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Relations between microplastic contamination and stress biomarkers under two seasonal conditions in wild carps, mullets and flounders
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Researchers examined the relationship between microplastic contamination and biological stress markers in wild carp, mullet, and flounder populations from a Portuguese river estuary across two seasons. They found that fish with higher microplastic loads showed altered stress biomarker levels, with seasonal differences in the patterns observed. The study provides field-based evidence that microplastic contamination is associated with measurable physiological stress responses in wild fish.
Potential effects of microplastics (MP, plastic particles <5 mm) on the levels of multiple stress biomarkers were investigated in wild fish populations of Cyprinus carpio, Mugil cephalus, Platichthys flesus captured in the Minho River estuary located in the Iberian Peninsula. Specimens were collected in March and September 2018, corresponding to the end of winter and summer, respectively. Based on the concentration of MP determined by FT-IR analysis and morphological inspection, fishes from each species were divided into two groups: ≤0.1 MP g and >0.1 MP g. Biomarkers (general condition, neurotoxicity, biotransformation, oxidative stress) and the Integrated Biomarker Response (IBR) indicating fish general stress were determined. Fishes with more than 0.1 MP g showed elevated general stress (1.2- to 1.8-fold) relative to fish with ≤0.1 MP g. Founders captured in March were the exception. Mullets were the most susceptible fishes to MP contamination by exhibiting poor physical condition, neurotoxicity, oxidative stress or damage, and carps were the most resilient. Low temperature and less chlorophylls (a proxy of food availability) observed in March appear to enhance the biological effects of MP.
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