Cited by 766Microplastics and Plastic PollutionEnvironmental Toxicology and EcotoxicologyMercury impact and mitigation studies

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Microplastics cause neurotoxicity, oxidative damage and energy-related changes and interact with the bioaccumulation of mercury in the European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758)

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Barboza, Luís Gabriel Antão, Vieira, Luís Russo, Branco, Vasco, Figueiredo, Neusa, Carvalho, Felix, Carvalho, Cristina, Guilhermino, Lúcia·2018·Aquatic Toxicology

DOI 10.1016/j.aquatox.2017.12.008

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Abstract

Microplastics pollution is a global paradigm that raises concern in relation to environmental and human health. This study investigated toxic effects of microplastics and mercury in the European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), a marine fish widely used as food for humans. A short-term (96 h) laboratory bioassay was done by exposing juvenile fish to microplastics (0.26 and 0.69 mg/L), mercury (0.010 and 0.016 mg/L) and binary mixtures of the two substances using the same concentrations, through test media. Microplastics alone and mercury alone caused neurotoxicity through acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, increased lipid oxidation (LPO) in brain and muscle, and changed the activities of the energy-related enzymes lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH). All the mixtures caused significant inhibition of brain AChE activity (64-76%), and significant increase of LPO levels in brain (2.9-3.4 fold) and muscle (2.2-2.9 fold) but not in a concentration-dependent manner; mixtures containing low and high concentrations of microplastics caused different effects on IDH and LDH activity. Mercury was found to accumulate in the brain and muscle, with bioaccumulation factors of 4-7 and 25-40, respectively. Moreover, in the analysis of mercury concentrations in both tissues, a significant interaction between mercury and microplastics was found. The decay of mercury in the water increased with microplastics concentration, and was higher in the presence of fish than in their absence. Overall, these results indicate that: microplastics influence the bioaccumulation of mercury by D. labrax juveniles; microplastics, mercury and their mixtures (ppb range concentrations) cause neurotoxicity, oxidative stress and damage, and changes in the activities of energy-related enzymes in juveniles of this species; mixtures with the lowest and highest concentrations of their components induced different effects on some biomarkers. These findings and other published in the literature raise concern regarding high level predators and humans consuming fish being exposed to microplastics and heavy metals, and highlight the need of more research on the topic.

