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Fishes
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Toxicology of Anthropogenic Pollutants on Fish
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Toxicology of Anthropogenic Pollutants on Fish

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Environment and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 November 2025 | Viewed by 6073

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Zhongdian Dong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
2. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
Interests: environmental endocrine disruptors (EDCs); aquatic toxicology; marine ecological environment; physiology of fish reproduction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As the impacts of human-induced pollution on aquatic ecosystems grow increasingly severe, there is an urgent need to understand the toxicological effects on fish species. We invite researchers from diverse fields, including ecology, environmental science, and toxicology, to contribute to our Special Issue dedicated to exploring the intricate relationships between anthropogenic pollutants and their effects on fish. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the physiological impacts of chemicals, microplastics, and trace elements on fish; the use of fish as bioindicators for pollution monitoring; and strategies for mitigating pollution and protecting aquatic ecosystems. Your insights, experimental reports, case studies, and research findings will be crucial in advancing our understanding of this critical issue and fostering effective conservation measures. We look forward to your contributions to this timely and important Special Issue.

Dr. Zhongdian Dong
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • anthropogenic pollutants
  • fish toxicology
  • aquatic ecosystems
  • organic pollutants
  • microplastics
  • trace elements
  • environmental protection

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1471 KB  
Article
Fish Alone Are Not Enough: Zoobenthos Improves Water Quality Assessment in Impacted Rivers
by Ionuț Stoica, Karina P. Battes, Anca-Mihaela Șuteu Ciorca and Mirela Cîmpean
Fishes 2025, 10(9), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10090467 - 19 Sep 2025
Viewed by 505
Abstract
This study examines fish communities in the heavily impacted Bistrița River, located in the Eastern Carpathians of Romania, where diffuse pollution from mining, domestic wastewater, agricultural and forestry activities emerged as the most severe pressures. Fish sampling was conducted at twenty sites across [...] Read more.
This study examines fish communities in the heavily impacted Bistrița River, located in the Eastern Carpathians of Romania, where diffuse pollution from mining, domestic wastewater, agricultural and forestry activities emerged as the most severe pressures. Fish sampling was conducted at twenty sites across two Natura 2000 protected areas. Results showed that species richness and diversity were higher downstream (Z1–Z5), indicating improved ecological conditions compared to the upstream section (B1–B15). The fish-based Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) suggested overall good biological integrity, with excellent conditions (class I) recorded in 70% of sites. Redundancy analysis (RDA) further revealed that elevation and conductivity significantly shaped community structure, while the site-specific impact score had only marginal effects. To assess water quality and biotic integrity based on different communities, as required by the Water Framework Directive (WFD), five sites were selected for parallel sampling of diatoms and benthic invertebrates. Among these, zoobenthos proved the most sensitive to water quality degradation, with biotic indices indicating classes I to III. These findings demonstrate that assessments based solely on fish may underestimate ecological impacts, underscoring the need for complementary approaches that account for multiple biotic communities when monitoring riverine ecosystem health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology of Anthropogenic Pollutants on Fish)
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19 pages, 1137 KB  
Article
Biomarker-Based Assessment of Four Native Fish Species in the Danube River Under Untreated Wastewater Exposure
by Karolina Sunjog, Srđan Subotić, Jovana Kostić, Nebojša Jasnić, Branka Vuković-Gačić, Mirjana Lenhardt and Željka Višnjić-Jeftić
Fishes 2025, 10(9), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10090445 - 3 Sep 2025
Viewed by 813
Abstract
This study assessed the impact of untreated wastewater discharge in the Danube River on four native fish species: barbel (Barbus barbus), vimba bream (Vimba vimba), perch (Perca fluviatilis), and white bream (Blicca bjoerkna). Biomarkers of [...] Read more.
