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The Menace of Microplastics and Their Physiological Implications in Aquaculture
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This review pulls together existing research showing that farmed fish absorb microplastics through water, equipment, and feed, leading to gut damage, stress, poor growth, and other health problems in the fish. While it doesn't directly measure impacts on people, this matters because these fish enter our food supply, so cleaner aquaculture practices could mean fewer microplastics on your plate.
The rapid expansion of aquaculture has increased its reliance on plastic-based infrastructure and materials, creating opportunities for microplastic (MP) contamination from culture systems, surrounding waters, and formulated feeds. This review synthesises current evidence on MP sources, exposure pathways, biological fates, and toxicological effects in farmed fish, with emphasis on their interconnected implications for fish health and aquaculture performance. MPs enter aquaculture systems through degraded equipment, contaminated water, atmospheric deposition, and feed ingredients, including fishmeal derived from MP-exposed fish. Ingestion represents the principal exposure route, with particle size and shape, polymer composition and concentration, exposure duration, life stage, and species influencing retention, translocation, and biological responses. Although gastrointestinal accumulation is common, smaller particles may translocate to internal organs, while evidence for trophic transfer does not yet establish consistent biomagnification. Across studies, MP exposure is associated with intestinal and gill damage, altered digestive enzyme activity, impaired feeding and feed utilisation, metabolic disturbances, haematological and histopathological alterations, and reduced growth. Oxidative stress emerges as a central, but not exclusive, mechanistic pathway, linking reactive oxygen species imbalance and altered antioxidant defences with inflammation, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, behavioural alterations, and endocrine and reproductive disturbances. These responses are highly heterogeneous, reflecting differences in species, polymer type, particle characteristics, exposure concentration, duration, life stage, environmental conditions, and experimental design. Interactions between MPs and co-occurring contaminants may further modify their biological effects. Overall, the evidence indicates that MP exposure represents a multidimensional stressor capable of connecting environmental contamination with physiological dysfunction and impaired aquaculture performance. Understanding these interconnected responses is essential for strengthening MP risk assessment and supporting effective feed and farm management, fish health protection, food safety, and sustainable aquaculture.
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This review examines how microplastics are contaminating aquaculture (fish farming) through wastewater, aging equipment, and fish feed, and harming cultured fish through oxidative stress, immune damage, and reproductive problems. Since aquaculture provides a major source of dietary protein worldwide, microplastic contamination in farmed fish is a direct food safety concern. The review recommends better water screening, facility maintenance, and feed quality control to reduce microplastic levels in fish farming.
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This review summarizes how microplastics enter aquaculture systems and accumulate in farmed fish, causing toxic effects including immune disruption, oxidative stress, and genetic damage. Since farmed fish are a major food source, the buildup of microplastics in aquaculture poses a direct pathway for these particles to reach human diets.
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This review summarizes how microplastics contaminate aquaculture systems through fishing gear, feed, and polluted water, and examines their effects on farmed aquatic species. Microplastics accumulate in farmed fish and shellfish, raising concerns about food safety for the millions of people who consume aquaculture products. The authors discuss removal strategies and call for better monitoring to protect both aquaculture sustainability and consumer health.
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This review summarizes how microplastics build up in fish and other aquatic life, causing damage to their immune systems, nervous systems, and overall health. When fish eat microplastics, the particles move up the food chain and can eventually reach humans through seafood consumption. The authors also discuss strategies for removing microplastics from water and reducing plastic pollution.
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This review summarizes how microplastics affect fish health, including reduced feeding, impaired gill function, weakened immune systems, and reproductive problems. Researchers found that microplastics can transfer through the food chain from smaller organisms to top predators, raising concerns about broader ecosystem impacts. The study also highlights mitigation strategies such as reducing single-use plastics, recycling, and using bioplastics.
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