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“Additionally, food safety concerns stemming from trophic transfer of microplastics have reduced consumer confidence (Barboza et al., 2018; Prata et al., 2020; Smith et al., 2018).”
Microplastic Bioaccumulation and its Systemic Effects in Labeo rohita: From Cellular Damage to Behavioural Disruption
Neha, K., & Gudivada, M. (2025) · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology · doi:10.1007/s00128-025-04127-5 · Cited by 4
“Elevated ROS can also disrupt mitochondrial function, impair ATP synthesis, and activate signaling pathways such as MAPK and NF-κB, which regulate apoptosis and inflammation (Lu et al. 2016 ; Jin et al. 2018 ; Barboza et al. 2018 ).”
Air pollution and Alzheimer's disease prevention: The science and a prevention plan
Khalsa, D., Lavretsky, H., Reddy, M., Fenn, A., & Walling, C. G. (2025) · Journal of Alzheimer's Disease · doi:10.1177/13872877251386482 · Cited by 4
“40 Furthermore, microplastics have been linked to strokes, and Huang et al. suggest that microplastics can induce cerebral thrombosis by causing cells to obstruct capillaries in the brain cortex.”
Brain under siege: the role of micro and nanoplastics in neuroinflammation and oxidative stress
Khattri, V., Giri, A., Goel, F., BHANGE, M. A., Singh, A. K., Rai, S. N., & Yadav, D. K. (2026) · 3 Biotech · doi:10.1007/s13205-026-04722-1 · Cited by 4
“Seabasses exposed to high amounts of MPs demonstrate reduced AChE activity in the brain, indicating neurotoxicity (Barboza et al. 2018).”
From surface water to marine fauna: Assessing microplastic pollution in the northeastern Indian Ocean ecosystem
Fan, S., Hu, M., Zhen, H., Wang, C., Gao, Q., Lodhi, F., Kang, W., Hu, J., Sun, H., Shen, F., et al. (2026) · Marine Environmental Research · doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2026.107991 · Cited by 4
Ultraviolet radiation and shear-driven micro- and nanoplastic transformation: environmental behaviour, fate and ecotoxicity—A critical review
Kabir, A. H. M. E., & Örmeci, B. (2026) · Polymer Degradation and Stability · doi:10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2026.112238 · Cited by 4
Microplastic as a Pathogenic Vector to Cause Diseases in Marine Biota
Inobeme, A., Shahnawaz, M., Adetunji, C. O., Mathew, J. T., Adetuyi, B. O., Popoola, O. A., Olaitan, F. Y., Akinbo, O., Kolawole, O. M., Oyewole, O. A., et al. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-99-8357-5_19 · Cited by 6
Impacts of Microplastics on Photosynthetic Efficiency and Pigment Composition in Chlorella pyrenoidosa
Moreri, G. B., & Zhang, Y. (2024) · European Journal of Theoretical and Applied Sciences · doi:10.59324/ejtas.2024.2(3).42 · Cited by 5
Plastic contamination in fish digestive tracts in Amazonian rivers during a period of extreme low water
Tuvikene, A., Agasild, H., Val, A. L., Haldna, M., & Zingel, P. (2025) · Journal of Fish Biology · doi:10.1111/jfb.70021 · Cited by 4
Evaluation of salt intended for human consumption for the presence of physical contaminants: microplastics an emerging contaminant in the food area
Magalhães, C. D., Neto, S. A. V., Barata-Silva, C., dos Santos, J. M., Fonseca, M. D. A., Archanjo, B. S., Santos, L. M. G. D., & Jacob, S. D. C. (2023) · Brazilian Journal of Health Review · doi:10.34119/bjhrv6n1-088 · Cited by 4
Long-Term Fate of Micro/Nanoplastics in Soil Systems and Their Impacts
Sharma, P., Sharma, S., & Kaur, J. K. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-51967-3_10 · Cited by 4
Dose-dependent alteration in hepatic and cerebral glucose metabolism following exposure to polystyrene microplastic in Wistar rats
Pal, S., Chakraborty, S., & Mondal, S. (2024) · INDIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY AND ALLIED SCIENCES · doi:10.55184/ijpas.v76i01.213 · Cited by 4
“10,13 Additionally, hepatic transcriptome analyses revealed that PS-MP inhibited the expression of genes of Glut2, hexokinase, glucokinase, pyruvate kinase, and PEPCKC involved in glycolysis/ gluconeogenesis and decreased fatty acid oxidation in mice and zebrafish.”
Background
Diversity but not abundance of ingested plastics changes with ontogenetic dietary shift: Stable isotope insights into plastic contamination in a mesopelagic predator longnose lancetfish Alepisaurus ferox
Gao, H., Yu, R., Gong, Y., Chen, X., Li, Y., Liu, B., & Gan, Q. (2024) · Marine Pollution Bulletin · doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116910 · Cited by 4
Microplastics in the atmosphere: transportation and impact on humans
Pham, T. H., Do, H. T., Nguyen, T. L., Thi, L. P., & Dang, T. H. L. (2024) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-29804-2.00007-x · Cited by 4
Tracing the Footprint of Microplastics: Transport Mechanism, Degradation, and Remediation in Marine Environment
Mukherjee, A., Shivani Kumar, S., Singh, R., Sangeetha, D., Ahn, Y., & Ray, S. S. (2025) · Water Air & Soil Pollution · doi:10.1007/s11270-025-07751-3 · Cited by 4
Interactions between the co-contamination system of oxcarbazepine-polypropylene microplastics and Chlorella sp. FACHB-9: Toxic effects and biodegradation
Zhang, H., Liu, B., Sun, F., Zhang, Z., Kong, Y., Liu, X., Cui, Y., Ma, Y., Wu, Y., Fan, J., et al. (2025) · Journal of Environmental Management · doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124434 · Cited by 4
Microplastic contamination in the gastrointestinal tracts of larval fish assemblages from coastal waters in southwestern Taiwan
Leu, M., Lin, S.-H., Chen, T.-Y., Ko, F.-C., & Peng, S.-H. (2025) · Regional Studies in Marine Science · doi:10.1016/j.rsma.2025.104076 · Cited by 4
Nanotextiles — materials suitable for respiratory tract protection but a source of nano- and microplastic particles in the environment
Roupcová, P., Kubátová, H., Bátrlová, K., & Klouda, K. (2022) · Acta Chimica Slovaca · doi:10.2478/acs-2022-0006 · Cited by 4
Recent advancements in microplastics treatments: Characteristics, occurrence, and removal technologies
Das, A. A., Mishra, S. R., Pradhan, P., Nayak, L., Raulo, S., Das, K., Sahoo, M., Sahoo, P. K., Naik, B., Rout, P. R., et al. (2022) · Materials Today Proceedings · doi:10.1016/j.matpr.2022.08.249 · Cited by 4
MICROPLASTICS IN THE FOOD CHAINPreprint
