Developmental and Reproductive Impacts of Four Bisphenols in Daphnia magna

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a typical endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) used worldwide. Considering its adverse effects, BPA has been banned or strictly restricted in some nations, and many analogs have been introduced to the market. In this study, we selected three representative substitutes, BPS, BPF, and BPAF, along with BPA, to assess the developmental and reproductive effects on Daphnia magna. The F0 generation was exposed to bisphenols (BPs) at an environmentally relevant concentration (100 μg/L) for 21 d; then the embryo spawn at day 21 was collected. Behavior traits, the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and gene transcription were evaluated at three developmental stages (days 7, 14, and 21). Notably, body length, heart rate, and thoracic limb beating were significantly decreased, and D. magna behaved more sluggishly in the exposed group. Moreover, exposure to BPs significantly increased the antioxidant enzymatic activities, which indicated that BPs activated the antioxidant defense system. Additionally, gene expression indicated intergenerational effects in larvae, particularly in the BPAF group. In conclusion, BPA analogs such as BPF and BPAF showed similar or stronger reproductive and developmental toxicity than BPA in D. magna. These findings collectively deepen our understanding of the toxicity of BPA analogs and provide empirical evidence for screening safe alternatives to BPA.