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Differentiation in the expression of toxic effects of polyethylene-microplastics on two freshwater fish species: Size matters

The Science of The Total Environment 2022 98 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 60 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
George Z. Kyzas, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Martha Kaloyianni, Dimitra Bobori, Dimitra Bobori, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitra Bobori, Ioannis Sampsonidis, Anastasia Dimitriadi, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Anastasia Dimitriadi, Anastasia Dimitriadi, Ioannis Sampsonidis, Dimitra Bobori, Konstantinos Feidantsis, Konstantinos Feidantsis, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Konstantinos Feidantsis, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitra A. Lambropoulou George Z. Kyzas, George Z. Kyzas, George Z. Kyzas, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Anastasia Dimitriadi, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Martha Kaloyianni, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Konstantinos Feidantsis, Konstantinos Feidantsis, George Z. Kyzas, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitra A. Lambropoulou George Z. Kyzas, George Z. Kyzas, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Konstantinos Feidantsis, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, George Z. Kyzas, Athina Samiotaki, Athina Samiotaki, Athina Samiotaki, Athina Samiotaki, Georgia Kastrinaki, George Z. Kyzas, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, George Z. Kyzas, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Anastasia Dimitriadi, Ioannis Sampsonidis, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou George Z. Kyzas, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitra A. Lambropoulou George Z. Kyzas, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitra A. Lambropoulou George Z. Kyzas, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitra Bobori, Ioannis Sampsonidis, Anastasia Dimitriadi, Anastasia Dimitriadi, Stavros Kalogiannis, Danai Fafouti, Danai Fafouti, Danai Fafouti, Danai Fafouti, Konstantinos Feidantsis, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, George Z. Kyzas, Stavros Kalogiannis, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitra Bobori, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Ioannis Sampsonidis, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Ioannis Sampsonidis, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Stavros Kalogiannis, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Martha Kaloyianni, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Ioannis Sampsonidis, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitra A. Lambropoulou George Z. Kyzas, Georgia Kastrinaki, Konstantinos Feidantsis, Stavros Kalogiannis, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, George Z. Kyzas, Stavros Kalogiannis, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitra Bobori, Dimitra Bobori, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Georgia Kastrinaki, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou George Z. Kyzas, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou George Z. Kyzas, George Z. Kyzas, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Georgia Kastrinaki, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Georgia Kastrinaki, Georgia Kastrinaki, George Z. Kyzas, Georgia Kastrinaki, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, George Z. Kyzas, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou George Z. Kyzas, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Martha Kaloyianni, George Koumoundouros, Anastasia Dimitriadi, Dimitra Bobori, Dimitra Bobori, Stavros Kalogiannis, George Z. Kyzas, Stavros Kalogiannis, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitra A. Lambropoulou George Z. Kyzas, George Z. Kyzas, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou George Koumoundouros, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, George Koumoundouros, George Z. Kyzas, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou George Z. Kyzas, George Koumoundouros, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, George Z. Kyzas, George Koumoundouros, Martha Kaloyianni, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Dimitrios Ν. Bikiaris, Martha Kaloyianni, George Z. Kyzas, Martha Kaloyianni, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou

Summary

Researchers exposed zebrafish and perch to two sizes of polyethylene microplastics for 21 days and found that smaller particles were more toxic, accumulating primarily in the liver while larger ones concentrated in the gills. Both sizes triggered oxidative stress, DNA damage, and activated cell death pathways in both species. The study demonstrates that microplastic particle size is a key factor in determining where the particles end up in fish tissues and how severely they cause harm.

Polymers
Body Systems
Study Type Environmental

The built up of microplastic (MPs) remains is shaping a new aquatic habitat and imposes the necessity for research of the effects that these relatively new pollutants exert on organisms, environment, and human health. The purpose of the present study was to verify if there is a particle-size dependence of fish response to MPs. Thus, we exposed two freshwater fish species, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) and perch (Perca fluviatilis) for 21 days to polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) sized 10-45 μm and 106-125 μm. Thereafter, in the liver and gills tissues, biochemical and molecular parameters and the metabolic profile were examined. Ex-vivo characterization by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy exhibited increased concentration of 10-45 μm PE-MPs in the liver of the two fish species while 106-125 μm PE-MPs mostly concentrated in fish gills. The penetration of PE-MPs to fish and the induced oxidative stress triggered changes in lipid peroxidation, DNA damage and ubiquitination and furthermore stimulated signal transduction pathways leading to autophagy and apoptosis. The smaller PE-MPs were more potent in inducing alterations to all the latter parameters measured than the larger ones. Tissue response in both fish seems to depend on the parameter measured and does not seem to follow a specific pattern. Our results showed that there is no clear sensitivity of one fish species versus the other, against both sizes of PE-MPs they were exposed. In perch the metabolic changes in gills were distinct to the ones observed in liver, following a size dependent pattern, indicating that stress conditions are generated through different mechanisms. All the parameters employed can be suggested further as biomarkers in biomonitoring studies against PE-MPs.

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