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Interactive effects of hydrodynamics and microplastics on bioaccumulation, histopathological alterations, biomarker responses, and gene expression in grass carp brain
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This study found that water flow conditions significantly affect how microplastics accumulate in fish brains, with faster-moving water increasing the uptake of polystyrene particles. Fish exposed to microplastics under high water velocity showed the most severe brain damage, oxidative stress, and changes in gene activity. The findings suggest that environmental conditions like water speed need to be considered when assessing the real-world risks of microplastic pollution to aquatic life and the food chain.
Recently, concerns about the toxicity of microplastics (MPs) pollution have attracted significant attention. However, the influence of hydrodynamics on MPs bioaccumulation in fish, and the associated risks, remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study addressed this critical knowledge gap by examining how water velocity, individual and in combination with MPs, impacts brain in juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Fish were exposed for seven days (28 h total, with 2-h sessions twice daily) to 5 µm polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) at an environmentally relevant concentration of 1000 µg/L across eight groups: control, low (LV), medium (MV), and high (HV) water velocity, MPs-only, and three combined treatments (MPs + each velocity level). Fish exposed to the MPs + HV group illustrated the highest accumulation of PS-MPs with a concentration of 33.94 ± 1.00 × 103 μg/kg (p < 0.05) and exhibited more brain damage, including hemorrhage, edema, and tissue rupture. Furthermore, this group demonstrated significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) activities, along with significant reduction in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity (p < 0.05), providing clear evidence of oxidative stress and neurotoxicity. Transcriptomic analysis showed a significant variation in gene expression with associated key pathways such as DNA repair, RNA transport, FoxO signaling, and MAPK signaling, indicating active cellular responses to genetic damage. Overall, this study highlighted the critical role of hydrodynamics in MPs bioaccumulation in fish and the compounded risks of MPs and water velocity, emphasizing the crucial need for monitoring of MPs pollution in dynamic aquatic environments, particularly in riverine systems.
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Hydrodynamics Increase Microplastics Bioaccumulation and Associated Neurotoxicity in Freshwater Fish Brain
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Grass carp fish were exposed to tiny polystyrene microplastics in water for seven days, under different water flow speeds. Fish exposed to microplastics combined with fast-flowing water showed the most microplastic buildup in the brain, along with more tissue damage and signs of chemical stress linked to nerve function.
Flow-dependent modulation of microplastic toxicity in grass carp: Insights from multi-level biological endpoints and machine learning
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Researchers studied how water flow conditions affect microplastic toxicity in grass carp, finding that faster-moving water significantly worsened the harmful effects of polystyrene microplastics. Fish exposed to microplastics under high water velocity showed more severe gill damage, intestinal inflammation, immune system activation, and shifts in gut bacteria compared to still-water conditions. The study suggests that real-world flowing water environments may amplify the biological impact of microplastic pollution on freshwater fish.
Hydrodynamic modulation of microplastic bioaccumulation in edible fish: Integrating biomarker networks, machine learning, and food safety perspectives
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Scientists found that fish in faster-moving water absorb much more microplastic pollution than fish in still water, and these fish also showed more tissue damage and health problems. This matters because many of the fish we eat live in rivers and streams with flowing water, which means they could contain higher levels of harmful microplastics than previous studies suggested. The research shows we may be underestimating how much plastic pollution is getting into our seafood.
Effects of polystyrene microspheres on the swimming behavior and metabolism of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
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Researchers exposed juvenile grass carp to polystyrene microspheres of different sizes and measured effects on swimming ability, metabolism, and oxidative stress. They found that smaller particles caused more severe impairment to swimming performance and triggered greater metabolic disruption over time. The study suggests that the size of microplastic particles matters significantly when assessing their potential harm to freshwater fish.
Hydrodynamic stress exacerbates the Trojan horse effect of microplastics and toxicity of co-occurring lead in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).
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Scientists found that water currents can make microplastics act like tiny "Trojan horses," smuggling toxic lead into fish more effectively than in calm water, and the combination proved deadly, killing 75% of exposed fish within a week by damaging their blood and immune systems. Since this study used farmed fish (grass carp) in flowing water similar to real aquaculture conditions, it suggests that current safety testing, which often uses still water, may be underestimating how contaminated seafood could affect human health, especially since both microplastics and lead are known to accumulate in the food we eat.
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