Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on Reproduction and Growth of Freshwater Live Feeds Daphnia magna

Researchers found that microplastic exposure negatively affected reproduction and juvenile growth in Daphnia magna, a key freshwater zooplankton species, with effects worsening at higher concentrations and posing risks for aquatic food chains.

2022 Fishes 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics impact simple aquatic food web dynamics through reduced zooplankton feeding and potentially releasing algae from consumer control

Researchers investigated how environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics affect freshwater food web dynamics using two zooplankton species. The study found that microplastic exposure reduced zooplankton feeding rates, which could potentially release algae from consumer control and disrupt aquatic food chain balance.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Mediated food and hydrodynamics on the ingestion of microplastics by Daphnia magna

This study investigated how food availability and water flow affect microplastic ingestion by Daphnia magna, finding that hydrodynamic conditions and food presence significantly influenced the rate at which these zooplankton took up microplastic particles.

2019 Environmental Pollution 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of polystyrene microplastics on Daphnia magna mortality and reproduction in relation to food availability

Researchers exposed the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna to polystyrene microplastics under varying food availability conditions and found that microplastic impacts on mortality and reproduction were most severe when food was limited. The study suggests that the ecological effects of microplastics on zooplankton are strongly influenced by nutritional status, with food-stressed organisms being more vulnerable to particle ingestion.

2018 PeerJ 160 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of micro- and nanoplastics in Daphnia magna – Quantification of body burdens and assessment of feeding rates and reproduction

Researchers used a quantitative approach to measure how the water flea Daphnia magna ingests and excretes micro- and nanoplastic particles of different sizes. They found that larger 2-micrometer particles were ingested in greater mass than 100-nanometer particles, and that complete excretion did not occur within 24 hours. Chronic exposure reduced feeding rates and reproduction, suggesting that ongoing microplastic exposure could have meaningful ecological consequences for these important freshwater organisms.

2017 Environmental Pollution 536 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and the freshwater plankton: Effects on grazing and mortality

This study exposed natural freshwater zooplankton communities to polyethylene microplastics of different sizes and found that the smallest particles (1-5 micrometers) were ingested most frequently, leading to reduced feeding on algae and increased mortality. When zooplankton ate microplastics instead of food, algae populations grew unchecked, disrupting the natural balance of the ecosystem. Since zooplankton are a key food source for fish, this disruption could ripple through the food chain and affect the quality of freshwater fish consumed by humans.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Daphnia magna's Favorite Snack: Biofouled Plastics

Researchers investigated how biofouling affects Daphnia magna ingestion rates of microplastics from wastewater effluent and fresh surface water. They found that D. magna consumed significantly more biofouled microplastics than virgin microplastics, with the effect seven times greater for surface-water biofilm versus a twofold increase for effluent biofilm, suggesting biofouling substantially increases plastic uptake by freshwater zooplankton.

2022 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on Daphnia-associated microbiomes in situ and in vitro

This study investigated how microplastic exposure alters the microbiome associated with Daphnia in freshwater, finding shifts in bacterial community composition that may affect host health and ecological function. The results suggest that microplastics can indirectly harm zooplankton by disrupting their microbial symbionts.

2024
Article Tier 2

Feeding type and development drive the ingestion of microplastics by freshwater invertebrates

Researchers exposed freshwater invertebrates with different feeding strategies to fluorescent polystyrene microplastics of various sizes and found that all species ingested particles in a concentration-dependent manner. Filter feeders like Daphnia magna consumed the most particles, while feeding type and developmental stage strongly influenced ingestion rates. The study suggests that feeding strategy is a key predictor of microplastic uptake in freshwater food webs, and that younger organisms may be more vulnerable.

2017 Scientific Reports 413 citations
Article Tier 2

Negative food dilution and positive biofilm carrier effects of microplastic ingestion by D. magna cause tipping points at the population level

Experiments with Daphnia magna showed that clean microplastics reduced survival and reproduction through food dilution at high concentrations, while biofouled microplastics had a slight positive biofilm carrier effect, with the net outcome depending on the balance between these competing mechanisms.

2021 Environmental Pollution 53 citations
Article Tier 2

A taste of plastic - quantifying micro- and nanoplastic ingestion and interactions with feeding in daphnia magna (E)

This study developed quantitative methods for measuring microplastic and nanoplastic ingestion by freshwater organisms, applying them to mussels and other invertebrates. The analytical approach helps address a key gap in freshwater microplastic research, where most studies have been qualitative rather than quantitative in assessing organism exposure.

