Study Reveals Microplastics Found in Human Reproductive Fluids

A recent study has disclosed an alarming truth about microplastics. Know how these particles are posing a threat to human reproductive health.

Microplastics continue to be one of the greatest risks to our health; they are not only the ones that are affecting the climate but also humans. They are almost everywhere, be it in the air that we breathe, in the water where the marine life exists, and we cannot neglect the food that we eat, from packaging to Ingredients, they are found at every stage.

But what makes it a greater concern than ever is the fact that in one of the findings by the scientists, it has been noted that these health-threatening particles have now entered the living tissue of human beings. In a shocking discovery, scientists have discovered microplastics in human reproductive fluids and which makes it a big concern.

In one of the research studies that were presented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) scientists have pulled back the curtain on an alarming truth of the presence of microplastics in human reproductive fluids.

The discovery that has been made recently has now raised fresh concerns about the potential risks of microplastics to human fertility and reproductive health at large.

Understanding microplastics

Microplastics are known to be the tiny plastic fragments that are less than 5 millimetres in size. They are widely present in the environment due to the spread of such plastics that occur as a result of the breakdown of larger plastic items or are intentionally manufactured at that size.

What Did The Researchers Find

In the research that was made to check the involvement of microplastics in a human's living tissue, the researchers chose to analyze the follicular fluid, the samples of which were taken from 29 women and the sample me of the seminal fluid were taken from 22 men, both of the samples helped in the process of the research and played a crucial as they are involved in natural conception and assisted reproduction.

The concluded results from the research came out to be extremely alarming. They discovered from the samples that the reproductive fluids had a variety of commonly used microplastic polymers, and that included polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polystyrene (PS), polyethene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), and polyurethane (PU).

The scientists also discovered that the presence of these microplastics could be seen in 69% of the follicular fluid samples, out of which PTFE was the most commonly found polymer, which was present in 31% of the samples. This alarming number was followed by PP (28%), PET (17%), PA (14%), polyethene (PE) (10%), PU (10%) and PS (7%) were the least occurring polymers in the samples.

On the other hand, the scientists discovered microplastics in almost 55% of the seminal fluid samples that were collected from men. In the samples, it was discovered that out of all the polymers, the PTFE was the most prevalent and could be spotted in almost 41% of the samples apart from this there were other polymers too that included PS (14%), PET (9%), PA (5%), and PU (5%) were the least occurring polymers.

The Experts' Call On The Matter

\"Previous studies had already shown that microplastics can be found in various human organs. As a result, we weren't entirely surprised to find microplastics in fluids of the human reproductive system, but we were struck by how common they were - found in 69% of the women and 55% of the men we studied,\" the head researcher of the study, Dr. Emilio Gomez-Sanchez commented on the findings.

Microplastics are considered to be one of the most serious threats to the environment and even to the public. Even though the scientists have yet to find the presence of such health-threatening plastics in human reproductive fluids, there is still a looming possibility of the same. The clear indications of how these microplastics are a threat to human reproductive fertility are yet to be understood, though it can be noted that there is a high possibility of it being a challenge to human reproductive health.

\"What we know from animal studies is that in the tissues where microplastics accumulate, they can induce inflammation, free radical formation, DNA damage, cellular senescence, and endocrine disruptions. It's possible they could impair egg or sperm quality in humans, but we don't yet have enough evidence to confirm that,\" Dr. Gomez-Sanchez commented further.

The researchers are looking to further elaborate on the study and collect all the parallel data that can help supplement the research further, like lifestyle and other attributes. The further study aims to understand the relationship between the presence of microplastics and oocyte and sperm quality.

TRENDING NOW

Dr. Gomez-Sanchez clarified in a statement that fertility is something that is determined but many parallel habits and factors. This should not concern the people who want to be convinced. Microplastics are just one of many elements that may play a role in fertility. \"However, it is sensible to consider ways of reducing our exposure to them. Simple steps, such as using glass containers to store and heat food, or limiting the amount of water we consume from plastic bottles, can help minimise our intake,\" he said.