Papers

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Article Tier 2

Histopathological Alterations in Gills, Liver and Kidneys of Goldfish (Carassius auratus) Exposed to Polystyrene Microplastics

Goldfish chronically exposed to 1 μm polystyrene microplastics at 1.53 mg/L for 28 days developed histopathological damage in gills, kidneys, and liver, including epithelial lifting, glomerular atrophy, and hepatocellular necrosis, demonstrating organ-level toxicity from chronic PS-MP exposure.

2025 UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent effects of microplastic on uptake, immune system, related gene expression and histopathology of goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Researchers exposed goldfish to two sizes of polystyrene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations for 28 days. The study found that microplastics accumulated in gill, liver, and intestine tissues, causing damage that worsened with smaller particle size and higher doses. The results indicate that microplastics trigger oxidative stress and immune responses in fish, with smaller particles posing greater health risks.

2021 Chemosphere 176 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological Effects of Polystyrene Particles on Cyprinus carpio: A Laboratory Assessment

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.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics exposure in freshwater fish, Labeo rohita: evaluation of physiology and histopathology

Researchers fed freshwater fish varying levels of polystyrene microplastics for 90 days and found dose-dependent damage to blood health, growth, and organ tissues. Higher microplastic concentrations caused more severe harm to the liver, kidneys, gills, and intestines. The study highlights that microplastics in freshwater systems can accumulate in fish and cause significant health problems, raising concerns about food safety for communities that rely on freshwater fish.

2025 Scientific Reports 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse effects of polystyrene microplastics in the freshwater commercial fish, grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella): Emphasis on physiological response and intestinal microbiome

Researchers exposed grass carp to different sizes and concentrations of polystyrene microplastics for up to 14 days, followed by a depuration period, and assessed physiological and intestinal microbiome effects. The study found that microplastics caused histological damage, oxidative stress, and shifts in gut microbial communities, with smaller particles and higher concentrations producing more severe effects.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Polystyrene Microplastic Exposure on Individual, Tissue, and Gene Expression in Juvenile Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus)

Juvenile crucian carp were exposed to polystyrene microplastics at different concentrations, and researchers found that the particles accumulated mainly in the intestines and gills. The study suggests that microplastic exposure caused tissue damage to multiple organs and altered gene expression, with higher concentrations generally leading to more severe effects.

2024 Fishes 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the Risk of Microplastics on Gill and Gut Health and Subsequent Pathogen Susceptibility in the Goldfish Model

Researchers assessed how polystyrene microplastics of two sizes affect gill and gut health in goldfish and their subsequent vulnerability to bacterial infection. They found that microplastic exposure caused tissue inflammation, increased immune gene expression, and thickened gill and intestinal structures. Notably, exposure to smaller 0.5-micrometer microplastics significantly reduced fish survival when challenged with a bacterial pathogen, indicating that microplastics can compromise immune defenses in fish.

2025 Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microparticles can affect the health status of freshwater fish – Threat of oral microplastics intake

Researchers fed juvenile rainbow trout polystyrene microplastics at three dietary concentrations for six weeks and assessed multiple health parameters. They found that the highest concentration triggered immune responses, liver and gill damage, disrupted antioxidant balance, and reduced plasma proteins. The study demonstrates that oral microplastic intake can negatively affect the health of freshwater fish across multiple organ systems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 44 citations
Article Tier 2

A dosage-effect assessment of acute toxicology tests of microplastic exposure in filter-feeding fish

Researchers assessed the dose-dependent effects of polystyrene microplastics on silver carp, a filter-feeding fish, during a 48-hour exposure and recovery period. Low concentrations induced oxidative stress and gene upregulation in the intestine, with the fish able to recover after exposure ended. However, high concentrations caused significant gill and intestinal damage that persisted even after the microplastics were removed.

2021 Fish & Shellfish Immunology 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity and Functional Tissue Responses of Two Freshwater Fish after Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics

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.

2021 Toxics 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Oxidative Stress, Blood Biochemistry, and Digestive Enzyme Activity in Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Goldfish exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics in their diet for 21 days showed significant oxidative stress, disrupted blood chemistry, and reduced digestive enzyme activity, with effects worsening at higher doses. The smallest nanoplastics caused the most damage to the fishes' antioxidant defense systems and overall health. These findings add to the evidence that nanoplastics in aquatic environments can harm fish health in ways that may affect the safety of fish consumed by humans.

2025 Toxics 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polystyrene Microplastic Exposure on Liver Cell Damage, Oxidative Stress, and Gene Expression in Juvenile Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus)

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.

