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Multi-level approach to investigate sublethal effects caused by synthetic and natural microfibers on Daphnia magna
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Researchers exposed freshwater organisms including amphipods and oligochaetes to synthetic and natural microfibers at multiple levels of biological organization, finding that both fiber types caused sublethal physiological and behavioral effects, with synthetic fibers generally producing greater harm.
Microplastic (MP) contamination is pervasive across all the ecosystems worldwide. Among MPs, fibers, specifically microfibers, represent the main shape commonly identified in diverse environmental matrices. In the environment, these fibers are not uniquely made of synthetic polymers, but several studies have highlighted that fibers made of natural polymers are predominant with respect to those made of synthetic ones. Despite these findings, whilst the potential toxicity of microfibers made of synthetic polymers has been explored, to date, little is known concerning the potential negative effect induced by natural microfibers, nonetheless they could pose the same threat to organisms than their synthetic counterpart. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the potential sub-lethal effects induced by the exposure to two concentrations (0.05 microfibers/mL and 0.1 microfibers/mL) of microfibers made of a synthetic (i.e., polyester) or a natural (i.e., cellulose) polymer on the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna. Sub-lethal effects were investigated at the sub-individual and individual level. At the sub-individual level, a suite of oxidative stress biomarkers was applied, while at the individual level, effects on body growth and swimming behavior were assessed. Our results showed that the exposure to synthetic microfibers induced a modulation in antioxidant defenses and in swimming behavior of individuals exposed to microfiber treatments with respect to control. In contrast, cotton-based microfibers slightly modulated the antioxidant enzyme activity. These findings suggest that the exposure to synthetic and natural microfibers can affect the health status of D. magna, with synthetic microfibers potentially inducing more relevant effects than natural ones.
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Researchers tested the toxicity of natural and synthetic clothing fibers on small freshwater organisms (Daphnia magna) and found that nylon microfibers were acutely toxic, while natural fibers like cotton and silk caused no significant harm. Smoother fibers were more toxic than frayed ones, and the actual ingestion of fibers mattered more than how many were present in the water. These findings are important because textile fibers make up a large portion of microplastics in waterways and can enter the human food chain through contaminated aquatic organisms.
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Researchers found that water-soluble synthetic polymers, an overlooked category of plastic pollution, caused sublethal adverse effects in Daphnia magna including reduced reproduction and feeding rates, highlighting a previously unrecognized environmental risk beyond conventional microplastics.
Beyond microplastics: Water soluble synthetic polymers exert sublethal adverse effects in the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna
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Researchers exposed the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna to five water-soluble synthetic polymers commonly used as industrial flocculants and coagulants, finding sublethal life history changes and elevated reactive oxygen species levels without acute mortality. Because daphnids are keystone species controlling phytoplankton biomass, these sublethal effects could produce cascading trophic consequences, highlighting water-soluble polymers as a neglected class of aquatic contaminants.
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Researchers exposed the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna to ground PET textile microfibers for 48 hours and found that fiber ingestion increased mortality in food-deprived organisms and that daphnids could not recover after transfer to clean water, providing the first evidence of PET textile microfiber bioavailability and toxicity in a standard ecotoxicology model.
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