Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Ingestion, egestion and post-exposure effects of polystyrene microspheres on marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)

Researchers studied how marine medaka fish ingest, accumulate, and egest polystyrene microspheres, finding that both larvae and adults readily consumed the particles during a 48-hour exposure. While fish cleared most particles within a day of recovery, some remained in their digestive tracts after a full week. Notably, larvae exposed to microplastics for just 14 days showed significant long-term effects on survival, growth, and reproduction over the following 120 days, suggesting lasting legacy effects from early microplastic exposure.

2019 Chemosphere 159 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of laundry-derived microplastic fibers on larval Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes)

Researchers exposed Japanese medaka fish larvae to laundry-derived microplastic fibers for 21 days and observed the fluorescent fibers accumulating primarily in the mouth, gut, and feces. While no mortality occurred, the higher concentration treatment reduced body length and weight and altered metabolic and gut bacterial profiles. Most fibers were expelled during a depuration period, though longer fibers tended to remain trapped in the gastrointestinal tract.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Uptake and depuration kinetics of microplastics with different polymer types and particle sizes in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes)

Researchers studied the uptake and depuration kinetics of microplastics with different polymer types and sizes in Japanese medaka fish. They found that smaller particles accumulated more readily in fish tissues and were retained longer than larger ones, with particle distribution varying by organ. The study provides important quantitative data on how microplastic characteristics influence their accumulation and clearance in fish, which is relevant to understanding food chain transfer.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics modulated the immune response and swimming activity, and impaired the development of marine medaka Oryzias melastigma larvae

Researchers found that environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics impaired immune responses, swimming behavior, and larval development in marine medaka fish, demonstrating that even low-level exposure poses ecological risks.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental samples of microplastics induce significant toxic effects in fish larvae

Researchers collected microplastic samples from beaches on Easter Island, Guam, and Hawaii, then fed them to Japanese medaka fish at concentrations reflecting real ocean conditions. Larvae exposed to these environmental microplastics experienced increased mortality, developmental abnormalities, DNA damage, and behavioral changes. The study demonstrates that realistic concentrations of weathered, real-world microplastics can cause significant harm to fish during their most vulnerable early life stages.

2019 Environment International 407 citations
Article Tier 2

Are Microplastics Impairing Marine Fish Larviculture?—Preliminary Results with Argyrosomus regius

Meagre larvae exposed to polyethylene microplastics for 7 hours ingested particles regardless of concentration, and at the highest dose (10 mg/L) showed reduced feeding activity, altered oxidative stress markers, and neurotoxicity indicators, suggesting short-term physiological impairment.

2021 Water 30 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

Quantifying the vector effects of polyethylene microplastics on the accumulation of anthracene to Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes)

Japanese medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) were exposed to polyethylene microplastics carrying anthracene to quantify the vector effect of microplastics compared to other chemical uptake pathways. The study assessed the relative contribution of microplastic ingestion versus dissolved exposure to total anthracene body burden, providing data for realistic risk assessment of microplastics as chemical vectors.

2020 Aquatic Toxicology 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulative and Toxic Effects of Ingested Clean and PBT-Saturated Microplastics on Oryzias latipes (Japanese Medaka Fish): Method Development towards Physiological and Chemical Analysis

This study examined the bioaccumulation and toxic effects of microplastics — both clean and pre-loaded with persistent pollutants — in Dungeness crab and other benthic organisms from Puget Sound. Contaminated microplastics caused greater toxic effects than clean ones, supporting the concern that microplastics act as vectors amplifying chemical exposure in marine food webs.

2017 Sound Ideas (University of Puget Sound)
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of microplastics in fish: A short review

This short review summarizes current knowledge on microplastic occurrence in fish, covering sources and pathways of ingestion, impacts on fish physiology and behavior, and potential strategies for monitoring and reducing contamination.

2024 Journal of Toxicological Studies
Article Tier 2

A Holistic Assessment of Polyethylene Fiber Ingestion in Larval and Juvenile Japanese Medaka Fish

Japanese medaka larvae and juveniles exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of polyethylene fibers showed intestinal histological changes, altered gut microbiota composition, and disrupted lipid metabolism, with effects dependent on both exposure concentration and the developmental stage at which exposure occurred.

2021 Frontiers in Physiology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and sorbed contaminants – Trophic exposure in fish sensitive early life stages

Zebrafish and marine medaka larvae fed on microplastic-laden prey organisms accumulated contaminants like benzo[a]pyrene but did not show significant microplastic accumulation or tissue translocation, as particles were rapidly egested. The study shows that even tiny prey organisms can transfer chemical pollutants to fish larvae via the trophic chain.

