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

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials Vol. 436; p. 129225
• Main Authors: Song, Jinyoung, Kim, Changhae, Na, Joorim, Sivri, Nüket, Samanta, Palas, Jung, Jinho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.08.2022
• Subjects: Chronic toxicity; Microplastic; Multigeneration; Plastic additive; Zooplankton; Chronic toxicity; Microplastic; Plastic additive; Zooplankton; Multigeneration
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129225

Maternal exposure to microplastics (MPs) plays an important role in the fitness of unexposed progeny. In this study, the transgenerational effects of polyethylene MP fragments (17.35 ± 5.50 µm) containing benzophenone‐3 (BP-3; 2.85 ± 0.16% w/w) on chronic toxicity (21 d) in Daphnia magna were investigated across four generations. Only D. magna in the F0 generation was exposed to MP fragments, MP/BP-3 fragments, and BP-3 leachate to identify the transgenerational effect in the F3 generation. The mortality of D. magna induced by MP and MP/BP-3 fragments was recovered in the F3 generation, but somatic growth and reproduction significantly decreased compared to the control. Additionally, reproduction of D. magna exposed to BP-3 leachate significantly decreased in the F3 generation. These findings confirmed the transgenerational effects of MP fragment and BP-3 additive on D. magna. Particularly, the adverse effect on D. magna reproduction seemed to be cumulative across four generations for MP/BP-3 fragments, while it was an acclimation trend for BP-3 leachate. However, there was no significant difference in global DNA methylation in D. magna across four generations, thus requiring a gene-specific DNA methylation study to identify different epigenetic transgenerational inheritance. [Display omitted] •Transgenerational effects were identified in Daphnia magna across four generations.•MP fragments and BP-3 leachate induced different chronic toxicity to D. magna.•MP/BP-3 fragments showed the most significant transgenerational effects.•MP/BP-3 fragments are expected to decrease population growth of D. magna.