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The Potential for Toxicity to Fishes from Micro- and Nanoplastics, and Their Additives
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This review examines the potential toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics and their chemical additives to freshwater and marine fish species. Evidence indicates that exposure to these particles may cause physical harm, oxidative stress, and disruption of normal biological functions in fish, with the diverse range of plastic sizes, shapes, polymer types, and associated chemicals making comprehensive risk assessment particularly challenging.
Over the past several decades, the intense production and use of plastics have led to the contamination of all types of ecosystems with microplastics. Microplastics, plastic particles less than 5 mm in size, and nanoplastics which are less than 1 μm, are a diverse contaminant suite comprised of different sizes, shapes, polymer properties, additives and sorbed pollutants, and biofilms. Micro and nanoplastics (MNPs) may pose a potential danger for organisms who are exposed to the particles and the chemicals associated with the plastics. As many marine and freshwater systems are highly contaminated with MNPs, fish are continuously exposed to them, which may lead to a variety of adverse effects. This chapter describes current knowledge on the relationship between nano- and microplastic occurrence in freshwater and marine ecosystems and the potential toxicological effects in fish. First, the MNP properties, associated additives, pollutants, and biofilms are described. Following, it is illustrated how fish can be exposed to MNPs and which adverse effects exposure can have on the different levels of biological organization of fish. These effects range from altered gene expression, oxidative stress, and immune responses to changes in behavior and impaired reproduction. Finally, new multivariate approaches to address microplastic toxicity and recommended future research directions are summarized.
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Microplastics in Aquatic Environments and Their Toxicological Implications for Fish
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This review summarizes research on microplastic occurrence in freshwater and marine environments and the toxicological risks they pose to fish, examining both direct physical effects and the role of plastics as vectors for chemical pollutants. The authors highlight that freshwater fish are particularly vulnerable given the high loads of microplastics in rivers receiving wastewater.
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This review examines the toxicological effects of nanoparticles and microplastics on aquatic organisms, summarizing mechanisms of harm including oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, DNA damage, tissue injury, and neurological disruption in fish. It highlights that secondary nanoplastics formed from macro- and microplastic degradation are more heterogeneous than primary particles, and that combined exposure with chemical pollutants amplifies toxicity, including the capacity to cross the blood-brain barrier in fish.
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