Papers

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Article Tier 2

Evaluating sublethal effects of long-term exposure of Daphnia magna to nanoplastics at a low concentration

Lab experiments exposed Daphnia magna — a water flea that links primary producers to larger predators — to nanoplastics at low concentrations over multiple generations. The nanoplastics caused sublethal reproductive effects that became more pronounced over successive generations, suggesting that long-term, low-level nanoplastic exposure in the environment could gradually impair aquatic invertebrate population health.

2020
Article Tier 2

The multigenerational effects of nanoplastic exposure on fitness and oxidative stress of Drosophila melanogaster

Researchers tracked the effects of nanoplastic exposure on fitness and oxidative stress markers across multiple generations of a small aquatic invertebrate. Reproductive success and antioxidant defenses deteriorated progressively across generations, suggesting that multigenerational exposure to nanoplastics causes cumulative ecological harm.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

The multigenerational effects of nanoplastic exposure on fitness and oxidative stress of Drosophila melanogaster

Researchers assessed the multigenerational effects of nanoplastic exposure on the fitness and oxidative stress levels of a small aquatic crustacean across several generations. Negative effects on reproduction and oxidative balance accumulated across generations, suggesting that multigenerational exposure amplifies the harm from nanoplastics.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Multi-generation exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics showed no major adverse effects in Daphnia magna

Researchers exposed water fleas (Daphnia magna) to polystyrene nanoplastics across four consecutive generations and found no major adverse effects on survival, growth, or reproduction. While the organisms did accumulate nanoplastics, the particles did not appear to cause significant harm over multiple generations. The study suggests that some aquatic organisms may be more resilient to long-term nanoplastic exposure than previously thought.

2023 Environmental Pollution 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Sublethal impacts of fragmented polyethylene nanoplastics on Daphnia magna following chronic exposure

Researchers exposed Daphnia magna (water fleas) to fragmented polyethylene nanoplastics over a chronic period and observed adverse sublethal effects. The study suggests that even at concentrations that do not cause outright mortality, fragmented nanoplastics from real-world polyethylene degradation can impair the health and function of these important freshwater organisms.

2026 Environmental Science Advances
Article Tier 2

Molecular, biochemical and behavioral responses of Daphnia magna under long-term exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers studied the long-term effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on the water flea Daphnia magna over a 21-day exposure period at environmentally relevant concentrations. The study found molecular, biochemical, and behavioral changes even at low concentrations, suggesting that chronic exposure to nanoplastics may have significant impacts on aquatic organisms that short-term studies might miss.

2022 Environment International 77 citations
Article Tier 2

A fit-for-purpose categorization scheme for microplastic morphologies

Researchers studied the long-term effects of polypropylene microplastic exposure on the life history traits of the water flea Daphnia magna across three generations, finding progressively increasing reproductive impairment and reduced survival in successive generations. The multigenerational impacts exceeded those observed in single-generation tests.

2022 Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Primary and Secondary Plastic Particles Exhibit Limited Acute Toxicity but Chronic Effects on Daphnia magna

Researchers investigated the chronic effects of both primary nanoplastics (polystyrene nanospheres) and secondary micro- and nanoplastics from weathered single-use plastics on Daphnia magna across multiple generations. The study found that nanoplastics accumulated in the intestine and brood chamber, transferred to offspring, and reduced reproduction and physiological function, with effects persisting across generations even after exposure ended.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 147 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic fiber-induced transgenerational epigenetic disruption impairs fitness in Daphnia magna

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.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Tissue translocation, multigenerational and population effects of microplastics in Daphnia magna

This study examined how microplastics are taken up by the water flea Daphnia magna and whether exposure causes multigenerational effects, finding that microplastics can accumulate in body tissues and pass to offspring. The results suggest microplastic pollution poses risks not just to exposed individuals but can affect population health across generations.

2021
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastic exposure induces immobilization, reproduction, and stress defense in the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia pulex

Researchers documented how polystyrene nanoplastics accumulate in the guts of the freshwater crustacean Daphnia pulex and cause chronic toxicity at environmentally relevant concentrations, delaying reproduction, reducing offspring numbers, and inducing then suppressing antioxidant defense genes over a 21-day exposure.

2018 Chemosphere 285 citations
Article Tier 2

Sub-lethal effects of nanoplastics upon chronic exposure to Daphnia magna

Researchers exposed Daphnia magna to nanoplastics for 21 days and found that 20 nm particles at 50 mg/L caused significant sublethal effects including reduced reproduction and altered growth, while 200 nm particles at the same mass concentration had less impact.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-term exposure to nanoplastics reduces life-time in Daphnia magna

Researchers conducted long-term exposure experiments to assess the effects of nanoplastics on the freshwater invertebrate Daphnia magna over its entire lifetime. The study found that chronic nanoplastic exposure significantly reduced the lifespan of these organisms, demonstrating that while short-term acute toxicity has been documented, the long-term consequences of nanoplastic pollution may be even more concerning for aquatic ecosystems.

