How Does Parental Exposure to Plastics Affect Offspring?
Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Zachary Stahlschmidt
Research or Creativity Area
Natural Sciences
Abstract
Global plastic production has been increasing exponentially, making microplastics (MPs; plastic particles < 5 mm) ubiquitous in Earth’s ecosystems, even reaching the most isolated environments and human tissues. The presence of MPs are troublesome due to their potential to cause variable levels of tissue damage and reduced reproductive ability across a range of animal taxa. Additionally, multiple factors, including biological sex, might influence the variable toxicity and sensitivity to MPs because males and females may vary in their exposure and sensitivity to MPs. In addition to their toxicity to animals, MPs release harmful phthalate esters (PAEs), which are plasticizers that give plastics their unique characteristics of flexibility and durability. Unfortunately, PAEs are also problematic to animal health because they act as endocrine disruptors and interfere with steroid hormone regulation. Yet, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the combined effects of MPs and PAEs, which may entail additive or synergistic costs to crucial traits, such as reproduction and offspring fitness. Since environments exhibit long-term contamination by MPs and PAEs, it is also essential to characterize their transgenerational effects– that is, how parental exposure to MPs and/or PAEs have carryover effects that influence their offspring who have never been exposed to these pollutants directly. Here, we used a factorial experimental design and fed four different diets (control [no additives], MPs added, PAEs added, and both MPs + PAEs added) to breeding pairs of the variable field cricket (Gryllus lineaticeps). We then determined within-generation effects on reproduction (mating success and egg production) and across-generation effects on offspring (hatching success, hatchling starvation resistance, and hatchling development rate). Our study will be the first to test for the sex-specific effects of MPs and PAEs on fitness-related traits within and across generations.
How Does Parental Exposure to Plastics Affect Offspring?
Global plastic production has been increasing exponentially, making microplastics (MPs; plastic particles < 5 mm) ubiquitous in Earth’s ecosystems, even reaching the most isolated environments and human tissues. The presence of MPs are troublesome due to their potential to cause variable levels of tissue damage and reduced reproductive ability across a range of animal taxa. Additionally, multiple factors, including biological sex, might influence the variable toxicity and sensitivity to MPs because males and females may vary in their exposure and sensitivity to MPs. In addition to their toxicity to animals, MPs release harmful phthalate esters (PAEs), which are plasticizers that give plastics their unique characteristics of flexibility and durability. Unfortunately, PAEs are also problematic to animal health because they act as endocrine disruptors and interfere with steroid hormone regulation. Yet, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the combined effects of MPs and PAEs, which may entail additive or synergistic costs to crucial traits, such as reproduction and offspring fitness. Since environments exhibit long-term contamination by MPs and PAEs, it is also essential to characterize their transgenerational effects– that is, how parental exposure to MPs and/or PAEs have carryover effects that influence their offspring who have never been exposed to these pollutants directly. Here, we used a factorial experimental design and fed four different diets (control [no additives], MPs added, PAEs added, and both MPs + PAEs added) to breeding pairs of the variable field cricket (Gryllus lineaticeps). We then determined within-generation effects on reproduction (mating success and egg production) and across-generation effects on offspring (hatching success, hatchling starvation resistance, and hatchling development rate). Our study will be the first to test for the sex-specific effects of MPs and PAEs on fitness-related traits within and across generations.
