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The Effects of Different Concentrations of Microplastics on the Physiology and Behavior of Sebastes schlegelii
Summary
Researchers exposed juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) to polystyrene microplastics for 24 days, finding that concentrations of 0.1 mg/L and above caused significant antioxidant enzyme disruption, immune suppression with rising inflammatory cytokines, and reduced survival at 1 mg/L.
This study investigated the toxic effects of 0-1 mg/L polystyrene microplastics (0.5 μm) on juvenile Sebastes schlegelii through a 24-day indoor exposure experiment. The results showed that the exposure group of ≥ 0.1 mg/L induced significant physiological damage, and the liver antioxidant system showed dynamic imbalance (SOD activity first increased and then decreased, CAT activity was inhibited by 30-50%), and the accumulation of lipid peroxidation product MDA reached 200%; Immunosuppression manifests as a 20-35% decrease in lysozyme activity and a significant increase in the concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF - α and IL-6; The survival rate of the high concentration group (1 mg/L) decreased to 82%, and the weight gain rate decreased by 40%. At the behavioral level, the contradictory response induced by microplastics was revealed for the first time: individual swimming speed decreased by 35-50% (significantly correlated with 30% inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity, P<0.05), while at the population level, defensive clustering was quantified by nearest neighbor distance (NND) and inter individual distance (IID), showing a 40% reduction in IID in the high concentration group, (P<0.05). But the group polarity (PP) decreased by 50% (P<0.05), and the exposed motor coordination was severely impaired. The results indicate that microplastics, at concentrations ≥ 0.1 mg/L, simultaneously disrupt individual functions and group behavioral adaptability through a dual mechanism of oxidative damage and neurotoxicity.
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