Ingested plastic transfers hazardous chemicals to fish and induces 
hepatic stress
Chelsea M. Rochman, Eunha Hoh, Tomofumi Kurobe & Swee J. Teh
Scientific Reports 3, doi:10.1038/srep03263

Plastic debris litters aquatic habitats globally, the majority of which 
is microscopic (< 1 mm), and is ingested by a large range of species. 
Risks associated with such small fragments come from the material itself 
and from chemical pollutants that sorb to it from surrounding water. 
Hazards associated with the complex mixture of plastic and accumulated 
pollutants are largely unknown. Here, we show that fish, exposed to a 
mixture of polyethylene with chemical pollutants sorbed from the marine 
environment, bioaccumulate these chemical pollutants and suffer liver 
toxicity and pathology. Fish fed virgin polyethylene fragments also show 
signs of stress, although less severe than fish fed marine polyethylene 
fragments. We provide baseline information regarding the bioaccumulation 
of chemicals and associated health effects from plastic ingestion in 
fish and demonstrate that future assessments should consider the complex 
mixture of the plastic material and their associated chemical pollutants.

http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/131121/srep03263/pdf/srep03263.pdf