Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Exposure to microplastics induces lower survival, oxidative stress, disordered microbiota and altered metabolism in the intestines of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

Grass carp exposed to environmental concentrations of microplastics (32-40 micrometers, 100 and 1000 micrograms per liter) for 21 days showed reduced survival, elevated oxidative stress markers, disrupted gut microbiota, and altered intestinal metabolism. Microplastics were detected in intestinal tissue at both concentrations, indicating accumulation and systemic effects.

2022 Aquaculture and Fisheries 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics accumulation in gut and revealing their impacts on nutritional quality and health of freshwater carp, Catla catla

Researchers fed common carp (Catla catla) diets containing increasing concentrations of polylactic acid microplastics (PLA-MPs) — a type of biodegradable plastic — for 90 days, finding that at higher levels the fish experienced stunted growth, reduced nutrient absorption, altered blood cell counts, and intestinal tissue damage. The study demonstrates that even "biodegradable" microplastics can accumulate in fish and significantly harm their health.

2024 Aquaculture Reports 9 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

The effects of exposure to microplastics on grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) at the physiological, biochemical, and transcriptomic levels

Researchers exposed grass carp to microplastics at two concentrations for 21 days and observed liver damage, inhibited growth, and increased oxidative stress. Transcriptome analysis revealed over 1,500 differentially expressed genes related to immune response, metabolism, and cellular stress pathways. The study suggests that microplastic exposure can trigger broad physiological and molecular disruptions in freshwater fish.

2021 Chemosphere 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of secondary polyethylene microplastic exposure on crucian (Carassius carassius) growth, liver damage, and gut microbiome composition

Researchers exposed crucian carp to secondary polyethylene microplastics derived from agricultural film for 30 days to assess effects on growth, liver health, and gut microbiome. Low and medium concentrations of microplastics actually promoted fish growth by altering gut bacteria, but higher concentrations caused liver damage and disrupted the gut microbiome. The study suggests that microplastic exposure effects on freshwater fish are dose-dependent and can alter both organ health and microbial balance.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and properties of microplastics found in commercial fish meal and cultured common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in four varieties of commercial fish meal and then tracked the transfer of those particles to cultured common carp fed on the meal. They found microplastics present in all fish meal varieties, predominantly fragments of polypropylene and polystyrene, with particles transferring to the fish gastrointestinal tract and gills. The study highlights fish meal as a previously overlooked pathway by which microplastics can enter aquaculture and potentially the human food supply.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 158 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics intake and excretion: Resilience of the intestinal microbiota but residual growth inhibition in common carp

Common carp exposed to microplastics for 30 days showed no growth effect during exposure, but growth was significantly reduced during a subsequent 30-day depuration period, suggesting a delayed metabolic cost; gut microbiota communities partially recovered after MP excretion.

2021 Chemosphere 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological assessment of dietary exposure of polyethylene microplastics on growth, nutrient digestibility, carcass and gut histology of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings

Researchers fed Nile tilapia fish diets containing different amounts of polyethylene microplastics and found that higher levels significantly reduced growth, nutrient absorption, and body composition. Fish exposed to the highest microplastic concentration (10%) showed severe gut damage visible under a microscope. Since tilapia is widely farmed for human consumption, these findings raise concerns about microplastic contamination affecting both fish health and the safety of farmed seafood.

2024 Ecotoxicology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of microplastics by silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) larvae: Quantification of ingestion and assessment of microbiota dysbiosis

Researchers quantitatively investigated how silver carp larvae ingest, accumulate, and excrete microplastics of different sizes for the first time. The study found that smaller microplastics were ingested more readily and excreted quickly, while larger particles tended to accumulate in the intestine, and the presence of food increased uptake of large microplastics. The ingested microplastics also altered intestinal microflora diversity, potentially affecting immune and metabolic functions in the fish.

2023 Aquatic Toxicology 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Virgin Microplastics on Growth, Intestinal Morphology and Microbiota on Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

Researchers found that exposure to virgin microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations impaired growth, caused intestinal morphological damage, and altered gut microbiota composition in largemouth bass, suggesting that microplastic ingestion poses health risks in commercially important aquaculture species.

2021 Applied Sciences 8 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Microplastic Exposure on Crucian Growth, Liver Damage, and Gut Microbiome Composition].

Researchers exposed crucian carp to varying concentrations of polyethylene microplastics in feed for 30 days and found that low-concentration exposure increased body weight while higher concentrations caused liver damage and altered gut microbiome composition, suggesting dose-dependent effects.

