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Papers
223 resultsShowing papers from Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences
ClearPolystyrene nanoplastics amplify the toxic effects of PFOA on the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)
Nanoplastics amplified the toxic effects of PFOA (a "forever chemical") in Chinese mitten crabs, worsening oxidative stress, immune disruption, and intestinal inflammation beyond what either pollutant caused alone. The combination disrupted fat metabolism and triggered cell death pathways, demonstrating how two common environmental contaminants can interact to create greater health risks in organisms that humans consume as food.
The impact of microplastics on antibiotic resistance genes, metal resistance genes, and bacterial community in aquaculture environment
Researchers discovered that microplastics in fish farming environments carry significantly higher levels of antibiotic resistance genes and disease-causing bacteria like Brucella and Pseudomonas compared to surrounding water. This means microplastics may act as floating platforms that help spread antibiotic-resistant infections through aquaculture, potentially reaching humans who consume the seafood.
Female zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces reproductive toxicity in mother and their offspring
Researchers exposed female zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics for six weeks and found the particles disrupted sex hormone levels and oocyte development, reducing egg production in the exposed generation and carrying endocrine disruption effects into unexposed offspring through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.
Effects of ocean acidification and polystyrene microplastics on the oysters Crassostrea gigas: An integrated biomarker and metabolomic approach
Researchers exposed oysters to polystyrene microplastics of two sizes under both normal and acidified ocean conditions to simulate climate change. They found that ocean acidification and microplastics interacted in complex ways, with smaller microplastics under acidic conditions altering the oysters' metabolic profiles in their digestive organs. This study highlights that climate change may change how microplastics affect the shellfish many people eat.
Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces apoptosis, autophagy, histopathological damage, and intestinal microbiota dysbiosis of the Pacific whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)
Exposing Pacific white shrimp to nanoplastics caused intestinal damage, cell death, disrupted immune function, and increased the abundance of harmful gut bacteria. Higher concentrations of nanoplastics led to more severe effects, including visible damage to the intestinal lining and formation of autophagosomes (cellular waste structures). These findings add to growing evidence that nanoplastic contamination in seafood farming can compromise the health of organisms that many people eat.
H2O2-Induced Oxidative Stress Responses in Eriocheir sinensis: Antioxidant Defense and Immune Gene Expression Dynamics
This study examined how Chinese mitten crabs respond to oxidative stress caused by hydrogen peroxide, finding that their antioxidant defenses and immune gene activity initially ramp up but then collapse under prolonged or high-dose exposure. While not directly about microplastics, the findings are relevant because microplastics are known to trigger similar oxidative stress in aquatic organisms, and this research helps map the biological pathways involved.
The hidden risk of microplastic-associated pathogens in aquatic environments
This review examines the overlooked risk that microplastics in water can serve as vehicles for disease-causing bacteria and other pathogens. Microplastics provide a surface where harmful microorganisms can grow, survive longer, and travel farther than they would on their own. This means microplastic pollution in lakes, rivers, and oceans could increase the risk of waterborne infections in people who swim in, drink from, or eat seafood from contaminated water.
Bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their human health risks depend on the characteristics of microplastics in marine organisms of Sanggou Bay, China
This study found that the type and characteristics of microplastics present in marine organisms from Sanggou Bay, China, influenced how much of the harmful chemical pollutant PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) accumulated in their tissues. Smaller, more degraded microplastics carried more PAHs into organisms, raising the human health risk from eating contaminated seafood and highlighting that microplastics act as vehicles for other toxic chemicals.
Toxic effects of microplastics and nitrite exposure on intestinal histology, digestion, immunity, and microbial community of shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei
Shrimp exposed to both microplastics and nitrite (a common water pollutant) suffered more intestinal damage than those exposed to either pollutant alone. The combined exposure disrupted gut bacteria, increased stress and cell death markers, and weakened immune function in the shrimp. While this study focused on aquatic animals, it shows how microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of other environmental pollutants.
Toxicity of Ammonia Stress on the Physiological Homeostasis in the Gills of Litopenaeus vannamei under Seawater and Low-Salinity Conditions
This study examined how ammonia stress damages the gills of Pacific white shrimp raised in both seawater and low-salinity conditions. While not directly about microplastics, the findings are relevant because microplastics in aquaculture water can worsen ammonia toxicity, and the gill damage observed -- including disrupted ion balance and immune function -- highlights how environmental stressors compound threats to seafood safety.
Enhanced gut damage and microbial imbalance in bullfrog tadpoles (Lithobates catesbeiana) exposed to polystyrene microplastics under high-temperature conditions
Bullfrog tadpoles exposed to polystyrene microplastics suffered gut damage and disrupted gut bacteria, and these effects were significantly worse at higher temperatures. The combination of microplastic exposure and heat stress caused more severe intestinal inflammation and oxidative damage than either stressor alone. This finding is important because it suggests that climate change could amplify the harmful effects of microplastic pollution on aquatic organisms and the ecosystems they belong to.
Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and copper on gill tissue structure, metabolism, and immune function of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)
This study found that nanoplastics and copper together caused more damage to crab gill tissue than either pollutant alone, disrupting the animals' antioxidant defenses, metabolism, and immune function. The combined exposure suppressed important detoxification genes that help the crabs cope with environmental stress. Since crabs are a common seafood, these findings raise concerns about how co-occurring pollutants in waterways could affect both aquatic life and the safety of shellfish for human consumption.
