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FAQ: Nanoplastics Translocation in Zebrafish - Pathways, Accumulation, and Implications
TL;DR
Understanding nanoplastics' pathways in zebrafish offers researchers an edge in developing filtration technologies to protect aquaculture and human food sources from contamination.
City University of Hong Kong scientists exposed zebrafish to nanoplastics, tracking their entry via gills and intestines into the bloodstream and accumulation in organs like the brain and liver.
This research highlights nanoplastics' threat to aquatic life and potentially humans, urging better waste management to protect ecosystems and future generations from harmful plastic pollution.
Nanoplastics from environmental breakdown can cross biological barriers in zebrafish, spreading to organs within 24 hours and potentially affecting nervous and reproductive systems.
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Nanoplastics are plastic fragments measuring less than 1 micrometer that result from the breakdown of plastic waste in the environment. They become suspended in water where aquatic animals like fish can ingest them.
Nanoplastics enter zebrafish through two primary pathways: waterborne exposure (directly from water) and dietary exposure (through contaminated food). The gills and intestines serve as the most important absorption organs.
Nanoplastics accumulate in multiple organs including the blood, brain, gills, liver, intestines, gonads (reproductive organs), and muscles after entering the circulatory system.
Within 24 hours of ingestion, nanoplastics enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, quickly accumulating in organs and reaching a stable level within days.
The accumulation of nanoplastics in organs can have harmful effects, with the most severe cases potentially stunting the fish's growth and reproduction, and potentially leading to disorders in systems like the nervous and reproductive systems.
The intestines serve as the primary excretion organ for nanoplastics, though a portion remains trapped within the body for a long time and is not expelled.
Zebrafish are commonly used in toxicology research because they share many physiological and genetic similarities with humans, making findings potentially applicable to understanding nanoplastics effects in mammals.
The researchers developed a computer model that simulates how nanoplastics accumulate, travel, and are cleared from different organs in fish, which also provides a valuable reference for predicting how nanoplastics might behave in mammals.
According to corresponding author Wen-Xiong Wang, the alarming journey of nanoplastics crossing biological barriers and spreading throughout bodies may also occur in other animals, and even in humans.
This research was published in Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology (DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.10.002) and was supported by the National Science Foundation of China and the Hong Kong Research Grants Council.
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