Raj, T. K. P. (2022) · doi:10.1002/essoar.10510214.1 · Cited by 4
Microplastics: research landscape, challenges, and remediationPreprint
Bird, R., Yu, X. M., Cătănescu, O., Gupta, S., Diaz, L. M. L., & Georges, G. (2022) · ChemRxiv · doi:10.26434/chemrxiv-2022-xwv9h · Cited by 5
Synthetic Polymers
Skoglund, R., Roy, R., & Cavender, F. L. (2023) · Patty's Toxicology · doi:10.1002/0471125474.tox088.pub3 · Cited by 4
Genome-wide identification of socs gene in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and response to microplastic exposure
Ma, F., Wang, W., Dong, J., Zhou, X., Lin, Z., Zheng, P., Nian, X., & Dong, L. (2025) · Molecular Biology Reports · doi:10.1007/s11033-025-10601-4 · Cited by 4
Preliminary assessment of microplastic contamination in fish species from Lake Maninjau, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Deswati, D., Rizka, A. F., Putra, Z. A., Fitri, W. E., Suparno, S., & Pardi, H. (2025) · Regional Studies in Marine Science · doi:10.1016/j.rsma.2025.104346 · Cited by 3
Bioplastic microparticles exposure on brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana and the effects on survival, growth and intestinal microbiota composition
Ridzuan, N. A. M., Sathiaseelan, J. J., Waiho, K., Sung, Y. Y., Sui, L., & Bhubalan, K. (2025) · Polymer Degradation and Stability · doi:10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111640 · Cited by 3
Polystyrene Microplastics Induce Insulin Resistance and Glucose Metabolism Disorders in Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) via the Gut Microbiome–Metabolism Axis
Zhang, F., Huang, S., Chen, X., Qin, Z., & Lin, L. (2025) · Fishes · doi:10.3390/fishes10100474 · Cited by 4
“Other studies have also shown that different types of microplastics can induce oxidative stress in various species, including European sea bass [41] and earthworms [42].”
Neurological effects induced by micro- and nanoplastics in fish: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Zanona, Q. K., Gallas‐Lopes, M., Marconi, G. A., Lazzarotto, I. N., Piato, Â., Herrmann, A. P., & Calcagnotto, M. E. (2025) · Journal of Hazardous Materials · doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.140271 · Cited by 4
Ecotoxicological of Emerging Pharmaceuticals on African Catfish ( Clarias gariepinus ): Biomarkers for Neurotoxicity, Immunotoxicity, and Histopathology
Sayed, A. E. H., Hamed, M., Fathy, R. F., El‐Sayed, A. A. A., Abd-Elsamei, W. M., Hana, M. N., & Soliman, H. A. M. (2025) · Aquaculture Research · doi:10.1155/are/8868758 · Cited by 3
A multi-biomarker approach to assess the exposure effects of MPs and/or sodium lauryl sulfate on Clarias Gariepinus
Elsayed, A., Soliman, H. A. M., Ahmed, F., Abdel-Tawab, H. S., & Sayed, A. E. H. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-21773-1 · Cited by 3
“Moreover, because MPs have a strong affinity for hydrophobic chemicals persist in water, they can not only directly harm aquatic organisms, but they can also act as concentrators and transporters of harmful substances 22,26 .”
Revealing microplastic and anthropogenic microparticles contamination in tidal blue carbon ecosystems from eastern Brazil
Zanetti, D. G., Gomes, L. E. D. O., Ma, G., de Araújo, E. N. D., Barizão, A. C. D. L., Batista, A. A., Dipold, J., Wetter, N. U., de Freitas, A. Z., Bom, F. C., et al. (2026) · Marine Pollution Bulletin · doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119221 · Cited by 3
Microplastics contamination in wild populations of freshwater fish Alburnus alburnus from the Danube River: ecological implications and bioindicator potential
Nikolic, M. B., Jakovljević, M. M., Kordić, B. B., Jović, B., Tubić, A., Simović, P. M., & Simić, V. (2026) · Hydrobiologia · doi:10.1007/s10750-026-06139-6 · Cited by 3
“Overall, these findings align with previous research documenting adverse physiological effects of MPs, including reduced feeding efficiency, increased metabolic stress, and impaired energy reserves in fish (Ašmonaitė et al., 2018; Barboza et al., 2018).”
Intensified electrochemical degradation of polystyrene microplastics using a rotating parallel-electrode reactor
Gangadharan, P. G., Deb, A., Das, J., & Mondal, A. (2026) · Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry · doi:10.1016/j.jelechem.2026.120088 · Cited by 3
Human Health Effects of Microplastics in Drinking Water: A Review
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Microplastics toxicity in aquatic animals
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Pyrolysis of Polymeric Materials from Decommissioned Subsea Flowlines: A Review
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Impact of Microplastics on Reproductive and Physiological Aspects of Aquatic Inhabitants
Dhar, M., Jasrotia, R., Langer, S., & Suwartiningsih, N. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-99-1214-8_6 · Cited by 3
Preparation of functionalised heteropolyacid ionic liquids and their application in catalytic degradation of bottle-grade polyester
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Induction of Oxidative Stress by Waterborne Copper and Arsenic in Larvae of European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.): A Comparison with Their Effects as Nanoparticles
Torronteras, R., Díaz-de-Alba, M., Granado-Castro, M. D., Espada-Bellido, E., Córdoba, F., Canalejo, A., & Riaño, M. D. G. (2024) · Toxics · doi:10.3390/toxics12020141 · Cited by 3
“Moreover, it proved to be valuable in monitoring studies and ecotoxicological tests to assess environmental impacts [45–48].”
Background
An important source of terrestrial microplastics‐atmospheric deposition: A microplastics survey based on Shaanxi, China
Wang, X., Ouyang, Z., He, Y., Ding, L., Liang, X., & Guo, X. (2024) · Land Degradation and Development · doi:10.1002/ldr.5128 · Cited by 3
“In the environment, MPs can harm organisms, including the destruction of their visceral tissues and growth inhibition (Barboza et al., 2018; Sussarellu et al., 2016; Zhang et al., 2017).”
Background
Meso- and microplastics in marine environments: An overview
Selvam, S., Muthukumar, P., Prasanna, M. V., Roy, P. D., Chidambaram, S. K. M., Afzal, J. M., Rajkumar, L. V., Priya, K. L., & Ullah, A. (2024) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-90980-8.00012-1 · Cited by 3

