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Toxicity and Functional Tissue Responses of Two Freshwater Fish after Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics
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Researchers exposed zebrafish and perch to polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and assessed tissue-level damage using a battery of biomarkers. They found that the microplastics caused oxidative stress, DNA damage, and activated cell death pathways in both gill and liver tissues. The study suggests that gills are more sensitive to microplastic exposure than liver tissue for most measured parameters, with DNA damage being the most responsive biomarker overall.
Microplastics (MPs)' ingestion has been demonstrated in several aquatic organisms. This process may facilitate the hydrophobic waterborne pollutants or chemical additives transfer to biota. In the present study the suitability of a battery of biomarkers on oxidative stress, physiology, tissue function and metabolic profile was investigated for the early detection of adverse effects of 21-day exposure to polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs, sized 5-12 μm) in the liver and gills of zebrafish Danio rerio and perch, Perca fluviatilis, both of which are freshwater fish species. An optical volume map representation of the zebrafish gill by Raman spectroscopy depicted 5 μm diameter PS-MP dispersed in the gill tissue. Concentrations of PS-MPs close to the EC50 of each fish affected fish physiology in all tissues studied. Increased levels of biomarkers of oxidative damage in exposed fish in relation to controls were observed, as well as activation of apoptosis and autophagy processes. Malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyls and DNA damage responses differed with regard to the sensitivity of each tissue of each fish. In the toxicity cascade gills seemed to be more liable to respond to PS-MPs than liver for the majority of the parameters measured. DNA damage was the most susceptible biomarker exhibiting greater response in the liver of both species. The interaction between MPs and cellular components provoked metabolic alterations in the tissues studied, affecting mainly amino acids, nitrogen and energy metabolism. Toxicity was species and tissue specific, with specific biomarkers responding differently in gills and in liver. The fish species that seemed to be more susceptible to MPs at the conditions studied, was P. fluviatilis compared to D. rerio. The current findings add to a holistic approach for the identification of small sized PS-MPs' biological effects in fish, thus aiming to provide evidence regarding PS-MPs' environmental impact on wild fish populations and food safety and adequacy.
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Researchers exposed young crucian carp to polystyrene microplastics at different concentrations and found dose-dependent liver damage, with higher concentrations causing more severe tissue injury and weaker antioxidant defenses. The microplastics disrupted genes involved in detoxification and stress response in liver cells. Since crucian carp is a commonly consumed freshwater fish, these findings raise questions about whether microplastic-contaminated fish could affect the health of people who eat them.
Sub-chronic toxicity of polystyrene microplastics in Danio rerio: evidence from hematological, biochemical, oxidative stress, and histopathological biomarkers
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Zebrafish exposed to polystyrene microplastics for 20 days showed blood changes, lower blood sugar and protein levels, and increased oxidative damage in the gills. The fish also showed altered antioxidant activity, reduced brain enzyme function linked to nervous system signaling, and tissue damage in the gills, gut, and brain.
Ecotoxicological Effects of Polystyrene Particles on Cyprinus carpio: A Laboratory Assessment
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Researchers exposed common carp (Cyprinus carpio) to polystyrene particles in a controlled laboratory setting, measuring survival, growth, histological damage, and oxidative stress markers over a 30-day period. Exposed fish showed liver and gill tissue damage alongside elevated oxidative stress enzymes, demonstrating that polystyrene microplastics are harmful to freshwater fish at tested concentrations.
Dose-Dependent Cytotoxicity of Polypropylene Microplastics (PP-MPs) in Two Freshwater Fishes
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Researchers fed zebrafish and freshwater perch polypropylene microplastics at low and high doses and measured cellular damage in liver and gill tissues. They found dose-dependent toxicity including DNA damage up to 18-fold higher than controls, lipid peroxidation, and disrupted metabolism of key compounds like tryptophan. The study provides evidence that polypropylene microplastic ingestion causes significant cellular harm to freshwater fish in a dose-dependent manner.
Differentiation in the expression of toxic effects of polyethylene-microplastics on two freshwater fish species: Size matters
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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.
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