Behavioral endpoints and generational effects in Daphnia magna upon short- and long-term exposure and their use as additional endpoint in ecotoxicological risk assessment

Daphnia magna is a common model organism for ecotoxicological testing. In regulatory guidelines, the classical tested endpoints are immobilization and reproduction. In order to detect other sublethal effects potentially more sensitive endpoints are required. Behavioral endpoints are one approach in...

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Main Authors: Vanessa F. Saalmann, Kirsten Germing, Benedikt Ringbeck, Lena A. Kosak, Elke Eilebrecht
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325007729
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author Vanessa F. Saalmann
Kirsten Germing
Benedikt Ringbeck
Lena A. Kosak
Elke Eilebrecht
author_facet Vanessa F. Saalmann
Kirsten Germing
Benedikt Ringbeck
Lena A. Kosak
Elke Eilebrecht
author_sort Vanessa F. Saalmann
collection DOAJ
description Daphnia magna is a common model organism for ecotoxicological testing. In regulatory guidelines, the classical tested endpoints are immobilization and reproduction. In order to detect other sublethal effects potentially more sensitive endpoints are required. Behavioral endpoints are one approach in environmental risk assessment for more sensitive endpoints and monitoring of water quality, demonstrating ecological relevance since altered behavior can impact reproduction and survival, yet they are rarely included in risk assessment. In literature, several chemicals have shown to alter swimming behavior of D. magna. The objective of our study was to identify suitable behavioral endpoints regarding sensitivity and applicability under short-term and long-term exposure to selected insecticides in environmentally relevant concentrations and potential generational effects of insecticide exposure. The investigated endpoints were locomotor activity, spatial orientation and predator avoidance behavior. Neonate D. magna were exposed to the insecticides imidacloprid, thiacloprid and fipronil for 48 hours during short-term exposure and for 14 days during long-term exposure. In a second step, for the investigation of generational effects, behavioral alterations of neonates born under insecticide exposure were tested. The investigated insecticides altered the swimming patterns of D. magna, with statistically significant effects observed at lower concentrations compared to the classical endpoints immobility and reproduction. Thus, the current study demonstrates that the assessment of behavioral endpoints helps in informing Mode of Action (MoA)-specific risk assessment. Synopsis: Behavioral endpoints have recently drawn attention as more sensitive endpoints than regulatory relevant endpoints like immobilization or reproduction. This study identifies behavioral effects during short-term and long-term exposures and generational effects of insecticides with environmental relevance in the non-target organism Daphnia magna.
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spelling doaj-art-d441fdb67dad42baa0540a23204f400a2025-08-20T02:36:59ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-08-0130111843210.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118432Behavioral endpoints and generational effects in Daphnia magna upon short- and long-term exposure and their use as additional endpoint in ecotoxicological risk assessmentVanessa F. Saalmann0Kirsten Germing1Benedikt Ringbeck2Lena A. Kosak3Elke Eilebrecht4Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, GermanyCorresponding author.; Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Schmallenberg, GermanyDaphnia magna is a common model organism for ecotoxicological testing. In regulatory guidelines, the classical tested endpoints are immobilization and reproduction. In order to detect other sublethal effects potentially more sensitive endpoints are required. Behavioral endpoints are one approach in environmental risk assessment for more sensitive endpoints and monitoring of water quality, demonstrating ecological relevance since altered behavior can impact reproduction and survival, yet they are rarely included in risk assessment. In literature, several chemicals have shown to alter swimming behavior of D. magna. The objective of our study was to identify suitable behavioral endpoints regarding sensitivity and applicability under short-term and long-term exposure to selected insecticides in environmentally relevant concentrations and potential generational effects of insecticide exposure. The investigated endpoints were locomotor activity, spatial orientation and predator avoidance behavior. Neonate D. magna were exposed to the insecticides imidacloprid, thiacloprid and fipronil for 48 hours during short-term exposure and for 14 days during long-term exposure. In a second step, for the investigation of generational effects, behavioral alterations of neonates born under insecticide exposure were tested. The investigated insecticides altered the swimming patterns of D. magna, with statistically significant effects observed at lower concentrations compared to the classical endpoints immobility and reproduction. Thus, the current study demonstrates that the assessment of behavioral endpoints helps in informing Mode of Action (MoA)-specific risk assessment. Synopsis: Behavioral endpoints have recently drawn attention as more sensitive endpoints than regulatory relevant endpoints like immobilization or reproduction. This study identifies behavioral effects during short-term and long-term exposures and generational effects of insecticides with environmental relevance in the non-target organism Daphnia magna.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325007729Daphnia magnaBehavioral ecotoxicologyBehavioral trackingToxicity assessmentSwimming behaviorSwimming parameters
spellingShingle Vanessa F. Saalmann
Kirsten Germing
Benedikt Ringbeck
Lena A. Kosak
Elke Eilebrecht
Behavioral endpoints and generational effects in Daphnia magna upon short- and long-term exposure and their use as additional endpoint in ecotoxicological risk assessment
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Daphnia magna
Behavioral ecotoxicology
Behavioral tracking
Toxicity assessment
Swimming behavior
Swimming parameters
title Behavioral endpoints and generational effects in Daphnia magna upon short- and long-term exposure and their use as additional endpoint in ecotoxicological risk assessment
title_full Behavioral endpoints and generational effects in Daphnia magna upon short- and long-term exposure and their use as additional endpoint in ecotoxicological risk assessment
title_fullStr Behavioral endpoints and generational effects in Daphnia magna upon short- and long-term exposure and their use as additional endpoint in ecotoxicological risk assessment
title_full_unstemmed Behavioral endpoints and generational effects in Daphnia magna upon short- and long-term exposure and their use as additional endpoint in ecotoxicological risk assessment
title_short Behavioral endpoints and generational effects in Daphnia magna upon short- and long-term exposure and their use as additional endpoint in ecotoxicological risk assessment
title_sort behavioral endpoints and generational effects in daphnia magna upon short and long term exposure and their use as additional endpoint in ecotoxicological risk assessment
topic Daphnia magna
Behavioral ecotoxicology
Behavioral tracking
Toxicity assessment
Swimming behavior
Swimming parameters
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325007729
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