2025 Toxics 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Sub-chronic exposure of Oreochromis niloticus to environmentally relevant concentrations of smaller microplastics: Accumulation and toxico-physiological responses

Researchers exposed Nile tilapia to low, environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene microplastics for 14 days and found the particles accumulated in multiple organs including the brain, liver, and reproductive tissues. The fish showed changes in blood chemistry, increased stress hormones, and signs of liver and kidney dysfunction. These results suggest that even realistic levels of microplastic pollution can cause measurable physiological harm in fish.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of a chronic exposure to nanoplastics in goldfish (Carassius auratus): Analytical validation of automated assays for the measurement of biochemical markers

Researchers exposed goldfish to polystyrene nanoplastics for 30 days to study chronic effects on health biomarkers in gills, brain, and muscle. They found that nanoplastics primarily triggered immune and antioxidant stress responses in the gills — the fish's first point of contact — but caused no measurable effects in muscle, suggesting gills may be an early warning site for plastic particle toxicity in fish.

2023 Ecological Indicators 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics impair olfactory-mediated behaviors of goldfish Carassius auratus

Goldfish exposed to polystyrene microplastics for 28 days showed significantly impaired behavioral responses to olfactory stimuli (L-cysteine and taurocholic acid), linked to suppressed expression of olfactory receptor genes and inhibited ion transport enzyme activities, indicating sensory neurotoxicity.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 111 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on oxidative stress, histopathology and intestinal microbiota in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

Researchers exposed largemouth bass — a commercially important freshwater fish — to polystyrene nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles 100 nanometers in size) for up to 19 days, finding tissue damage in the gills, liver, and intestines along with elevated markers of cellular stress. While growth was not significantly affected, the fish adjusted their gut microbiome in response, suggesting nanoplastics trigger adaptive but potentially harmful physiological changes.

2022 Aquaculture Reports 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of polystyrene nanoplastics on the intestinal histopathology, oxidative stress, and microbiota of Acrossocheilus yunnanensis

Researchers studied the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on the intestinal health of a freshwater fish species and found significant damage to the gut lining, including ruptured tissue and damaged nutrient-absorbing structures. The nanoplastics also increased oxidative stress markers and shifted the composition of gut bacteria, reducing beneficial species. The findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure can compromise both the physical barrier and microbial balance of fish intestines.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity comparison of nano-sized and micron-sized microplastics to Goldfish Carassius auratus Larvae

Researchers compared the toxic effects of nano-sized and micron-sized polystyrene microplastics on goldfish larvae over seven days. Both sizes accumulated in the digestive tract and caused oxidative stress, tissue damage, and increased heart rate at high concentrations. Notably, the nano-sized particles were able to penetrate through the skin into muscle tissue and cause nerve fiber damage, suggesting they may be more hazardous than larger microplastics.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 304 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Lead to Hyperactive Swimming Behaviour in Adult Zebrafish

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics across a wide concentration range and found that microplastics accumulated primarily in the gastrointestinal tract and gills. The study revealed that exposed fish exhibited hyperactive swimming behavior, suggesting that microplastic ingestion can affect locomotor activity even without obvious physical damage to internal organs.

2020 Aquatic Toxicology 178 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanopolystyrene particles at environmentally relevant concentrations causes behavioral and biochemical changes in juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

Researchers exposed juvenile grass carp to environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics and found impaired anti-predator behavior, altered shoal dynamics, and increased acetylcholinesterase activity alongside oxidative stress, with nanoplastics detected in brain tissue, suggesting neurological effects even at trace exposure levels.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 84 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to microplastics impairs digestive performance, stimulates immune response and induces microbiota dysbiosis in the gut of juvenile guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

Researchers exposed juvenile guppies to polystyrene microplastics at two concentrations for 28 days and examined impacts on their digestive systems. The study found that microplastic exposure impaired digestive enzyme activity, stimulated intestinal immune responses, and disrupted the gut microbiota community, suggesting that microplastics can compromise intestinal health in freshwater fish.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 253 citations
Article Tier 2

Journal of Survey in Fisheries Sciences

Channa punctata fish exposed to polystyrene microplastics for 28 days at doses of 1, 5, and 10 mg/L showed dose-dependent biochemical, histopathological, and physiological damage, with the highest dose producing the most severe effects. The study provided toxicological benchmarks for PS microplastic exposure in freshwater fish.

2024
Article Tier 2

Microplastic exposure induces structural hyperplasia in the gill tissue of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) through immunosuppression, metabolic disruption, and structural damage

Researchers examined how polystyrene microplastics affect the gill tissue of grass carp at two concentrations. They found that higher microplastic exposure caused significant structural damage to gills, activated inflammatory pathways, triggered oxidative stress, and promoted abnormal cell proliferation. The study suggests that microplastics can induce structural hyperplasia in fish gills through combined immunosuppression, metabolic disruption, and tissue damage mechanisms.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Environmental Pollution 94 citations