Papers

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Article Tier 2

Insight into the immune and microbial response of the white-leg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei to microplastics

Researchers exposed white-leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) to different concentrations of microplastics for 48 hours and measured immune and microbial responses. The study found that high microplastic concentrations significantly reduced survival rates, altered immune-related gene expression, and disrupted the gut microbial community, suggesting that microplastic pollution may compromise shrimp immune function.

2021 Marine Environmental Research 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined Vibrio and nanoplastics stress promotes nanoplastic accumulation while reducing bacterial lethality in shrimp

Researchers discovered that Vibrio bacteria act as carriers for nanoplastics in shrimp, ferrying the tiny particles through the gut wall and concentrating them in organs, but interestingly the nanoplastics also weakened the bacteria's ability to cause infection, showing that plastic-pathogen interactions in seafood are complex and two-directional.

2026 npj Science of Food
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastic Exposure against White Spot Syndrome Virus Infection in Pacific White Shrimp (Penaeus vannamei)

Researchers tested whether microplastic exposure worsens viral infections in Pacific white shrimp. The study found that shrimp exposed to both microplastics and white spot syndrome virus experienced 50% mortality, while those exposed to just the virus alone survived, suggesting that microplastic contamination may compromise the immune defenses of farmed shrimp.

2024 Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of Microplastics on the Growth and the Intestinal Microbiota Composition of Brine Shrimp

Researchers exposed brine shrimp to polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics and found that both types significantly reduced growth rates, with body length decreasing by 15-18%. The study also revealed that microplastic ingestion altered the gut microbiota composition, increasing microbial diversity and shifting the balance of key bacterial groups in the shrimp intestines.

2021 Frontiers in Microbiology 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Involvement of Microplastics in the Conflict Between Host Immunity Defense and Viral Virulence: Promoting the Susceptibility of Shrimp to WSSV Infection

Researchers found that PVC microplastics made shrimp significantly more vulnerable to white spot syndrome virus, a devastating disease in aquaculture, by suppressing their immune defenses. The microplastics interacted with the virus to prolong its survival and triggered changes in the shrimp's fat metabolism that weakened a key immune signaling pathway. This study demonstrates how microplastic pollution in coastal waters could increase disease outbreaks in seafood species, potentially affecting both food supply and food safety for humans.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential threats of microplastics and pathogenic bacteria to the immune system of the mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis

This study found that microplastics weakened the immune system of Mediterranean mussels, making them more vulnerable to bacterial infections from Vibrio, a common marine pathogen. Long-term microplastic exposure drained the mussels' energy reserves and suppressed their immune defenses, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks. Since these mussels are widely consumed as seafood, microplastic-driven disease susceptibility could affect both mussel populations and the safety of shellfish for human consumption.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of polyethylene microplastics on the clam Ruditapes decussatus (Mollusca: Bivalvia): examination of filtration rate, growth, and immunomodulation

Researchers exposed clams to polyethylene microplastics at three different concentrations for 14 days and measured the effects on feeding, growth, and immune function. They found that higher microplastic concentrations reduced the clams' ability to filter water and caused weight loss, while also disrupting immune cell integrity. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can impair both the feeding efficiency and immune defenses of shellfish.

2023 Ecotoxicology 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Pollution in marine bivalves: The immunosuppressive effects of microplastics on Anadara granosa

Researchers exposed blood clams to polystyrene microplastics for one week and found that the plastics suppressed their immune system in a dose-dependent manner. Higher microplastic concentrations reduced the clams' immune cell counts, hemoglobin, and disease-fighting enzymes. Since blood clams are a commercially harvested seafood species, weakened immunity could increase disease outbreaks in clam populations and potentially affect the safety of shellfish consumed by humans.

2025 Marine Environmental Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-Contaminated Feed Interferes with Antioxidant Enzyme and Lysozyme Gene Expression of Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Leading to Hepatopancreas Damage and Increased Mortality

Researchers fed Pacific white shrimp diets contaminated with high-density polyethylene microplastics and observed dose-dependent immune suppression and organ damage. The microplastics disrupted the expression of antioxidant enzyme and lysozyme genes and caused significant histopathological changes in the hepatopancreas. The study demonstrates that dietary microplastic exposure can compromise the immune defenses of commercially important crustaceans, potentially increasing their susceptibility to disease.

2022 Animals 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion and adherence of microplastics by estuarine mysid shrimp

Researchers investigated how estuarine mysid shrimp ingest and accumulate microplastics both internally and on their external body surfaces. The study found microplastics in the shrimp's bodies and fecal pellets, and feeding experiments revealed that these organisms readily consume plastic particles, raising concerns about microplastic transfer through marine food webs.

2024 Marine Environmental Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on gene expression to nonspecific immune system in pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei).

This study found that high-density polyethylene microplastic particles in shrimp feed suppressed immune defense genes in Pacific white shrimp and caused intestinal and gill tissue damage at concentrations well below lethal levels. The findings suggest that microplastic exposure could compromise immune function and health in farmed crustaceans.