The Distribution of Microplastic Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment of Jingpo Lake—The World’s Second Largest High-Mountain Barrier Lake
Scientists surveyed microplastic contamination in Jingpo Lake, a remote high-mountain lake in China, finding an average of about 305 particles per cubic meter of water and 162 per kilogram of sediment. Microplastics were also found in the digestive tracts of local fish, averaging 11.4 particles per fish. While levels were relatively low compared to urban lakes, the presence of microplastics in this remote location underscores how far plastic pollution has spread.
Immune response to polystyrene microplastics: Regulation of inflammatory response via the ROS-driven NF-κB pathway in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics triggered immune system inflammation in zebrafish by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) that activated the NF-kB signaling pathway. The microplastics accumulated mainly in the intestines, causing tissue damage and behavioral changes in the fish. This study identifies a specific molecular mechanism by which microplastics cause immune dysfunction, which could be relevant to understanding inflammation in humans exposed to microplastics.
Polystyrene microplastics alter the behavior, energy reserve and nutritional composition of marine jacopever (Sebastes schlegelii)
Researchers exposed juvenile jacopever fish to polystyrene microplastics and observed significant changes in feeding behavior, swimming activity, and energy reserves. The fish took longer to find food, moved less, and showed reduced levels of stored energy and altered nutritional composition in their tissues. The study suggests that microplastic exposure can impair the basic survival behaviors and overall fitness of marine fish.
Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline by La-Fe Co-Doped SrTiO3/TiO2 Composites: Performance and Mechanism Study
Researchers developed a new composite material that can break down nearly all tetracycline antibiotic pollution in water using visible light. While focused on antibiotic removal rather than microplastics, the technology is relevant because microplastics commonly carry absorbed antibiotics in water environments. Advanced treatment methods that remove antibiotics could also help address the broader problem of microplastics acting as carriers for harmful chemicals in drinking water sources.
Microplastics footprint in nature reserves-a case study on the microplastics in the guano from Yancheng Wetland Rare Birds National Nature Reserve, China
Researchers found microplastics in the droppings of birds at a protected nature reserve in China, with fibers and polyethylene being the most common types. Different bird species had varying levels of contamination depending on their habitat and feeding behavior, with aquatic birds generally ingesting more microplastics. This study shows that even wildlife in protected areas is exposed to microplastic pollution, which can move through food chains.
Polystyrene nanoplastics affected the nutritional quality of Chlamys farreri through disturbing the function of gills and physiological metabolism: Comparison with microplastics
Researchers exposed scallops to polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics at environmentally realistic levels and found that both sizes reduced the protein content and overall quality of the edible muscle. Nanoplastics caused more damage than microplastics, disrupting gill function, metabolism, and triggering oxidative stress through mitochondrial damage pathways. This study shows that plastic pollution could reduce the nutritional value of commercially harvested shellfish that people eat.
Effects of different concentrations and particle sizes of nanoplastics on gut microbiology, metabolism, and immunity in Chiromantes dehaani
This study exposed crabs to nanoplastics of different sizes and concentrations and found significant harm to their gut health, including disrupted gut bacteria, reduced digestive enzyme activity, increased cell death, and inflammation. The smallest nanoplastics (75 nm) were most likely to promote harmful bacteria and trigger cell death, while medium-sized particles (500 nm) caused the strongest inflammatory response. These findings are relevant to human health because they demonstrate how nanoplastics disrupt gut function, which is a concern given that humans also ingest nanoplastics through food and water.
Combined toxicity of polyvinyl chloride microplastics and copper to marine jacopever (Sebastes schlegelii)
Researchers studied the combined effects of PVC microplastics and copper on a marine fish species and found that the two pollutants together caused significantly more harm than either one alone. The microplastics accelerated copper buildup in the fish's liver, leading to greater oxidative damage and growth problems. This is relevant to human health because fish that accumulate both microplastics and heavy metals may pass those contaminants to people through the food chain.
Toxicity mechanism of Nylon microplastics on Microcystis aeruginosa through three pathways: Photosynthesis, oxidative stress and energy metabolism
Researchers investigated how nylon microplastics affect the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa and found dose-dependent growth inhibition reaching nearly 48% at the highest concentration. The microplastics disrupted photosynthesis, damaged cell membranes, triggered oxidative stress, and altered the expression of genes involved in energy production and carbon fixation. The study identifies three interconnected pathways through which nylon microplastics harm these important aquatic organisms.
Secondary PVC microplastics are more toxic than primary PVC microplastics to Oryzias melastigma embryos
Researchers compared the toxicity of weathered secondary PVC microplastics to pristine primary particles using marine fish embryos. They found that the secondary microplastics caused earlier hatching, more developmental abnormalities, and greater oxidative stress than the primary ones. The study demonstrates that the irregular, partially degraded microplastics found in the ocean are likely more harmful to marine life than the smooth manufactured particles typically used in laboratory tests.
Microplastics contamination in bivalves from the Daya Bay: Species variability and spatio-temporal distribution and human health risks
Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in six species of bivalves from Daya Bay, China, finding microplastics present in 87 to 93% of individuals sampled. Sediment-dwelling bivalves had higher microplastic levels than water-dwelling species, and the types of microplastics found in the shellfish matched those in the surrounding seawater and sediment. A risk assessment based on polymer hazard levels indicated that microplastic contamination in these bivalves may pose health risks to humans who consume them as seafood.
Nano polystyrene microplastics could accumulate in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): Negatively impacts on the intestinal and liver health through water exposure
Researchers exposed Nile tilapia fish to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes (ranging from 80 nanometers to 80 micrometers) and found that the smallest particles were most likely to accumulate in the body. The 80-nanometer particles caused the most severe damage to intestinal and liver tissues, disrupting cell growth and triggering inflammation and oxidative stress. The study suggests that nanoscale plastic particles may pose greater health risks to fish than larger microplastics.