RT Journal Article
T1 Are microplastics contributing to pollution-induced neurotoxicity? : a pilot study with wild fish in a real scenario
A1 Barboza, Luis Gabriel A.
A1 Otero Pérez, Xosé Lois
A1 Fernández, Ezequiel V.
A1 Vieira, Luís R.
A1 Fernandes, José O.
A1 Cunha, Sara C.
A1 Guilhermino, Lúcia
K1 Microplastics
K1 Brain
K1 Neurotoxicity
K1 Wild fish
K1 AChE activity
K1 One health
AB Pollution-induced neurotoxicity is of high concern. This pilot study investigated the potential relationship between the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the brain of 180 wild fish (Dicentrarchus labrax, Platichthys flesus, Mugil cephalus) from a contaminated estuary and the activity of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. MPs were found in 9 samples (5% of the total), all of them from D. labrax collected in the summer, which represents 45% of the samples of this species collected in that season (20). Seventeen MPs were recovered from brain samples, with sizes ranging from 8 to 96 μm. Polyacrylamide, polyacrylic acid and one biopolymer (zein) were identified by Micro-Raman spectroscopy. Fish with MPs showed lower (p ≤ 0.05) AChE activity than those where MPs were not found. These findings point to the contribution of MPs to the neurotoxicity induced by long-term exposure to pollution, stressing the need of further studies on the topic to increase 'One Health' protection.
PB Elsevier
SN 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13070
YR 2023
FD 2023-01-20
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/39351
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/39351
LA eng
DS Minerva
RD 24 abr 2026