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Polystyrene nanoplastics inhibit reproduction and induce abnormal embryonic development in the freshwater crustacean Daphnia galeata
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Researchers exposed the freshwater crustacean Daphnia galeata to polystyrene nanoparticles and observed significant decreases in survival, reproduction, and embryonic development. Using fluorescence microscopy, they tracked the particles as they transferred from external body surfaces to internal organs including the ovaries and brood chamber. The study also found that exposed adults had fewer and smaller lipid droplets, suggesting that nanoplastics disrupt energy storage and reproductive capacity in these organisms.
We assayed the toxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NP, 52 nm) to Daphnia galeata. Survival and reproduction were significantly decreased in individuals exposed to 5 mg/L of PS-NP for 5 days, and embryos showed abnormal development, including a low hatching rate. Using fluorescence confocal microscopy, we recorded the transfer of PS-NP from the external surface of the body to the internal organs, including the thoracic appendices, ovaries, caudal appendices, and brood chamber, as well as PS-NP storage in lipid droplets. Although embryos were exposed to PS-NP in the brood chamber, they did not internalize PS-NP. Exposed D. galeata adults that were not pregnant stored significantly fewer lipid droplets than did the control group, and the lipid droplets that they did store were smaller; meanwhile, there were no significant changes in lipid storage in exposed pregnant individuals. Some embryos showed a high level of lipid storage, a response that occurs when embryos experience an abnormal state, and these embryos showed a very low hatching rate. However, the offspring of exposed adults showed normal survival and lipid storage. This study provides visual evidence that confirms the transfer and effects of PS-NP in Daphnia species, and suggests a relationship between toxicity and lipid storage.
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