Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Microplastics Exposure: An Insight into Multiple Organ Histological Alterations, Oxidative Stress and Neurotoxicity in Javanese Medaka Fish (Oryzias javanicus Bleeker, 1854)

Researchers exposed Javanese medaka fish to polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and observed tissue damage across multiple organs including the intestine, liver, and kidney. The study also found increased intestinal oxidative stress and permeability, along with neurotoxicity in the brain characterized by lipid damage and inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase.

2021 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 75 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

Biochemical, Genotoxic and Histological Implications of Polypropylene Microplastics on Freshwater Fish Oreochromis mossambicus: An Aquatic Eco-Toxicological Assessment

Researchers fed polypropylene microplastics to freshwater tilapia and found they caused oxidative stress, DNA damage, and liver tissue deterioration, with more severe effects after 14 days compared to acute 96-hour exposure. The microplastics disrupted antioxidant enzyme systems and neurotransmitter activity in the fish. The study demonstrates that prolonged microplastic ingestion poses a significant ecological threat to freshwater fish species.

2023 Toxics 57 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

Mechanisms underlying mitochondrial dysfunction and intestinal damage induced by ingestion of microplastics in Leuciscus waleckii: The role of the NF-κB/Nrf2 signaling pathway

This study found that polystyrene microplastics harmed juvenile fish by triggering immune dysfunction, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial damage in their intestines. The microplastics activated inflammatory pathways, damaged the intestinal barrier, and shifted the gut microbiome toward harmful bacteria. These findings suggest that microplastic ingestion could have cascading effects on fish health through multiple biological pathways.

2024 Chemosphere 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of naturally-aged microplastics on zebrafish juveniles: A more realistic approach to plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems

Researchers exposed juvenile zebrafish to naturally aged polystyrene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations for five days. They found that the microplastics disrupted the fish's antioxidant defenses, indicating oxidative stress, and caused measurable cellular and neurological impacts. The study suggests that even short-term exposure to realistic levels of weathered microplastics can affect the health of freshwater organisms.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 162 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic exposure causes organ damage in Puntius sophore

Researchers sampled a freshwater ecosystem in Tamil Nadu, India, and exposed the local fish Puntius sophore to collected microplastics at sub-lethal concentrations, then assessed organ damage. Microplastic exposure caused histological damage in gills, liver, and kidney of this freshwater sentinel species, with oxidative stress biomarkers elevated in all three organs.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of microplastics on freshwater fish (Channa argus): mechanisms of inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy

Freshwater snakehead fish exposed to polystyrene microplastics for four weeks developed inflammation, cell death, and tissue damage in their liver, intestines, kidneys, and gills. The damage worsened with higher microplastic concentrations and involved disruption of the fish's antioxidant defenses and immune system. Since snakehead is a commonly consumed fish in Asia, these findings raise questions about whether microplastics in aquaculture environments could affect the safety of fish as human food.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics disrupt renal function, mitochondrial bioenergetics, redox homeostasis, and histoarchitecture in Wistar rats

Researchers gave rats polyethylene microplastics orally for 28 days and found dose-dependent kidney damage, including impaired filtration, electrolyte imbalances, and tissue inflammation. The microplastics depleted antioxidant defenses, increased oxidative stress markers, and disrupted mitochondrial energy production in kidney cells, identifying the kidneys as a critical target of microplastic toxicity.

2025 Scientific Reports 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) disturb skeleto-muscular energy metabolism and tissue architecture following sub-acute exposure: A dose-responsive study

Wistar rats given polystyrene microplastics in drinking water (0.5–50 mg/L) for 28 days showed dose-dependent disruption of skeletal muscle energy metabolism — including reduced ATP production and altered mitochondrial activity — along with histological changes in muscle tissue architecture.

2025 Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility
Article Tier 2

Integrated Biomarker, Histopathological and Genotoxicity‐Based Toxicological Evaluation of Polystyrene and Polyethylene Microplastics in Oreochromis mossambicus

Researchers exposed Mozambique tilapia to polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics and found dose-dependent accumulation in gill, gut, and liver tissues. Polyethylene proved significantly more toxic, causing greater oxidative stress, metabolic disruption, and chromosomal damage as measured by micronucleus assays. The study provides evidence that different polymer types can have markedly different toxicological impacts on freshwater fish.

2025 Journal of Applied Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse effects polystyrene microplastics exert on zebrafish heart – Molecular to individual level

Researchers fed zebrafish microplastic-enriched food for 21 days and found significant damage to heart function, including reduced contraction strength and frequency, along with decreased swimming ability. At the cellular level, the fish showed increased oxidative stress, DNA damage, and disrupted energy metabolism in heart tissue. The study provides evidence that microplastic exposure can affect cardiovascular health in fish from the molecular level up to whole-organism fitness.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 142 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

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

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

Antioxidants and molecular damage in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) after exposure to microplastics

Researchers exposed juvenile Nile Tilapia to different concentrations of microplastics for 15 days followed by a recovery period. The study found dose-dependent increases in oxidative stress markers, DNA fragmentation, and altered protein patterns in fish exposed to microplastics. Evidence indicates that while fish exposed to the lowest concentration recovered after the treatment ended, higher doses caused more persistent damage.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 192 citations
Article Tier 2

Genotoxic and Oxidative Damage of Environmental Pollutant Microplastics on Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations for up to 21 days to measure oxidative stress and DNA damage. The study found that both types of microplastics disrupted the antioxidant system and caused measurable DNA damage, with effects depending on dosage and exposure time. These results suggest that microplastics in waterways could pose genetic and cellular risks to aquatic life.

2025 Journal of Applied Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Aged polystyrene microplastics exposure affects apoptosis via inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in early life of zebrafish

Zebrafish embryos exposed to UV-aged polystyrene microplastics at environmental concentrations showed more severe developmental problems than those exposed to fresh microplastics. The aged particles caused greater oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage, triggering increased cell death during early development -- suggesting that weathered microplastics in the real environment may be more harmful than the pristine particles typically used in lab studies.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics cause tissue damages, sex-specific reproductive disruption and transgenerational effects in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)

Researchers exposed marine medaka fish to environmentally realistic concentrations of polystyrene microplastics and found tissue damage, oxidative stress, and sex-specific reproductive disruption. The effects carried over to the next generation even without direct microplastic exposure. The study provides evidence that microplastics at levels found in the ocean can cause lasting biological harm across generations in fish.

2019 Environmental Pollution 507 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of polystyrene microplastics on the antioxidant system and immune response in GIFT (Oreochromis niloticus)

Farmed tilapia exposed to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes showed elevated oxidative stress and immune inflammation markers, particularly in the brain, compared to unexposed fish. The findings suggest chronic microplastic exposure can impair immune defenses in commercially important freshwater fish, raising concerns for both aquaculture and wild fisheries.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 2 citations