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PlastispherePromotesGill-Rot Disease: A RetrospectiveStudy on a Sudden Fish Mortality Incident
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Researchers investigated a fish mortality event in China's Haihe River, finding that microplastics in dying carps' gills carried elevated levels of Flavobacterium columnare (the gill-rot pathogen) — and a six-week experiment confirmed that microplastic exposure increases susceptibility to this disease.
Plastisphere is a hotspot for some potential pathogens. Herein, a sudden incident of gill-rot disease in the Haihe River, China, is speculated to be related to the effects of the plastisphere. Significantly higher levels of microplastics (MPs) were present in the gills of dying carps identified with gill-rot disease, while Flavobacterium columnare was identified as the main pathogenic microorganism. A six-week simulated exposure experiment was conducted to further confirm the relationship among MPs, Flavobacterium columnare and the pathogens of gill-rot disease. At an exposure concentration reflecting environmental abundance, all four MPsPET and PLA in fiber and granule formswere found to promote F. columnare-driven gill tissue damage, pathogen enrichment in the gills, and pathogenic metabolism. Compared to granular and nonbiodegradable PET MPs, fibrous PLA, which exhibited higher retention in the gills and greater microbial affinity, resulted in the highest disease incidence. For the first time, the risk of respiratory infectious diseases in aquatic animals caused by the plastisphere on MPs was presented and demonstrated.
More Papers Like This
Plastisphere Promotes Gill-Rot Disease: A Retrospective Study on a Sudden Fish Mortality Incident
AI summary Read the abstract
A retrospective study linked microplastic pollution to a sudden fish mortality event caused by gill-rot disease in China's Haihe River. Researchers found significantly higher microplastic levels in the gills of dying carp and identified that microplastics promoted the growth and virulence of the pathogenic bacterium Flavobacterium columnare. Laboratory experiments confirmed that multiple microplastic types, including both conventional PET and biodegradable PLA, worsened gill tissue damage by concentrating pathogens on their surfaces.
The Trojan Horse Effect of Microplastics: Mediating Aeromonas Hydrophila Transmission and Synergistic Pathogenesis in Micropterus Salmoides
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles in water can act like "Trojan horses" by carrying harmful bacteria and making infections worse in fish. The plastic pieces help deadly bacteria stick to them and spread more easily, causing more severe illness and death in the fish they studied. This matters because these same plastic particles and bacteria are found in waters where we get our seafood, potentially affecting food safety.
Tracing the invisible microplastics in river water and fish organs and its implication of riverine ecosystem integrity
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Researchers traced microplastics in river water and fish organs from a South Asian river system, finding widespread contamination across multiple tissue types. The study identified the plastisphere concept as a useful framework for understanding how plastic-associated microbial communities accompany microplastics through aquatic food webs.
Real-time monitoring of microplastic accumulation in fish bodies using transparent goldfish revealed initial attack on the gill
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Researchers used transparent goldfish to track fluorescently labeled microplastic beads in living tissue over 28 days, finding that particles initially accumulated in the intestines but from day 14 onward concentrated heavily in the gills, with gill accumulation associated with epithelial cell death via surface binding and cellular invasion that impaired respiratory function and drove mortality.
Eco Toxicological Assessment of Micro Plastic Ingestion in Freshwater Fishes: A Case Study on Bioaccumulation and Histopathological Alterations
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Researchers assessed microplastic accumulation in three freshwater fish species (tilapia, rohu, catla) from a major river system, finding microplastics in gastrointestinal tracts and associated histopathological damage in gills, liver, and kidneys.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.