• About Us
  • Faculty
  • News
  • Events
  • Students@SAS
  • Career Development Centre
  • Divisions
    • Biological and Life Sciences
    • Humanities And Languages
    • Mathematical and Physical Sciences
    • Performing and Visual Arts
    • Social Sciences
  • Academics
    • Programmes
      • Undergraduate Programmes
      • Graduate Programmes
        • Doctoral Programmes
  • Admission
    • Undergraduate Admission
    • Graduate Admission
      • Doctoral Admissions
  • Research
  • About Us
  • Faculty
  • News
  • Events
  • Students@SAS
  • Career Development Centre
  • Divisions
    Biological and Life Sciences Humanities And Languages Mathematical and Physical Sciences Performing and Visual Arts Social Sciences
  • Academics
    Programmes
  • Admission
    Undergraduate Admission Graduate Admission
  • Research

3 December 2024

Weathered Microplastics Increase Zebrafish Larvae Mortality by 82 per cent

Zebrafish Larvae

A study on the toxic effects of microplastics (MPs) under environmentally realistic conditions, particularly focusing on their impact on zebrafish larvae, revealed that weathered MPs are significantly more harmful than virgin MPs, with up to 82% mortality compared to 20% in virgin MPs.

Investigation revealed that solid microplastics (MPs) at environmentally relevant levels can cause adverse effects and impede the developmental progression of zebrafish. The predominant morphological abnormalities observed across all microplastic treatment conditions were spinal and tail defects. These abnormalities resulted in abnormal development, impaired swimming ability, and ultimately, premature mortality within 5-6 days post-fertilisation.

The study also revealed DNA damage, indicated by alterations in gene expression associated with DNA repair mechanisms. When oxidative stress responses and intrinsic repair mechanisms were faltered, zebrafish larvae underwent programmed cell death (apoptosis), disrupting critical repair pathways like Homologous Recombination (HR) and Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ). Additionally, the study found that weathering processes can increase the toxicity of microplastics by enhancing pollutant adsorption and leaching of additives. These findings emphasise the need to consider the environmental impact of microplastics and develop strategies to mitigate their harmful effects on aquatic ecosystems.

The findings were part of a research paper, "Impact of Virgin and Weathered Microplastics on Zebrafish: Bioaccumulation, Developmental Toxicity, and Molecular Pathway Disruptions," co-authored by our PhD scholar Abdulkhalik Mansuri, alumna Charvi Trivedi, Integrated MS Class of 2024, and Professor Ashutosh Kumar. It has been published in the Science of the Total Environment, an international multidisciplinary natural science journal.

Related News

Aditi Patel ISEV Scholarship

Ahmedabad Research Scholar’s Study on Oral Cancer wins ISEV Scholarship

Approach to Astrophysics

An Experiential Approach to Astrophysics: Students Build a Radio Telescope to Study the Milky Way

Dhruvi Pandit

Dhruvi Pandit, Integrated MS Class of 2024, Joins UC Irvine to Study Biotechnology Management

School of Arts and Sciences

Ahmedabad University 
Central Campus 
Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380009
Gujarat, India

[email protected]
+91.79.61911502

  • About Ahmedabad
  • Our Purpose
  • Programmes
  • Admission
  • Research
  • News
  • People
  • Careers
  • Contact

Auris

COPYRIGHT AHMEDABAD UNIVERSITY 2025

CONNECT WITH US

Download Brochure

Please enter information in the form below. The download will start automatically on submission of the form.

Download Brochure

Please enter information in the form below. The download will start automatically on submission of the form.