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New insight into long-term effects of phthalates microplastics in developing zebrafish: Evidence from genomic alteration and organ development
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Researchers investigated the long-term developmental effects of three common plasticizers (DBP, DEP, and DEHP) leaching from microplastics on zebrafish larvae. The study found that phthalate exposure caused higher mortality, morphological abnormalities, and significant changes in genes related to cardiovascular development, tail formation, and other critical developmental pathways.
The plasticizer leaches from the microplastics are one of the significant concerns related to plastic pollution. These plasticizers are known to be endocrine disrupters; however, little is known about their long-term effect on the development of aquatic vertebrates. Hence, the present study has been conducted to provide a holistic understanding of the effect of the three most common plasticizers, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) leaching out from the microplastics in zebrafish development. Zebrafish larvae were exposed to different phthalates at different concentrations. The phthalates have shown significantly higher mortality and morphological changes in the larva upon exposure compared to the control. A significant change in the genes related to cardiovascular development (krit1, fbn2b), dorsoventral axis development (chrd, smad5), tail formation (pkd2, wnt3a, wnt8a), and floorplate development (foxa2) were also observed under the effects of the phthalates in comparison to control.
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Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to nanoplastics for three to five days and measured developmental and behavioral endpoints, finding that plastic accumulation in early development slowed yolk consumption and body growth on day two and increased locomotion while reducing body length by day six — supporting persistent developmental disruption from nanoplastic exposure.
Investigating the Release and Toxicity of Microplastics/Nanoplastics From Single‐Use Plastic Bags to Zebrafish
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Researchers studied how single-use polyethylene bags break down under environmental conditions and tested the resulting microplastic and nanoplastic particles on zebrafish embryos. The fragments released from degraded bags showed higher toxicity than pure polyethylene particles, causing dose-dependent developmental abnormalities including pericardial edema, spinal curvature, and mortality rates up to 93% at the highest concentrations, likely due to chemical additives and degradation products.
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Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to PET plastic micro and nanoparticles at levels found in the environment and observed toxic effects including reduced tail movement, faster heart rates, and changes in eye development. The smaller nanoplastic particles were especially concerning because they are more easily absorbed by developing organisms. These findings suggest that PET plastic pollution in water could harm fish development, raising questions about effects on other species exposed through contaminated water.
Exploring developmental toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPS): Insights from investigations using zebrafish embryos
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This review summarizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics harm embryo development using zebrafish as a model organism that shares genetic similarities with humans. Studies show these tiny plastic particles cause damage to the brain, heart, gut, and immune system of developing embryos, largely through oxidative stress and cell death pathways.
Effects on Zebrafish of Chemical Contaminants and Additives Present in Microplastics
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Researchers fed zebrafish for 60 days on diets containing 10% environmental microplastics collected from beaches in Lanzarote and Tenerife, alongside clean pellet and control groups, then analyzed chemical contaminants in tissues by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. Results confirmed bioaccumulation of plastic additives and chemical contaminants in zebrafish tissues over time, with plastic synthesizers reaching the highest tissue concentrations followed by plasticizers.
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