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Papers
767 resultsThe effects of heavy metal exposure on brain and gut microbiota: A systematic review of animal studies
This systematic review of 16 animal studies found evidence that heavy metal exposure disrupts gut microbiota composition, which may in turn affect brain function through the gut-brain axis. Lead was the most studied metal, and the findings suggest that environmental contaminant-induced gut dysbiosis could mediate neurotoxic effects, a mechanism that may also apply to microplastic exposure.
A systematic review of the effects of nanoplastics on fish
This systematic review examines how nanoplastics (extremely small plastic particles) affect fish, including their ability to cross biological barriers and accumulate in tissues. The findings are relevant to human health because fish are a major dietary protein source, and understanding how plastics move through aquatic food chains helps us assess our own exposure risks.
Combined exposure of emamectin benzoate and microplastics induces tight junction disorder, immune disorder and inflammation in carp midgut via lysosome/ROS/ferroptosis pathway
This study found that when carp were exposed to both the pesticide emamectin benzoate and microplastics together, the damage to their gut lining, immune system, and inflammation levels was significantly worse than exposure to either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that microplastics may amplify the harmful effects of pesticides in aquatic food sources, which could have implications for human health through seafood consumption.
Emamectin Benzoate and Microplastics Led to Skeletal Muscle Atrophy in Common Carp via Induced Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, and Protein Synthesis and Degradation Imbalance
A study in fish found that combined exposure to the pesticide emamectin benzoate and microplastics caused muscle wasting by triggering oxidative stress, damaging mitochondria (the energy-producing parts of cells), and disrupting the balance between muscle building and breakdown. This suggests that microplastics may worsen the toxic effects of pesticides on muscle health in aquatic organisms.
Individual and combined effects of microplastics and diphenyl phthalate as plastic additives on male goldfish: A biochemical and physiological investigation
Male goldfish exposed to both microplastics and the plasticizer chemical DPP (diphenyl phthalate) together showed significant liver damage, disrupted fat and sugar metabolism, and hormonal imbalances including decreased testosterone and increased estrogen. The combined exposure was more harmful than either pollutant alone, demonstrating how microplastics and their chemical additives can work together to disrupt the endocrine system.
Multi-omics association pattern between gut microbiota and host metabolism of a filter-feeding fish in situ exposed to microplastics
Scientists exposed filter-feeding fish to environmentally realistic levels of microplastics and found that the particles reshaped gut bacteria communities, which in turn altered the fish's liver metabolism through changes in amino acid processing. This gut-microbiome-to-organ connection matters because it shows microplastics may affect human health not just through direct toxicity but by disrupting the beneficial bacteria in our digestive systems.
New Insights in Microplastic Cellular Uptake Through a Cell-Based Organotypic Rainbow-Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Intestinal Platform
Using a lab model of rainbow trout intestine, researchers showed that microplastics (1-5 micrometers) can break through the gut barrier by disrupting the tight junctions that hold intestinal cells together. The plastic particles were then taken up by both surface cells and deeper tissue cells through a process called macropinocytosis. This helps explain how microplastics in food can cross the gut wall and potentially spread to other organs.
Size-Dependent Uptake and Depuration of Nanoplastics in Tilapia (<i>Oreochromis niloticus</i>) and Distinct Intestinal Impacts
Researchers tracked how tilapia fish absorb and eliminate nanoplastics of two sizes (86 and 185 nanometers) and found that both accumulated most heavily in the intestine. Smaller nanoplastics caused more physical damage to the intestinal lining, while larger ones disrupted the gut microbiome more severely. Since tilapia is widely consumed worldwide, the finding that nanoplastics build up in fish tissue and damage their guts raises concerns about the safety of farmed fish as food.
Polystyrene microplastics mediate cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy in the <scp>G2</scp>/<scp>M</scp> phase through <scp>ROS</scp> in grass carp kidney cells
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics cause kidney cell damage in fish by triggering oxidative stress, which leads to cells getting stuck in their growth cycle, programmed cell death, and self-digestion. Higher concentrations of microplastics caused worse damage, with reduced antioxidant defenses and increased harmful cellular responses. While this study used fish cells, the mechanisms of cellular damage are relevant to understanding potential risks in other organisms including humans.
Toxic effects of nanoplastics and microcystin-LR coexposure on the liver-gut axis of Hypophthalmichthys molitrix
Scientists exposed silver carp to both polystyrene nanoplastics and microcystin-LR (a toxin from harmful algae) and found the combination caused more severe gut and liver damage than either pollutant alone. The nanoplastics shortened intestinal structures, changed gut bacteria communities, and disrupted liver metabolism. This is concerning because both contaminants are commonly found together in aquaculture waters, and the fish affected are widely consumed by people.
Alteration of shoaling behavior and dysbiosis in the gut of medaka (Oryzias latipes) exposed to 2-μm polystyrene microplastics
Scientists exposed small freshwater fish (medaka) to fine polystyrene microplastics and found that the fish stopped schooling together -- a key social behavior -- during the exposure period, though the behavior recovered after exposure ended. The microplastics also disrupted the fish's gut bacteria, reducing beneficial species that produce short-chain fatty acids known to influence brain function through the gut-brain connection. This suggests microplastics may alter animal behavior by disrupting the gut microbiome.
Microplastics induced inflammation and apoptosis via ferroptosis and the NF-κB pathway in carp
Researchers exposed carp to polyethylene microplastics and found they caused serious intestinal damage through two harmful pathways: ferroptosis (a type of iron-dependent cell death) and NF-kB-driven inflammation. The microplastics triggered a buildup of iron and reactive oxygen species in gut tissue, leading to cell death and tissue destruction. Since humans also ingest microplastics that reach the gut, these findings highlight a potential mechanism by which microplastics could damage our digestive system.
