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Chemical contaminants and fish: implications for health and ecosystem sustainability
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Researchers reviewed ecotoxicological effects of aquatic contaminants on fish, highlighting that microplastics and nanomaterials join heavy metals, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals in disrupting immune and neurological function, and that emerging tools such as omics technologies and machine learning now offer improved frameworks for assessing and managing these threats.
Chemical pollutants in aquatic ecosystems pose a significant and growing threat to fish health and overall ecosystem sustainability. This review highlights recent findings on the ecotoxicological effects of major aquatic contaminants, including industrial effluents often containing heavy metals (HMs) along with agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and personal-care products (PPCPs) on fish species. Particular emphasis is placed on the underlying mechanisms of toxicity, such as immunotoxicity, which increases susceptibility to infections, and neurotoxicity, which alters behavior and predator avoidance, ultimately reducing fish survival. In addition, emerging contaminants, including microplastics and nanomaterial residues, are critically examined due to their potential role in biodiversity loss and ecosystem instability. The review also discusses advanced assessment tools, such as biomarker-based approaches, omics technologies, machine learning models, and high-throughput screening techniques, which provide innovative strategies for evaluating and mitigating toxicological impacts. By integrating interdisciplinary perspectives, this review provides a comprehensive framework to support regulatory policies and promote sustainable management practices aimed at protecting aquatic biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem health.
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Toxicity of nano- and microplastics on marine and freshwater fish: A multi-scale perspective from organ systems to cells
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This review pulls together existing studies showing that tiny plastic particles (micro- and nanoplastics) can build up in fish, damaging their gut, gills, heart, brain, and immune system by causing inflammation and cellular stress. While this research was done in fish, it matters for us too, since these plastics are widespread in water and seafood, and fish share many biological similarities with humans, meaning our bodies could face similar risks from ongoing plastic exposure.
Ecotoxicological effects of emerging pollutants (nanomaterials and microplastics) on fish biology
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This review compiles current knowledge on how emerging pollutants including nanomaterials and microplastics affect fish biology, covering impacts on physiology, behavior, and molecular function. Researchers highlight that advanced methods like genomics and micro-CT imaging are revealing new details about how these pollutants damage fish at the cellular and tissue level. The study underscores the growing threat these contaminants pose to aquatic ecosystems and the fish species within them.
Impact of Heavy Metals and Pesticide Contamination on Aquatic Environment and Fish Health: Challenges and Bioremediation Strategies
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This review examines the impact of heavy metals and pesticide contamination on aquatic environments and fish health, with attention to how microplastics interact with these traditional pollutants. The authors discuss how pollution from industrialization affects fish physiology and disrupts ecosystem balance. The study highlights bioremediation approaches as sustainable strategies for addressing contaminated aquatic environments.
Effects of microplastics on the toxicity of co-existing pollutants to fish: A meta-analysis
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Meta-analysis of 1,380 biological endpoints from 55 studies found that microplastics in co-existing pollutant solutions significantly increased toxicity to fish beyond what the pollutants caused alone, particularly elevating immune system damage, metabolic disruption, and oxidative stress. The effect depended on fish life stage and microplastic size, but not on pollutant or polymer type.
Impact of Heavy Metals and Pesticide Contamination on Aquatic Environment and Fish Health: Challenges and Bioremediation Strategies
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This review examines the impact of heavy metals and pesticide contamination on aquatic environments and fish health, including the role of microplastics as co-contaminants. The authors discuss how industrialization has increased pollutant levels in water systems, affecting fish physiology and ecosystem balance. The study highlights bioremediation strategies as promising approaches for cleaning up contaminated aquatic environments.
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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.