Papers

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Article Tier 2

Involvement of Microplastics in the Conflict Between Host Immunity Defense and Viral Virulence: Promoting the Susceptibility of Shrimp to WSSV Infection

Researchers found that PVC microplastics made shrimp significantly more vulnerable to white spot syndrome virus, a devastating disease in aquaculture, by suppressing their immune defenses. The microplastics interacted with the virus to prolong its survival and triggered changes in the shrimp's fat metabolism that weakened a key immune signaling pathway. This study demonstrates how microplastic pollution in coastal waters could increase disease outbreaks in seafood species, potentially affecting both food supply and food safety for humans.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics make shrimp more vulnerable to deadly disease

Lab experiments showed that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics help white spot syndrome virus — a deadly shrimp pathogen — survive longer and replicate more efficiently in larval shrimp guts, suppressing the animals' antiviral immune defenses. This study demonstrates that microplastics can act as disease amplifiers in aquaculture species, with major implications for shrimp farming and coastal ecosystem health.

2023 C&EN Global Enterprise
Article Tier 2

Insight into the immune and microbial response of the white-leg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei to microplastics

Researchers exposed white-leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) to different concentrations of microplastics for 48 hours and measured immune and microbial responses. The study found that high microplastic concentrations significantly reduced survival rates, altered immune-related gene expression, and disrupted the gut microbial community, suggesting that microplastic pollution may compromise shrimp immune function.

2021 Marine Environmental Research 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Sublethal effects of polyvinyl chloride microplastics on growth performance and survival of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Researchers exposed whiteleg shrimp to PVC microplastics over 45 days and found that even environmentally relevant concentrations reduced swimming, feeding, growth, and survival — with the highest exposure group showing only a 37% survival rate. The results highlight how microplastic pollution poses a direct threat to shrimp aquaculture productivity and food security.

2025 Journal of Ecological Engineering
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Microplastic Ingestion on Survival of the Grass Shrimp Palaemonetes pugio (Holthuis, 1949) Challenged with Vibrio campbellii

Grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) that had ingested microplastics showed increased mortality when subsequently challenged with the marine pathogen Vibrio campbellii compared to shrimp that had not ingested plastics. This finding suggests that microplastic ingestion can compromise immune defenses in marine crustaceans, making them more vulnerable to bacterial infections.

2019 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-Contaminated Feed Interferes with Antioxidant Enzyme and Lysozyme Gene Expression of Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Leading to Hepatopancreas Damage and Increased Mortality

Researchers fed Pacific white shrimp diets contaminated with high-density polyethylene microplastics and observed dose-dependent immune suppression and organ damage. The microplastics disrupted the expression of antioxidant enzyme and lysozyme genes and caused significant histopathological changes in the hepatopancreas. The study demonstrates that dietary microplastic exposure can compromise the immune defenses of commercially important crustaceans, potentially increasing their susceptibility to disease.

2022 Animals 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on gene expression to nonspecific immune system in pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei).

This study found that high-density polyethylene microplastic particles in shrimp feed suppressed immune defense genes in Pacific white shrimp and caused intestinal and gill tissue damage at concentrations well below lethal levels. The findings suggest that microplastic exposure could compromise immune function and health in farmed crustaceans.

2022 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Immunotoxicity and oxidative damage in Litopenaeus vannamei induced by polyethylene microplastics and copper co-exposure

Researchers found that when polyethylene microplastics carrying copper were injected into white shrimp, the combined exposure was significantly more harmful than either pollutant alone. The shrimp experienced suppressed immune function, increased oxidative stress, and severe damage to muscles, liver, and gills. Since shrimp are widely consumed seafood, these findings raise questions about how microplastic-bound metals in marine environments could affect both shellfish health and food safety.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of polyethylene microplastics on oxidative stress and histopathology damages in Litopenaeus vannamei

Researchers injected fluorescent polyethylene microspheres into Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and found that microplastic exposure increased oxidative stress markers and caused histopathological damage to hepatopancreas and gill tissue, even at relatively low concentrations.

2021 Environmental Pollution 122 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics weaken the exoskeletal mechanical properties of Pacific whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Researchers discovered that environmentally realistic levels of microplastics weakened the shells of whiteleg shrimp by disrupting the structure of chitin, the main building material in crustacean exoskeletons. The microplastics also embedded in the shell surface and altered key genes and metabolites involved in shell formation. Since shrimp is a widely consumed seafood, this finding raises questions about both the quality of farmed shrimp and the potential for microplastic transfer to human consumers.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) microplastics exposure on Penaeus vannamei survival

Laboratory bioassays showed that high-density polyethylene microplastics were acutely toxic to Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) postlarvae at concentrations above 62.5 mg/L, with 100% mortality at the highest dose, and confirmed ingestion via fluorescence microscopy.

2025 Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research
Article Tier 2

Polyvinyl chloride microplastics facilitated the transmission of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from surrounding water to Litopenaeus vannamei

Researchers investigated how PVC microplastics colonized by a harmful bacterium called Vibrio parahaemolyticus affect farmed shrimp. They found that the microplastics facilitated the transfer of the pathogen from the surrounding water into the shrimp, causing severe damage to the hepatopancreas and 100% mortality within 96 hours. The study reveals that microplastics in aquaculture environments can act as vehicles for disease-causing bacteria, posing serious risks to shrimp farming.

