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Microplastic ingestion by zebrafish (Danio rerio): an experimental approach
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Zebrafish were exposed to microplastics of different sizes and colors to determine whether ingestion is a passive accident or an active mistake driven by particle appearance. Results showed that zebrafish ingested microplastics at rates influenced by particle size and color, suggesting some degree of active but misguided selection. Understanding whether animals accidentally or actively consume microplastics is important for predicting exposure risk across aquatic species.
Microplastic (MP) pollution in the environment is a well-recorded and growing problem. Despite many ecosystems and animals becoming contaminated with MP we know little about how MP enters animal's guts and tissues. Is it a passive process with MP being accidentally introduced? Or do animals actively (but mistakenly) ingest MP? Here we expose the Zebrafish (Danio rerio) to microplastics (MP) of different densities, morphologies and sizes, to determine whether they are prone to ingest MP and if the polymer characteristics have any influence on its uptake. Moreover, this study aims to determine whether there are biases to which type of MP the fish ingest, whether MP with different characteristics accumulate in different parts of the animal and whether this is passive or is active. Preliminary results reveal that fish exposed to equal concentrations of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) and Polypropylene (PP) preferentially present with PET in the gastrointestinal tract and PP in gill tissue. This supports the idea that different polymers accumulate in different parts of the fish anatomy. The number of MP ingested also varies depending on the MP size. Future work will investigate, with a wider set of experiments, whether other MP characteristics as colour and shape could influence MP ingestion, as well as whether there is a difference in uptake when polymers (PET and PP) are presented mixed together or separately. Our data will aid fisheries in their understanding of the link between fish feeding behaviour and potential contamination of fish by MP. Also see: https://micro2022.sciencesconf.org/423988/document
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Does color play a predominant role in the intake of microplastics fragments by freshwater fish: an experimental approach with Psalidodon eigenmanniorum
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Researchers examined whether color influences microplastic ingestion by freshwater fish, finding that fish did not selectively ingest microplastics based on color and instead ingested particles indiscriminately, suggesting that visual selectivity is not a primary driver of microplastic uptake in freshwater species.
Zebrafish can recognize microplastics as inedible materials: Quantitative evidence of ingestion behavior
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Zebrafish were exposed to polyethylene microplastics alongside food particles at various ratios, with results showing that fish recognized MPs as inedible—exhibiting spitting behavior and spending more time on prey capture—but ingested some particles incidentally when food was present. The study provides quantitative evidence that small freshwater fish have limited but real ability to discriminate plastic from food, and that co-ingestion with food is the dominant intake route.
Variability in microplastic color preference and intake among selected marine and freshwater fish and crustaceans
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Researchers tested whether six fish species and one crustacean show color preferences when ingesting microplastics. They found that some species selectively ate certain colored particles, with one marine fish favoring red and another preferring blue and gray, while the crustacean did not ingest microplastics at all. The findings suggest that color vision plays a role in how fish mistake microplastics for food, which could influence how contamination moves through aquatic food webs.
Uptake routes of microplastics in fishes: practical and theoretical approaches to test existing theories
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This experimental study tested multiple proposed mechanisms by which fish ingest microplastics — including prey confusion, accidental ingestion, and trophic transfer — using controlled laboratory conditions, finding that feeding behavior type and prey size relative to particle size are key determining factors.
Microplastics influence size-selected zebrafish behaviour
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Scientists exposed fish to microplastics (tiny plastic particles) and found that the contamination changed how the fish behaved - making them less bold and exploratory, but causing them to eat more often. This matters because microplastics are everywhere in our environment, including in seafood we eat, and this study shows these particles can alter animal behavior in ways that might affect entire food chains. The findings help us understand how plastic pollution could be disrupting aquatic ecosystems that humans depend on for food.
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