Effect of different heavy-metal concentrations on Drosophila melanogaster larval growth and development

Abstract

The survival percentage of Drosophila melanogaster larvae on synthetic media containing different concentrations of heavy metals, including Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn, in the first generation indicated no significant reduction in their growth and development up to 500 ppm for all tested heavy-metal concentrations. At 500 ppm, results showed that there was a significant reduction in pupa and adult stages: 65% and 25% for Cd, 50% and 25% for Cu, 100% and 95% for Pb, and 85% and 75% for Zn, respectively. The survival percentages at 1000 ppm were further significantly reduced: 15% and 0% for Cd, 35% and 15% for Cu, 45% and 90% for Pb, and 65% and 35% for Zn, respectively for pupa and adult stages. For the second generation, there was no significant reduction in survival growth and development up to 100 ppm, but above 500 ppm, there was a significant reduction. For most of these heavy-metal concentrations, the survival percentages of the second generation at the pupa stage was higher than the first generation, whereas for the adult, there was a lower survival percentage, indicating some effect on metamorphosis of these heavy-metal concentrations on Drosophila melanogaster Comparing the survival percentage between first and second generations at 500 ppm for pupa indicate a significant increase on Cu only, and for the adult, there was a significant reduction for Cd.