Transcriptional and cellular effects of benzotriazole UV stabilizers UV‐234 and UV‐328 in the freshwater invertebrates Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Daphnia magna

Benzotriazole ultra violet stabilizers (BZT‐UVs) are compounds used in many applications and products to prevent photochemical degradation. Despite their widespread presence in aquatic ecosystems and persistence in the environment, there are very limited data on their effects and toxicity, and their modes of action remain largely unknown. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the chronic effects of 2 BZT‐UVs, 2‐(2H‐benzotriazol‐2‐yl)‐4,6‐bis(1‐methyl‐1‐phenylethyl)phenol (UV‐234) and 2‐(2H‐benzotriazol‐2‐yl)‐4,6‐di‐tert‐pentylphenol (UV‐328), on the freshwater green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna. Organisms were exposed to 0.01 and 10 μg/L of UV‐234, UV‐328, as well as a mixture of the 2 compounds. Life‐history endpoints (viability, reproduction, and growth) and oxidative stress–related biomarkers (gene transcription, reactive oxygen species [ROS] production, and lipid peroxidation) were measured. Daphnia magna growth, reproduction, and gene transcription were not impacted by 21‐d individual or mixed exposure. After 96‐h of exposure, no differences were observed on the cellular viability of C. reinhardtii for either of the 2 BZT‐UVs. In the algae, results showed increased ROS production in response to UV‐328 and lipid peroxidation following exposure to UV‐234. Synergistic effects of the 2 BZT‐UVs were evident at the transcriptional level with 2 to 6 times up‐regulation of glutathione peroxidase (gpₓ) in response to the mixture for all treatment conditions. The transcription of superoxide dismutase (sod), catalase (cat), and ascorbic peroxidase (apx) was also regulated by UV‐234 and UV‐328 in the green algae, most likely as a result of ROS production and lipid peroxidation. Results from the present study suggest potential impacts of UV‐234 and UV‐328 exposure on the antioxidant defense system in C. reinhardtii. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3333–3342. © 2017 Crown in the Right of Canada. Published by Wiley Periodicals Inc., on behalf of SETAC.