Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastic binding capacity on antioxidant and immune responses of Korean rockfish Sebastes schlegeli in a co-exposure environment with microplastics and Streptococcus iniae

Researchers investigated what happens when Korean rockfish are exposed to both microplastics and the fish pathogen Streptococcus iniae at the same time. They found that microplastics can bind to the bacteria and amplify harmful effects on the fish's antioxidant defenses and immune responses beyond what either stressor causes alone. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution in coastal aquaculture environments may worsen the impact of bacterial infections on fish health.

2025 Chemosphere 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity Effects of Microplastics Individually and in Combination the Fish Pathogen Yersinia Ruckeri on the Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss)

Researchers found that co-exposure of rainbow trout to polystyrene microplastics and the fish pathogen Yersinia ruckeri exacerbated blood biochemical disruptions and hepatic oxidative stress compared to either stressor alone. The results suggest microplastics may act as a predisposing factor that amplifies bacterial infection severity in fish.

2021 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Acute co-exposure to microbeads and cadmium enhances accumulation and alters plasma biochemical markers and stress indicators in Korean rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli

Researchers found that combined acute exposure of Korean rockfish to microbeads and cadmium enhanced heavy metal accumulation in fish tissues more than cadmium alone, with microplastics facilitating metal adsorption and transport in ways that increase contaminant bioavailability.

2025 Fish Physiology and Biochemistry
Article Tier 2

Enhanced hepatotoxicity in zebrafish due to co-exposure of microplastics and sulfamethoxazole: Insights into ROS-mediated MAPK signaling pathway regulation

Zebrafish exposed to both microplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (commonly found in waterways) suffered significantly worse liver damage than exposure to either pollutant alone. The combined exposure triggered a cascade of oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death in liver tissue, showing how microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of other environmental contaminants.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastic exposure and concurrent effect with Aeromonas hydrophila infection on zebrafish

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastic exposure in zebrafish caused oxidative stress, altered antioxidant enzyme activity, and induced intestinal damage, with concurrent Aeromonas hydrophila infection amplifying these toxic effects and increasing mortality rates.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on Yersinia ruckeri infection in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Researchers found that microplastic exposure predisposed rainbow trout to more severe Yersinia ruckeri infections, with co-exposed fish showing worse blood biochemical parameters and hepatic oxidative stress compared to fish exposed to the pathogen alone.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of polystyrene microbeads and benzo[α]pyrene on bioaccumulation, antioxidant response, and cell damage in goldfish Carassius auratus

Researchers exposed goldfish to polystyrene microbeads and benzo[a]pyrene, both individually and in combination, to assess their toxic effects over 120 hours. They found that combined exposure significantly increased oxidative stress, liver damage, and cell death compared to single-compound exposure. The study suggests that microplastics can act as carriers for harmful chemicals, amplifying their toxic impact on aquatic organisms.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Biotransformation and oxidative stress markers in yellowfin seabream (Acanthopagrus latus): Interactive impacts of microplastics and florfenicol

Researchers studied how microplastics interact with the antibiotic florfenicol to affect detoxification enzymes and oxidative stress in yellowfin seabream. They found that combined exposure to both pollutants caused more pronounced liver damage and oxidative stress than either substance alone, and that recovery took longer. The study suggests that microplastics can worsen the toxic effects of antibiotics used in aquaculture.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic and Vibrio harveyi co-exposure induces oxidative stress in big-belly seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis

Researchers co-exposed big-belly seahorses to microbeads and Vibrio harveyi bacteria (a common marine pathogen), finding the combination caused greater oxidative stress — measured by superoxide dismutase, catalase, and malondialdehyde levels — than either stressor alone.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Article Tier 2

Investigating the metabolic and oxidative stress induced by biofouled microplastics exposure in Seriola lalandi (yellowtail kingfish)

This study tested how microplastics covered in natural ocean bacteria (biofouled) affect yellowtail kingfish compared to clean microplastics. The biofouled microplastics caused more oxidative stress and metabolic disruption in the fish than clean ones. Since fish in the wild almost always encounter bacteria-coated microplastics rather than clean ones, previous studies using only clean plastics may have underestimated the real health risks.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity effects of microplastics individually and in combination with Aeromonas hydrophila on freshwater crayfish (Astacus leptodactylous)

Researchers investigated the combined effects of microplastics and the pathogenic bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila on freshwater crayfish over 30 days. The study found that co-exposure to microplastics and the pathogen caused more severe disruptions to blood biochemistry, liver oxidative balance, and immune function than either stressor alone, suggesting microplastics can amplify pathogen-related damage.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effects of Different Concentrations of Microplastics on the Physiology and Behavior of Sebastes schlegelii

Researchers exposed juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) to polystyrene microplastics for 24 days, finding that concentrations of 0.1 mg/L and above caused significant antioxidant enzyme disruption, immune suppression with rising inflammatory cytokines, and reduced survival at 1 mg/L.

2025 Preprints.org
Article Tier 2

Microplastics increase mercury bioconcentration in gills and bioaccumulation in the liver, and cause oxidative stress and damage in Dicentrarchus labrax juveniles

Researchers exposed juvenile European sea bass to mercury, microplastics, and their mixture for 96 hours and found that microplastics increased mercury bioconcentration in gills and bioaccumulation in the liver. The combination of microplastics and mercury also caused greater oxidative stress and lipid damage than either contaminant alone, suggesting microplastics may amplify the toxicity of co-occurring pollutants.

