Effects of Sublethal Bisphenol A on Planarian Phototaxis

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a common plastic found in many consumer products, including water bottles, food containers, and toys. Previous research shows BPA is an environmental contaminant with potential neurotoxic effects, including nociceptive behaviors in planaria flatworms. Planaria flatworms, such as Girardia dorotocephala, are valuable model organisms for studying neurotoxicity due to their simple but well-characterized nervous systems and measurable phototaxis or light response behaviors. Earlier experiments in our lab demonstrated that BPA concentrations of 1 ppm and higher caused high mortality and reduced movement. We were thus unable to measure phototaxis behavior at this higher concentration. This study investigated the effects of a lower, sublethal concentration (0.5 ppm BPA) on planarian phototaxis behavior. We expect the exposure to the 0.5 PPM will alter their normal phototaxis behavior. Worms were exposed to BPA over five days, and phototaxis responses were measured using red, green, and ultraviolet laser pointers. We evaluated their typical phototaxis responses, including swimming through, swimming around, and completely avoiding light, and compared behavioral changes between the BPA-treated and control groups. Our data from this experiment will be presented.