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The Effect of Nano Plastic Toxicity on the Gill Tissue of Goldfish )Carassius auratus(
Summary
Scientists exposed goldfish to tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics, smaller than microplastics) in water at levels similar to polluted environments, and found the particles damaged the fish's gill tissue, harming their ability to breathe and regulate salt balance. This matters because these same tiny plastics are increasingly found in our water, food, and even human blood and organs—if they can damage delicate tissue in fish, researchers are concerned they may pose similar risks to human health, though more research is needed to confirm this in people.
With the increase in plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems, nanoplastics have become an emerging pollutant, raising serious environmental concerns. Among these pollutants, polystyrene nanoplastics are of particular importance due to their very small size, high stability, and ability to penetrate biological tissues. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of polystyrene nanoplastic toxicity on histological changes in goldfish gills, as they are one of the most sensitive respiratory and ionic regulation organs in fish. In this study, fishes were randomly divided into group control and two treatments with different concentrations (0.5 mg/L and 1 mg/L) of polystyrene nanoplastics and were exposed to these particles for 10, 15, and 20 days. After the end of the exposure period, gill samples were collected and, after fixation and appropriate staining, tissue changes were examined microscopically. The results of the study showed that exposure of fish to polystyrene nanoplastics leads to significant pathological changes in gill tissue, which increase with increasing nanoplastic concentration. In conclusion, it can be said that polystyrene nanoplastics caused structural damage to gill tissue, disrupt respiratory function and ionic balance in fish, and can be considered a serious threat to aquatic animal health and the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems.