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Transgenerational effects of polyethylene microplastic fragments containing benzophenone-3 additive in Daphnia magna
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Researchers investigated the transgenerational effects of polyethylene microplastic fragments containing the UV filter benzophenone-3 on water fleas (Daphnia magna) across four generations. They found that while mortality effects recovered by the third unexposed generation, reproductive impairments persisted, with the additive BP-3 contributing more to long-term toxicity than the plastic particles alone. The study suggests that chemical additives in microplastics may pose lasting risks to aquatic organisms even across generations that were never directly exposed.
Maternal exposure to microplastics (MPs) plays an important role in the fitness of unexposed progeny. In this study, the transgenerational effects of polyethylene MP fragments (17.35 ± 5.50 µm) containing benzophenone-3 (BP-3; 2.85 ± 0.16% w/w) on chronic toxicity (21 d) in Daphnia magna were investigated across four generations. Only D. magna in the F0 generation was exposed to MP fragments, MP/BP-3 fragments, and BP-3 leachate to identify the transgenerational effect in the F3 generation. The mortality of D. magna induced by MP and MP/BP-3 fragments was recovered in the F3 generation, but somatic growth and reproduction significantly decreased compared to the control. Additionally, reproduction of D. magna exposed to BP-3 leachate significantly decreased in the F3 generation. These findings confirmed the transgenerational effects of MP fragment and BP-3 additive on D. magna. Particularly, the adverse effect on D. magna reproduction seemed to be cumulative across four generations for MP/BP-3 fragments, while it was an acclimation trend for BP-3 leachate. However, there was no significant difference in global DNA methylation in D. magna across four generations, thus requiring a gene-specific DNA methylation study to identify different epigenetic transgenerational inheritance.
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This 34-day study examined how polyethylene microplastic fragments, both with and without the common plastic additive benzophenone-3, affect Daphnia magna water flea populations. Researchers found that while the microplastics alone did not significantly change population size during the growth phase, the presence of the UV-filter additive benzophenone-3 altered population dynamics, suggesting that plastic additives may pose greater ecological risks than the plastic particles themselves.
Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in Daphnia magna exposed to polyethylene microplastic fragments containing benzophenone-3 additive
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Researchers exposed Daphnia magna to polyethylene microplastics containing benzophenone-3 for a single generation and then tracked effects through three subsequent unexposed generations. The study found persistent epigenetic changes across all four generations, including six genes that remained altered throughout, affecting pathways related to detoxification, development, and cardiovascular function, challenging current assumptions about how environmental risk from microplastics should be assessed.
Microplastic fiber-induced transgenerational epigenetic disruption impairs fitness in Daphnia magna
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Researchers investigated the multi-generational effects of microplastic fiber exposure on the water flea Daphnia magna across three generations. They found that microplastic fibers negatively affected reproduction and survival, and these effects persisted into unexposed generations through epigenetic changes. The study reveals that microplastic pollution may cause lasting harm to aquatic populations through inherited biological alterations, not just direct exposure.
Role of benzophenone-3 additive in chronic toxicity of polyethylene microplastic fragments to Daphnia magna
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Researchers studied how the UV-filter additive benzophenone-3 in polyethylene microplastics affects chronic toxicity in the water flea Daphnia magna. Surprisingly, daphnids exposed to microplastics containing BP-3 had higher survival rates than those exposed to plain microplastics, likely because BP-3 leachate altered the organisms' light-seeking behavior, reducing their microplastic intake. However, both BP-3-containing microplastics and BP-3 alone negatively affected reproduction, suggesting the additive introduces distinct toxicity concerns.
Transgenerational effects and recovery of microplastics exposure in model populations of the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna Straus
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Researchers tracked the effects of microplastic exposure across four generations of Daphnia magna and found that reproductive impairment and growth reductions persisted into offspring generations that were never directly exposed. The study suggests that microplastics can cause transgenerational effects in freshwater organisms, though partial recovery was observed when exposure ceased.
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