| | Category | EV | L15 | The Dissolved Oxygen and Phototactic Response of Daphnia on |
| | Pharmaceuticals |
| | Abstract | This experiment tested the aquatic organism, Daphnia magna, while on two |
| | different pharmaceuticals, in two different phases. The pharmaceuticals |
| | were lisinopril, an antihypertensive, and fluoxotine, an antidepressant. |
| | Phase one tested the phototactic behavior of the daphnia and phase two |
| | tested the dissolved oxygen. |
| | |
| | Normally the daphnia are attracted to light, which is very important to them |
| | as it where they find their food source. The hypothesis for phase one |
| | states, “If pharmaceuticals commonly found in waste water effluents are |
| | tested on Daphnia magna, then the pharmaceuticals adversely effects the |
| | phototactic behavior of the daphnia.” The effect of pharmaceuticals on |
| | Daphnia magna’s phototactic behavior was studied using a phototactic |
| | light box. The daphnia were placed in test tubes containing five different |
| | amounts of the pharmaceuticals, lisinopril and fluoxotine. The experiment |
| | recorded the number of Daphnia magna swimming up and down a test |
| | tube in a specific amount of time to observe the attraction to light. The total |
| | response number of the daphnia’s attraction to light decreased as the |
| | amount of pharmaceutical increased. The hypothesis was supported as |
| | the daphnia’s phototactic behavior was adversely effected. |
| | |
| | The hypothesis for phase two states, “If pharmaceuticals commonly found |
| | in waste water effluents are tested on Daphnia magna, then the |
| | pharmaceuticals raise the dissolved oxygen rate.” The dissolved oxygen |
| | rate was tested using a portable dissolved oxygen meter and only one |
| | amount of each pharmaceutical. The hypothesis was not supported |
| | however, since there was little difference between the control, dissolved |
| | oxygen of the daphnia on no pharmaceuticals, and the dissolved oxygen |
| | of the daphnia on the pharmaceuticals. This was most likely because the |
| | pharmaceuticals on daphnia only effects the behavior not the metabolism |
| | of the daphnia. |
| | Bibliography | Cope, Gregory W., Shea Damian, Robert B. Bringolf, and Rebecca M. |
| | Heltsley. Endocrine and Reproductive Effects of the Pharmaceutical |
| | Fluoxetine on Native Freshwater Mussels. Rep. no. UNC-WRRI-382. |
| | Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, North Carolina |
| | State University, Oct. 2007. Web. |
| | <http://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/dr/bitstream/1840.4/4112/1/NC-WRRI- |
| | 382.pdf>. |
| | |
| | "Effects of Alcohol and Nicotine on Daphnia." Washington Association of |
| | Biomedical Research, Jan. 1998. Web. |
| | |
| | Gale Parsons, Ivy. "The Effects of Fluoxetine on Agressive Behaviors in |
| | Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta Splendens)." |
| | Http://www.bettabrasil.com.br/downloads/the_effects_of_fluoxetine_on_ |
| | aggressive_behaviors_in_siamese_fighting_fish.pdf. Fall 2005. Web. |
| | |
| | Marcus, Adam. "Happy Fish Go Hungry?: Scientific American." |
| | Scientific American (2008). Science News, Articles and Information | |