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Developmental and behavioral traits of tropical amphipod Hyalella meinerti can be impaired by polyethylene microplastics
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Exposing freshwater amphipods to polyethylene microplastics caused significant mortality, reduced growth, and disrupted swimming behavior and mating, with males more vulnerable to death and females more affected in growth rate. These crustaceans are a key link in freshwater food webs, meaning microplastic-driven population declines could cascade through entire aquatic ecosystems.
The increasing occurrence of microplastics in freshwater environments poses significant concerns over their effects particularly on aquatic invertebrates, whose physiological and behavioral responses may be impacted in ways still not fully understood. This study assesses the developmental metrics and behavioral effects of environmentally relevant concentrations (20 mg L− 1) and extreme scenarios (40 to 320 mg L− 1) of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) on the aquatic amphipod Hyalella meinerti. Through subchronic exposure (10 days), behavioral parameters (distance and swimming speed and mate pairing), mortality, and developmental metrics (biomass and growth rate) were examined. Additionally, sex was considered as a factor in analyses. Exposure to PE-MPs induces significant mortality in H. meinerti, reducing 1.5 times total biomass compared to the control, with males showing greater susceptibility than females. The growth rate decreased 1.6 times, notably impacting females (females´ growth rate was up to 3.6 times lower than males). Intermediate concentrations decreased maximum swimming distance by up to 1.9 times and high concentrations led to a quicker onset of significant effects on sexual behavior. The results underscore the substantial impact of PE-MPs on surface water, revealing their detrimental and direct effects on H. meinerti, a crucial aquatic invertebrate species.
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