ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Aquac.
Sec. Disease and Health Management
Ecotoxicological Effects of Low-Density Polyethylene Microplastic on Heteropneustes fossilis: Behavioral, Hematological, Biochemical, and Histopathological Impacts
ROHIT KUMAR GAUTAM 1
Mahender Singh 2
BULBUL ALI 1
NEELAM SHARMA 1
Ashish Sahu 2
Abha Mishra 1
1. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
2. ICAR - National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, India
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Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) ingestion has been demonstrated in several living organisms, indicating the widespread dispersion of these tiny particles throughout aquatic ecosystems. In the present study, we elucidate the concentration-dependent ecotoxicological effects of low-density polyethylene microplastics (LDPE MPs) on the commercially important freshwater fish Heteropneustes fossilis. Experimental set up [one control and different concentration (100, 500, 1000 µg/L) of LDPE MPs exposed groups] had six fish per group for seven days duration. Exposed fish specimens showed several changes, such as behavioral, hematological (direct, indirect parameters), biochemical (glycogen, lipid, and protein), antioxidant stress enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT; peroxidase, POD; and lipid peroxidation, LPO), and histopathological changes in major vital organs compared to the control experimental group. A comparatively higher concentration was observed in the presence of LDPE-MPs than in the control. The hematological indices (RBC counts, Hb, Hct, and MCHC) showed a significant decline after exposure to MPs. The biochemical changes were tissue-specific, following the order: Muscle > Gill > Intestine > Brain > Kidney > Liver. Histopathological damage was recorded as maximum in the gills, followed by the intestine, stomach, liver, and kidney. The least damage was in the brain. The antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and POD) showed a decline, whereas LPO levels increased at higher MPs concentrations, indicating oxidative stress compared to the control group. The results of this study demonstrate that LDPE MPs exert adverse effects on target organs and significantly alter the immune response in MPs exposed experimental fish (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the results of the present study confirm that exposure to LDPE MPs elicits adverse effects in H. fossilis.
Summary
Keywords
and histopathology, Antioxidant Enzymes, Behavioral changes, biomolecules, Hematology, LDPE MPs
Received
19 December 2025
Accepted
17 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 GAUTAM, Singh, ALI, SHARMA, Sahu and Mishra. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Abha Mishra
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