Investigations of hemato-biochemical and histopathological parameters, and growth performance of walking catfish (Clarias batrachus) exposed to PET and LDPE microplastics.

Fish inhabiting various trophic levels are affected differently as the presence of microplastic (MP) in the water column and their ingestion by fish varies. Walking catfish (Clarias batrachus) inhabits the bottom of the water bodies. To understand the effects of MP, we exposed C. batrachus to two types of MP - polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) for 60 days. After exposure, hematological indices, mainly red blood cells and hemoglobin levels decreased, and white blood cells increased significantly compared to the control group (p < 0.05). A significant increase in the levels of blood urea and glucose was observed, and serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase and serum glutamyl oxaloacetic transaminase activity remained elevated (p < 0.05). Histopathological examination of the liver, kidney, intestine, and gills showed morphological alterations. Moreover, MP exposure caused growth retardation (p < 0.05) in C. batrachus. Widespread pollution of water bodies by MP may impose serious ecological risks to bottom-feeding fish in Bangladesh.