2023/04/04 by Mark I. McCormick, M I McCormick, Eric P. Fakan +17 · 1 citation
Environmental Science · Materials Science · #Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals #Microplastics and Plastic Pollution #biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsad049
openalex publication_date 2023/04/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Abstract This study experimentally explored the influence of periodic consumption of polystyrene (PS) microplastic fragments on the body condition and fitness of a tropical marine fish. Adult damselfish, Acanthochromis polyacanthus, were pulse fed microplastic fragments bound with one of two different common plasticizers [di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-2-ethylhexyl terephthalate (DEHT)] together with virgin-plastic and no-plastic controls. Ingestion of plastic over a 150d period had no detectable effect on growth, indices of body condition, or gonadosomatic indices. Histology of the liver showed no detrimental effects of ingesting any of the plastic treatments on hepatocyte density or vacuolation. Plastic consumption had no effect on the number of clutches produced over the breeding period, the number of eggs, or the survival of embryos. It is believed that the relatively inert nature of PS, the low amount of plasticizers leached from the fragments and fast gut through-put times meant fish were exposed to low levels of toxic compounds.