2017 Technical University of Denmark, DTU Orbit (Technical University of Denmark, DTU)
Article Tier 2

The Effects of Natural and Anthropogenic Microparticles on Individual Fitness in Daphnia magna

Researchers compared the effects of natural and anthropogenic microparticles on the fitness of the water flea Daphnia magna. The study found that both primary microplastics from cosmetic products and secondary microplastics from degraded plastic waste can have detrimental effects on zooplankton feeding and fitness, with particle shape and weathering influencing toxicity.

2016 PLoS ONE 463 citations
Article Tier 2

Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Growth and Grazing Rates Reduced by Microplastic Ingestion

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastic ingestion significantly reduced the growth and grazing rates of heterotrophic dinoflagellates, suggesting that microplastic pollution could disrupt marine microbial food webs at the single-celled predator level.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation Kinetics and Gut Microenvironment Responses to Environmentally Relevant Doses of Micro/Nanoplastics by Zooplankton Daphnia Magna

This study tracked how tiny zooplankton (Daphnia magna) accumulate micro and nanoplastics of different sizes and surface charges at environmentally realistic concentrations. The organisms readily consumed all particle types, with larger and positively charged plastics accumulating the most, and the particles disrupted their gut microbiome. Since zooplankton are a key food source for fish, this accumulation could transfer microplastics up the food chain toward humans.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on key reproductive and biochemical endpoints of the freshwater microcrustacean Daphnia magna

Researchers studied how microplastics affect reproduction and biochemistry in the freshwater water flea Daphnia magna, a widely used indicator species. They found that microplastic exposure led to changes in reproductive output and altered key biochemical markers in these small crustaceans. The study suggests that even tiny plastic particles can disrupt important biological functions in freshwater organisms that form the base of aquatic food webs.

2024 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of food quantity on the ingestion and egestion of MPs with different colors by Daphnia magna

Laboratory experiments with Daphnia magna showed that food availability significantly influenced how many microplastics of different colors the animals ingested and how quickly they were cleared, with food concentration modifying particle accumulation.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Does microplastic ingestion by zooplankton affect predator-prey interactions? An experimental study on larviphagy

Filter feeders consumed significantly fewer zooplankton prey that had ingested microplastics compared to uncontaminated prey, suggesting that microplastic ingestion makes zooplankton less appealing or nutritious. This effect on predation could have cascading consequences for marine food webs.

2019 Environmental Pollution 67 citations
Review Tier 2

Review on the ecotoxicological impacts of plastic pollution on the freshwater invertebrate Daphnia

This review examines the ecotoxicological impacts of plastic pollution on the freshwater invertebrate Daphnia, a widely used model organism. Researchers highlight that microplastics affect Daphnia reproduction, growth, and survival, and that chemicals leaching from plastics may contribute additional toxic effects that transfer through food webs.

2022 Environmental Toxicology 54 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of microplastics on the interspecific competition of Daphnia

Researchers investigated how microplastic presence affects interspecific competition between Daphnia species, finding that microplastics can alter competitive outcomes and shift population dynamics between coexisting zooplankton species.

2022 Environmental Pollution 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Increased food availability reducing the harmful effects of microplastics strongly depends on the size of microplastics

Researchers found that increased food availability reduced microplastic toxicity in the waterflea Daphnia magna, but this protective effect depended strongly on particle size, with the smallest nanoplastics remaining harmful even when food was plentiful.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological Effects of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Microplastics on the Growth, Reproduction and Survival of Daphnia magna

Researchers exposed Daphnia magna to polyvinyl chloride microplastics at different concentrations, alone and combined with two algal food sources, and measured growth, reproduction, and survival. PVC microplastics reduced fecundity and survival in a dose-dependent manner, with food source type modulating the severity of toxicity effects.

2025 International Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences
Article Tier 2

Vertical distribution of microplastics in water bodies causes sublethal effects and changes in Daphnia magna swimming behaviour

Researchers found that sinking microplastics caused sublethal effects in Daphnia magna, reducing swimming velocity and altering behavior, with vertical distribution in the water column posing risks to both pelagic and benthic filter feeders.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution and nutrient enrichment shift the diet of freshwater macroinvertebrates

Researchers studied how microplastic pollution and excess nutrients together affect the feeding behavior of freshwater invertebrates in controlled experiments. They found that both conventional and biodegradable microplastics shifted what the organisms chose to eat, and these effects were amplified when combined with nutrient enrichment. The study suggests that microplastic pollution interacts with other common environmental stressors to alter freshwater food webs.

2024 Environmental Pollution 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic burden in Daphnia is aggravated by elevated temperatures

Daphnia magna and Daphnia pulex were exposed to 1-micrometer polystyrene spheres at 200 ng per liter under varying food supply and temperature conditions to assess how environmental factors modify microplastic ingestion and harm. Elevated temperature aggravated the burden of microplastic accumulation, suggesting that climate warming may increase microplastic risks to freshwater zooplankton.

2020 Zoology 43 citations