Abstract
Nowadays, the use of different nanoscale structures has been introduced to a large number of research areas. One of these is the treatment and remediation of water through photocatalytic processes, seeking to reuse wastewater for agriculture. In this paper, Lactuca sativa, Coriandrum sativum, and Capsicum annuum were used as crop models to observe the effects in plant growth and the secondary metabolism of different water qualities and types used in the watering process. Initial results show that the photocatalytic process’s water maintains a pH and ion concentration within the allowed limits, significantly reducing the number of bacteria. Along the growth process, an influence on germination times, appearance of true leaves, maturation, and fruit production depending on the type of water used is observed, obtaining the best results in both growth times and quantity of fruits, for the 50% and 70% disinfected water/tap water (DW/TAW) study groups. Secondary metabolites, such as phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity, were studied to evaluate changes in the vegetables’ composition, showing increased concentration for the disinfected water groups in most specimens. Additionally, no traces of metals and microorganisms were detected, concluding that the crops are viable to be consumed by human beings.
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Acknowledgements
A. Cordoba and R. Hernández thank CONACyT for the scholarship granted. The authors also thank M.C. Alba Aurora Díaz Pereira from CALAGUAS-UAQ for the ionic exchange chromatography analysis.
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This study received financial grant from FOFI-UAQ-2018 through the Research Project FIN201810.
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Conceptualization: Karen Esquivel; methodology: Karen Esquivel, Aldo Cordoba, Rafael Hernández, Iliana Viveros, Angélica Feregrino; formal analysis and investigation: Karen Esquivel, Aldo Cordoba, Rafael Hernández, Iliana Viveros, Angélica Feregrino, Ramón Guevara, Sandra Mendoza; writing—original draft preparation: Karen Esquivel, Aldo Cordoba, Rafael Hernández; writing—review and editing: Karen Esquivel, Angélica Feregrino, Ramón Guevara, Sandra Mendoza; funding acquisition: Karen Esquivel, Angélica Feregrino; resources: Karen Esquivel, Angélica Feregrino, Ramón Guevara, Sandra Mendoza; supervision: Karen Esquivel, Angélica Feregrino. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
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Highlights
• Solar photocatalysis by Ag@TiO2 reduces the pathogen presence in wastewater.
• Crops irrigated with disinfected/tap water ratios shows higher growth rates.
• Secondary metabolism in lettuces and coriander shows stress.
• In lettuces and coriander, the phenol content and antioxidant activity increases.
• Chili crops produces more fruits when are watered with disinfected water ratios.
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Cordoba, A., Hernández, R., Viveros-Palma, I. et al. Effect on plant growth parameters and secondary metabolite content of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), coriander (Coriandrum sativum), and chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) watered with disinfected water by Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 37130–37141 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13317-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13317-7