This study assessed the impact of untreated wastewater discharge in the Danube River on four native fish species: barbel (Barbus barbus), vimba bream (Vimba vimba), perch (Perca fluviatilis), and white bream (Blicca bjoerkna). Biomarkers of exposure and effect were evaluated, including metal and metalloid bioaccumulation in gills, liver, and gonads, DNA damage (comet assay), chromosomal abnormalities (micronucleus assay), liver enzyme activities (ALT, AST), and erythrocyte maturation. White bream showed the highest genotoxic damage (TI% = 22.57), particularly in liver tissue, indicating high sensitivity to pollution. Perch had elevated DNA damage in blood (TI% = 22.69) and strong biomarker responses, likely due to its predatory behavior. Barbel displayed notable DNA damage in gills (TI% = 30.67) and liver (TI% = 20.35), aligning with sediment exposure due to its benthic habits. Vimba bream had the lowest responses, possibly reflecting reduced exposure or resilience. Element accumulation varied across tissues and species, with perch showing the highest overall levels. Hepatic enzyme activities (highest values: ALT = 105.69 in barbel; AST = 91.25 in white bream) and changes in erythrocyte profiles supported evidence of physiological stress. Integrated Biomarker Response (IBR) analysis identified white bream as the most sensitive species, followed by perch and barbel. These results emphasize the value of multi-species biomonitoring and the importance of species-specific traits in freshwater ecotoxicology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology of Anthropogenic Pollutants on Fish)
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21 pages, 2588 KB  
Article
Trace Metal Contamination in Commercial Fish from the Ecuadorian Amazon: Preliminary Health Risk Assessment in a Local Market
by Gabriela Elena Echevarría Díaz, Fernando Rafael Sánchez Orellana, Rafael Enrique Yunda Vega, Jonathan Santiago Valdiviezo-Rivera and Blanca Patricia Ríos-Touma
Fishes 2025, 10(8), 392; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10080392 - 7 Aug 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1553
Abstract
Trace metal pollution in tropical freshwater ecosystems poses growing public health concerns, particularly in regions where fisheries are central to food security; however, little is known about metal exposure risks in the Western Amazon. This study presents the first assessment of trace metal [...] Read more.
Trace metal pollution in tropical freshwater ecosystems poses growing public health concerns, particularly in regions where fisheries are central to food security; however, little is known about metal exposure risks in the Western Amazon. This study presents the first assessment of trace metal concentrations in fish sold at the main market in El Coca, a rapidly growing city in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We analyzed 11 trace metals in 17 commercially important species and estimated seven health risk indices based on two fish consumption scenarios and international reference dose standards. Our results show that all species exceeded recommended thresholds for arsenic, mercury, and lead, while one species surpassed guidelines for aluminum. Metal concentrations varied by species and river of origin: small catfish from the Payamino River had elevated cadmium, chromium, copper, and manganese levels, potentially linked to upstream gold mining, whereas larger catfish showed higher mercury and arsenic accumulation. Monte Carlo simulations of risk indices suggested overall some disease risk, but the lack of local demographic data limits accurate assessments for vulnerable groups. Despite sampling limitations, our findings offer the first baseline for monitoring trace metal exposure in the northern Ecuadorian Amazon and underscore the need for targeted public health strategies in this understudied region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology of Anthropogenic Pollutants on Fish)
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17 pages, 5231 KB  
Article
Environmentally Relevant Sulfamethoxazole Induces Developmental Toxicity in Embryo-Larva of Marine Medaka (Oryzias melastigma)
by Jianxuan Huang, Lei Ye, Siyi Huang, Zuchun Chen, Jiahao Gao, Yangmei Li, Yusong Guo, Zhongduo Wang, Jian Liao, Zhongdian Dong and Ning Zhang
Fishes 2025, 10(3), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10030120 - 8 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1206
Abstract
Sulfamethoxazole (SMX), a commonly used sulfonamide antibiotic, poses a threat to aquatic life due to its widespread presence in the environment. This study aims to investigate the specific effects of SMX on the development of marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) embryos and [...] Read more.
