Toxicity of Aqueous Solutions of Cosmetics in Phytotest with Lepidium sativum L.

Abstract

Garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.) is a test-plant for studying the toxicity of substrates, which is the basis of phytotesting. Dangerous pollutants are surfactants contained in household chemicals, including cosmetics. The purpose of the work is to investigate the toxicity of cosmetics the micellar water on a phytotest with garden cress and to analyze it for possible effects on human health and the environment. Investigated available in the retail network of Ukraine means for removing makeup and cleansing the skin – micellar water. Seed germination energy (3rd day), seed germination, and biometric-morphometric parameters (length of roots and aboveground part of seedlings) (5th day) were determined. The results were processed statistically. It was found that the germination rates of garden cress seeds and biometric indicators of seedlings significantly decrease (by 14–100 %) with the increasing concentration of the studied micellar water. The phytotoxic effect ranged from 49.6 % to 100 %. It is established that the value of the total toxicity index of solutions is from 0.55 (concentration 6.25 %) to 0 (concentration 100 %), indicating an increase in the toxicity of the solution with increasing concentration. Determined that garden cress is a sensitive plant to the studied cosmetic. The obtained data confirm the high efficiency of this test plant for use in biotesting. The phytotest with L. sativum established the lethal effect of this cosmetic product at a concentration of 100 %. Phytotoxicity decreases when the solution is diluted. Given the results of phytotesting and the composition of the cosmetic product, it can be assumed that at a concentration of 100 % it can pose a potential danger to human health. Given the increase in the market of perfumes and cosmetics, the emergence of counterfeit products, we can expect an increase in the impact of cosmetics on the quality of the environment.