2018 Scientific Reports 281 citations
Article Tier 2

Concurrent impacts of polystyrene nanoplastic exposure and Aeromonas hydrophila infection on oxidative stress, immune response and intestinal microbiota of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and a bacterial infection on grass carp, a common freshwater fish. They found that nanoplastic exposure worsened the impact of the infection by increasing oxidative stress, suppressing immune responses, and disrupting the gut microbiome. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in waterways could make fish more vulnerable to disease by weakening their natural defenses.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of microplastics on freshwater fish (Channa argus): mechanisms of inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy

Freshwater snakehead fish exposed to polystyrene microplastics for four weeks developed inflammation, cell death, and tissue damage in their liver, intestines, kidneys, and gills. The damage worsened with higher microplastic concentrations and involved disruption of the fish's antioxidant defenses and immune system. Since snakehead is a commonly consumed fish in Asia, these findings raise questions about whether microplastics in aquaculture environments could affect the safety of fish as human food.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Apoptosis, MAPK signaling pathway affected in tilapia liver following nano-microplastics and sulfamethoxazole acute co-exposure

Researchers exposed juvenile tilapia to nano-microplastics combined with the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole and found significant liver damage, including disrupted enzyme activity and inflammatory responses. The combination triggered cell death pathways and stress signaling in liver tissue more severely than either contaminant alone. The study suggests that microplastics may amplify the harmful effects of pharmaceutical pollutants in aquatic environments.

2024 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D Genomics and Proteomics 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics trigger cell apoptosis and inflammation via inducing oxidative stress and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in carp gills

Researchers exposed carp gills to polyethylene microplastics and found that the particles triggered cell death and inflammation through oxidative stress and activation of a key immune signaling pathway called the NLRP3 inflammasome. Higher microplastic concentrations caused more severe gill tissue damage and stronger inflammatory responses. The study reveals a specific molecular mechanism by which microplastics can harm the immune function of freshwater fish.

2022 Fish & Shellfish Immunology 149 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic impacts of polystyrene nanoplastics and PCB77 in blunt snout bream: Evidence from tissue morphology, oxidative stress and intestinal microbiome

Researchers studied the combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and a persistent organic pollutant (PCB77) in freshwater fish. They found that co-exposure caused worse tissue damage, higher oxidative stress, and greater disruption to gut bacteria than either contaminant alone. The study highlights that microplastics can worsen the harmful effects of other environmental pollutants when organisms are exposed to both simultaneously.

2025 Geoscience Frontiers 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Presence in the Digestive Tract of Pearly Razorfish Xyrichtys novacula Causes Oxidative Stress in Liver Tissue

Microplastics were found in 89% of pearly razorfish (Xyrichtys novacula) specimens from the Balearic Islands, with fish carrying more than 4 MPs showing elevated activities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione S-transferase in liver tissue, indicating oxidative stress and detoxification responses.

2023 Toxics 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic Effect of Combined Exposure of Microplastics and Copper on Goldfish (Carassius auratus): Insight from Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Apoptosis and Autophagy in Hepatopancreas and Intestine

Researchers found that combined exposure to microplastics and copper in goldfish significantly enhanced copper accumulation and tissue damage in the hepatopancreas and intestine, triggering oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy beyond the effects of either pollutant alone.

2022 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 28 citations
Article Tier 2

The involvement of oxidative stress mediated endoplasmic reticulum pathway in apoptosis of Golden Pompano (Trachinotus blochii) liver under PS-MPs stress

Researchers exposed golden pompano, a commercially important marine fish in China, to polystyrene microplastics at three concentrations for 14 days and observed slowed growth and significant liver damage. The microplastics induced oxidative stress and triggered endoplasmic reticulum-mediated apoptosis in liver cells. The study provides evidence that coastal aquaculture species face real toxicological risks from microplastic pollution in their farming environments.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Microcystin-LR and polystyrene microplastics jointly lead to hepatic histopathological damage and antioxidant dysfunction in male zebrafish

This study exposed zebrafish to a common water toxin (microcystin-LR) both alone and combined with polystyrene microplastics, and found that the microplastics made the liver damage significantly worse. The microplastics acted as carriers, increasing how much toxin accumulated in the fish liver and amplifying oxidative stress. This is relevant to human health because it shows microplastics can boost the harmful effects of other pollutants commonly found in drinking water sources.

2024 Environmental Pollution 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics enhance microcystin-LR-induced cardiovascular toxicity and oxidative stress in zebrafish embryos

Zebrafish embryos exposed to both microplastics and microcystin-LR (a toxin produced by algal blooms) developed significantly worse heart and blood vessel damage than those exposed to the toxin alone. The microplastics amplified oxidative stress and cell death, suggesting that in polluted waterways where both contaminants coexist, the combined health risks may be greater than either one individually.

2024 Environmental Pollution 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Unravelling the Potential Role of Nanoplastics and Microplastics‐Induced Toxicity in Freshwater Fish: Emerging Role of Programmed Cell Death Mechanisms

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics trigger various forms of programmed cell death in freshwater fish, including apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis. The study highlights that exposure to these plastic particles generates oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA damage, with the resulting cell death mechanisms potentially compromising fish health and raising concerns about contamination reaching humans through seafood consumption.

2026 Journal of Applied Toxicology