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A combined hazard to mariculture: Quality and safety impairment associated with intestinal barrier disruption in fish co-exposed to environmentally relevant microplastics and antibiotics
Summary
Tiny plastic particles in ocean fish farms can act like sponges, soaking up antibiotics and making it easier for fish to absorb them, damaging their gut health and reducing their nutritional quality. In this study, farmed fish exposed to both microplastics and a common antibiotic had more of the drug build up in their edible muscle, though levels were still within safe limits for human consumption based on current estimates. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution could be quietly amplifying other contamination problems in our seafood, highlighting a need for closer monitoring of farmed fish as microplastic pollution continues to rise.
Microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics frequently co-occur in mariculture waters, yet the role of MPs as exposure modifiers that enhance antibiotic bioavailability and translate waterborne contaminations into fish quality deterioration remains poorly understood. This study investigates the carrier effect of environmentally relevant mariculture-sourced MPs on the frequently detected antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) and its implications for the quality safety of Sebastes schlegelii. Adsorption experiments showed that environmental aging markedly increased MP affinity and adsorption capacity for SMZ, leading to heightened exposure potential. In a 28-day exposure experiment, co-exposure to MPs and SMZ elevated internal SMZ levels, particularly in edible muscle, resulting in increased dietary exposure estimates (although THQ values remained below 1), as well as reduced growth performance and nutritional quality of S. schlegelii. Mechanistically, co-exposure caused notable intestinal barrier failure, characterized by villus atrophy, epithelial damage, reduced mucus protection, and impaired digestive enzyme activities, collectively indicating compromised nutrient assimilation. These intestinal injuries were accompanied by intensified immune and oxidative stress responses and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Overall, environmentally characteristic MPs can exacerbate SMZ exposure and initiate toxicity cascades that threaten mariculture sustainability and food safety, emphasizing the need to incorporate MP aging effects into antibiotic risk assessments and coastal monitoring frameworks.