Sulfamethoxazole (SMX), a commonly used sulfonamide antibiotic, poses a threat to aquatic life due to its widespread presence in the environment. This study aims to investigate the specific effects of SMX on the development of marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) embryos and larvae. Marine medaka embryos were exposed to SMX at concentrations of 0 (solvent control group, SC group), 1 μg/L (low concentration group, L group), 60 μg/L (middle concentration group, M group), and 1000 μg/L (high concentration group, H group). The results indicated that SMX exposure significantly accelerated the heart rate of embryos (p < 0.0001) and shortened the hatching time while also causing anomalies such as reduced pigmentation, smaller eye size, spinal curvature, and yolk sac edema. SMX also led to a decrease in the total length of the larvae. The M group and the H group exhibited a significant increase (p < 0.05) in lipid accumulation in the visceral mass of the larvae. In the L group and the M group, there was a significant increase (p < 0.0001) in the swimming distance of the larvae. At the molecular level, SMX exposure affected the transcript levels of the genes involved in the cardiovascular system (ahrra, arnt2, atp2a1, and cacan1da), antioxidant and inflammatory systems (cat, cox-1, gpx, pparα, pparβ, and pparγ), nervous system (gap43, gfap, α-tubulin), intestinal barrier function (claudin-1), detoxification enzymes (ugt2c1-like), and lipid metabolism (rxraa) in the embryos to larval stage. The microbiome analysis showed that at the phylum level, exposure to SMX resulted in an increase in the abundance of Proteobacteria. Additionally, the abundance of Actinobacteriota significantly increased in the L group (p < 0.05). At the genus level, the abundance of Bifidobacterium significantly increased in the L group (p < 0.05), while the abundance of Vibrio significantly increased in the H group (p < 0.05). The alpha diversity analysis revealed a significant decrease in the Chao1 index in the L and H groups, indicating a reduction in microbial richness. The beta diversity analysis showed differences in the microbial communities of marine medaka larvae among different SMX exposure groups. This study elucidates the negative impacts of SMX on the development of marine medaka embryos and larvae and their microbial composition, providing a scientific basis for assessing the risks of SMX in marine ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology of Anthropogenic Pollutants on Fish)
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13 pages, 4580 KB  
Article
Transcriptome Analysis of the Effect of Acute Ammonia Stress on Pseudobagrus ussuriensis Liver Tissue
by Shun Shi, Xiaohui Sun, Chunnuan Zhang, Chenran Lv, Yajuan Liu, Juan Du and Qian Qi
Fishes 2025, 10(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10010017 - 2 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1160
Abstract
Excess ammonia can damage the growth and development of fish. Pseudobagrus ussuriensis is a scaleless fish with important economic value that is more sensitive to ammonia stress. In this study, P. ussuriensis was explored using different ammonia concentrations [control (0 mg/L), CL; low [...] Read more.
Excess ammonia can damage the growth and development of fish. Pseudobagrus ussuriensis is a scaleless fish with important economic value that is more sensitive to ammonia stress. In this study, P. ussuriensis was explored using different ammonia concentrations [control (0 mg/L), CL; low stress (10 mg/L), T1L; and high stress (50 mg/L), T2L] for 48 h. Compared to the control group, the liver cells in the T1L group showed slight damage, while the T2L group was severely damaged, with the cells being loosely arranged, with nuclei lysis and cell vacuolization. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione in the T1L and T2L groups were significantly lower than those in the CL group (p < 0.05), and the malondialdehyde reached the maximum at 48 h. Furthermore, 9301 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (4583 upregulated and 4718 downregulated) were detected by transcriptome sequencing. Most DEGs were highly enriched in cellular processes (GO:0009987) and cell parts (GO:0044464). Especially, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) signaling pathway had the maximum quantity of DEGs in all the three groups. In-depth analysis revealed the stress caused multiple substitutions of SNP sites in pik3ca and kras, blocking the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to prevent cancer cell proliferation and spread, accelerating the apoptosis of damaged cells. These results suggest that ammonia stress induces liver damage in P. ussuriensis, causing genetic mutations and cellular carcinogenesis, thereby accelerating cell apoptosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicology of Anthropogenic Pollutants on Fish)
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