The study investigates the bioaccumulation of hazardous chemicals in fish and the resulting hepatic stress from ingesting plastic debris. Researchers exposed Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) to a mixture of polyethylene (PE) with chemical pollutants sorbed from marine environments. The fish fed virgin PE fragments showed signs of stress, while those fed marine PE fragments exhibited more severe liver toxicity and pathology. The study found that fish exposed to marine-plastic had significantly higher concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) compared to those fed virgin plastic or a control diet. Histopathological analysis revealed severe glycogen depletion, fatty vacuolation, and single-cell necrosis in the livers of fish exposed to marine-plastic. The findings suggest that plastic debris serves as a vector for the bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in wildlife, highlighting the need for further research on the complex mixture of plastic and associated chemical pollutants in aquatic habitats.The study investigates the bioaccumulation of hazardous chemicals in fish and the resulting hepatic stress from ingesting plastic debris. Researchers exposed Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) to a mixture of polyethylene (PE) with chemical pollutants sorbed from marine environments. The fish fed virgin PE fragments showed signs of stress, while those fed marine PE fragments exhibited more severe liver toxicity and pathology. The study found that fish exposed to marine-plastic had significantly higher concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) compared to those fed virgin plastic or a control diet. Histopathological analysis revealed severe glycogen depletion, fatty vacuolation, and single-cell necrosis in the livers of fish exposed to marine-plastic. The findings suggest that plastic debris serves as a vector for the bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in wildlife, highlighting the need for further research on the complex mixture of plastic and associated chemical pollutants in aquatic habitats.