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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications
Published on: January 19, 2018
Toxicological interactions induced by chronic exposure to gold nanoparticles and microplastics mixtures in Daphnia
Alexandre Pacheco1, Alexandra Martins1, Lúcia Guilhermino1
1ICBAS - Institute of Biomedical Sciences of Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Department of Populations Study, Laboratory of Ecotoxicology, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; CIIMAR/CIMAR-LA - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, research Group of Ecotoxicology, Stress Ecology and Environmental Health, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal.
Abstract:
The effects of emerging environmental contaminants on human and environmental health is of high concern, especially those potentially induced by mixtures. The main goal of the present study was to assess the chronic effects of mixtures of citrate stabilized ≈5 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNP) and 1-5μm microplastics (MP) on Daphnia magna. A 21-day bioassay was carried out. The effect criteria were parental mortality, somatic growth and several reproductive parameters. AuNP induced parental mortality, reduced the total offspring and caused immobile juveniles and aborted eggs. MP induced parental mortality, delayed the first brood release, decreased the number of broods released, the total offspring, and caused immobile juveniles. All the mixtures caused higher toxicity than AuNP and MP alone. Based on parental mortality, evidences of antagonism between AuNP and MP were observed at low concentrations of both mixture components, whereas evidences of synergism at high concentrations were found. Chronic (21-day) exposure of D. magna to AuNPs, MP, and their mixtures can impair development, reproduction, ultimately leading to death.
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