Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Impacts of polystyrene microplastics on the behavior and metabolism in a marine demersal teleost, black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii)

Researchers exposed black rockfish to two sizes of polystyrene microplastics and measured changes in behavior, metabolism, and energy reserves. They found that larger microplastics caused more significant behavioral changes including reduced swimming speed and clustering, along with increased metabolic stress indicators. The study suggests that microplastic exposure can alter fish behavior and metabolism in ways that may compromise feeding and survival in the wild.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 215 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microparticles can affect the health status of freshwater fish – Threat of oral microplastics intake

Researchers fed juvenile rainbow trout polystyrene microplastics at three dietary concentrations for six weeks and assessed multiple health parameters. They found that the highest concentration triggered immune responses, liver and gill damage, disrupted antioxidant balance, and reduced plasma proteins. The study demonstrates that oral microplastic intake can negatively affect the health of freshwater fish across multiple organ systems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Microplastics on the Activity of Digestive and Oxidative-Stress-Related Enzymes in Peled Whitefish (Coregonus peled Gmelin) Larvae

Researchers exposed peled whitefish larvae to polystyrene microplastics and measured changes in digestive and antioxidant enzyme activity as indicators of stress. They found that microplastic exposure disrupted normal enzyme functions, suggesting impaired digestion and increased oxidative stress even at relatively low concentrations. The study provides evidence that microplastic contamination in freshwater environments may harm the development and survival of commercially valuable fish species during their most vulnerable life stages.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics alter the behavior, energy reserve and nutritional composition of marine jacopever (Sebastes schlegelii)

Researchers exposed juvenile jacopever fish to polystyrene microplastics and observed significant changes in feeding behavior, swimming activity, and energy reserves. The fish took longer to find food, moved less, and showed reduced levels of stored energy and altered nutritional composition in their tissues. The study suggests that microplastic exposure can impair the basic survival behaviors and overall fitness of marine fish.

2018 Journal of Hazardous Materials 454 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of naturally-aged microplastics on zebrafish juveniles: A more realistic approach to plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems

Researchers exposed juvenile zebrafish to naturally aged polystyrene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations for five days. They found that the microplastics disrupted the fish's antioxidant defenses, indicating oxidative stress, and caused measurable cellular and neurological impacts. The study suggests that even short-term exposure to realistic levels of weathered microplastics can affect the health of freshwater organisms.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 162 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics exposure in freshwater fish, Labeo rohita: evaluation of physiology and histopathology

Researchers fed freshwater fish varying levels of polystyrene microplastics for 90 days and found dose-dependent damage to blood health, growth, and organ tissues. Higher microplastic concentrations caused more severe harm to the liver, kidneys, gills, and intestines. The study highlights that microplastics in freshwater systems can accumulate in fish and cause significant health problems, raising concerns about food safety for communities that rely on freshwater fish.

2025 Scientific Reports 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of microplastics on freshwater fish (Channa argus): mechanisms of inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy

Freshwater snakehead fish exposed to polystyrene microplastics for four weeks developed inflammation, cell death, and tissue damage in their liver, intestines, kidneys, and gills. The damage worsened with higher microplastic concentrations and involved disruption of the fish's antioxidant defenses and immune system. Since snakehead is a commonly consumed fish in Asia, these findings raise questions about whether microplastics in aquaculture environments could affect the safety of fish as human food.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent effects of microplastic on uptake, immune system, related gene expression and histopathology of goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Researchers exposed goldfish to two sizes of polystyrene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations for 28 days. The study found that microplastics accumulated in gill, liver, and intestine tissues, causing damage that worsened with smaller particle size and higher doses. The results indicate that microplastics trigger oxidative stress and immune responses in fish, with smaller particles posing greater health risks.

2021 Chemosphere 176 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics induce toxic effects in fish: Bioaccumulation, hematological parameters and antioxidant responses

Researchers exposed juvenile fish to polyamide microplastics and found the particles accumulated primarily in the intestine, gills, and liver, causing reduced blood oxygen-carrying capacity, liver stress, and disrupted antioxidant defenses. These findings matter because fish are an important food source for humans, and microplastic accumulation in fish tissues could transfer these contaminants to people through their diet.

2025 Chemosphere 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Sub-chronic exposure of Oreochromis niloticus to environmentally relevant concentrations of smaller microplastics: Accumulation and toxico-physiological responses

Researchers exposed Nile tilapia to low, environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene microplastics for 14 days and found the particles accumulated in multiple organs including the brain, liver, and reproductive tissues. The fish showed changes in blood chemistry, increased stress hormones, and signs of liver and kidney dysfunction. These results suggest that even realistic levels of microplastic pollution can cause measurable physiological harm in fish.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Sub-chronic nanoplastic toxicity in Etroplus suratensis (Pisces, Cichilidae): Insights into tissue accumulation, stress and metabolic disruption