Microplastics induced endoplasmic reticulum stress to format an inflammation and cell death in hepatocytes of carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Researchers fed carp water containing polystyrene microplastics and found significant liver damage, including inflammation, disrupted cell recycling processes, and cell death. The microplastics triggered a stress response in the cell's protein-folding machinery (endoplasmic reticulum), which set off a chain reaction of inflammation and tissue damage. These findings in freshwater fish suggest that microplastics can cause serious organ damage through specific cellular stress pathways.
Nanoplastic Exposure at Environmental Concentrations Disrupts Hepatic Lipid Metabolism through Oxidative Stress Induction and Endoplasmic Reticulum Homeostasis Perturbation
A study in fish found that nanoplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations accumulated in the liver and disrupted fat metabolism, causing a condition similar to fatty liver disease. Smaller nanoplastics (100 nanometers) caused more severe damage than larger microplastics by disrupting protein processing in cells and triggering oxidative stress. These findings raise concerns that nanoplastics in the environment could affect liver health in fish and potentially in humans who consume contaminated seafood.
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) physiological response to microplastics and enrofloxacin: Novel pathways to investigate microplastic synergistic effects on pharmaceuticals
Scientists studied how microplastics interact with the antibiotic enrofloxacin in rainbow trout and found that the combination increased toxicity beyond what either pollutant caused alone. The microplastics appeared to change how the antibiotic was absorbed and processed in the fish, leading to greater liver damage and immune system disruption. Since fish are exposed to both pollutants in real waterways, this synergistic toxicity could affect seafood safety and the health of people who consume contaminated fish.
Effect of microplastics on oxytetracycline trophic transfer: Immune, gut microbiota and antibiotic resistance gene responses
When polypropylene microplastics and the antibiotic oxytetracycline were present together in water, the microplastics acted as carriers that increased antibiotic buildup in shrimp and fish through the food chain. This combination caused more gut and liver damage, weakened immune defenses, and promoted the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The findings highlight that microplastics can make antibiotic pollution worse by helping resistant genes move up the food chain.
Increase in temperature increases ingestion and toxicity of polyamide microplastics in Nile tilapia
Researchers found that higher water temperatures caused Nile tilapia fish to swallow significantly more microplastics and suffer worse health effects, including blood abnormalities, gill damage, and intestinal injury. At the highest temperature tested, fish ingested over three times more plastic particles than at normal temperatures. This study suggests that as climate change warms waterways, fish may accumulate more microplastics, increasing the risk of human exposure through seafood.
Occurrence of microplastics and metals in European seabass produced in different aquaculture systems: Implications for human exposure, risk, and food safety
Researchers compared microplastic levels in European seabass from three different aquaculture farming systems and estimated human exposure through fish consumption. All systems contained microplastics in the water, feed, and fish, with recirculating systems showing the highest concentrations. The study estimates that eating farmed seabass could expose consumers to hundreds of microplastic particles per serving, along with associated metals.
What are the global patterns of microplastic ingestion by fish? A scientometric review
This review summarizes global research on microplastic ingestion by fish and finds that contamination is widespread across aquatic ecosystems, with fibers and fragments being the most commonly ingested shapes. The study highlights that fish higher on the food chain tend to accumulate more microplastics, which matters for human health since many of these species are commonly consumed as seafood.
Neurobehavioral toxicity induced by combined exposure of micro/nanoplastics and triphenyltin in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)
When marine medaka fish were exposed to both nanoplastics and the toxic chemical triphenyltin together, they showed much worse nerve and behavioral damage than from either pollutant alone. The combined exposure significantly reduced the fish's swimming ability and disrupted neural gene expression, with smaller nanoplastics causing more severe effects than larger microplastics. This highlights that real-world conditions, where microplastics coexist with other pollutants, may produce amplified toxic effects on the nervous system.
Assessment of dietary polyvinylchloride, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate exposure in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus: Bioaccumulation, and effects on behaviour, growth, hematology and histology
Nile tilapia fish fed three common types of microplastics (PVC, polypropylene, and PET) showed reduced growth, abnormal behavior, blood cell damage, and tissue damage in their gills, liver, and intestines. The harmful effects increased with higher doses of microplastics and varied by plastic type. Since tilapia is one of the most widely consumed fish globally, these findings raise concerns about the health of fish that may carry microplastic contamination to human diets.
Polyvinyl chloride microplastics in the aquatic environment enrich potential pathogenic bacteria and spread antibiotic resistance genes in the fish gut
When carp were exposed to PVC microplastics along with common antibiotics, the combination promoted the growth of potentially harmful bacteria and increased the number of antibiotic resistance genes in the fish gut. This is concerning for human health because antibiotic-resistant bacteria can transfer from aquatic environments and food fish to people, making infections harder to treat.
Process-oriented impacts of microplastic fibers on behavior and histology of fish
Researchers exposed goldfish to microplastic fibers in water and observed changes in feeding behavior, coughing, and mucus production across fish tissues. At higher concentrations, the fish ate significantly less food and coughed more frequently as they tried to expel the fibers. The study shows that microplastic fibers can directly interfere with basic fish behaviors and trigger defensive responses, which could affect fish health and growth in contaminated waterways.
Polystyrene microplastics induce endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis and inflammation by disrupting the gut microbiota in carp intestines
Researchers fed carp polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles disrupted their gut bacteria, killing off beneficial species and promoting those linked to diseases. The microplastics triggered a stress response in intestinal cells that led to inflammation, cell death, and tissue damage. Since carp is a widely eaten fish, these gut health effects raise questions about how microplastics in aquatic environments could affect the safety of fish that humans consume.