Arsenic is a widespread environmental toxin that commonly contaminates groundwater in New England and poses significant global public health risks. As a known carcinogen, arsenic exposure has been associated with long-term health consequences that may persist across generations. While many studies have examined the short-term effects of acute arsenic toxicity, far fewer have evaluated multigenerational responses at environmentally relevant concentrations. We investigated changes in life-history traits in the ecotoxicological model organism, Daphnia, exposed to chronic arsenic treatments. Our results demonstrate that life-history responses vary significantly across arsenic concentrations in a non-linear manner. Growth-related parameters were more strongly affected at higher concentrations, whereas reproductive traits showed comparatively lower sensitivity. Ongoing work will examine the effects of arsenic exposure across ten generations and assess associated patterns of somatic arsenic accumulation. Understanding both short- and long-term responses will provide deeper insight into the mechanisms underlying toxicity of common environmental contaminants such as arsenic.
