The effects of phthalates on S. tropicalis development

Phthalates are added to polymers in order to increase their flexibility, but leach out of the matrix. Given that these plasticizers are mainly found in water bound to particles, aquatic species are exposed to phthalates. Silurana tropicalis eggs were exposed to high concentrations of three pththalates: dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP; 19 mg/L), dimethyl phthalate (DMP; 34 mg/L), and monomethyl phthalate (MMP; 1500 mg/L), along to their respective controls: 0.82% DMSO for DCHP, and water controls for DMP and MMP. The exposure lasted 3 days during embryogenesis. Four pooled of 10 larvae were sampled per treatment and analyzed for gene expression changes using a microarray approach. Four microarrays per group (control and treatment); each phthalate had its on control. There were three phthalates tested that included DCHP, MMP, and DMP.