2022 PubMed 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tract of the Indian Major Carps from Periyakulam, Kurichi and Singanallur Lakes of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

This study examined microplastic contamination in the digestive tracts of three commercially important carp species from three lakes in Coimbatore, India. The presence of microplastics in food fish from these lakes — likely from nearby waste dumping — raises concerns about ecosystem health and food safety.

2022 International Journal of Zoological Investigations 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Size Effects of Microplastics on Embryos and Observation of Toxicity Kinetics in Larvae of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

Researchers examined size-dependent effects of microplastics on grass carp embryos and larvae, finding that nanoscale particles (80 nm) caused more severe developmental toxicity than microscale particles (8 micrometers) at the same concentrations.

2022 Toxics 30 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

Effects of polystyrene microspheres on the swimming behavior and metabolism of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

Researchers exposed juvenile grass carp to polystyrene microspheres of different sizes and measured effects on swimming ability, metabolism, and oxidative stress. They found that smaller particles caused more severe impairment to swimming performance and triggered greater metabolic disruption over time. The study suggests that the size of microplastic particles matters significantly when assessing their potential harm to freshwater fish.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential toxic effects of polylactic acid microplastics accumulation on multiple tissue structures and hematology in carp

Researchers exposed common carp to polylactic acid microplastics over an extended period and assessed effects on multiple tissue types and blood parameters. PLA-MP accumulation caused histological damage in gills, liver, and intestine, and altered hematological markers, demonstrating that biodegradable plastics are not toxicologically inert to fish.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Changethe Food Utilization of Filter-FeedingFish via Gut Microbiota

Silver carp exposed to microplastics showed a shift in food utilization — increasing zooplankton assimilation from 28% to 40% while decreasing phytoplankton utilization — mediated by changes in gut microbiota, suggesting MPs alter how filter-feeding fish process their food.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

A preliminary study of the effects of poly-methylmethacrylate microplastic ingestion on the digestive physiology and growth rates of a tropical ancestral fish (Atractosteus tropicus)

Researchers fed tropical gar fish diets containing 0–1% polymethylmethacrylate microplastics for 60 days and found that growth was not significantly impaired, but higher concentrations altered digestive enzyme activity, intestinal morphology, and microbiota composition, suggesting subtle physiological disruption.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Article Tier 2

Species-specific effects of microplastics on juvenile fishes

Researchers found that microplastic effects on juvenile fish are species-specific, with carnivorous largemouth bass showing more severe intestinal morphological damage and inflammatory responses compared to herbivorous grass carp and omnivorous Jian carp.

2023 Frontiers in Physiology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Decreased growth and survival in small juvenile fish, after chronic exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastic

Researchers exposed juvenile glassfish to environmentally realistic concentrations of both virgin and harbor-collected microplastics for 95 days, finding that fish in plastic-fed groups grew significantly less in length, depth, and mass, and had lower survival probability than controls.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 189 citations
Article Tier 2

Intestinal alterations in European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758) exposed to microplastics: Preliminary results

Researchers fed European sea bass diets containing virgin and pollutant-contaminated PVC microplastic pellets for 90 days and examined the effects on their intestines. They found moderate tissue damage and increased mucus cell activity in fish exposed to both types of microplastics, with pollutant-laden particles causing the most pronounced changes. The study provides early evidence that chronic microplastic ingestion can alter gut health in commercially important fish species.

2016 Environmental Pollution 585 citations
Article Tier 2

Deleterious Effects of Polypropylene Microplastic Ingestion in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Researchers fed Nile tilapia daily doses of polypropylene microplastics for 30 days and observed significant health effects including changes in blood cell counts, altered gut bacteria, and tissue damage to the intestines and liver. The higher dose group showed more pronounced effects, including elevated inflammatory markers and signs of oxidative stress. The study provides evidence that chronic ingestion of microplastics commonly found in aquatic environments can cause meaningful harm to a widely consumed fish species.

2023 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of biological and environmental factors on microplastic ingestion of commercial fish species

Researchers analyzed microplastic ingestion in commercially important fish species, evaluating how biological and environmental factors influence ingestion rates across 2,222 individual fish. The study assessed gastrointestinal tract contents to determine the extent and patterns of microplastic contamination. The findings suggest that both species-specific biology and environmental conditions play important roles in determining microplastic ingestion levels in commercial fish.

2022 Chemosphere 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of Microplastic in Selected Freshwater Fish Species from Agriculture Fishpond in Tanjong Karang, Selangor, Malaysia

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in twelve freshwater fish species from aquaculture fishponds in Tanjong Karang, Selangor, Malaysia, using visual examination of gastrointestinal tract contents. Microplastics were detected in 29.2% of fish samples, with prevalence varying by feeding zone, a rate higher than previously documented in comparable regional studies.

2023 5 citations