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Sorbed environmental contaminants increase the harmful effects of microplastics in adult zebrafish, Danio rerio
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Researchers found that microplastics carrying sorbed environmental contaminants (DDE, BP-3, chlorpyrifos) caused greater harmful effects on adult zebrafish health and behavior than pristine microplastics alone, demonstrating their role as pollutant vectors.
Aquatic animals ingest Microplastics (MPs) which have the potential to affect the uptake and bioavailability of sorbed co-contaminants. However, the effects on living organisms still need to be properly understood. The present study was designed to assess the combined effects of MPs and environmental contaminants on zebrafish (Danio rerio) health and behavior. Adult specimens were fed according to three different protocols: 1) untreated food (Control group); 2) food supplemented with 0.4 mg/L pristine polyethylene-MPs (PE-MPs; 0.1-0.3 mm diameter) (PEv group); 3) food supplemented with 0.4 mg/L PE-MPs previously incubated (PEi group) for 2 months in seawater. Analysis of contaminants in PEi detected trace elements, such as lead and copper. After 15 days of exposure, zebrafish underwent behavioral analysis and were then dissected to sample gills and intestine for histology, and the latter also for microbiome analysis. Occurrence of PEv and PEi in the intestine and contaminants in the fish carcass were analyzed. Both PEv- and PEi-administered fish differed from controls in the assays performed, but PEi produced more harmful effects in most instances. Overall, MPs after environmental exposure revealed higher potential to alter fish health through combined effects (e.g. proportion of microplastics, pollutants and/or microorganisms).
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Combined effects of microplastics and chemical contaminants on the organ toxicity of zebrafish ( Danio rerio )
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Researchers studied the combined effects of microplastics and chemical contaminants like PCBs and methylmercury on zebrafish organs over three weeks of exposure. They found that microplastics carrying adsorbed contaminants produced the most significant effects, particularly on the liver, compared to either microplastics or contaminants alone. The results indicate that microplastics may act as carriers that increase the delivery of harmful chemicals to organisms' tissues.
Rethinking the relevance of microplastics as vector for anthropogenic contaminants: Adsorption of toxicants to microplastics during exposure in a highly polluted stream - Analytical quantification and assessment of toxic effects in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
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Researchers exposed microplastics in a highly polluted stream to assess their role as contaminant vectors, then tested effects on zebrafish, finding that naturally contaminated microplastics had limited additional toxicity compared to the polluted water itself.
Effects of pristine or contaminated polyethylene microplastics on zebrafish development
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Researchers examined the effects of both pristine and pollutant-contaminated polyethylene microplastics on zebrafish development through chronic exposure. The study assessed how microplastics, both alone and as carriers of adsorbed organic pollutants, affect developing fish. The findings provide new insights into how contaminated microplastics may create additional routes for toxic compounds to enter aquatic food webs.
Biomarker responses in zebrafish (Danio rerio) following long-term exposure to microplastic-associated chlorpyrifos and benzo(k)fluoranthene
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Researchers examined long-term exposure effects of microplastic-associated chlorpyrifos and benzo(k)fluoranthene on zebrafish, finding that pollutants sorbed to microplastics elicited biomarker responses indicating oxidative stress and neurotoxicity under chronic exposure conditions.
EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MICROPLASTICS INGESTION ON ZEBRAFISH (Danio rerio) METABOLISM
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Zebrafish were exposed to environmentally collected microplastics — not pristine laboratory particles — to study how real-world plastic pollution affects their metabolism. The contaminated microplastics caused changes in gene expression and metabolic pathways in the fish, suggesting broader physiological effects than physical plastic alone would cause. Using environmentally realistic microplastics, complete with their adsorbed chemicals and biofilms, is important for understanding the true health risks of microplastic exposure to aquatic life.
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