Papers

20 results
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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

Eco Toxicological Assessment of Micro Plastic Ingestion in Freshwater Fishes: A Case Study on Bioaccumulation and Histopathological Alterations

Researchers assessed microplastic accumulation in three freshwater fish species (tilapia, rohu, catla) from a major river system, finding microplastics in gastrointestinal tracts and associated histopathological damage in gills, liver, and kidneys.

2025 Asian Journal of Research in Zoology
Article Tier 2

Chronic feeding exposure to virgin and spiked microplastics disrupts essential biological functions in teleost fish

Researchers fed zebrafish and marine medaka environmentally relevant concentrations of virgin and chemically spiked polyethylene and PVC microplastics over four months. While classical biomarkers showed no changes, significant decreases in growth and disruptions to reproduction, gut integrity, and liver function were observed. The findings suggest that chronic dietary exposure to microplastics can disrupt essential biological functions in fish even without triggering traditional toxicity markers.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 90 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Effects of microplastics on the toxicity of co-existing pollutants to fish: A meta-analysis

Meta-analysis of 1,380 biological endpoints from 55 studies found that microplastics in co-existing pollutant solutions significantly increased toxicity to fish beyond what the pollutants caused alone, particularly elevating immune system damage, metabolic disruption, and oxidative stress. The effect depended on fish life stage and microplastic size, but not on pollutant or polymer type.

2023 Water Research 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of polyethylene-microplastics on freshwater fish species: Implications for human health

This study reviews the toxic effects of polyethylene microplastics on freshwater fish species and the implications for human health, drawing on a body of existing literature on plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems. The work synthesizes evidence of microplastic ingestion, bioaccumulation, and physiological effects in freshwater fish with relevance to human dietary exposure.

2022 Public Health Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Bioaccumulation and its Systemic Effects in Labeo rohita: From Cellular Damage to Behavioural Disruption

Rohu carp (Labeo rohita) exposed to polyethylene microplastics at up to 5 mg/L for 60 days accumulated particles in gills, liver, and intestines with dose-dependent cellular damage, behavioral disruption, and partial recovery after 30 days in clean water.

2025 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Article Tier 2

A Biomarker Approach as Responses of Bioindicator Commercial Fish Species to Microplastic Ingestion: Assessing Tissue and Biochemical Relationships

Researchers assessed microplastic intake and antioxidant biomarker responses in three Mediterranean fish species, finding that microplastic ingestion correlated with oxidative stress indicators across red mullet, bogue, and anchovy populations.

2022 Biology 29 citations
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

Biomarker responses in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae exposed to pristine low-density polyethylene fragments

Researchers exposed zebrafish larvae to pristine low-density polyethylene microplastics and measured biomarker responses, finding altered oxidative stress and metabolic indicators even in early developmental stages.

2017 Environmental Pollution 153 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance, characteristics, and risk assessment of microplastics in indigenous freshwater fishes of India

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in five widely consumed freshwater fish species from India and found plastic particles in all specimens, with fibers being the most dominant type. Evidence of microplastics in edible fish tissue indicates translocation from the gut, suggesting a pathway for human exposure through consumption. Risk assessment showed that while microplastic abundance posed a low quantitative risk, the polymer types identified indicated a high hazard potential for the fish species studied.

2022 Environmental Research 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential modulation of oxidative stress, antioxidant defense, histomorphology, ion-regulation and growth marker gene expression in goldfish (Carassius auratus) following exposure to different dose of virgin microplastics

Goldfish exposed to two doses of virgin PVC microplastics for four days showed dose-dependent gill, liver, and intestinal tissue damage, elevated oxidative stress markers, disrupted antioxidant enzyme activity, and altered expression of ion-regulation and growth marker genes.

2020 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 103 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of microplastic (polyethylene) exposure: Bioaccumulation, hematological parameters and antioxidant responses in crucian carp, Carassius carassius

Researchers exposed crucian carp to polyethylene microplastics at various concentrations and found that the particles accumulated in tissues including gills, gut, and liver. The microplastics altered blood cell counts and disrupted the fish's antioxidant defense system in a dose-dependent manner. The study suggests that even common polyethylene microplastics can cause measurable biological harm in freshwater fish.

2023 Chemosphere 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the impact caused by different sizes of polyethylene plastics (nano, micro, and macro) in common carp juveniles, Cyprinus carpio L., using multi-biomarkers.

Common carp juveniles exposed to polyethylene plastics of three different sizes (nano, micro, and macro) all showed tissue damage, oxidative stress, and immune disruption, with nanoparticles causing the most severe effects. The size-dependent toxicity pattern suggests that as larger environmental plastics break down into smaller particles, their potential to harm fish — and ultimately people who eat them — may increase.

2022 The Science of the total environment
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Meta-analysis of the effects of microplastic on fish: Insights into growth, survival, reproduction, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota diversity

A meta-analysis of 3,757 biological endpoints from 85 studies found that microplastic exposure significantly inhibits fish growth, survival, and reproduction while increasing oxidative damage, but does not significantly alter gut microbiota diversity. The severity of toxic effects depends on microplastic type, size, concentration, exposure pathway, and the fish's life stage.

2024 Water Research 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative toxicity of virgin and biodegraded LLDPE microplastics on growth, behavior, antioxidant, and hematological health of Catla catla fish

Researchers compared the toxicity of virgin versus bacterially degraded polyethylene microplastics on freshwater fish, finding that both types caused abnormal behaviors and disrupted blood parameters in a dose-dependent manner. However, biodegraded microplastics produced less severe effects on growth, survival, and antioxidant enzyme activity, suggesting that microbial degradation may reduce the ecological risk posed by microplastic pollution.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of microplastic (polyethylene) exposure: Stress, immune responses and neurotoxicity in crucian carp, Carassius carassius

Researchers exposed crucian carp to polyethylene microplastics at various concentrations for two weeks and measured stress, immune, and neurotoxic responses. The study found that higher microplastic concentrations caused significant increases in stress hormones and HSP70, while suppressing immune function and inhibiting acetylcholinesterase activity, indicating concentration-dependent neurotoxicity and immune suppression.

2026 Fish & Shellfish Immunology
Article Tier 2

Integrated biomarker responses in European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758) chronically exposed to PVC microplastics

Researchers examined chronic PVC microplastic exposure in European seabass and found integrated biomarker responses indicating liver oxidative stress, altered blood biochemistry, and immune modulation after long-term ingestion at environmentally relevant levels.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity assessment of pollutants sorbed on microplastics using various bioassays on two fish cell lines

Researchers collected microplastic samples from ocean expeditions and tested their toxicity using two fish cell lines, finding that cell lines differed in sensitivity and that microplastics with sorbed pollutants were toxic to cells. The results suggest that real-world microplastics carrying accumulated chemical pollutants pose a chemical toxicity risk to marine organisms beyond just the physical effects of ingesting plastic.

2016 Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)
Article Tier 2

Effects of a microplastic exposure gradient on juvenile lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)

Researchers exposed newly hatched lake trout to a gradient of three microplastic types over 12 weeks, assessing growth, survival, and physiological biomarkers. Microplastic exposure caused dose-dependent effects on early life stage fish, with polymer type influencing the pattern of harm.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastic exposure and concurrent effect with Aeromonas hydrophila infection on zebrafish

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastic exposure in zebrafish caused oxidative stress, altered antioxidant enzyme activity, and induced intestinal damage, with concurrent Aeromonas hydrophila infection amplifying these toxic effects and increasing mortality rates.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 citations