Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Early-life microplastic exposure elicits ADHD-like behaviors by disrupting dopaminergic neurodevelopment in zebrafish

Zebrafish larvae exposed to polystyrene microplastics during early development showed ADHD-like hyperactivity and impulsivity, along with a ~30% increase in dopaminergic neurons. Transcriptomic analysis confirmed dysregulation of dopamine-associated signaling pathways, suggesting early-life microplastic exposure may impair neurodevelopment.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics impact the zebrafish (Danio rerio) transcriptome: Associated developmental and neurobehavioral consequences

Researchers exposed developing zebrafish larvae to polystyrene nanoplastics of two sizes and found dose-dependent accumulation in tissues along with swimming hyperactivity, despite no effects on mortality or hatching. Transcriptomic analysis revealed changes in gene expression associated with neurodegeneration and motor dysfunction at both high and low concentrations. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure during early development can alter brain function and behavior in ways that may reduce organismal fitness.

2020 Environmental Pollution 150 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Nanoplastics Toxicity to Zebrafish: Dysregulation of the Brain–Intestine–Microbiota Axis

This study found that polystyrene nanoplastics disrupted the brain-gut connection in zebrafish at environmentally realistic concentrations, affecting growth, gut health, and brain chemistry. The nanoplastics altered neurotransmitter levels, particularly reducing a dopamine-related compound, and changed the balance of gut bacteria in ways that correlated with brain changes. These findings suggest a pathway by which nanoplastics in food and water could affect both digestive and brain health through the gut-brain axis.

2022 ACS Nano 274 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Environmental Concentrations of Nanoplastics on Zebrafish Neurobehavior and Reproductive Toxicity

Researchers exposed zebrafish to environmentally realistic levels of polystyrene nanoplastics and found they caused both brain and reproductive damage. The nanoplastics disrupted neurotransmitter signaling and impaired the hormonal pathway connecting the brain to reproductive organs, with different effects in males and females. These findings suggest that even low-level nanoplastic exposure could affect both brain function and fertility in aquatic life that humans may consume.

2024 Toxics 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Cause Neurobehavioral Impairments, Reproductive and Oxidative Damages, and Biomarker Responses in Zebrafish: Throwing up Alarms of Wide Spread Health Risk of Exposure

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that the particles accumulated in the brain, liver, intestine, and gonads, causing significant behavioral and physiological changes. The fish showed disrupted energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and altered locomotion, aggression, and predator avoidance behaviors. The findings raise concerns about the widespread health risks of nanoplastic exposure, as these particles are small enough to cross biological membranes.

2020 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 410 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics induce neurotoxicity in zebrafish via oxidative stress and neurotransmitter disruption

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics and found that both particle sizes caused neurodevelopmental toxicity, with nanoplastics being more potent. The plastic particles induced oxidative stress in the brain and disrupted neurotransmitter levels critical for normal neural development. The study suggests that microplastic and nanoplastic contamination in aquatic environments may pose significant risks to the neurological development of fish.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Neurotoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics with different particle sizes at environment-related concentrations on early zebrafish embryos

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes at concentrations found in the environment and observed significant brain damage. The nanoplastics caused loss of neurons, shortened nerve fibers, and disrupted brain signaling systems that control behavior. Smaller nanoplastics caused the most severe damage because they could pass through protective barriers more easily, suggesting that the tiniest plastic particles pose the greatest risk to brain development.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse adult-onset and multigenerational effects in zebrafish (Danio rerio) developmentally exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers raised zebrafish exposed to nanoplastics during early development through to adulthood and found lasting reproductive impairment, heritable hyperactivity in offspring, and molecular changes in male reproductive and brain tissue linked to neurodegenerative disease pathways and endocrine disruption, demonstrating that brief developmental nanoplastic exposure can cause multigenerational harm.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics aggravated TDCIPP-induced transgenerational developmental neurotoxicity in zebrafish depending on the involvement of the dopamine signaling pathway

Zebrafish exposed to nanoplastics combined with TDCIPP (a common flame retardant chemical) from embryo to adulthood showed more severe brain development problems than exposure to either pollutant alone. The nanoplastics increased the absorption of the flame retardant and together they disrupted the dopamine signaling pathway in the brain, with toxic effects carrying over to the next generation. This highlights how nanoplastics can amplify the neurotoxicity of other environmental chemicals.

2024 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics inhibit the neurodevelopmental toxicity of mercury in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae with size-dependent effects

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics paradoxically reduced mercury neurotoxicity in zebrafish larvae, with nanoscale particles providing greater protection than microscale ones by decreasing mercury bioavailability and oxidative damage.

2022 Environmental Pollution 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Neurobehavioral and neurochemical effects of nano-sized polypropylene accumulation in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polypropylene nanoparticles and confirmed the particles accumulated in brain tissue using advanced imaging and chemical analysis. The accumulation led to measurable neurotoxic effects, including reduced movement activity and disrupted neurotransmitter levels. The study suggests that nanoscale polypropylene, one of the most commonly produced plastics, may pose risks to nervous system function in aquatic organisms.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics act as endocrine disruptors altering neurotransmitter levels and locomotor activity via estrogen receptor during early zebrafish development

Researchers showed that polystyrene nanoplastics act as endocrine disruptors in developing zebrafish by activating estrogen receptor pathways, causing reduced dopamine neuron area, increased brain cell death, and impaired movement — effects that were reversed when the estrogen receptor was blocked.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

From particle size to brain function: a zebrafish-based review of micro/nanoplastic-induced neurobehavioral toxicity and mechanistic pathways

This review uses zebrafish as a model to examine how micro- and nanoplastics cause neurobehavioral toxicity, linking particle size to brain function disruption. Researchers summarize evidence that these plastic particles impair fish behavior and cause molecular-level damage in the nervous system. The findings highlight the growing concern that micro- and nanoplastics are emerging neurotoxicants in aquatic environments.

