Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic Exposure at Environmental Concentrations Disrupts Hepatic Lipid Metabolism through Oxidative Stress Induction and Endoplasmic Reticulum Homeostasis Perturbation

A study in fish found that nanoplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations accumulated in the liver and disrupted fat metabolism, causing a condition similar to fatty liver disease. Smaller nanoplastics (100 nanometers) caused more severe damage than larger microplastics by disrupting protein processing in cells and triggering oxidative stress. These findings raise concerns that nanoplastics in the environment could affect liver health in fish and potentially in humans who consume contaminated seafood.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic contamination: Impact on zebrafish liver metabolism and implications for aquatic environmental health

Zebrafish exposed to polystyrene nanoparticles for 28 days showed significant disruptions in liver metabolism, including altered fat processing, signs of inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. Notably, at lower doses the liver's detox enzymes appeared to break down the nanoplastics themselves, while higher doses overwhelmed these defenses and caused more severe injury.

2024 Environment International 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging microplastic and nanoplastic threats: Decoding winter survival mechanisms in hybrid groupers through hepatic metabolic disruption

Researchers explored how microplastics and nanoplastics of varying sizes affect hepatic lipid metabolism in hybrid grouper fish during winter overwintering periods. The study found that polystyrene particles disrupted lipid metabolism, caused oxidative stress, and altered gene expression in liver tissue, suggesting these pollutants may compromise fish survival during metabolically demanding cold seasons.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 1 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

Nanoplastics are bioaccumulated in fish liver and muscle and cause DNA damage after a chronic exposure

Researchers chronically exposed fish to nanoplastics and, for the first time, quantified nanoplastic accumulation in liver and muscle tissue. They found that nanoplastics bioaccumulated in these organs and caused DNA damage in the exposed fish. The study provides important evidence that long-term nanoplastic exposure can lead to measurable tissue contamination and genetic harm in aquatic organisms.

2022 Environmental Research 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Revealing the hidden threats: Genotoxic effects of microplastics on freshwater fish

Researchers exposed a common freshwater fish to microplastics and found evidence of DNA damage in blood cells, along with changes in liver function and oxidative stress markers. The study took a comprehensive approach, measuring effects from the molecular level up to whole-organism responses. These genotoxic effects (damage to genetic material) in fish raise questions about whether chronic microplastic exposure could pose similar risks to other organisms, including humans.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 10 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

Long-Term Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics Impairs the Liver Health of Medaka

Researchers found that three months of exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics caused significant liver damage in medaka fish, including oxidative stress, immune disruption, and altered gene expression related to lipid metabolism and detoxification pathways.

2022 Water 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Distinctive lipidomic responses induced by polystyrene micro- and nano-plastics in zebrafish liver cells

Researchers compared how micro-sized and nano-sized polystyrene plastic particles affect fat metabolism in zebrafish liver cells. They found that both sizes were taken up by cells, but the smaller nanoplastics caused more pronounced disruptions to lipid profiles and triggered cell death pathways. The findings underscore that particle size matters when assessing the biological impact of plastic pollution on fish.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Biotransport and toxic effects of micro- and nanoplastics in fish model and their potential risk to humans: A review

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics enter fish through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, causing damage to multiple organ systems including the brain, heart, and reproductive organs. The particles trigger harmful cellular responses such as oxidative stress, DNA damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction. The study emphasizes that these pollutants can also reach humans through the food chain, highlighting the need for strategies to reduce plastic contamination in aquatic environments.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingested plastic transfers hazardous chemicals to fish and induces hepatic stress

Researchers fed fish polyethylene plastic fragments collected from the ocean — which had absorbed surrounding pollutants — and found the fish bioaccumulated toxic chemicals and developed liver damage. The study demonstrates that ingested marine plastic acts as a delivery vehicle for harmful contaminants, compounding the health risks of plastic pollution in seafood.

2013 Scientific Reports 1860 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological effects of nano- and micro-polystyrene plastics on red tilapia: Are larger plastic particles more harmless?

Researchers exposed red tilapia to three sizes of polystyrene particles (0.3, 5, and 70-90 micrometers) to compare their toxic effects. The study found that the largest particles showed the highest accumulation in tissues, but all sizes induced oxidative stress, disrupted cytochrome P450 enzymes, caused neurotoxicity, and altered metabolic profiles, indicating that even smaller nanoplastics can cause significant harm to fish.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 253 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics trigger mitochondrial and metabolic reprogramming in cardiomyocytes: Evidence from integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics can damage heart cells by disrupting their powerhouses (mitochondria) and reducing their ability to produce energy. When researchers exposed human heart cells and mice to these nanoplastics, they observed weakened heart function and signs of early heart damage. This research suggests that the growing amount of microscopic plastic pollution in our environment could pose previously unknown risks to heart health.

