In recent years, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) that remain in the environment have become increasingly important. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a widely used antiepileptic drug that has a potential impact on the environment due to its Physico-chemical properties, which are rarely eliminated in conventional water treatment. Daphnia magna Straus (DMS) is a fundamental link of aquatic ecosystem chain. The influence of CBZ toxicity on DMS can effectively reflect the effects of CBZ toxicity on the aquatic environment. In this study, DMS was used as a subject to assess the chronic effects of CBZ exposure. It was found that after 21 days of CBZ exposure, the breeding frequency, the total number of eggs laid, body length, and intrinsic growth rate of DMS decreased with increasing CBZ concentrations. Maximum reductions of 69% in fecundity and 60% in fertility were observed at 0.5 mg/L CBZ, while a maximum reduction of 60% in body length was observed at 0.001 mg/L CBZ concentration. The integrated biomarker response version 2 (IBRv2) analysis suggests that with the increase in CBZ concentration, the overall negative effect of CBZ on DMS was enhanced.
Keywords: Carbamazepine; Chronic toxicity; Daphnia magna Straus; Inhibition; Reproduction rate.