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Research progress on adsorption of polychlorinated biphenyls by microplastics and toxic effects of their combined exposure on animals
Summary
Tiny plastic particles in the ocean can soak up toxic industrial chemicals called PCBs, and fish absorb both together — meaning the fishmeal made from these fish (a common ingredient in animal feed) can pass these combined pollutants up the food chain into the meat, eggs, or dairy we eat. This review paper pulls together existing research showing that plastic-chemical combos may harm animals' digestive, nervous, and other body systems more than either pollutant alone, highlighting a hidden risk in our food supply that needs more study and better farming safeguards.
Microplastics (MPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are both global environmental pollutants. Studies have shown that MPs and PCBs are ubiquitously present in marine ecosystems, particularly widely detected in aquatic organisms such as fish. Fish serve as the primary raw material for fishmeal production. When contaminated fishmeal feed is ingested by farmed animals, it can contaminate animal-derived products through bioaccumulation, thereby posing potential threats to human health. The toxic effects induced by MPs exposure primarily include toxicity to the digestive and respiratory systems, as well as interference with nutrient metabolic processes. PCBs exposure produces more extensive toxic effects, involving toxicity to the digestive, nervous, and motor systems. MPs exhibit adsorption capacity for PCBs, and the resulting complexes can exert synergistic or antagonistic toxic effects on organisms. Based on a systematic review of relevant domestic and international studies, this article summarizes the toxic effects induced by single exposure to MPs and PCBs, as well as the adsorption mechanisms of PCBs by MPs. It synthesizes the toxic effects of combined exposure to MPs and PCBs on animal organisms, briefly describes improvement strategies to reduce animal intake of related contaminants from fishmeal, analyzes the current limitations in research on combined exposure to MPs and PCBs, and provides an outlook on future research directions, provides a reference for ecological risk assessment of MPs and PCBs combined pollution and aquaculture safety.