Early Exposure to Low Concentrations of Bisphenol-A can Decrease Zebrafish Social Behavior

Bisphenol-A or BPA is a common chemical pollutant that contaminates the environment, specifically water systems, due its mass production in human-made plastic items and subsequent improper disposal. BPA is also an endocrine disruptor that has negative health impacts on organisms exposed to them, ranging from changes in reproduction to neural activity. In this study I researched the impact of early exposure to weak levels of BPA on adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) social behavior. Zebrafish are highly social creatures that rely on group living for protection and resource attainment in the wild, meaning any alteration to how they interact with their conspecifics can be detrimental to their survival. For one-week postfertilization, I exposed baby zebrafish to either 0.01 mg/l BPA, 0.001 mg/l BPA, 0.1% DMSO, or water. I raised the fish to adulthood and tested their reaction to a social stimulus. I found that early exposure to low doses of Bisphenol-A led to an increase in zebrafish activity levels (increased distance and time spent traveling) and a decrease in preference towards the social stimulus (more time away from the social stimulus). Increases in activity suggest that the long-term effects of early BPA exposure may be linked to chronic stress. However, all treatment and control groups spent most of their time near the social stimulus when they had visual access to it, implying a natural social drive that was not completely blocked by the exposure to BPA. This also verifies that visual signals are highly important to social behavior, since fish given olfactory access alone did not spend as much time in proximity to the social stimulus. Although even short-term exposure to weak BPA has a lasting impact on zebrafish social behavior, future studies are needed to confirm that these persistent effects are related to stress.