Effects of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) on life history traits and population dynamics of Daphnia magna: comparison of two exposure regimes

Abstract Phthalates are chemical products used as additives in the synthesis of plastics to increase their flexibility and resistance. Among the most frequently detected phthalates in the environment is dibutyl phthalate (DBP). Although ubiquitous in freshwater environments at concentrations in the ng/L to µg/L range, studies on the effects of DBP on Daphnia magna have overlooked the potential effects of exposure at low concentrations (µg/L order) and without solvent. Our work focuses on the chronic effects of DBP on life history traits (survival, growth, reproduction) in the freshwater model species, D. magna (Crustacea). Organisms were exposed to two exposure regimes: from the beginning of embryonic development or from the adult stage, at the third brood, when most of the energy investment in growth is complete. The results obtained show that the DBP exposure regime is an essential parameter in the effects on D. magna life history traits. While no significant response was observed in organisms exposed at the adult stage, disturbances to survival, growth and reproduction were observed at concentrations as low as the µg/L range in organisms exposed at the beginning of embryonic development. The results also demonstrated that exposure to a concentration gradient of DBP results in different dose-dependent response typologies, depending on the life history traits measured. For survival, the dose-response relationship was non-monotonic, with greater juvenile mortality at intermediate concentrations (100, 280 and 500 µg/L) than at higher concentrations (1000 and 2000 µg/L). For effects on growth and reproduction, the responses followed classic monotonic dose-response relationships with low sensitivities. At the end of the experiment, the EC10-25d values were 1.01 µg/L for reproduction and 79.22 µg/L for growth. However, when calculated at earlier timepoints, the EC10-4d and the EC10-7d for growth were 0.25 µg/L and 1.16 µg/L. Furthermore, projecting these results to the population level suggests that exposure to DBP from early embryonic development leads to a decrease in growth rate and a change in population structure.