Abstract

Although nanoparticles are increasingly investigated, their impact on the availability of food (i.e., algae) at the bottom of food chains remains unclear. It is, however, assumed that algae, which form heteroagglomerates with nanoparticles, sediment quickly limiting the availability of food for primary consumers such as Daphnia magna. As a consequence, it may be hypothesized that this scenario in case of fundamental importance for the nanoparticles impact on primary consumers induces a similar pattern in the life history strategy of daphnids relative to situations of food depletion. To test this hypothesis, the present study compared the life-history strategy of D. magna experiencing different degrees of food limitation as a consequence of variable algal density with daphnids fed with heteroagglomerates composed of algae and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO(2)). In contrast to the hypothesis, daphnids' body length, weight, and reproduction increased when fed with these heteroagglomerates, while the opposite pattern was observed under food limitation scenarios. Moreover, juvenile body mass, and partly length, was affected negatively irrespective of the scenarios. This suggests that daphnids experienced besides a limitation in the food availability additional stress when fed with heteroagglomerates composed of algae and nTiO(2), Potential explanations include modifications in the nutritious quality of algae but also an early exposure of juveniles to nTiO(2). (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Energy budget; Heteroagglomerates; Trophic interaction; Physiology; Food quality; Nanomaterials

Published in

Environmental Pollution
2016, Volume: 214, pages: 840-846
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCI LTD

SLU Authors

• Bundschuh, Mirco

  • Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • University of Koblenz-Landau

UKÄ Subject classification

Other Natural Sciences not elsewhere specified


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.04.092

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/80856