Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Adverse adult-onset and multigenerational effects in zebrafish (Danio rerio) developmentally exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers raised zebrafish exposed to nanoplastics during early development through to adulthood and found lasting reproductive impairment, heritable hyperactivity in offspring, and molecular changes in male reproductive and brain tissue linked to neurodegenerative disease pathways and endocrine disruption, demonstrating that brief developmental nanoplastic exposure can cause multigenerational harm.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nano/microplastics induce microbiota dysbiosis, oxidative damage, and innate immune disruption in zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene particles of two different sizes and found that both nano- and micro-sized plastics disrupted gut bacteria, caused oxidative damage, and altered immune responses. The severity of effects depended on particle size and concentration, with smaller particles and higher doses causing more harm. The study suggests that plastic particles in waterways may pose a broader threat to fish health than previously understood, affecting digestion, stress defenses, and immunity simultaneously.

2022 Microbial Pathogenesis 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Environmental Concentrations of Nanoplastics on Zebrafish Neurobehavior and Reproductive Toxicity

Researchers exposed zebrafish to environmentally realistic levels of polystyrene nanoplastics and found they caused both brain and reproductive damage. The nanoplastics disrupted neurotransmitter signaling and impaired the hormonal pathway connecting the brain to reproductive organs, with different effects in males and females. These findings suggest that even low-level nanoplastic exposure could affect both brain function and fertility in aquatic life that humans may consume.

2024 Toxics 16 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

Nanoplastics Cause Neurobehavioral Impairments, Reproductive and Oxidative Damages, and Biomarker Responses in Zebrafish: Throwing up Alarms of Wide Spread Health Risk of Exposure

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that the particles accumulated in the brain, liver, intestine, and gonads, causing significant behavioral and physiological changes. The fish showed disrupted energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and altered locomotion, aggression, and predator avoidance behaviors. The findings raise concerns about the widespread health risks of nanoplastic exposure, as these particles are small enough to cross biological membranes.

2020 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 410 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics induce intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress, and disorders of metabolome and microbiome in zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and found significant intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of both the gut microbiome and metabolic processes. The microplastics altered the balance of beneficial and harmful gut bacteria and changed the levels of key metabolites involved in energy and amino acid metabolism. The study provides detailed evidence that microplastic ingestion can cause widespread disruption to gut health in aquatic organisms.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 898 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of a chronic waterborne exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics on the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata): Combining traditional and multi-omics approaches

Researchers exposed gilthead seabream to environmentally relevant and elevated polystyrene nanoplastic concentrations for 28 days, finding no visible tissue damage or blood abnormalities but significant shifts in gut microbiome diversity and dose-dependent changes in plasma metabolites linked to energy metabolism, suggesting subtle long-term risks for aquaculture production.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Parental exposure to polystyrene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations has negligible transgenerational effects on zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Zebrafish parents exposed to polystyrene microplastics (1 µm) for 21 days at concentrations >100 µg/L showed intestinal accumulation and altered gonadal steroidogenic gene expression, but no significant transgenerational effects on offspring survival, growth, or development — suggesting negligible reproductive transmission at these exposures.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene microplastics on the composition of the microbiome and metabolism in larval zebrafish

Researchers exposed larval zebrafish to two sizes of polystyrene microplastics and found significant changes in gut microbiome composition and metabolic activity. The microplastics altered the abundance and diversity of gut bacteria and disrupted metabolic pathways important for development. The study suggests that early-life exposure to microplastics could have meaningful biological consequences by reshaping the gut environment of developing organisms.

2018 Chemosphere 472 citations
Article Tier 2

Transcriptome sequencing and metabolite analysis reveal the toxic effects of nanoplastics on tilapia after exposure to polystyrene

Researchers exposed larval tilapia to polystyrene nanoplastics and then analyzed changes in gene expression and metabolic profiles after a recovery period. They found that nanoplastic exposure disrupted immune-related pathways, energy metabolism, and lipid processing in the fish, with some effects persisting even after exposure ended. The study suggests that nanoplastics can cause lasting metabolic and immune disruptions in freshwater fish.