2026 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

A mechanistic understanding of the effects of polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to nanoplastics made from PET, the plastic commonly used in water bottles and food packaging. The nanoplastics accumulated in the liver, intestine, and kidneys, causing oxidative stress, damaging cell energy systems, and disrupting metabolism. This is the first comprehensive study of PET nanoplastic toxicity mechanisms, and it is particularly relevant because PET is one of the most common plastics that humans encounter daily.

2023 Scientific Reports 68 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Potential toxicity of nanoplastics to fish and aquatic invertebrates: Current understanding, mechanistic interpretation, and meta-analysis

Nanoplastics significantly reduced survival, behavior, and reproduction of fish and aquatic invertebrates by 56%, 24%, and 36% respectively, while increasing oxidative stress by 72% and decreasing antioxidant defenses by 24%, with effects influenced by particle size, functional groups, and concentration.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 77 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Genotoxicity and Genomic Instability Induced by Micro- and Nanoplastics: A Comprehensive Multi-Taxa Mechanistic Review.

This review of existing research found that tiny plastic particles (microplastics and nanoplastics) can damage DNA in many different living things, from fish to human cells. The plastic particles cause this damage by creating harmful molecules called free radicals, disrupting the body's ability to repair DNA, and triggering inflammation. These findings suggest that the growing amount of plastic pollution in our environment could pose serious health risks to humans and wildlife.

2026 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Nano polystyrene microplastics could accumulate in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): Negatively impacts on the intestinal and liver health through water exposure

Researchers exposed Nile tilapia fish to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes (ranging from 80 nanometers to 80 micrometers) and found that the smallest particles were most likely to accumulate in the body. The 80-nanometer particles caused the most severe damage to intestinal and liver tissues, disrupting cell growth and triggering inflammation and oxidative stress. The study suggests that nanoscale plastic particles may pose greater health risks to fish than larger microplastics.

2023 Journal of Environmental Sciences 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on oxidative stress, histopathology and intestinal microbiota in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

Researchers exposed largemouth bass — a commercially important freshwater fish — to polystyrene nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles 100 nanometers in size) for up to 19 days, finding tissue damage in the gills, liver, and intestines along with elevated markers of cellular stress. While growth was not significantly affected, the fish adjusted their gut microbiome in response, suggesting nanoplastics trigger adaptive but potentially harmful physiological changes.

2022 Aquaculture Reports 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Different effects of nano- and microplastics on oxidative status and gut microbiota in the marine medaka Oryzias melastigma

Researchers compared the effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on oxidative stress and gut microbiota in marine medaka fish. They found that nanoplastics caused more severe oxidative damage and greater disruption to the gut microbial community than larger microplastic particles. The study suggests that particle size plays a critical role in determining the biological impact of plastic pollution on aquatic organisms.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 244 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of nanoplastics on fish health and performance: A review

Researchers reviewed studies on nanoplastics (particles smaller than 100 nm) in fish and found evidence of tissue accumulation, impaired locomotion and foraging, immune and growth disruption, altered lipid metabolism, and neurotoxicity, though mortality and developmental malformations had not yet been reported.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 162 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and nanoplastics: Emerging drivers of hepatic pathogenesis and metabolic dysfunction

This review examines emerging evidence linking micro- and nanoplastic exposure to liver disease, including metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Researchers found that these particles may contribute to liver damage through oxidative stress, inflammation, and disruption of metabolic pathways. The study highlights the need for further research into how environmental plastic contamination may be influencing the rising rates of liver disease worldwide.

2025 Hepatology forum/Hepatology forum (Online) 1 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Potential toxicity of microplastics on vertebrate liver: A systematic review and meta–analysis

This meta-analysis of 118 studies found that microplastics damage vertebrate livers by inducing oxidative stress and intracellular toxicity, altering biotransformation processes, and disrupting lipid metabolism. Organisms at earlier life stages, exposed to smaller particles, and for longer durations showed the greatest liver damage, with catalase, GST, reactive oxygen species, and alkaline phosphatase levels progressively increasing with microplastic concentration.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 17 citations
Article Tier 2

The hepatotoxicity assessment of micro/nanoplastics: A preliminary study to apply the adverse outcome pathways

Researchers reviewed the literature on how micro- and nanoplastics cause liver damage and organized the findings into an Adverse Outcome Pathway framework. They found that plastic particles can trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic disruption in the liver, potentially leading to dysfunction. The study provides a structured way to understand the chain of events from plastic particle exposure to liver harm, highlighting potential health risks for humans.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Multi-omics association pattern between gut microbiota and host metabolism of a filter-feeding fish in situ exposed to microplastics

Scientists exposed filter-feeding fish to environmentally realistic levels of microplastics and found that the particles reshaped gut bacteria communities, which in turn altered the fish's liver metabolism through changes in amino acid processing. This gut-microbiome-to-organ connection matters because it shows microplastics may affect human health not just through direct toxicity but by disrupting the beneficial bacteria in our digestive systems.

2025 Environment International 11 citations