Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Changes in haematology, metabolic rate, and cellular structure of spleen and head kidney of brown trout, Salmo trutta, after exposure to polystyrene microplastic particles

Researchers fed brown trout polystyrene particles for 30 days and found that particles accumulated in spleen and head kidney tissue (1–51.6 μg/g) with 1 μm particles predominating at 80%, and that exposure altered hematological parameters, metabolic rate, and cellular structure of immune organs.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology
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

In vivo effects on the immune function of fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) following ingestion and intraperitoneal injection of polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers exposed adult fathead minnow to polystyrene nanoplastics via ingestion and intraperitoneal injection and found that both routes delivered particles to liver and kidney and downregulated innate immune genes — including those controlling neutrophil, macrophage, and complement function — suggesting trophic transfer of nanoplastics can compromise fish immune defenses.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-Dependent Tissue Translocation and Physiological Responses to Dietary Polystyrene Microplastics in Salmo trutta

Researchers fed brown trout polystyrene microplastics of different sizes through their diet and tracked particle distribution and physiological effects, including a recovery period after exposure ended. They found that smaller microplastics were more likely to translocate from the gut to other organs, and that size significantly influenced where particles accumulated. The study provides important data on how microplastic size affects tissue distribution and physiological responses in a temperate freshwater fish.

2026 Animals
Article Tier 2

Uptake and Accumulation of Polystyrene Microplastics in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Toxic Effects in Liver

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics of two different sizes and tracked where the particles accumulated in the body. They found that smaller particles (5 micrometers) built up in the gills, liver, and gut, while larger particles (20 micrometers) mainly stayed in the gills and gut. The microplastics caused liver inflammation, oxidative stress, and disrupted fat metabolism, suggesting that ingested microplastics can damage internal organs in fish.

2016 Environmental Science & Technology 1980 citations
Article Tier 2

3D imaging shows nano- and microparticles are internalized by salmon skin and corneal epithelial cells

Researchers used advanced 3D imaging to show that nano- and microplastic particles can be taken up by salmon skin and eye cells. The skin cells, which serve as the fish's first line of immune defense, actively internalized the plastic particles. The findings suggest that fish may absorb microplastics directly through their skin, not just through ingestion, opening up a previously underappreciated route of exposure.

2024 Frontiers in Marine Science 6 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

Quantification of Polystyrene Uptake by Different Cell Lines Using Fluorescence Microscopy and Label-Free Visualization of Intracellular Polystyrene Particles by Raman Microspectroscopic Imaging

Scientists tested how human cells take up polystyrene microplastic particles using three cell types that represent the lung lining, intestinal lining, and immune system. All three cell types absorbed the microplastic beads, with immune cells showing different uptake patterns compared to the barrier cells of the lungs and gut. This study confirms that microplastics can enter human cells through multiple exposure routes, including breathing and eating, and that immune cells may play a special role in processing these particles.

2024 Cells 12 citations
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

Polystyrene nanoplastics target lysosomes and affect lipid metabolism in RTgutGC and head kidney macrophages from Oncorhynchus mykiss

Researchers investigated the subcellular targets of polystyrene nanoplastics in rainbow trout intestinal cells and head kidney macrophages, finding that PS-NPs co-localized with lysosomes but not mitochondria and did not trigger reactive oxygen species production or alter oxidative metabolism. RNASeq analysis further revealed effects on lipid metabolism pathways, indicating that lysosomal targeting and lipid disruption are key mechanisms of nanoplastic toxicity in fish cells.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Immunotoxicity responses to polystyrene nanoplastics and their related mechanisms in the liver of zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics affect the immune system of zebrafish larvae by examining inflammatory responses in the liver. They found that smaller nanoparticles caused more severe immune reactions, including increased neutrophil and macrophage activity and activation of inflammatory signaling pathways. The study provides evidence that nanoplastics can trigger significant immune system disruption in fish even at early life stages.

2022 Environment International 127 citations
Article Tier 2

Recognition and movement of polystyrene nanoplastics in fish cells

Researchers tracked how zebrafish cells take up, transport, and release three types of polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface modifications. They found that cell uptake peaked within two hours and occurred mainly through specific cellular pathways, with the particles initially entering the cytoplasm before being transported to lysosomes. The nanoplastics were retained in cells for 10 to 15 hours depending on surface chemistry, highlighting the importance of understanding how these particles move through biological systems.

