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Size- and Time-Dependent Impacts of Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics on Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.): Intestinal Tolerance, Hepatic Injury, and Intestinal Microbiota Dysbiosis
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Researchers fed turbot micrometer-sized and nano-sized PVC microplastics for up to nine weeks, finding that while the fish intestine showed tolerance to both particle types, liver damage was clearly size-dependent and cumulative over time, with nanoplastics causing stronger inflammatory, apoptotic, and oxidative responses, and long-term nanoplastic exposure inducing pronounced gut microbiota dysbiosis.
L.) at 3 and 9 weeks of exposure. Three diets were formulated: a control diet with no microplastics, a diet containing 2% micrometer-sized plastics (MPs), and a diet containing 2% nanoplastics (NPs), with four replicates (40 fish/tank, 12 tanks total). The results showed that MPs and NPs had no significant effects on the growth performance of turbot. Analyses of intestinal histology and gene expression (intestinal barrier-related and antioxidant-related genes) indicated that the turbot intestine exhibited a certain degree of tolerance and adaptability to MPs and NPs exposure. Observations of liver histology and analyses of gene expression (inflammatory cytokines, apoptosis-related, and antioxidant-related genes) revealed that the liver damage induced by microplastics in turbot exhibited obvious size-dependent and time-cumulative effects, with NPs exerting a stronger impact. Compared with MPs, long-term exposure to NPs can induce obvious intestinal microbiota dysbiosis in turbot. In summary, particle size and exposure duration are important factors regulating the impacts of PVC microplastics on the intestinal and hepatic health of turbot.
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Researchers tracked how tilapia fish absorb and eliminate nanoplastics of two sizes (86 and 185 nanometers) and found that both accumulated most heavily in the intestine. Smaller nanoplastics caused more physical damage to the intestinal lining, while larger ones disrupted the gut microbiome more severely. Since tilapia is widely consumed worldwide, the finding that nanoplastics build up in fish tissue and damage their guts raises concerns about the safety of farmed fish as food.
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Size-dependent adverse effects of microplastics on intestinal microbiota and metabolic homeostasis in the marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)
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Researchers exposed marine medaka fish to different sizes of polystyrene microplastics for 60 days and found that particle size was a key factor in determining health effects. Larger particles (200 micrometers) caused weight gain and fat accumulation, while smaller particles (2 and 10 micrometers) led to liver inflammation and damage. The study also revealed that microplastics disrupted the balance of gut bacteria, particularly with larger particle exposure.
Different effects of nano- and microplastics on oxidative status and gut microbiota in the marine medaka Oryzias melastigma
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Researchers compared the effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on oxidative stress and gut microbiota in marine medaka fish. They found that nanoplastics caused more severe oxidative damage and greater disruption to the gut microbial community than larger microplastic particles. The study suggests that particle size plays a critical role in determining the biological impact of plastic pollution on aquatic organisms.
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This large-scale analysis combined data from 118 studies to assess how micro- and nanoplastics affect fish gut health. The results show that these particles generally damage the intestinal lining, weaken immune defenses, and disrupt digestive function in fish. Younger fish and certain plastic types like PVC caused the most harm, highlighting that the specific characteristics of the plastic particles matter for understanding their toxicity.
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