Effects of low density polyethylene microplastics contaminated with PFOS on Daphnia magna

Microplastic Transformation and Toxicity Effects on Daphnia magna

Chronic and Acute Water-Soluble Microplastics Uptake and Effects on Growth and Reproduction of Daphnia magna

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Researchers found that two water-soluble microplastics — polyvinyl alcohol and polymethacrylic acid — harm the water flea Daphnia magna, reducing lifespan, reproduction, and causing physical deformities, raising concerns about these less-studied plastic types that dissolve in water rather than forming visible particles.

Toxicity Effects of Microplastics and Tire Particles on Daphnia magna

Combined effect of polyethylene microplastics and Microcystis aeruginosa spent medium on Daphnia magna

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Researchers combined polyethylene microplastics with metabolites from the harmful cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa in Daphnia magna exposures, finding that the combination increased microplastic ingestion sixfold and suppressed antioxidant responses, leading to higher mortality and lower reproduction during recovery compared to microplastic exposure alone.

Antibiotic and microplastic co-exposure: Effects on Daphnia magna and implications for ecological risk assessment

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This review pulls together existing research on how antibiotics and microplastics, both common pollutants in lakes and rivers, affect tiny water creatures called Daphnia, which are important indicators of freshwater ecosystem health. The key takeaway: when these two pollutants combine, they appear to cause more harm together than either does alone, suggesting our current safety assessments (which typically test pollutants one at a time) may be underestimating real-world risks. While this study focused on aquatic life rather than humans directly, it matters because these same waterways often feed into our drinking water and food supply, so better understanding combined pollutant effects could help protect