Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of different types of primary microplastics on early life stages of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Researchers examined the effects of polystyrene, PET, and polyethylene microplastics on rainbow trout early life stages over 69 days, finding elevated stress hormones and DNA damage despite no significant changes in hatching success or larval survival.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of a microplastic exposure gradient on juvenile lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)

Researchers exposed newly hatched lake trout for 12 weeks to three types of microplastics, polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate, at a gradient of concentrations to assess effects on early life stages of this important sportfish. Microplastic exposure caused growth and developmental effects in juvenile lake trout, with responses varying by polymer type and concentration.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

In vitro toxicity assessment of polyethylene terephthalate and polyvinyl chloride microplastics using three cell lines from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Researchers assessed the in vitro toxicity of PET and PVC microplastics on three rainbow trout cell lines and found that while pristine particles showed limited cytotoxicity at high concentrations, PVC particles caused more pronounced effects than PET across gill, gonad, and liver cells.

2022 Chemosphere 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of a microplastic exposure gradient on juvenile lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)

Researchers exposed newly hatched lake trout to a gradient of three microplastic types over 12 weeks, assessing growth, survival, and physiological biomarkers. Microplastic exposure caused dose-dependent effects on early life stage fish, with polymer type influencing the pattern of harm.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Integrated Biomarker, Histopathological and Genotoxicity‐Based Toxicological Evaluation of Polystyrene and Polyethylene Microplastics in Oreochromis mossambicus

Researchers exposed Mozambique tilapia to polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics and found dose-dependent accumulation in gill, gut, and liver tissues. Polyethylene proved significantly more toxic, causing greater oxidative stress, metabolic disruption, and chromosomal damage as measured by micronucleus assays. The study provides evidence that different polymer types can have markedly different toxicological impacts on freshwater fish.

2025 Journal of Applied Toxicology 1 citations
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

Toxicity assessment of pollutants sorbed on environmental sample microplastics collected on beaches: Part I-adverse effects on fish cell line

Environmental microplastics from Pacific island beaches were tested on rainbow trout liver cells (RTLW-1), with MPs from all three island locations causing cytotoxicity and inducing metabolic enzyme activity, while virgin MPs showed no significant effects. The study demonstrates that contaminant loading on beach-collected microplastics drives cell-level toxicity beyond the physical plastic particle effects alone.

2019 Environmental Pollution 108 citations
Article Tier 2

Embryotoxicity of polystyrene microplastics in zebrafish Danio rerio

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polystyrene microplastics during early development and observed serious physical deformities, particularly in the spine, tail, and eyes, despite no increase in mortality. The exposed larvae also showed elevated expression of genes involved in oxidative stress defense and cellular detoxification. The findings suggest that microplastics can disrupt critical developmental stages in freshwater fish even when they do not directly cause death.

2021 Environmental Research 136 citations
Article Tier 2

Phenotypic profiling reveals polystyrene nanoplastics elicit sublethal and lethal effects on cellular morphology in rainbow trout gill epithelial cells

Image-based phenotypic profiling revealed that polystyrene nanoplastics induced both sublethal and lethal morphological changes in rainbow trout gill epithelial cells at environmentally relevant concentrations, with dose-dependent effects on cell shape, nuclear integrity, and cytoskeletal organization.

2025 Environmental Science Nano 3 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

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

Effects of zebrafish exposure to high-density polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics at molecular and histological levels

This study exposed zebrafish to high-density polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics and used genomic analysis to identify which biological pathways were most affected, finding widespread disruption of immune function, metabolism, and stress response genes. The transcriptomic approach reveals that different plastic types activate distinct molecular stress responses in fish.

2018 Use Siena air (University of Siena)
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanobeads enhance polycylic aromatic hydrocarbon genotoxicity in an in vitro fish model

This study found that polystyrene nanobeads enhanced the genotoxic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) — potent carcinogens — in rainbow trout intestine and gill cell lines. The results provide evidence that nanoplastics can amplify the DNA-damaging effects of co-occurring chemical pollutants in fish tissue.

2017
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

A comparative study on juvenile Rockfish exposed to fragmented and fibrous PET(Polyethylene Terephthalate) microplastics

This study compared the toxic effects of fragmented versus fibrous PET microplastics on juvenile rockfish following oral administration, measuring apoptosis and immune activity after 72 hours. The shape of microplastics was found to influence the degree of cellular and immune toxicity, with different physical forms producing distinct harm.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on common carp: Insights into blood parameters, DNA damage, and gene expression

Exposing common carp to polystyrene nanoplastics caused significant DNA damage in blood and brain cells, along with changes in genes related to immune function and stress response. Higher concentrations led to more severe effects, and the nanoplastics also disrupted liver antioxidant defenses. Since carp are widely consumed fish, these findings raise questions about the safety of fish from nanoplastic-contaminated waters for human consumption.

2024 Journal of Applied Toxicology 14 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

The Influence of Polystyrene Microplastics on Juvenile Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

This study investigated the effects of polystyrene microplastics on juvenile steelhead trout, a commercially and ecologically important anadromous fish. As top predators, steelhead are at particular risk from microplastic bioaccumulation through their prey, and the review highlights gaps in research compared to smaller model species. Understanding how microplastics affect large predatory fish is critical because these species are widely consumed by humans and play key roles in connecting freshwater and marine ecosystems.

2023
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Evidence-based meta-analysis of the genotoxicity induced by microplastics in aquatic organisms at environmentally relevant concentrations

Microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations (≤1 mg/L) significantly increased DNA damage in aquatic organisms by 20-81% across multiple genotoxic endpoints, with effects correlated to particle size, living habitat, and species but independent of exposure concentration or duration.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Genotoxic and Oxidative Damage of Environmental Pollutant Microplastics on Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations for up to 21 days to measure oxidative stress and DNA damage. The study found that both types of microplastics disrupted the antioxidant system and caused measurable DNA damage, with effects depending on dosage and exposure time. These results suggest that microplastics in waterways could pose genetic and cellular risks to aquatic life.

2025 Journal of Applied Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

A multifaceted assessment of the effects of polyethylene microplastics on juvenile gilthead seabreams (Sparus aurata)

Researchers examined the effects of polyethylene microplastic ingestion on juvenile gilthead seabream using multiple diagnostic approaches, assessing impacts across molecular, cellular, and organismal levels to better understand microplastic toxicity in fish.

2021 Aquatic Toxicology 29 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

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

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