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

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187590
• Publication Date: 2017-11-16T21:01:16Z
• Authors: Hannes K. Imhof; Jakub Rusek; Michaela Thiel; Justyna Wolinska; Christian Laforsch
• Keywords: Daphnia magna; Marine invertebrates; Life History Theory

Microplastic particles are ubiquitous not only in marine but also freshwater ecosystems. However, the impacts of microplastics, consisting a large variety synthetic polymers, on organisms remains poorly understood. We examined effects two polymer mixtures morphology, life history and molecular level waterflea Daphnia magna (three different clones). ~40 μm were supplied at low concentration (1% food particles) leading to an average ~30 digestive tract which reflects high microplastic contamination still resembles natural situation. Neither increased mortality nor changes morphological (body length, width tail spine length) or reproductive parameters observed for adult Daphnia. The analyses juvenile revealed small rather subtle responses traits length). For Daphnia, alterations expression genes related stress (i.e. HSP60, HSP70 & GST) as well other involved body function composition SERCA) already 48h after exposure. anticipate that adverse might be influenced by many additional factors like size, shape, type even age weak effects, detected laboratory, may lead reduced fitness multi-stressor environment.