Toxic Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics and Sulfamethoxazole on Early Neurodevelopment in Embryo-Larval Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

ABSTRACT: Microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics have emerged as contaminants of global concern, posing potential threats to ecosystem security and organismal health. To investigate the individual and combined toxicity of microplastics (PS-MPs) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX), we conducted a 120 h acute exposure experiment using embryo-larval zebrafish as a toxicological model. Our findings demonstrate that both PS-MPs and SMX can induce neurodevelopmental toxicity in embryo-larval zebrafish during embryonic development. Notably, PS-MPs and SMX exerted a significant synergistic effect. PS-MPs 1 µm in diameter were restricted to the chorion surface of pre-hatching zebrafish, whereas post-hatching, PS-MPs accumulated mainly in the gut and gills, with accumulation levels increasing progressively with exposure

SUBMITTER: Meng F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12845721 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature