Evaluation of cross-generational exposure to microplastics and co-occurring contaminants on embryonic and larval behavior in fathead minnows, <i>Pimephales promelas</i>.

ABSTRACT: Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in freshwater systems, and understanding their effects on aquatic organisms is increasingly important. Microplastics also have unique surface properties that allow them to act as vectors for common environmental pollutants, such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and can serve as an additional route of exposure to those contaminants. However, few studies have considered the cross-generational effects of microplastics on early life-stage behaviors in aquatic vertebrates. In this study, adult fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas, were exposed to microplastics alone (MP_Virgin) or in association with one of two environmentally relevant concentrations of 17 α-ethinyl estradiol (low; MP_{EE2 10} and high; MP_{EE2 50}

SUBMITTER: Persinger M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12466489 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature