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A multifaceted assessment of the effects of polyethylene microplastics on juvenile gilthead seabreams (Sparus aurata)
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Researchers examined the effects of polyethylene microplastic ingestion on juvenile gilthead seabream using multiple diagnostic approaches, assessing impacts across molecular, cellular, and organismal levels to better understand microplastic toxicity in fish.
Plastic pollution has become a major environmental and societal concern in the last decade. From larger debris to microplastics (MP), this pollution is ubiquitous and particularly affects aquatic ecosystems. MP can be directly or inadvertently ingested by organisms, transferred along the trophic chain, and sometimes translocated into tissues. However, the impacts of such MP exposure on organisms' biological functions are yet to be fully understood. Here, we used a multi-diagnostic approach at multiple levels of biological organization (from atoms to organisms) to determine how MP affect the biology of a marine fish, the gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata. We exposed juvenile seabreams for 35 days to spherical 10-20 µm polyethylene primary MP through food (Artemia salina pre-exposed to MP) at a concentration of 5 ± 1 µg of MP per gram of fish per day. MP-exposed fish experienced higher mortality, increased abundance of several brain and liver primary metabolites, hepatic and intestinal histological defects, higher assimilation of an essential element (Zn), and lower assimilation of a non-essential element (Ag). In contrast, growth and muscle C/N isotopic profiles were similar between control and MP-exposed fish, while variable patterns were observed for the intestinal microbiome. This comprehensive analysis of biological responses to MP exposure reveals how MP ingestion can cause negligible to profound effects in a fish species and contributes towards a better understanding of the causal mechanisms of its toxicity.
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Microplastic ingestion in reared aquaculture fish: Biological responses to low-density polyethylene controlled diets in Sparus aurata
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Researchers fed gilthead seabream fish diets enriched with virgin and weathered polyethylene microplastics for three months, followed by one month of clean feeding. Microplastic ingestion increased over time, with weathered particles accumulating more, but all particles were fully cleared from the digestive tract after the detoxification period. The study found no long-term effects on fish growth or body condition, suggesting that this species does not retain ingested microplastics in its digestive system over time.
Impact of polystyrene microplastic exposure on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata Linnaeus, 1758): Differential inflammatory and immune response between anterior and posterior intestine
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Researchers fed gilthead seabream polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and found they triggered inflammation and immune disruption in both sections of the intestine, with the rear portion more severely affected. The microplastics activated inflammatory signaling pathways and weakened the gut barrier by reducing tight junction proteins. The findings suggest microplastic ingestion could compromise gut health and immune function in fish.
Evaluation of oxidative stress caused by virgin and environmental microplastics in gilthead seabream (sparus aurata)
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Researchers evaluated oxidative stress responses in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) exposed to both virgin and environmentally collected microplastics, comparing the ecotoxicological effects of laboratory-grade particles against real-world contaminated samples to better reflect actual marine exposure conditions.
Experimental evidence of physiological and behavioral effects of microplastic ingestion in Sparus aurata
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Researchers fed juvenile gilthead sea bream diets enriched with virgin and weathered microplastics for 21 days and assessed physiological and behavioral effects. The study found that weathered microplastics caused greater cellular stress and antioxidant enzyme activation in liver and brain tissue, and that microplastic-exposed fish became significantly bolder during social interactions, suggesting both physiological and behavioral consequences of microplastic ingestion.
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