2017/09/15 by Rongxue Cui, Shin Woong Kim, Youn‐Joo An · 1 citation
Environmental Science · Materials Science · Medicine · #Andrology #Animal science #Biochemistry #Biology #Branchiopoda #Cell biology #Cladocera #Crustacean #Daphnia #Daphnia galeata #Ecology #Embryo #Hatching #Internal medicine #Lipid droplet #Medicine #Microplastics #Microplastics and Plastic Pollution #Nanoparticles: synthesis and applications #Offspring #Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts #Pregnancy #Reproduction #Toxicity #Zoology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-12299-2
openalex publication_date 2017/09/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
We assayed the toxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NP, 52 nm) to Daphnia galeata. Survival and reproduction were significantly decreased in individuals exposed to 5 mg/L of PS-NP for 5 days, and embryos showed abnormal development, including a low hatching rate. Using fluorescence confocal microscopy, we recorded the transfer of PS-NP from the external surface of the body to the internal organs, including the thoracic appendices, ovaries, caudal appendices, and brood chamber, as well as PS-NP storage in lipid droplets. Although embryos were exposed to PS-NP in the brood chamber, they did not internalize PS-NP. Exposed D. galeata adults that were not pregnant stored significantly fewer lipid droplets than did the control group, and the lipid droplets that they did store were smaller; meanwhile, there were no significant changes in lipid storage in exposed pregnant individuals. Some embryos showed a high level of lipid storage, a response that occurs when embryos experience an abnormal state, and these embryos showed a very low hatching rate. However, the offspring of exposed adults showed normal survival and lipid storage. This study provides visual evidence that confirms the transfer and effects of PS-NP in Daphnia species, and suggests a relationship between toxicity and lipid storage.