# Neurophysiological and Behavioral Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Organisms

## TL;DR

Tiny plastic particles are harming aquatic animals' brains and behavior, threatening ecosystems, and urgent action is needed to reduce plastic pollution.

## Contribution

This review highlights the neurotoxic effects of micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic organisms and emphasizes the need for research and mitigation strategies.

## Key findings

- Micro- and nanoplastics can cross the blood–brain barrier and cause oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in aquatic organisms.
- Exposure to plastic particles disrupts neurotransmitter signaling and leads to altered behaviors like feeding and predator avoidance.
- Freshwater environments may contain as much or more plastic pollution as oceans, with significant risks to ecosystem stability.

## Abstract

The widespread use of plastics has led to growing pollution in the environment, especially in the aquatic ecosystem. Tiny plastic pieces called microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics now contaminate rivers, lakes, and oceans around the world. These particles come from products like cosmetics, clothing fibers, and the breakdown of larger plastic waste. Freshwater environments may contain as much, or even more, plastic pollution than oceans. Because these plastic particles are so small, animals can accumulate them in their bodies. Once inside, the particles can move into organs, including the brain. Research shows that microplastics and nanoplastics can harm aquatic animals by causing stress and inflammation in brain and nervous tissue, interfering with normal nerve signaling. These effects may change how animals move, eat, avoid predators, and interact with each other. Such behavioral and neurological changes can disrupt food webs and threaten the health of entire ecosystems. This review summarizes current research on how plastic pollution affects the nervous systems of aquatic organisms and highlights the urgent need for more research and efforts to reduce plastic pollution in the environment.

Industrialization has caused extensive environmental change, including a global surge in plastic production and pollution. This has resulted in the accumulation of microplastics (MPs; <5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs; <1 μm) in ecosystems worldwide. MPs originate from both primary sources, such as cosmetics and industrial applications, and secondary sources, through the degradation of larger plastic debris. As a result, MPs and NPs have become ubiquitous contaminants, posing significant toxicological risks to living organisms. These persistent pollutants are diverse polymers that vary in size, shape, and chemical composition, making their impacts on organism physiology complex and difficult to disentangle. Plastic pollution is particularly severe in aquatic environments, where particles accumulate from terrestrial sources such as urban dust, agricultural runoff, industrial discharges, and wastewater effluents. Although most research has centered on marine ecosystems, emerging evidence indicates that freshwater environments may contain comparable or even higher concentrations of MPs. Once inside the body, MPs can translocate into tissues and exert toxic effects on multiple organ systems. Collectively, plastic pollution poses not only physiological but also neurological and behavioral risks to aquatic life, with potential consequences for ecosystem stability and trophic interactions. Both MPs and NPs are sufficiently small to cross the blood–brain barrier, raising concerns about their potential impacts on the nervous system by interfering with neuronal function and brain development. Plastic particles can accumulate in neural tissues, inducing oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and disruption of neurotransmitter signaling. Such neurotoxic effects are linked to altered locomotion, feeding, predator avoidance, and social behaviors across multiple species. This review examines current evidence on the neurotoxic effects of plastic pollution in aquatic organisms and underscores the urgent need for further research and action to mitigate its impact. In light of escalating plastic production and inadequate waste management, the growing evidence that MPs and NPs disrupt aquatic nervous systems, behavior, and ecosystem stability underscores an urgent need for intensified research, improved mitigation strategies, particularly for nanoplastics, and the accelerated development of truly safe and sustainable alternatives.