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A preliminary study of the effects of poly-methylmethacrylate microplastic ingestion on the digestive physiology and growth rates of a tropical ancestral fish (Atractosteus tropicus)
Summary
Researchers fed tropical gar fish diets containing 0–1% polymethylmethacrylate microplastics for 60 days and found that growth was not significantly impaired, but higher concentrations altered digestive enzyme activity, intestinal morphology, and microbiota composition, suggesting subtle physiological disruption.
This study evaluated the effects of polymethylmethacrylate (acrylic) microplastics (PMMA-MPs) on the growth, survival, digestive enzyme activity, and intestinal microbiota of tropical gar (Atractosteus tropicus) fed diets enriched with different percentages of PMMA-MPs (0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00%) for 60 days. Fish initial weight was 4.80 ± 1.18 g and a total length of 11.51 ± 0.89 cm, respectively. Final growth showed a significantly lower weight at 0.25% compared to 1.00% PMMA-MPs treatments (23.21 ± 8.33 and 30.33 ± 12.14 g, respectively; p = 0.02), however, without differences to the control group (p = 0.44). The enzymatic activity of acid proteases, alkaline proteases, trypsin, chymotrypsin, L-aminopeptidase, and α-amylase showed significant differences among treatments (p < 0.05), except in lipases (p = 0.83). A preliminary intestinal microbiota analysis showed higher values of the α diversity indexes (Chao, Shannon, Simpson, and Evenness) in the control groups and 1.00% PMMA-MPs and lower at 0.25, 0.75, and 0.50% PMMA-MPs. The relative abundance was represented mainly by Firmicutes in the groups with 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75% PMMA-MPs (between 67 and 88% coverage) compared to controls and 1.00% PMMA-MPs (23 and 13%, respectively). PMMA-MPs exposure affects the hydrolysis and absorption of nutrients, compromising the nutrition and, thus, the health of A. tropicus juveniles.
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