Human fertility at risk: microplastics in sperm and ovaries

Spanish researchers have identified different types of plastic in seminal plasma and ovarian follicular fluid.

Human fertility is now facing a new threat: the presence of microplastics in our reproductive fluids. Although the direct effects of this discovery on fertility have not yet been proven, animal studies suggest that these particles could reduce sperm mobility and egg production. Some human research shows that microplastics present in the body are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and could damage DNA, but their long-term consequences on reproduction are still unknown.

Researchers and doctors from the University of Murcia (Spain) and the Next Fertility assisted reproduction clinics recently identified microplastics in the seminal plasma of 55% of men tested and in the follicular fluid of 69% of women followed up in fertility clinics. Up to nine different types of plastic, including polystyrene, PET and Teflon, were found, sometimes at the rate of a few particles per sample, sometimes in more worrying proportions (up to 38 particles of Teflon in one sample).

Microplastics, resulting from the degradation of plastics in our environment, enter our bodies through the air, food or skin, and then circulate in the blood to organs, including the ovaries and testicles. Women undergoing in vitro fertilisation, who receive hormones that increase blood flow to the ovaries, could be more exposed.

According to the specialists, the presence of microplastics in the human body is not surprising, but their real impact on fertility needs to be studied as a matter of urgency, especially against a backdrop of falling birth rates worldwide. The authors insist: ‘Presence does not necessarily mean impact, but further research is essential to understand the potential risks.’

(MH with FL : Source : El Païs - english version - Picture : Unsplash)