Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Intestinal Accumulation of Polyester Microfibers Modulates HPG Axis Regulation and Oocyte Maturation in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Scientists found that tiny plastic fibers from clothing (called microfibers) can build up in fish intestines and disrupt their hormone systems, affecting how their eggs develop. While this study was done in zebrafish, it's concerning because humans also consume these plastic fibers through seafood and drinking water. This research suggests that microplastic pollution may be interfering with reproductive health in ways we're just beginning to understand.

2026 Fishes
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics exposure in freshwater fish, Labeo rohita: evaluation of physiology and histopathology

Researchers fed freshwater fish varying levels of polystyrene microplastics for 90 days and found dose-dependent damage to blood health, growth, and organ tissues. Higher microplastic concentrations caused more severe harm to the liver, kidneys, gills, and intestines. The study highlights that microplastics in freshwater systems can accumulate in fish and cause significant health problems, raising concerns about food safety for communities that rely on freshwater fish.

2025 Scientific Reports 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic Toxicity of Microplastics on Fish (Labeo rohita) and Their Impact on the Freshwater Ecosystem: A Case Study of Gangasagar Pond, Darbhanga, India

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in Gangasagar Pond in India, finding fibers as the most common type, primarily from domestic waste and discarded packaging. Fish in the pond showed microplastics lodged in their gill chambers and mouths, and tissue analysis revealed damage to the stomach and intestines. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems can directly harm fish health through ingestion and physical contact.

2024 UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Bioaccumulation and its Systemic Effects in Labeo rohita: From Cellular Damage to Behavioural Disruption

Rohu carp (Labeo rohita) exposed to polyethylene microplastics at up to 5 mg/L for 60 days accumulated particles in gills, liver, and intestines with dose-dependent cellular damage, behavioral disruption, and partial recovery after 30 days in clean water.

2025 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
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

Effects of microfiber exposure on medaka (Oryzias latipes): Oxidative stress, cell damage, and mortality

Japanese medaka fish exposed to polyester microfibers showed elevated oxidative stress, cell membrane damage, and increased mortality compared to controls. The study identifies microfibers, which are discharged from laundry via wastewater treatment plants, as a biologically active marine contaminant capable of causing measurable harm to fish.

2022 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic fibers — Underestimated threat to aquatic organisms?

This review highlights that microplastic fibers, mostly from synthetic clothing, are the most commonly found type of microplastic in water but are often overlooked in research. Studies that did examine fibers found they cause tissue damage, reduced growth, and even death in aquatic organisms, particularly smaller creatures at the base of the food chain. Since these organisms are eaten by fish that humans consume, fiber pollution could ultimately affect human health through seafood.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 318 citations
Article Tier 2

Less impact than suspected: Dietary exposure of three-spined sticklebacks to microplastic fibers does not affect their body condition and immune parameters

Researchers found that dietary exposure to polyester microplastic fibers at environmentally relevant and elevated concentrations had no significant effects on growth, body condition, or immune parameters of three-spined sticklebacks over nine weeks.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of synthetic and natural microfibers on the growth, substance exchange, energy accumulation, and oxidative stress of field-collected microalgae compared with microplastic fragment

Researchers tested how synthetic microfibers from plastics like PET and polypropylene affect freshwater algae compared to natural fibers like cotton and wool. The synthetic fibers inhibited algae growth more than natural fibers and caused oxidative damage to the cells, with fiber-shaped particles being more harmful than fragments of the same material. Since algae form the base of aquatic food chains, damage to them from microplastic fibers could ripple through ecosystems and affect the fish and water that humans depend on.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic microfiber exposure in adult Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes)

Adult Japanese medaka fish chronically exposed to polyester and polypropylene microfibers showed histological changes in gut and liver, altered gene expression in inflammation and oxidative stress pathways, and disrupted reproductive output, demonstrating tissue-level harm from realistic fiber concentrations.

2020 PLoS ONE 105 citations
Article Tier 2

The impacts of synthetic and cellulose-based fibres and their associated dyes on fish hosts and parasite health

Researchers tested the effects of polyester, cotton, and bamboo clothing fibers on freshwater fish and their parasites. The study found that polyester exposure was associated with significantly higher fish mortality, while bamboo fibers appeared to confer some resistance against parasites. Evidence indicates that synthetic microplastic fibers and their associated chemical dyes can be harmful to aquatic organisms, highlighting the need for greater transparency from textile industries about dye composition.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Eco Toxicological Assessment of Micro Plastic Ingestion in Freshwater Fishes: A Case Study on Bioaccumulation and Histopathological Alterations

Researchers assessed microplastic accumulation in three freshwater fish species (tilapia, rohu, catla) from a major river system, finding microplastics in gastrointestinal tracts and associated histopathological damage in gills, liver, and kidneys.

2025 Asian Journal of Research in Zoology
Article Tier 2

Assessing the Effects of Microplastics on Freshwater Fish

This review examines the growing body of research on how microplastics affect freshwater fish, documenting evidence of ingestion, tissue damage, immune system impairment, and gastrointestinal obstruction across multiple species. Researchers highlight that microplastics from personal care products and degraded plastic goods are accumulating in freshwater ecosystems at concerning rates. The study warns that combined with existing threats like overfishing and habitat loss, microplastic pollution could accelerate population declines in vulnerable fish species.

2024 International Journal of Nature and Life Sciences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of plastic microbeads on the development of roho (Labeo rohita)

Researchers fed roho fish (Labeo rohita) varying doses of plastic microbeads over 120 days and found that ingesting microplastics directly stunted their growth, with higher concentrations causing greater harm — providing evidence that microplastic pollution can impair the health of freshwater fish species.

2024 The Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of polyethylene-microplastics on freshwater fish species: Implications for human health

This study reviews the toxic effects of polyethylene microplastics on freshwater fish species and the implications for human health, drawing on a body of existing literature on plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems. The work synthesizes evidence of microplastic ingestion, bioaccumulation, and physiological effects in freshwater fish with relevance to human dietary exposure.

2022 Public Health Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as an Emerging Threat to the Freshwater Fishes: a Review

This review examines microplastics as an emerging threat to freshwater fishes, covering their sources from cosmetics and plastic debris fragmentation, routes of entry including wastewater treatment plants, and documented toxic effects on fish physiology and behavior.

2022 International Journal of Biological Innovations 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of polyester and cotton microfibers on growth and sublethal biomarkers in juvenile mussels

Researchers exposed juvenile mussels to polyester and cotton microfibers at realistic ocean concentrations for 94 days and found that polyester microfibers reduced mussel growth rates by up to 36%, suggesting that microplastic fiber pollution could harm marine ecosystems and threaten shellfish aquaculture.

2023 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 39 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

Exposure to Cotton and Polyester Microfibers Leads to Different Fatty Acid Profiles and Chemical Contaminants (PBDE) Concentrations in Juvenile Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Fish exposed to cotton versus polyester microfibers showed distinct fatty acid profiles and different patterns of chemical bioaccumulation, suggesting that fiber type matters for both metabolic and toxicological outcomes. Polyester microfibers acted as a more effective vector for persistent organic pollutants than cotton fibers.

2025 Environmental toxicology and chemistry
Article Tier 2

Uptake and effects of microplastic textile fibers on freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna

Researchers exposed the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna to ground PET textile microfibers for 48 hours and found that fiber ingestion increased mortality in food-deprived organisms and that daphnids could not recover after transfer to clean water, providing the first evidence of PET textile microfiber bioavailability and toxicity in a standard ecotoxicology model.

2016 Environmental Pollution 594 citations