2020 Scientific Reports 121 citations
Article Tier 2

Reproductive toxicity of primary and secondary microplastics to three cladocerans during chronic exposure

Researchers compared the chronic reproductive effects of pristine and artificially weathered microplastics on three species of water fleas over multiple generations. They found that reproductive output declined in a dose-dependent manner for all species, with the smallest species being the most sensitive. Interestingly, pristine microplastics appeared to have greater toxic potential than weathered ones, and effects were observed at concentrations as low as 10 particles per milliliter.

2019 Environmental Pollution 227 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of nanoplastics and elevated temperature in the freshwater water flea Daphnia magna

This study found that polystyrene nanoplastics became more toxic to water fleas (Daphnia magna) at higher temperatures, causing more oxidative stress and a greater drop in reproduction. Warmer conditions increased how much plastic the organisms absorbed and accumulated. The findings suggest that as global temperatures rise, the harmful effects of nanoplastic pollution on aquatic life could get worse, potentially affecting species that are important food sources for fish.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Multi-level toxicity assessment of polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics on the cladoceran Daphnia magna

Researchers tested the toxicity of microplastics made from polylactic acid (PLA), a common bioplastic marketed as an eco-friendly alternative, on water fleas over 21 days. The PLA microplastics caused oxidative stress, depleted energy reserves, and reduced reproduction, though effects were generally milder than those reported for conventional plastics. This study challenges the assumption that bioplastics are harmless once they break down in the environment.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic Affects Growth ofS. obliquusand Reproduction ofD. magna

Researchers tested the effects of nanoplastics on freshwater algae and tiny water fleas, two organisms at the base of aquatic food chains. They found that nano-polystyrene particles reduced algae growth through physical binding to cell surfaces and inhibited reproduction in water fleas at concentrations as low as 30 milligrams per liter. The study demonstrates that nanoplastics can harm freshwater organisms at multiple levels of the food web, even at relatively low concentrations.

2014 Environmental Science & Technology 1098 citations
Article Tier 2

Transgenerational effects of polyethylene microplastic fragments containing benzophenone-3 additive in Daphnia magna

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.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Transgenerational effects and recovery of microplastics exposure in model populations of the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna Straus

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.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 228 citations
Article Tier 2

Global warming enhances nanoplastics toxicity: Insights into body shrinkage and energy deficit

Researchers studied how warming temperatures affect the toxicity of nanoplastics in water fleas over three generations. They found that elevated temperatures significantly worsened the harmful effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on growth, reproduction, and behavior. The underlying mechanism involved disruption of the animals' chitin-based exoskeleton development and energy metabolism, suggesting that climate change may amplify the ecological risks posed by nanoplastic pollution.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Potential for high toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics to the European Daphnia longispina

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics caused high toxicity in three genetically distinct clones of the European water flea Daphnia longispina, highlighting the ecological hazard of nanoplastics and the importance of reporting exposure in particle count rather than mass metrics.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Do microplastic particles affect Daphnia magna at the morphological, life history and molecular level?

Researchers examined the effects of two polymer mixtures on the water flea Daphnia magna at morphological, life history, and molecular levels. At low but environmentally realistic microplastic concentrations, they found no significant changes in mortality, body size, or reproduction in adult organisms. However, differential gene expression analysis revealed molecular-level responses, suggesting that even when visible effects are absent, microplastics may trigger subtle biological changes.

2017 PLoS ONE 205 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanomaterials' Multigenerational Effects by Single and Joint Exposure in Non‐mammalian Models

This review examines multigenerational effects of nanomaterials, including nanoplastics, studied in non-mammalian models such as nematodes, water fleas, and zebrafish. Researchers found common effects across generations including altered life-history traits, oxidative stress, and transfer of nanomaterials to offspring. The study highlights that co-exposure to nanoplastics alongside other pollutants can produce either synergistic toxicity or alleviating effects depending on the combination.

2026 Environmental Toxicology
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Micro- and nanoplastic effects on the reproduction of Daphnia spp. – a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis pooled data from 369 measurements to assess how micro- and nanoplastics affect reproduction in Daphnia water fleas, a key species in freshwater ecosystems. The results showed that smaller particles, irregular shapes, and certain polymer types caused greater reproductive harm. Since Daphnia are a foundational species in freshwater food webs, their reproductive decline from plastic exposure could cascade through ecosystems that provide drinking water and food.

2025 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry