Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of three phthalate esters on the life-table demography of freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas

  • Published:
Aquatic Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are mainly used in the polymer industry as external plasticizers in PVC, and tend to migrate slowly out of the plastic, either into the air by volatilization or into water or other solvents by dissolution. Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) are three members of PAEs, identified as priority controlled hazardous substances by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and have been shown to have potential for endocrine disrupting effects on vertebrates and humans. The effects of DBP, BBP and DEHP on survival and reproduction of the freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus were studied using life-table demographic methods. The results showed that all the life-table demographic parameters of B. calyciflorus were markedly affected by DBP and BBP, but not by DEHP. The net reproductive rate representing the output of reproduction was more affected than all the other parameters representing population growth, development or survival of the rotifers. Compared to the solvent control, DBP and BBP, both at 500 μg l−1, significantly increased the net reproductive rate, and prolonged the generation time and the life expectancy at hatching of the rotifers. DBP at 50 μg l−1 markedly decreased the intrinsic rate of population increase of the rotifers, but the reverse was true for BBP at 50 and 500 μg l−1. Among all the parameters, the intrinsic rate of population increase was the most sensitive to DBP and BBP. The levels of PAEs in water from all the studied rivers and lakes in the world did not affect the population growth of rotifers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Araujo A, McNair NJ (2007) Individual- and population-level effects of antibiotics on the rotifers, Brachionus calyciflorus and B. plicatilis. Hydrobiologia 593:185–199

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barera Y, Adams WJ (1981) Resolving some practical questions about Daphnia magna acute toxicity tests. In: Bishop et al (eds) Aquatic toxicology and hazard assessments: the sixth symposium ASTP STP 802. ASTM Philadelphia

  • Bradlee AC, Thomas P (2003) Aquatic toxicity of phthalate esters. The handbook of environmental chemistry, vol 3. Part Q, 263–298

  • Call DJ, Markee TP, Geiger DL, Brooke LT, VandeVenter FA, Cox DA, Genisot KI, Robillard KA, Gorsuch JW, Parkerton TF, Reiley MC, Ankley GT, Mount DR (2001) An assessment of the toxicity of phthalate esters to freshwater benthos. I. Aqueous exposures. Environ Toxicol Chem 20:1798–1804

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chu ZX, Xi YL, Xu XP (2005) Effect of glyphosate on the life history characteristics of freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas. Chin J Appl Ecol 16:1142–1145 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandez-Casalderrey A, Ferrando MD, Andreu-Moliner E (1991) Demographic parameters of Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas (Rotifers) exposed to sublethal endosulfan concentrations. Hydrobiologia 226:103–110

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrandez-Casalderrey A, Ferrando MD, Andreu-Moliner E (1993) Chronic toxicity of methylparathion to the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus fed on Nannochloris oculata and Chlorella pyrenoidosa. Hydrobiologia 255/256:41–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrando MD, Janssen CR, Andreu E, Persoone G (1993) Ecotoxicological studies with the freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. II. An assessment of the chronic toxicity of lindane and 3, 4-dichloraniline using life tables. Hydrobiologia 255/256:33–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallardo WG, Hagiwara A, Tomita Y, Soyano K, Snell TW (1997) Effect of some vertebrate and invertebrate hormones on the population growth, mictic female production, and body size of the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis Müller. Hydrobiologia 358:113–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang GL, Sun HW, Gao J, Chen YS (1998) Study on toxic effects of dibutyl phthalate on Daphnia magna. Environ Chem 17:428–433 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang GL, Sun HG, Song ZH (1999) Interactions between dibutyl phthalate and aquatic organisms. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 63:759–765

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang L, Xi YL, Zha CW, Zhao LL (2007) Effect of aldrin on life history characteristics of rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 79:524–528

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Janssen CR, Persoone G, Snell TW (1994) Cyst-based toxicity tests.VIII. Short chronic test with the freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. Aquatic Toxicol 28:243–258

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jin XC (1990) The organic compound pollution chemistry. Qinghua, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jonsson S, Baun A (2003) Toxicity of mono- and diesters of o-phthalic esters to a crustacean, a green alga, and a bacterium. Environ Toxicol Chem 22:3037–3043

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krebs CJ (1985) Ecology: the experimental analysis of distribution and abundance. Harper & Row, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Laughlin BR, Neff JM (1978) The effects of three phthalate esters on the larval development of the grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio (holthuis). Water, Air, Soil Pollut 9:323–336

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li S, Zhu H, Xia Y, Yu M, Liu K, Ye Z, Chen Y (1959) The mass culture of unicellular green algae. Acta Hydrobiol Sinica 4:462–472 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lotka AJ (1913) A natural population norm. J Wash Acad Sci 3:241–248

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcial SH, Hagiwara A, Snell TW (2005) Effect of some pesticides on reproduction of rotifer Brachionus plicatilis Müller. Hydrobiologia 546:569–575

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mariraz-Perez T, Sarma SSS, Nandini S (2004) Effects of mercy on the life table demography of the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas (Rotifera). Ecotoxicology 13:535–544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayer P, Ellersieck MR (1986) Manual of acute toxicity: interpretation and data Base for 410 chemicals and 66 species of freshwater animals, resource Pub. 160. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC

  • Ministry of Environment, Government of Japan (2002) Environmental risk initial assessment 29: di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (in Japanese)

  • Ministry of Environment, Government of Japan (2004) Synopsis of the results of ecological effects tests. Available at http://www.env.go.jp/chemi/sesaku/seitai.html (in Japanese)