2020 Marine Environmental Research 32 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

No evidence of microplastic impacts on consumption or growth of larval Pimephales promelas

This study found no evidence that microplastic polyethylene microspheres affected the feeding or growth of larval fathead minnows at the concentrations tested. The results suggest that not all microplastic exposures produce measurable harm in fish larvae, and that effect magnitude may depend strongly on particle concentration and type.

2018 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Microplastics on the Early Life Stages of Fish: Sources, Mechanisms, Ecological Consequences, and Mitigation Strategies

This review synthesized evidence on how microplastics affect the early life stages of fish, covering ingestion routes, physical and endocrine disruption mechanisms, and consequences for larval survival, growth, and development. The authors found that embryos and larvae are disproportionately vulnerable to microplastic exposure and identified biotransformation and food avoidance as priority mitigation strategies.

2025 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Effects of life cycle exposure to polystyrene microplastics on medaka fish (Oryzias latipes)

Researchers exposed medaka fish to irregularly shaped polystyrene microplastics for 150 days across their life cycle and found that while growth and reproduction were largely unaffected, the study highlights the importance of using environmentally realistic particle shapes and sizes in long-term exposure studies.

2022 Environmental Pollution 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics exposures of fish: internalization and effects on behavior and growth

This study examined how microplastics affect fish behavior and growth, finding that fish can ingest them but particles pass through the gut relatively quickly with limited effects at tested concentrations. The research highlights challenges in detecting microplastics in aquatic organisms and suggests risk depends heavily on exposure level and particle type.

2018 HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the feeding rates of larvae of a coastal fish: direct consumption, trophic transfer, and effects on growth and survival

Researchers tested whether microplastics in seawater affect the feeding rates, growth, and survival of California Grunion fish larvae. They found that microplastics reduced feeding rates and demonstrated that trophic transfer of microplastics from zooplankton to larval fish occurs readily. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may impair early fish development by interfering with feeding behavior and introducing contaminants through the food chain.

2022 Marine Biology 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Species-specific effect of microplastics on fish embryos and observation of toxicity kinetics in larvae

Researchers compared microplastic ingestion across three commercial fish species with different feeding types (carnivores, omnivores, filter feeders), finding that carnivores ingested the least microplastic while omnivores were less able to eliminate them than filter feeders.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 117 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental microplastics disrupt swimming activity in acute exposure in Danio rerio larvae and reduce growth and reproduction success in chronic exposure in D. rerio and Oryzias melastigma

Researchers exposed zebrafish and marine medaka to environmental microplastics collected from Caribbean beaches and found that acute exposure disrupted swimming behavior in larvae, while chronic dietary exposure reduced growth and reproduction by up to 70%. The study suggests that environmentally relevant microplastic concentrations can cause cross-generational effects, with offspring of exposed fish showing premature mortality.

2022 Environmental Pollution 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Organic contaminants sorbed to microplastics affect marine medaka fish early life stages development

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics carrying adsorbed environmental contaminants affect the early life stages of marine medaka fish. The study found that while virgin microplastics alone showed no significant effects, microplastics spiked with benzo(a)pyrene, PFOS, or benzophenone-3 caused developmental impacts in embryos and larvae, demonstrating that microplastics can act as carriers that deliver toxic chemicals to developing fish.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Dietary Microplastic Administration during Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Development: A Comprehensive and Comparative Study between Larval and Juvenile Stages

Researchers compared how zebrafish at different developmental stages respond to microplastics mixed into their feed, testing various particle sizes and concentrations. They found that larval fish were more sensitive than juveniles, and that smaller microplastics caused greater accumulation in the body. The study provides evidence that early life stages of fish are particularly vulnerable to dietary microplastic exposure, which is relevant for understanding contamination risks in aquaculture.

2023 Animals 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity assessment of pollutants sorbed on environmental microplastics collected on beaches: Part II-adverse effects on Japanese medaka early life stages

Environmental microplastics collected from Pacific island beaches were tested on Japanese medaka embryos and prolarvae, with particles from Easter Island, Guam, and Hawaii causing significant mortality, developmental malformations, EROD enzyme induction, and DNA damage compared to virgin plastics. The study demonstrates that beach-collected microplastics carrying environmental pollutants are significantly more toxic than virgin particles to fish early life stages.

2019 Environmental Pollution 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion and effects of virgin polyamide microplastics on Chironomus riparius adult larvae and adult zebrafish Danio rerio

Scientists fed polyamide microplastics to Chironomus riparius larvae and adult zebrafish, finding ingestion in both species, with larger particles retained in fish intestines and both species showing signs of inflammation and oxidative stress.

2020 Chemosphere 68 citations