2025 Environmental Science Nano 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics enhance the toxicological effects of DDE in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics enhanced the toxicity of the pesticide metabolite DDE in zebrafish larvae, with co-exposure causing greater developmental abnormalities and oxidative stress than either pollutant alone.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Charge-specific adverse effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on zebrafish (Danio rerio) development and behavior

Researchers exposed developing zebrafish to positively and negatively charged nanoplastics and found that the positively charged particles were significantly more toxic, accumulating in the brain and gut and causing developmental delays and brain cell death. The two types of nanoplastics affected different neurotransmitter pathways and interacted with different brain receptors, explaining their distinct behavioral effects. The study demonstrates that the surface charge of nanoplastics plays a critical role in determining their toxicity to developing organisms.

2022 Environment International 111 citations
Article Tier 2

Unseen threats: How nanoplastics trigger anxiety and depression-like behaviors in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to 20 nm polystyrene nanoplastics during early development and found that six months later the fish showed persistent anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, neurotransmitter imbalances, and neuronal degeneration, suggesting early-life nanoplastic exposure may be an overlooked environmental risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Size-Dependent Effects of Polystyrene Nanoparticles (PS-NPs) on Behaviors and Endogenous Neurochemicals in Zebrafish Larvae

Researchers exposed zebrafish larvae to polystyrene nanoparticles of two sizes (50 nm and 100 nm) to assess size-dependent neurotoxic effects. The study found that 50 nm particles circulated in blood vessels and accumulated in the brain, inducing abnormal behavior and disrupting dopaminergic metabolites, while 100 nm particles had distinct but less pronounced neurological effects.

2022 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Neurodevelopment and Neurodegeneration in Zebrafish

This review covers how micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) exposure affects neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration in zebrafish, summarising evidence on impaired neurodevelopment, behavioural changes, and markers of neurodegeneration from studies using various polymer types and exposure routes. It frames zebrafish as a key model for understanding MNP neurotoxicity.

2025
Article Tier 2

A current perspective on the relevance of nano and microplastics in the neurodevelopmental disorders: further relevance for metabolic, gastrointestinal, oxidative stress-related and zebrafish studies

This review examines evidence that micro- and nanoplastics may affect brain development and neurological function, drawing on studies in zebrafish and other animal models. The authors discuss potential mechanisms including oxidative stress and endocrine disruption, and call for more research on the neurodevelopmental risks of plastic particle exposure.

2020 Bulletin of Integrative Psychiatry 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Neurodevelopmental Toxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics inCaenorhabditis elegansand the Regulating Effect of Presenilin

C. elegans exposed to 25, 50, and 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics showed size-dependent neurodevelopmental toxicity — including reactive oxygen species generation, mitochondrial damage, and inhibited dopamine production — with smaller particles (25 nm) paradoxically showing weaker effects than the 50 nm size.

2020 ACS Omega 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nanoplastics on zebrafish embryo-larval stages: A case study with polystyrene (PS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particles

Researchers assessed the effects of polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate nanoparticles on zebrafish embryos and larvae over 96 hours. The study found that these nanoplastics affected biochemical endpoints related to neurotransmission, antioxidant status, oxidative damage, and energy metabolism, with effects varying by plastic type. Evidence suggests that smaller plastic particles may have increased bioavailability and reactivity compared to larger fragments.

2022 Environmental Research 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced uptake of BPA in the presence of nanoplastics can lead to neurotoxic effects in adult zebrafish

Researchers found that nanoplastics amplify bisphenol A (BPA) accumulation in zebrafish tissues by 2- to 2.6-fold and that co-exposure enhances neurotoxic effects — including myelin disruption and dopaminergic system changes — beyond what either contaminant causes alone.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 446 citations
Article Tier 2

Neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption caused by polystyrene nanoparticles in zebrafish embryo

Zebrafish embryos exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics showed signs of brain damage, altered behavior including increased anxiety, and disruption of thyroid and stress hormone systems. The nanoplastics accumulated in the eyes, brain, and digestive system, and interfered with a key brain enzyme. Because zebrafish share high genetic similarity with humans, these findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure during early development could pose risks to nervous system and hormonal health.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 78 citations
Article Tier 2

A review on the impacts of nanomaterials on neuromodulation and neurological dysfunction using a zebrafish animal model

This review assessed zebrafish as a model for studying nanomaterial neurotoxicity, summarizing evidence that various engineered nanoparticles including those associated with plastics can impair zebrafish neural development, behavior, and neurotransmitter systems. The authors highlighted zebrafish as particularly useful for rapid in vivo screening of nanomaterial neurological effects.

2022 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 15 citations