2022 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A preliminary study of the association between colonization of microorganism on microplastics and intestinal microbiota in shrimp under natural conditions

Microplastics were detected in shrimp pond sediment (5,129 ± 1,176 items/kg) and in Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp tissue (14.08 ± 5.70 items/g), with MP abundance positively correlated between sediments and shrimp, and the microbiome on plastic surfaces differing from the shrimps' intestinal microbiota.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation and damage of polyethylene-microplastics to the digestive system of juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp exposed through feed

Researchers fed juvenile Pacific white shrimp diets containing polyethylene microplastics at varying concentrations for 28 days. While survival and growth were not affected, microplastics accumulated in the digestive system and caused tissue damage to the hepatopancreas and intestine, suggesting that even without visible growth effects, microplastic ingestion can cause internal harm to commercially important crustacean species.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Size- and shape-dependent effects of microplastic particles on adult daggerblade grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio)

Researchers exposed adult grass shrimp to eleven sizes of microplastic spheres, fibers, and fragments and measured effects on survival, ingestion, and particle residence time. They found that mortality was size- and shape-dependent, with larger spheres and fibers causing the highest death rates, while particles smaller than 50 micrometers were not acutely toxic. The study demonstrates that both the size and shape of microplastics are critical factors in determining their toxicity to marine crustaceans.

2017 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 445 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of polyamide microplastics and the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus on the immune parameters of Mytilus coruscus

When mussels were exposed to nylon microplastics along with harmful Vibrio bacteria, they suffered gill damage, increased oxidative stress, and weakened immune defenses compared to either stressor alone. The combined exposure suppressed key immune enzymes that mussels need to fight infection. Since mussels are widely consumed as seafood, this study raises concerns that microplastic-contaminated shellfish could carry more pathogens and be less safe to eat.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics make shrimp more vulnerable to deadly disease

Lab experiments showed that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics help white spot syndrome virus — a deadly shrimp pathogen — survive longer and replicate more efficiently in larval shrimp guts, suppressing the animals' antiviral immune defenses. This study demonstrates that microplastics can act as disease amplifiers in aquaculture species, with major implications for shrimp farming and coastal ecosystem health.

2023 C&EN Global Enterprise
Article Tier 2

Shrimp and microplastics: A case study with the Atlantic ditch shrimp Palaemon varians

The Atlantic ditch shrimp Palaemon varians was exposed to microplastics in the laboratory, with the study documenting ingestion, egestion, and retention of particles along with physiological responses. The case study illustrates the processes by which coastal invertebrates interact with microplastics and highlights shrimp as informative model organisms for plastic pollution research.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics on amphipods

Researchers exposed two amphipod species to environmentally relevant polyethylene microplastic concentrations and found increased mortality and oxidative stress, with species-specific sensitivity suggesting ecological impacts even at low exposure levels.

2022 Chemosphere 24 citations
Article Tier 2

The adverse impact of microplastics and their attached pathogen on hemocyte function and antioxidative response in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers examined how microplastics carrying pathogenic bacteria affect the immune system of mussels. They found that while microplastics alone caused moderate immune cell disruption, the combination of microplastics and Vibrio bacteria significantly weakened antioxidant defenses and triggered cell death in mussel blood cells. The study demonstrates that microplastics can act as a "Trojan horse," delivering harmful pathogens into marine organisms and amplifying their toxic effects.

2023 Chemosphere 47 citations
Article Tier 2

How do woodlice deal with infection after exposure to microplastics?

Researchers investigated how microplastic exposure affects the ability of woodlice to fight bacterial infection, finding that pre-exposed animals had altered immune responses. Microplastic-contaminated soil environments may therefore make invertebrates more susceptible to infectious disease.

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

Microplastic contamination in brown shrimp (Crangon crangon, Linnaeus 1758) from coastal waters of the Southern North Sea and Channel area

Researchers examined brown shrimp caught from the North Sea and found microplastics in their digestive tracts, documenting contamination in a commercially important crustacean consumed widely by humans in northern Europe.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 725 citations
Article Tier 2

How do woodlice deal with infection after exposure to microplastics?

Researchers tested whether prior microplastic exposure affects the immune response of woodlice (Porcellio scaber) to subsequent bacterial infection. Microplastic-exposed woodlice showed altered infection outcomes, suggesting that plastic pollution can compromise invertebrate immune defense against pathogens.

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

Toxicological effects of microplastics in Litopenaeus vannamei as indicated by an integrated microbiome, proteomic and metabolomic approach

Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) exposed to five microplastic types for 14 days showed gut microbiota shifts (increased Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, decreased Firmicutes) and altered haemolymph proteomes, with each MP type producing distinct immune pathway effects.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 97 citations
Article Tier 2

Coping with the “dirt”: brown shrimp and the microplastic threat

Field sampling found brown shrimp from the North Sea contained between 51 and hundreds of microparticles in their stomachs, and lab experiments showed the particles distributed throughout the digestive system. The study reveals that brown shrimp — a commercially important species — accumulate substantial microplastics in their natural habitat.

2020 Zoology 21 citations