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Ecotoxicological Effects of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Microplastics on the Growth, Reproduction and Survival of Daphnia magna
Summary
Researchers exposed Daphnia magna to polyvinyl chloride microplastics at different concentrations, alone and combined with two algal food sources, and measured growth, reproduction, and survival. PVC microplastics reduced fecundity and survival in a dose-dependent manner, with food source type modulating the severity of toxicity effects.
This study aimed to determine the ecotoxicological effects of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics on Daphnia magna. Five experimental groups were estab-lished. These were the microplastic group (MP), the microalgae group (Chlorella sorokiniana, KS), the combined microalgae and microplastic group (KS+MP), the commercial yeast group (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, TM), and the combined yeast and microplastic group (TM+MP). The exposure period lasted for 21 days. Survival, growth, and reproductive parameters were evaluated. The highest mortality rate was recorded in the MP group with 86.7%, followed by the TM+MP group with 70%. The mortality rates in the KS, TM, and KS+MP groups were 3.3%, 10%, and 56.7%, respectively. Microplastic exposure significantly reduced body length. On day 21, the mean body length was 1.76 mm in the MP group and 3.14 mm in the KS group. The number of eggs and offspring markedly decreased in all micro-plastic-exposed groups, with the lowest reproductive success observed in the MP group. Diets containing microalgae partially mitigated toxicity, though this effect diminished under chronic exposure. The findings indicate that mi-croplastics cause both physical blockage and physiological stress, adversely affecting the growth, reproduction, and lifespan of Daphnia magna, posing a significant eco-logical risk to freshwater ecosystems.