Perspectives on the impact of microplastics (MPs) on fish of the Amazon that exhibit air-breathing and aquatic surface respiration

Abstract Fish in the Amazon basin have adapted to bouts of low water O2 and high CO2, with many species evolving air-breathing or aquatic surface respiration mechanisms to supplement respiratory gas exchange. While concurrently coping with greater instances of hypoxic and hypercarbic stress, fish in...

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Main Authors: LAUREN ZINK, ADALBERTO L. VAL, CHRIS M. WOOD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Academia Brasileira de Ciências 2025-07-01
Series:Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0001-37652025001201302&lng=en&tlng=en
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author LAUREN ZINK
ADALBERTO L. VAL
CHRIS M. WOOD
author_facet LAUREN ZINK
ADALBERTO L. VAL
CHRIS M. WOOD
author_sort LAUREN ZINK
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Fish in the Amazon basin have adapted to bouts of low water O2 and high CO2, with many species evolving air-breathing or aquatic surface respiration mechanisms to supplement respiratory gas exchange. While concurrently coping with greater instances of hypoxic and hypercarbic stress, fish in the Amazon are also facing microplastic pollution. Assessments of the Amazon basin reveal some of the highest microplastic concentrations globally. In this article, we highlight instances in which the evolution of air-breathing and aquatic surface respiration may make fish of the Amazon particularly susceptible to the effects of microplastic pollution. We consider these effects as they relate to gill morphology, specialized air-breathing organs, ion transport processes, aquatic surface respiration, and oxidative stress. Finally, we relate our perspectives with the recently published Executive Summary of the Status of Water Quality in the Amazon Basin to highlight the importance of considering microplastics alongside other pollutants threatening the ecological, economical, and cultural values of the Amazon.
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publisher Academia Brasileira de Ciências
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spelling doaj-art-9c8169e5d96a417796990b210c3e92d52025-08-20T02:41:35ZengAcademia Brasileira de CiênciasAnais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências1678-26902025-07-0197suppl 310.1590/0001-3765202520250254Perspectives on the impact of microplastics (MPs) on fish of the Amazon that exhibit air-breathing and aquatic surface respirationLAUREN ZINKhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1083-9136ADALBERTO L. VALhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3823-3868CHRIS M. WOODhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9542-2219Abstract Fish in the Amazon basin have adapted to bouts of low water O2 and high CO2, with many species evolving air-breathing or aquatic surface respiration mechanisms to supplement respiratory gas exchange. While concurrently coping with greater instances of hypoxic and hypercarbic stress, fish in the Amazon are also facing microplastic pollution. Assessments of the Amazon basin reveal some of the highest microplastic concentrations globally. In this article, we highlight instances in which the evolution of air-breathing and aquatic surface respiration may make fish of the Amazon particularly susceptible to the effects of microplastic pollution. We consider these effects as they relate to gill morphology, specialized air-breathing organs, ion transport processes, aquatic surface respiration, and oxidative stress. Finally, we relate our perspectives with the recently published Executive Summary of the Status of Water Quality in the Amazon Basin to highlight the importance of considering microplastics alongside other pollutants threatening the ecological, economical, and cultural values of the Amazon.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0001-37652025001201302&lng=en&tlng=enArapaima gigasBodoHoplerthrynus unitaneniatusColossoma macropomum
spellingShingle LAUREN ZINK
ADALBERTO L. VAL
CHRIS M. WOOD
Perspectives on the impact of microplastics (MPs) on fish of the Amazon that exhibit air-breathing and aquatic surface respiration
Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Arapaima gigas
Bodo
Hoplerthrynus unitaneniatus
Colossoma macropomum
title Perspectives on the impact of microplastics (MPs) on fish of the Amazon that exhibit air-breathing and aquatic surface respiration
title_full Perspectives on the impact of microplastics (MPs) on fish of the Amazon that exhibit air-breathing and aquatic surface respiration
title_fullStr Perspectives on the impact of microplastics (MPs) on fish of the Amazon that exhibit air-breathing and aquatic surface respiration
title_full_unstemmed Perspectives on the impact of microplastics (MPs) on fish of the Amazon that exhibit air-breathing and aquatic surface respiration
title_short Perspectives on the impact of microplastics (MPs) on fish of the Amazon that exhibit air-breathing and aquatic surface respiration
title_sort perspectives on the impact of microplastics mps on fish of the amazon that exhibit air breathing and aquatic surface respiration
topic Arapaima gigas
Bodo
Hoplerthrynus unitaneniatus
Colossoma macropomum
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0001-37652025001201302&lng=en&tlng=en
work_keys_str_mv AT laurenzink perspectivesontheimpactofmicroplasticsmpsonfishoftheamazonthatexhibitairbreathingandaquaticsurfacerespiration
AT adalbertolval perspectivesontheimpactofmicroplasticsmpsonfishoftheamazonthatexhibitairbreathingandaquaticsurfacerespiration
AT chrismwood perspectivesontheimpactofmicroplasticsmpsonfishoftheamazonthatexhibitairbreathingandaquaticsurfacerespiration