Researchers exposed pearl spot fish to polystyrene nanoplastics at different concentrations for 14 days and found that the particles accumulated in multiple organs with concentration-dependent distribution patterns. The nanoplastics caused elevated glucose and cholesterol levels, suppressed antioxidant defenses, and increased markers of oxidative damage and stress. Gene expression changes in stress response and growth-related genes suggest that nanoplastic exposure may impair both immune function and normal development in fish.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Oxidative Stress, Blood Biochemistry, and Digestive Enzyme Activity in Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Goldfish exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics in their diet for 21 days showed significant oxidative stress, disrupted blood chemistry, and reduced digestive enzyme activity, with effects worsening at higher doses. The smallest nanoplastics caused the most damage to the fishes' antioxidant defense systems and overall health. These findings add to the evidence that nanoplastics in aquatic environments can harm fish health in ways that may affect the safety of fish consumed by humans.

2025 Toxics 8 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

Effect of microplastic binding capacity on antioxidant and immune responses of Korean rockfish Sebastes schlegeli in a co-exposure environment with microplastics and Streptococcus iniae

Researchers investigated what happens when Korean rockfish are exposed to both microplastics and the fish pathogen Streptococcus iniae at the same time. They found that microplastics can bind to the bacteria and amplify harmful effects on the fish's antioxidant defenses and immune responses beyond what either stressor causes alone. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution in coastal aquaculture environments may worsen the impact of bacterial infections on fish health.

2025 Chemosphere 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polystyrene Microplastic Exposure on Liver Cell Damage, Oxidative Stress, and Gene Expression in Juvenile Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus)

Researchers exposed young crucian carp to polystyrene microplastics at different concentrations and found dose-dependent liver damage, with higher concentrations causing more severe tissue injury and weaker antioxidant defenses. The microplastics disrupted genes involved in detoxification and stress response in liver cells. Since crucian carp is a commonly consumed freshwater fish, these findings raise questions about whether microplastic-contaminated fish could affect the health of people who eat them.

2025 Toxics 8 citations
Article Tier 2

No Effect of Polystyrene Microplastics on Foraging Activity and Survival in a Post-larvae Coral-Reef Fish, Acanthurus triostegus

Exposure to polystyrene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations had no measurable effect on foraging activity or survival of juvenile coral reef fish (Acanthurus triostegus) in laboratory trials.

2019 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Fisheries Biology and Prospective Remediation Approaches in Aquatic Ecosystems

This review examines how polystyrene nanoplastics affect fish biology, including physiology, behavior, and reproductive health. The study highlights that nanoplastics cause oxidative stress, inflammation, endocrine disruption, and bioaccumulation in fish species, and that these effects can be amplified when nanoplastics interact with other environmental stressors such as pesticides and heavy metals.

2025 Indus journal of bioscience research. 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbead-Mediated Enhancement of Bacterial Toxicity: Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Korean Rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, Following Exposure to Streptococcus iniae

Korean rockfish were co-exposed to polystyrene microbeads and the bacterium Streptococcus iniae for five days, and oxidative stress and apoptosis were measured in liver tissue. Combined high-dose exposure significantly elevated oxidative stress markers and caspase-3 expression compared to either stressor alone, suggesting microplastics may enhance bacterial infection severity.

2025 Water
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

Ecotoxicological effects of low-density polyethylene microplastic on Heteropneustes fossilis: behavioral, hematological, biochemical, and histopathological impacts

Scientists exposed freshwater fish to tiny plastic particles (microplastics) from everyday items like plastic bags and found they caused serious health problems including blood disorders, organ damage, and weakened immune systems. The higher the amount of plastic particles, the worse the damage became to vital organs like gills, intestines, and liver. This matters because these same microplastics are found throughout our food chain and water supply, raising concerns about potential health risks for humans who consume contaminated fish and water.

2026 Frontiers in Aquaculture
Article Tier 2

A dosage-effect assessment of acute toxicology tests of microplastic exposure in filter-feeding fish

Researchers assessed the dose-dependent effects of polystyrene microplastics on silver carp, a filter-feeding fish, during a 48-hour exposure and recovery period. Low concentrations induced oxidative stress and gene upregulation in the intestine, with the fish able to recover after exposure ended. However, high concentrations caused significant gill and intestinal damage that persisted even after the microplastics were removed.

2021 Fish & Shellfish Immunology 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of Pd-doped Polystyrene Nanoplastics in the Digestive Tract of Sebastes Schlegelii

Researchers tracked the accumulation of palladium-doped polystyrene nanoplastics in the digestive tract of black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) using ICP-MS, finding that nanoplastics accumulated in gut tissue and feces in a concentration-dependent manner after only three days of exposure.

2023 E3S Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Effect of polystyrene microplastics on the antioxidant system and immune response in GIFT (Oreochromis niloticus)

Farmed tilapia exposed to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes showed elevated oxidative stress and immune inflammation markers, particularly in the brain, compared to unexposed fish. The findings suggest chronic microplastic exposure can impair immune defenses in commercially important freshwater fish, raising concerns for both aquaculture and wild fisheries.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 2 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