The Effects Of Plastics Intake on Drosophila

Drosophila melanogaster is commonly used as a model organism to study countless human health-related issues and concerns (Pandey et al., 2011. From a global aspect, pollution, in all its forms, is an ever-growing concern. In particular, plastics, due to their incapability to decompose, has raised many questions pertaining to the effect this will have on our already struggling planet and ultimately what those effects mean for the human race. Plastics are composed of a group of chemicals known as phthalates which allow the material to be as flexible and durable as it is. Phthalates are also used in a widespread category for other commonly used products such as nail polishes, shampoos, soaps, hair sprays, detergents, vinyl flooring, lubrication oils, toys, medical equipment, plastic in clothing, adhesives, car parts, etc (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Phthalates are in nearly everything we use, on the floors of the cities we walkthrough, and even in the air, we breathe.

Effects on human health in relation to the exposure of phthalates are unknown since this is a relatively new concern in our era (CDCP, 2017). This study looks to measure the effects of phthalates on many aspects of Drosophila development and lifespan in order to predict potential human health threats. By diluting a solvent form of phthalates and using the CAFE assay (Diegelmann et al, 2017) we are developing an assay for phthalate exposure and its various potential effects.