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Toxico-physiological impacts of microplastics derived from boat-building fibreglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, Linnaeus, 1758)
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Nile tilapia fish were fed microplastics from boat-building fibreglass material for 120 days. The microplastics built up most in the gut, affected growth at higher doses, altered liver and gill chemistry, changed antioxidant and liver enzyme levels, and shifted blood cell measurements.
Microplastic pollution has been widely studied across diverse environmental matrices; however, knowledge gaps persist regarding the source-specific characterisation of fishing-related plastics. This study investigates the bioaccumulation and biochemical effects of microplastics derived from boat-building Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP-MPs) in Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia). Fish were exposed to different concentrations of virgin and weathered FRP-MPs via dietary intake for 120 days. Growth parameters, feed conversion ratio, faecal egestion, microplastic leaching from feed, bioaccumulation in tissues, biochemical and haematological changes were assessed. Growth performance and feed conversion were significantly affected only at higher concentration (p<0.05). The highest MPs accumulation occurred in the gut (61.2 particles/g), followed by the skin (11.1 particles/g). Muscle tissue (0.55 particles/g) showed minimal retention. Faecal egestion of MPs increased with exposure concentration (1.4–47.33 particles/g). Tissue-specific responses showed altered carbonyl, amine, and silicate profiles, with pronounced changes in the liver and a marked loss of amino and benzenoid groups in the gills, while muscle tissue retained silicates but exhibited a loss of carbonyl and amide groups, as revealed by FTIR. MPs affected antioxidant enzyme activity (catalase and superoxide dismutase) and elevated hepatic biomarker enzyme levels (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase) across various organs. Haematological parameters such as Red Blood Cell (RBC), White Blood Cell (WBC), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (HGB), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH), and Plateletcrit (PCT) showed significant differences between the groups fed with weathered and virgin FRP-MPs. This study reports the first evidence of FRP-derived MPs bioaccumulation and physiological alterations in fish, offering critical baseline data for understanding the ecological implications and the urgency for policy requirements.
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