  • Nogrady T, Wallace RL, Snell TW (1993) Rotifera. vol 1: biology, ecology and systematics. SPB Academic, The Hague

    Google Scholar 

  • Norman A, Borjeson H, David F, Tienpont B, Norrgren L (2007) Studies of putake, elimination, and late effects in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) dietary exposed to di-2 ethylhexyl pathalate (DEHP) during early life. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 52:235–242

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • OSPAR Commission (2006) OSPAR background document on phthalates. Available at http://www.ospar.org/documents/dbase/publications

  • Persoone G, Janssen CR (1993) Freshwater invertebrate toxicity tests. In: Calow P (eds) Handbook of ecotoxicology. Blackwell, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Persoone G, Goyvaerts M, Janssen CR, Coen W, Vangheluwe M (1993) Cost effective acute hazard monitoring of polluted waters and waste dumps with the aid of Toxkits. Final Report EEC, Contract ACE 89/BE 2D3. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels

  • Poole RW (1974) An introduction to quantitative ecology. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Preston BL, Snell TW (2001) Full life cycle toxicity assessment using rotifer resting egg production: implications for ecological risk assessment. Environ Pollut 114:399–406

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Preston BL, Snell TW, Roberston TL, Dingmann BJ (2000) Use of freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus in screening assay for potential endocrine disruptors. Environ Toxicol Chem 19:2923–2928

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Radix P, Severin G, Schamm KW, Kettrup A (2002) Reproduction disturbances of Brachionus calyciflorus (rotifer) for the screening of environmental endocrine disruptors. Chemosphere 47:1097–1101

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rao TR, Sarma SSS (1986) Demographic parameters of Brachionus patulus Müller (Rotifera) exposed to sublethal DDT concentrations at low and high food levels. Hydrobiologia 139:193–200

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rao TR, Sarma SSS (1990) Interaction of Chlorella density and DDT concentration on the population dynamics of the rotifer Branchionus patulus (Rotifera). Indian J Environ Health APR 32:57–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Sha Y, Xia X, Yang Y (2007) Distribution of PAEs in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, China. Environ Monit Assess 124:277–287

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Snell TW, Carmona MJ (1995) Comparative toxicity sensitivity of sexual and asexual reproduction in the rotifer Brachionus calyciflrorus. Environ Toxicol Chem 14(3):415–420

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Snell TW, Janssen CR (1995) Rotifers in ecotoxicology: a review. Hydrobiologia 313/314:231–247

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Snell TW, Joaquim-Justo C (2007) Workshop on rotifers in ecotoxicology. Hydrobiologia 593:227–232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snell TW, Moffat BD, Janssen CR, Persoone G (1991a) Acute toxicity tests using rotifers. III. Effects of temperature, strain and exposure time on the sensitivity of Brachionus plicatilis. Ecotoxicol Toxicol Wat Qual 6:63–75

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Snell TW, Moffat BD, Janssen CR, Persoone G (1991b) Acute toxicity tests using rotifers. IV. Effects of cyst age, temperature, and salinity on the sensitivity of Brachionus calyciflorus. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 21:308–317

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stamples CA, Adams WJ, Parkerton TF, Gorsuch JW (1997) Aquatic toxicity of eighteen phthalate esters. Environ Toxicol Chem 16:875–891

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian HJ, Shu WQ, Zhang XK, Wang YM, Cao J (2003) Organic pollutions in source water in Jialing River and Yangtze River (Chongqing section). Resour Environ Yangtze Basin 12:118–123 (In Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (1985) Methods for measuring the acute toxicity of effluents to freshwater and marine organisms. Peltier WH, Weber CI (eds) EPA/600/4 - 85/013. US Environ Protec Agency, Washington DC

  • Xi YL, Hu HY (2003) Effect of thiophanate-methyl on the reproduction and survival of the refreshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 71:722–728

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xi YL, Feng LK (2004) Effect of thiophanate-methyl and glyphosate on asexual and sexual reproduction in the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 73:644–651

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xi YL, Huang X-F, Jin H-J, Liu J-K (2001) The effect of food concentration on the life history of three types of Brachionus calyciflorus females. Internat Rev Hydrobiol 86:209–215

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu XP, Xi YL, Chu ZX, Chen F (2005) The effect of deltamethin on experimental population dynamics of freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. Acta Zool Sin 51:251–256 (In Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zar JH (1999) Biostatistical analysis, 4. Prentice Hall, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Zha CW, Xi YL, Huang L, Zhao LL (2007) Effect of sublethal exposure to chlordecone on life history characteristics of freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 81:71–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao LL, Xi YL, Huang L, Zha CW (2007) Effects of phthalate acid esters on population growth and sexual reproduction of rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. Acta Zool Sin 53:250–256 (In Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Natural Scientific Foundation of China (30470323), Natural Scientific Foundation of Educational Ministry of China (051286), Excellent Youth Foundation in Anhui Province (04043050), and Natural Scientific Foundation of Educational Committee of Anhui Province, China (2003kj032zd).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Provincial Key Laboratories of Conservation and Utilization for Important Biological Resource in Anhui & Biotic Environment and Ecological Safety, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, 241000, China

    Lan-Lan Zhao, Yi-Long Xi, Lin Huang & Chun-Wang Zha

Authors
  1. Lan-Lan Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yi-Long Xi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lin Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chun-Wang Zha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yi-Long Xi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhao, LL., Xi, YL., Huang, L. et al. Effects of three phthalate esters on the life-table demography of freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas. Aquat Ecol 43, 395–402 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-008-9179-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-008-9179-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation