000 ng·L⁻¹), tomato (1000 ng·L⁻¹), and cucumber (all concentrations), such concentrations caused lipid peroxidation, leading to the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, as well as hydroxyl and superoxide radicals in the cells. These oxidants caused a delay in the progression of the cell cycle and alterations to the mitotic spindle in the root meristems, significantly inhibiting root growth in the plants evaluated. Recurrent contamination with EtP can potentially harm soil quality, posing a risk to both agricultural productivity and the environment.

Sunscreens and parabens contaminate agricultural areas worldwide; however, the effects of these micropollutants in mixture on cultivated plants have not yet been reported. This study evaluated the cellular and systemic toxicity induced by octocrylene (OC), methylparaben (MeP), and butylparaben (BuP), individually at concentrations of 10, 50, 100, and 500 ng·L ⁻¹ , as well as by equimolar binary mixtures (1:1) of OC with MeP and OC with BuP, in seeds of Cucumis sativus L. and Lycopersicum esculentum L., and in roots of Allium cepa L. bulbs. The OC + MeP mixtures induced H ₂ O ₂ accumulation, whereas the OC + BuP mixtures promoted lipid peroxidation in the root meristems of A. cepa , resulting in significant mitodepressive, aneugenic, and clastogenic effects. The OC + BuP combination markedly reduced root growth in the three evaluated species and, in onion, caused mitotic indices below 50% compared to the control, demonstrating severe cytotoxicity to the meristems. In contrast, the OC + MeP combination stimulated root growth in cucumber, tomato, and onion. However, although significantly longer, the formed roots exhibited greater susceptibility to breakage than the control, indicating that growth predominantly associated with cell elongation, without concomitant cell proliferation. The interaction between the compounds was characterized as synergistic for OC + MeP and additive for OC + BuP, with BuP being the main determinant of mixture toxicity. Thus, mixtures of OC + MeP and OC + BuP may impair the early establishment of crops by affecting root system functionality, delaying or inhibiting root development, and altering root structural stability. These effects indicate that the presence of these micropollutant mixtures in contaminated agricultural soils may negatively influence plant development and the agronomic performance of cultivated plants.

Triclosan (TCS) is a micropollutant frequently detected in biosolids applied to agricultural soils. In soil solution—where it is potentially bioavailable to roots—it occurs at residual concentrations (ng L ⁻¹ ). Nevertheless, the ecotoxicological implications of TCS exposure in agricultural crops at these concentrations are still not fully elucidated. In this context, the present study investigated the effects of TCS (25–200 ng L ⁻¹ ) on seed germination and root development in Cucumis sativus , Solanum lycopersicum , Lactuca sativa , and Raphanus sativus , as well as its phytotoxic, cytotoxic, and genotoxic potential in Allium cepa root systems. All concentrations induced H ₂ O ₂ accumulation in the roots and consumption of nonenzymatic antioxidants, and, under specific conditions, triggered lipid peroxidation, indicating oxidative stress as the primary mechanism associated with the observed adverse effects. In A. cepa , TCS induced a mitodepressive effect and morphological alterations in the roots at all tested concentrations, in addition to significant aneugenic effect at concentrations of 50–200 ng L ⁻¹ . In contrast, TCS concentrations of 25–100 ng L ⁻¹ stimulated root growth in cucumber, tomato, lettuce, and radish; however, the resulting radicles were more susceptible to breakage and morphological changes, suggesting that root elongation may have been associated more with cell expansion than with coordinated proliferative growth. In these species, concentrations of 200 ng L ⁻¹ caused a significant reduction in root growth and intensified morphological damage. These findings demonstrate that trace levels of TCS can impair early plant establishment by compromising root structural integrity, potentially affecting agronomic performance under environmentally realistic conditions.

The systemic toxicities and cellular responses triggered by ethylparaben were evaluated in the roots of cenoura, tomate, and pepino seeds, in the roots of cebola bulbs, and in Eisenia fetida earthworms, at 1, 10, 100, and 1000 ng.L-1. In plants, concentrations significantly altered catalase activity, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. In carrot (10, 100, and 1000 ng.L-1), tomato (1000 ng.L-1), and cucumber (all concentrations) caused lipid peroxidation. Oxidative radicals produced caused a delay in the progression of the cell cycle and cellular changes in the root meristems, significantly inhibiting roots growth in the plants evaluated. In earthworms, ethylparaben caused a dose-dependent pattern of aversion to the treated soil, which at 1000 ng.L-1 was 90%, characterizing high repellency with habitat loss. Earthworms had no mortality after 14 days of an acute exposure to ethylparaben. Catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and guaiacol peroxidase were significantly inhibited at the 10 ng.L-1 concentration, and all concentrations caused lipid peroxidation, which results in tissue damage and can substantially impact the survival and ecological functions of these organisms. Therefore, recurrent contamination with ethylparaben can negatively affect soil quality, impacting crop productivity and the ecological sustainability of agricultural landscapes.