Aquaculture Sciences

Aquaculture Sciences

Investigation of the effects of polystyrene micro and nanoplastics on growth and hematological indices of stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
2 International Sturgeon Research Institute, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute (IFSRI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Rasht, Iran.
3 Department of Resin and Additives, Institute for Color Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
The widespread presence of micro- and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) in aquatic ecosystems has raised great concerns about their potential effects on aquatic organisms. However, the effects of MPs/NPs on fish remain controversial and there is no comprehensive understanding of how they affect them based on experimental designs. In this study, stellate sturgeon fish with an average weight of 131±5.47 g were exposed to three sizes of microplastics (with an average size of 1-10 μm) and nanoplastics (with average sizes of 100-200 and 50-100 nm) along with a control group. After 45 days and at the end of the experimental period, with the decrease in plastic size from micro to nano, growth indices including final weight loss and feed conversion ratio showed significant increases among treatments and also compared to the control group (P<0.05), but no significant difference was observed in survival index (P≥0.05). In blood indices, a significant difference was recorded in the number of red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HB), hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and neutrophils (P<0.05). Overall, according to the results of this study, the addition of microplastics caused a decrease in growth indices, including final weight, compared to the control group in stellate sturgeon fish, while the addition of nanoplastics in sizes of 100-200 and 50-100 nm caused more noticeable changes in both growth indices and blood indices of fish, and comprehensive studies are needed on the shape, size, and additives released from micro and nanoplastics.
Keywords

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