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Effect of nanoplastics on fish health and performance: A review

Marine Pollution Bulletin 2019 162 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Camila Barría, I. Brandts, Lluís Tort, Miguel Oliveira, Mariana Teles

Summary

Researchers reviewed studies on nanoplastics (particles smaller than 100 nm) in fish and found evidence of tissue accumulation, impaired locomotion and foraging, immune and growth disruption, altered lipid metabolism, and neurotoxicity, though mortality and developmental malformations had not yet been reported.

Body Systems

Small plastic particles are considered emerging pollutants, and this has motivated a considerable number of studies to establish their environmental consequences. At present, the study of the effects of nanoplastics (NPs) on aquatic organisms is still scarce, especially in organisms from higher trophic levels such as fish. This review describes the effects reported in different fish species after exposure to plastic particles smaller than 100 nm. Studies show that NPs can adversely affect fish at different stages of development, with reported accumulation in tissues, decreased locomotor and foraging activities, effects on growth and the immune system and alterations on lipid metabolism and neurotoxicity. However, mortality, effects on hatching success or malformations related to NPs have not been reported to this date.

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