2025 Food Microbiology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Oxidative effects of consuming microplastics in different tissues of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Researchers fed white shrimp diets containing polystyrene microplastics and found the particles accumulated in gills, muscles, and the hepatopancreas. The microplastics triggered oxidative stress, DNA damage, and lipid damage in multiple tissues, along with visible tissue abnormalities including edema and immune cell infiltration. The study demonstrates that dietary microplastic exposure can cause widespread oxidative harm across different organ systems in commercially important shellfish.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent toxicological effects and mechanisms of PET microplastics in Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei)

This study exposed Pacific white shrimp to PET microplastics of three different sizes for 21 days and found that smaller particles caused the most harm, reducing growth and swimming ability while causing significant tissue damage. Larger microplastics were less harmful, and the shrimp showed some ability to recover from their effects. The findings are important for aquaculture and food safety because they show that microplastic particle size matters significantly when assessing health risks to commercially important seafood species.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nanoplastics on the gut microbiota of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Researchers fed polystyrene nanoplastics to Pacific white shrimp and found significant damage to their gut bacteria, intestinal structure, and immune system. The nanoplastics increased harmful bacteria like Vibrio while reducing beneficial species, and visibly damaged the intestinal lining. Since shrimp are widely consumed seafood, these gut health disruptions raise questions about how nanoplastic contamination in farmed and wild shrimp could affect both the animals and the people who eat them.

2024 PeerJ 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion and toxic impacts of weathered polyethylene (wPE) microplastics and stress defensive responses in whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei)

Researchers exposed whiteleg shrimp to varying concentrations of environmentally weathered polyethylene microplastics to assess ingestion rates and toxic effects. The study found that weathered microplastics caused dose-dependent changes in growth and antioxidant enzyme activity, indicating that real-world weathered microplastics may be more harmful to commercially important shrimp species than pristine laboratory particles.

2022 Chemosphere 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in surface water and tissue of white leg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, in a cultured pond in Nakhon Pathom Province, Central Thailand

Researchers detected microplastics in the surface water and edible tissues of white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) farmed in Thailand, raising food safety concerns about microplastic contamination in a commercially important aquaculture species consumed widely across Asia.

2023 AIMS environmental science 14 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Microplastic Contamination of Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Cultivation in North Lombok, Indonesia

Researchers characterized microplastic contamination in farmed whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), measuring particle abundance, size distribution, polymer types, and potential human dietary exposure through shrimp consumption. Microplastics were found throughout shrimp tissues, with implications for seafood safety.

2024 Journal of Fish Health 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of polyethylene microplastics on the clam Ruditapes decussatus (Mollusca: Bivalvia): examination of filtration rate, growth, and immunomodulation

Researchers exposed clams to polyethylene microplastics at three different concentrations for 14 days and measured the effects on feeding, growth, and immune function. They found that higher microplastic concentrations reduced the clams' ability to filter water and caused weight loss, while also disrupting immune cell integrity. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can impair both the feeding efficiency and immune defenses of shellfish.

2023 Ecotoxicology 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Pollution in marine bivalves: The immunosuppressive effects of microplastics on Anadara granosa

Researchers exposed blood clams to polystyrene microplastics for one week and found that the plastics suppressed their immune system in a dose-dependent manner. Higher microplastic concentrations reduced the clams' immune cell counts, hemoglobin, and disease-fighting enzymes. Since blood clams are a commercially harvested seafood species, weakened immunity could increase disease outbreaks in clam populations and potentially affect the safety of shellfish consumed by humans.

2025 Marine Environmental Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on shrimp growth, physiology, antioxidant, immune responses and gut microbiota

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics affect shrimp health, covering impacts on growth, immune function, gut bacteria, and antioxidant defenses. Researchers found that plastic exposure can impair shrimp physiology through multiple pathways, with implications for both aquaculture productivity and seafood safety. The study highlights the need for more research on how plastic pollution in coastal waters threatens shrimp populations that are important for both ecosystems and human nutrition.

2025 Marine and Freshwater Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation and damage of polyethylene-microplastics to the digestive system of juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp exposed through feed

Researchers fed juvenile Pacific white shrimp diets containing polyethylene microplastics at varying concentrations for 28 days. While survival and growth were not affected, microplastics accumulated in the digestive system and caused tissue damage to the hepatopancreas and intestine, suggesting that even without visible growth effects, microplastic ingestion can cause internal harm to commercially important crustacean species.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of Microplastic Contamination in Vaname Shrimp (Litopenaeus Vannamei) with Different Cultivation Methods

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination across three different vaname shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) cultivation methods, sampling water, sediment, commercial feed, and shrimp tissues over three months. The study aimed to identify which cultivation system introduces more microplastics into the production environment and assess potential contamination routes for farmed shrimp.

2025 International Journal of Marine Engineering Innovation and Research