2021 Environmental Pollution 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Female zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces reproductive toxicity in mother and their offspring

Researchers exposed female zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics for six weeks and found the particles disrupted sex hormone levels and oocyte development, reducing egg production in the exposed generation and carrying endocrine disruption effects into unexposed offspring through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Transgenerational effects of Nanoplastics and bisphenol A on Zebrafish lipid metabolism: Disruption of the gut Microbiota-liver axis via mTOR pathway

Researchers exposed zebrafish to nanoplastics and bisphenol A, a chemical commonly found in plastics, and tracked the effects across three generations. They found that the combined exposure disrupted fat metabolism, damaged gut bacteria and liver function in the first generation, and these metabolic problems were passed down to offspring that were never directly exposed. The study suggests that nanoplastic and chemical co-exposure may cause health effects that persist across multiple generations.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic Exposure of Adult Zebrafish to Polyethylene and Polyester-based Microplastics: Metabolomic and Gut Microbiome Alterations Reflecting Dysbiosis and Resilience

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polyethylene and polyester microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations and found significant disruptions to metabolic pathways and gut microbiome composition. Polyethylene primarily affected cell membrane compounds and inflammation-related metabolites, while polyester altered lipid metabolism and gut bacterial interactions. The study reveals that chronic microplastic exposure can cause subtle but meaningful shifts in fish metabolism and gut health, even at low concentrations.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

From mothers to offspring: Polystyrene nanoplastics create a hidden toxic legacy via mitochondrial dysfunction

Researchers exposed female zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics before mating with unexposed males and found that maternal exposure at 100 μg/L reduced offspring hatching success and caused developmental defects in the F1 generation raised in clean water, demonstrating transgenerational toxicity via mitochondrial dysfunction.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology
Article Tier 2

Maternal transfer of nanoplastics to offspring in zebrafish (Danio rerio): A case study with nanopolystyrene

Researchers demonstrated maternal transfer of polystyrene nanoplastics in zebrafish by feeding exposed females and detecting particles in yolk sacs, livers, and guts of offspring, finding that transferred nanoplastics reduced antioxidant enzyme activity and caused bradycardia in embryos without major effects on overall reproductive success.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 391 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics impact the zebrafish (Danio rerio) transcriptome: Associated developmental and neurobehavioral consequences

Researchers exposed developing zebrafish larvae to polystyrene nanoplastics of two sizes and found dose-dependent accumulation in tissues along with swimming hyperactivity, despite no effects on mortality or hatching. Transcriptomic analysis revealed changes in gene expression associated with neurodegeneration and motor dysfunction at both high and low concentrations. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure during early development can alter brain function and behavior in ways that may reduce organismal fitness.

2020 Environmental Pollution 150 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effect of chronic exposure to polyethylene nano/microplastics on oxidative stress, neurotoxicity and gut microbiota of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polyethylene microplastics and nanoplastics for 21 days and found both caused oxidative damage to organs, disrupted brain function, and altered gut bacteria. Surprisingly, the toxic effects of microplastics and nanoplastics were similar in terms of brain and gut impacts, though organ-level oxidative damage varied by tissue type. These findings are concerning because they show that the plastic particles commonly found in food and water can simultaneously harm the brain, gut, and vital organs.

2023 Chemosphere 76 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

Toxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in the Liver and Intestine of Normal and High-Fat-Diet Juvenile Zebrafish

Researchers exposed juvenile zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics combined with a high-fat diet and found that the combination caused gastrointestinal injury and disrupted lipid metabolism. The nanoplastics alone perturbed gut microbiota stability, and the effects were amplified when paired with a high-fat diet. The study suggests that dietary factors may influence the severity of nanoplastic toxicity, highlighting the importance of considering real-world exposure scenarios.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induce microbiota dysbiosis and inflammation in the gut of adult zebrafish

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics of two different sizes for 14 days and found significant disruptions to the gut microbiome, including shifts in key bacterial populations. Smaller microplastic particles also triggered inflammatory responses in the gut, with elevated levels of inflammatory markers at both the gene and protein level. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion can disturb gut bacteria balance and cause intestinal inflammation in aquatic organisms.

2018 Environmental Pollution 801 citations