Papers

61,005 results
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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

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

Is the development of Daphnia magna neonates affected by short-term exposure to polyethylene microplastics?

Daphnia magna neonates ingested polyethylene microplastics within the first 24 hours of exposure but showed no significant effects on mobility or molting, though food availability was a more powerful driver of development than microplastic concentration. The study highlights the importance of accounting for feeding regime when interpreting microplastic toxicity tests.

2020 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A 31 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

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

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

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

Short-term exposure with high concentrations of pristine microplastic particles leads to immobilisation of Daphnia magna

Researchers tested the effects of high concentrations of pristine microplastic particles on the water flea Daphnia magna. The study found that short-term exposure to high microplastic concentrations led to immobilisation, and that different polymer types, sizes, and shapes produced varying levels of toxicity, highlighting the importance of particle characteristics in microplastic risk assessment.

2016 Chemosphere 483 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and natural particles on the aquatic invertebrate Daphnia magna under different dietary quality scenarios

Researchers exposed Daphnia magna to both natural particles—including sediment, algae, and biofilm—and polystyrene microplastics to compare their effects, finding that natural particles caused similar or greater harm than microplastics at equivalent concentrations, highlighting the need for environmental context in MP toxicity studies.

2025 Oecologia
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
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Improving micro-/nanoplastics (MNPs) ecotoxicity assessment: A harmonised ecotoxicity testing approach with Daphnia magna

This meta-analysis highlights major problems with how scientists currently test the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics on water fleas, a key indicator species. It proposes improved testing methods that better reflect real-world conditions, which is essential for accurately assessing the ecological risks of plastic pollution.

2026 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

Impacts of polystyrene microplastics on Daphnia magna: A laboratory and a mesocosm study

Laboratory tests and mesocosm experiments with Daphnia magna and polystyrene microplastics found that effects at high concentrations were more related to food dilution than direct toxicity, and population-level effects in mesocosms were minimal. The study emphasizes the importance of using realistic concentrations and multi-species systems to assess microplastic risks.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Polystyrene Microplastics in Different Diet Combinations on Survival, Growth and Reproduction Rates of the Water Flea (Daphnia magna)

Researchers exposed Daphnia magna water fleas to 6-micrometer fluorescent polystyrene microplastics across different diet combinations over 21 days, finding that animals fed only microplastics showed survival declines similar to starved controls and the least growth, while algae co-feeding partially mitigated but did not eliminate reproductive impacts.

2022 Microplastics 14 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

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 novel method for assessing microplastic effect in suspension through mixing test and reference materials

Researchers developed a new testing method to distinguish the toxic effects of microplastics from those of natural particles like clay by mixing them in different ratios and exposing water fleas (Daphnia magna) to the combinations. The study found that polyethylene terephthalate microplastics were significantly more harmful than clay, with toxicity detectable even when microplastics made up just 2.4% of suspended solids.

2019 Scientific Reports 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation, depuration, and potential effects of environmentally representative microplastics towards Daphnia magna

Researchers created environmentally realistic microplastics by grinding common consumer products and tested their effects on Daphnia magna, a small freshwater organism widely used in toxicity studies. The organisms accumulated the microplastics and showed some ability to clear them over time, but the realistic microplastics caused different effects than the pristine laboratory plastics typically used in research. This suggests that many existing studies may underestimate the true environmental risk of microplastics.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by Daphnia magna and its enhancement on algal growth

Researchers examined microplastic ingestion by the freshwater zooplankton Daphnia magna and its downstream effects on algal growth, finding that the organisms readily ingested microparticles. The study also observed that microplastic exposure indirectly enhanced algal growth, possibly by reducing grazing pressure, suggesting that plastic pollution could alter freshwater food web dynamics.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 398 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nano/microplastics on the growth and reproduction of the microalgae, bacteria, fungi, and Daphnia magna in the microcosms

Researchers tested the effects of 14 types of plastic particles and 6 fiber materials on microorganisms and water fleas in both single-species and microcosm experiments. They found that higher concentrations and smaller particle sizes of microplastics led to reduced growth rates in algae and other microorganisms. The study highlights the importance of testing realistic mixtures of plastic types rather than single materials when assessing the ecological risks of microplastic pollution.

2023 Environmental Technology & Innovation 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of chronic exposure to environmentally realistic microplastics on Daphnia magna: importance of particle size and morphology and implications for risk assessments

Scientists tested how tiny plastic particles from everyday items like nylon fibers and polystyrene cups affect small water creatures called Daphnia over 21 days. They found that these microplastics get eaten by the creatures and can harm their ability to reproduce and grow, especially the fiber-shaped plastics. This matters because it shows how plastic pollution in water can damage aquatic life, and since microplastics are also found in our drinking water and food, understanding these effects helps us better assess potential risks to human health.

2026 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

The thermal regime modifies the response of aquatic keystone species Daphnia to microplastics: Evidence from population fitness, accumulation, histopathological analysis and candidate gene expression

Researchers found that temperature plays a key role in how toxic microplastics are to the water flea Daphnia magna. Microplastic exposure caused increased mortality, reduced reproduction, and slower population growth, with these negative effects becoming much more pronounced at higher temperatures. The study suggests that warming water temperatures due to climate change may amplify the harmful impacts of microplastic pollution on aquatic ecosystems.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Significant decline of Daphnia magna population biomass due to microplastic exposure

Stable Daphnia magna populations were exposed to primary microplastics (1–5 μm) at concentrations ranging from 10⁴ to 10⁷ particles/mL for three weeks, resulting in a significant decline in population biomass at higher concentrations. The study demonstrates that population-level endpoints reveal microplastic effects that are missed by single-organism toxicity tests, highlighting the need for realistic long-term exposure experiments.

2019 Environmental Pollution 107 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: toxicity and Bioacumulation at the first trophic levels of the food chain

Using standardized ecotoxicity tests, researchers exposed the water flea Daphnia magna and the alga Desmodesmus subspicatus to polyethylene microspheres — the kind widely used in cosmetic exfoliants — and found measurable harm at low concentrations. Crucially, adult Daphnia were ten times more sensitive than juveniles, and microscopy confirmed that microplastics physically accumulated in the animals' digestive tracts, showing that contamination begins at the very base of the food chain.

2023 MOJ Biology and Medicine 1 citations
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