2022 Environmental Pollution 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Rainbow Trout Maintain Intestinal Transport and Barrier Functions Following Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics

Rainbow trout were fed diets containing polystyrene microplastics (100–400 μm, including virgin and environmentally-conditioned particles) for 4 weeks, with histological and functional assays finding no significant disruption of intestinal transport, barrier integrity, or immune function. The study suggests that relatively large microplastics do not impair key gut functions in fish even after chronic dietary exposure.

2018 Environmental Science & Technology 93 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics reduce abundance of developing B cells in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) primary cultures

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics reduced the abundance of developing B cells in rainbow trout immune cell cultures. Trout phagocytic B cells efficiently took up small microplastic particles, and exposure led to decreased expression of key immune genes involved in antibody production. The findings suggest that chronic microplastic exposure could potentially compromise the adaptive immune response in fish.

2021 Fish & Shellfish Immunology 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Nanoplastics Induce Multi-Organ Toxicity in the Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): An Integrated Assessment of Physiological, Immunological, and Molecular Responses

Rainbow trout were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics at three concentrations for 28 days and assessed for physiological, immunological, and molecular responses across multiple organs. NPs accumulated in liver, spleen, and intestine, causing dose-dependent oxidative stress, immune dysregulation, and altered gene expression, demonstrating multi-organ toxicity in a commercially important fish species.

2025
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

Microplastics bioaccumulation in fish: Its potential toxic effects on hematology, immune response, neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, growth, and reproductive dysfunction

This review finds that microplastics accumulate primarily in the guts and gills of fish before spreading to other tissues through the bloodstream, causing a cascade of harmful effects including blood changes, immune suppression, nerve damage, and reproductive problems. The severity of harm depends on the size and dose of particles and how long the fish are exposed, with implications for the safety of fish consumed by humans.

2024 Toxicology Reports 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics: From tissue accumulation to cell translocation into Mytilus galloprovincialis hemocytes. resilience of immune cells exposed to nanoplastics and nanoplastics plus Vibrio splendidus combination

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes accumulate in and affect the immune cells of Mediterranean mussels. They found that the smallest nanoparticles quickly moved from the digestive system into the bloodstream and were taken up by immune cells, altering their function including motility and the ability to produce reactive oxygen species. However, the immune cells showed resilience by recovering their ability to fight bacterial infection after nanoplastic exposure.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 167 citations
Article Tier 2

Immunotoxicity of microplastics in fish

This review examines how microplastics damage the immune systems of fish, from harming their gills and organs to disrupting immune cell signaling and gene expression. Over time, microplastic exposure weakens fish immunity by killing immune cells and reducing their ability to fight off infections, with implications for the broader food chain that connects aquatic life to human diets.

2024 Fish & Shellfish Immunology 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent internalization of polystyrene microplastics as a key factor in macrophages and systemic toxicity

Researchers systematically tested how the size of polystyrene microplastics affects their uptake and toxicity in immune cells and mice. Smaller particles (0.5 micrometers) were taken up much more readily by immune cells and caused more damage, including mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death, compared to larger 5-micrometer particles. In living mice, smaller microplastics accumulated more in organs and caused broader changes in blood and metabolic markers, confirming that particle size is a key factor in microplastic toxicity.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Uncovering real-time interaction of polystyrene particles and cells from scales of Atlantic salmon by quantitative phase microscopy

Researchers used quantitative phase microscopy to observe in real time how polystyrene microplastic particles interact with cells on Atlantic salmon scales, revealing mechanisms of particle adhesion and cellular uptake relevant to fish health in aquaculture.

2024
Article Tier 2

Impact of polystyrene microplastic exposure on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata Linnaeus, 1758): Differential inflammatory and immune response between anterior and posterior intestine

Researchers fed gilthead seabream polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and found they triggered inflammation and immune disruption in both sections of the intestine, with the rear portion more severely affected. The microplastics activated inflammatory signaling pathways and weakened the gut barrier by reducing tight junction proteins. The findings suggest microplastic ingestion could compromise gut health and immune function in fish.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Size and concentration effects of microplastics on digestion and immunity of hybrid snakehead in developmental stages

Researchers examined how microplastic size and concentration affect digestion and immunity in hybrid snakehead fish at different developmental stages, finding that larvae were more sensitive to small, high-concentration microplastics while juveniles mounted immune and antioxidant defense responses.

2021 Aquaculture Reports 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Polycarbonate and polystyrene nanoplastic particles act as stressors to the innate immune system of fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)

Researchers studied the effects of polycarbonate and polystyrene nanoplastic particles on the innate immune system of fathead minnows. The study found that these nanoplastics acted as stressors to the fish immune system, suggesting that small-scale plastic particles can interfere with immune function in freshwater organisms.

2016 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 339 citations