Shampoo..effects on plants and environment?

For an investigatory project, my group was planning to experiment on plants by diluting shampoo in water, and watering that plant with the mixture. Our question is do you think it would have an effect on the plant? and more importantly by doing this experiment would it be harmful to the environment?





Thanks for all your comments!!Shampoo..effects on plants and environment?
Shampoo is a detergent, meaning it disrupts cell membranes, but plants are coated with a waxy layer. Their roots might have a little more trouble taking up the water. With a sufficiently dilute amount it might not hurt. A treatment for aphids is to spray a dilute soap solution on the plant (it smothers the aphids). There are natural detergents in nature, and some plants actually produce them to discourage pests as well as other plants. Whether or not it will affect the plant very much will depend on the type of plant as well as the strength of the shampoo.





I would do this experiment in a contained environment (soil in pots) and water with regular water a couple of times before discarding the soil or using it for something else.