Authors: Barboza, L. G. A., Vieira, L. R., Branco, V., Figueiredo, N., Carvalho, F., Carvalho, C., & Guilhermino, L.
Affiliations: Ministry of Education (BR)
Universidade do Porto (PT)
University of Lisbon (PT)
Corresponding author: Barboza, Luís Gabriel Antão
ORCID: Barboza, Luís Gabriel Antão
Vieira, Luís Russo
Branco, Vasco
Figueiredo, Neusa
Carvalho, Cristina
Guilhermino, Lúcia
Venue: Aquatic Toxicology
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2018-02
Volume: 195
Pages: 49-57
ISSN: 0166-445X (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2017.12.008
OpenAlex: W2779948902
Cited by: 766
References: 74
Citations by year: 2026: 72 · 2025: 97 · 2024: 108 · 2023: 109 · 2022: 129 · 2021: 104 · 2020: 85 · 2019: 44 · 2018: 18
FWCI: 18.10
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: hybrid
doi.org
Licence: cc-by-nc-nd
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ (vor)
Locations: Aquatic Toxicology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
European Regional Development Fund
Topics: Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Mercury impact and mitigation studies
Keywords: microplastics, mercury, Dicentrarchus labrax, neurotoxicity, acetylcholinesterase inhibition, lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress, energy metabolism enzymes, lactate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, bioaccumulation, mercury bioaccumulation, heavy metals, marine fish
MeSH terms: Animals, Bass, Biological Assay, Brain, Energy Metabolism, Environmental Monitoring, Humans, Mercury, Plastics, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Biomarkers, Oxidative Stress

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Microplastics cause neurotoxicity, oxidative damage and energy-related changes and interact with the bioaccumulation of mercury in the European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758)

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