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Biotransport and toxic effects of micro- and nanoplastics in fish model and their potential risk to humans: A review
Summary
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics enter fish through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, causing damage to multiple organ systems including the brain, heart, and reproductive organs. The particles trigger harmful cellular responses such as oxidative stress, DNA damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction. The study emphasizes that these pollutants can also reach humans through the food chain, highlighting the need for strategies to reduce plastic contamination in aquatic environments.
The growing body of scientific evidence suggests that micro- and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) pose a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems and human health. These particles can enter organisms through ingestion, inhalation, dermal contact, and trophic transfer. Exposure can directly affect multiple organs and systems (respiratory, digestive, neurological, reproductive, urinary, cardiovascular) and activate extensive intracellular signaling, inducing cytotoxicity involving mechanisms such as membrane disruption, extracellular polymer degradation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, DNA damage, cellular pore blockage, lysosomal instability, and mitochondrial depolarization. This review focuses on current research examining the in vivo and in vitro toxic effects of MPs/NPs on aquatic organisms, particularly fish, in relation to particulate toxicity aspects (such as particle transport mechanisms and structural modifications). Meanwhile, from the perspectives of the food chain and environmental factors, it emphasizes the comprehensive threats of MPs/NPs to human health in terms of both direct and indirect toxicity. Additionally, future research needs and strategies are discussed to aid in mitigating the potential risks of particulate plastics as carriers of toxic trace elements to human health.
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