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Deleterious Effects of Polypropylene Microplastic Ingestion in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
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Researchers fed Nile tilapia daily doses of polypropylene microplastics for 30 days and observed significant health effects including changes in blood cell counts, altered gut bacteria, and tissue damage to the intestines and liver. The higher dose group showed more pronounced effects, including elevated inflammatory markers and signs of oxidative stress. The study provides evidence that chronic ingestion of microplastics commonly found in aquatic environments can cause meaningful harm to a widely consumed fish species.
The effect of daily ingestion of polypropylene microplastic on the health of tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, was evaluated. 60 fish (± 200 g) were placed in 6 aquariums (n = 10, 100 L each), constituting the following treatments: Control (without the addition of polymer), fed with 100 and 500 µg of polypropylene/kg of body weight (b.w.), respectively. After 30 days of feeding, the animals were submitted to blood collection for hemogram and biochemical study and later euthanized for gut microbiological analysis, somatic index of liver, spleen, heart, kidney, stomach, and intestine. In the serum biochemical study, an increase in cholesterol and serum Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) activity levels was observed in animals treated with 500 µg of polypropylene. Tilapia-fed polypropylene in the diet showed an increase in thrombocyte and total leukocyte counts, marked by a significant increase in the number of circulating lymphocytes. The results of the somatic study revealed a significant increase in the stomach, liver, and heart of tilapia fed with the polymer. Increase in the number of Gram-negative microorganisms and decrease in mesophilic aerobic microorganisms were observed in the gut of fish exposed to the polymer, including a dose-response effect was observed for these analyses. Therefore, tilapias fed daily with diets containing polypropylene for 30 consecutive days showed deleterious effects, resulting in systemic inflammatory disturbs by altering liver functions, leukocyte profile, and organ morphometry, as well as changes in the intestinal microbiota. Such results demonstrate the impairment of fish health, highlighting the need for further studies that evaluate the impact of microplastics on aquatic organisms.
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Nile tilapia fish fed polypropylene microplastics for 7 weeks showed significantly reduced growth, blood abnormalities indicating anemia, and oxidative stress damage in both liver and brain tissue. The effects were dose-dependent, with higher microplastic concentrations causing more severe harm. Since tilapia is one of the most widely farmed and consumed fish globally, these findings raise concerns about the health of both farmed fish and the people who eat them.
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Researchers fed polypropylene microplastics to freshwater tilapia and found they caused oxidative stress, DNA damage, and liver tissue deterioration, with more severe effects after 14 days compared to acute 96-hour exposure. The microplastics disrupted antioxidant enzyme systems and neurotransmitter activity in the fish. The study demonstrates that prolonged microplastic ingestion poses a significant ecological threat to freshwater fish species.
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