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Toxic effects of microplastic and nanoplastic on the reproduction of teleost fish in aquatic environments
Summary
This review summarizes research on how microplastics and nanoplastics harm the reproductive systems of fish, covering effects on fertility, sperm quality, egg development, and offspring abnormalities. The tiny plastic particles enter fish through their digestive tract, gills, and skin, causing oxidative damage that disrupts reproduction at the molecular and cellular level. Since fish are a major protein source for humans, reproductive damage to fish populations could affect both food security and the transfer of microplastics through the food chain.
Microplastics and nanoplastics are widely present in aquatic environments and attract significant scholarly attention due to their toxicity, persistence, and ability to cross biological barriers, which pose substantial risks to various fish species. Microplastics and nanoplastics can enter fish through their digestive tract, gills and skin, causing oxidative damage to the body and adversely affecting their reproductive system. Given that fish constitute a crucial source of high-quality protein for humans, it is necessary to study the impact of microplastics on fish reproduction in order to assess the impact of pollutants on ecology, biodiversity conservation, environmental sustainability, and endocrine disruption. This review explores the reproductive consequences of microplastics and nanoplastics in fish, examining aspects such as fecundity, abnormal offspring, circadian rhythm, gonad index, spermatocyte development, oocyte development, sperm quality, ovarian development, and changes at the molecular and cellular level. These investigations hold significant importance in environmental toxicology.
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