Microplastics are now present practically everywhere on Earth, from the Mariana Trench’s depths to the top of Everest.
Now, it turns out even our most intimate moments can’t escape their blight.
Scientists have found microplastics are ‘common’ in both male and female reproductive fluids.
Additionally, they cautioned that the quality of the sperm and eggs may be compromised, which might have consequences for reproduction.
The team studied follicular fluid – seen within the ovaries – from 29 women and the seminal fluid, seen within semen, from 22 men.
Analysis showed that over half of the samples contained a variety of widely used microplastics.
Among these were microplastics connected to wool, polystyrene, plastic containers, non-stick coatings, insulation, and cushioning materials.
Lead researcher Dr Emilio Gomez-Sanchez, from the University of Murcia, said: ‘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 per cent of the women and 55 per cent of the men we studied.’
Microplastics are defined as plastic particles under 5mm in size, and there is evidence that they pose a threat to environmental and public health.
Although the researchers did not explicitly evaluate the impact of microplastics on fertility, their identification underscores the necessity of investigating potential consequences for human reproductive health, they cautioned.
‘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,’ Dr Gomez-Sanchez added.
‘It’s possible they could impair egg or sperm quality in humans, but we don’t yet have enough evidence to confirm that.’
The scientists said the microplastics probably enter the body through ingestion, inhalation and contact with the skin.
From there, they enter the bloodstream, which distributes them throughout the body, including the reproductive organs.
To investigate the possible connection between the quality of eggs and sperm and the presence of microplastics, they want to conduct more research.
The results, published in the journal Human Reproduction, were shown at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).
Commenting on the study Dr Carlos Calhaz-Jorge, Immediate Past Chair of ESHRE, said: ‘Environmental factors influencing reproduction are certainly a reality, although not easy to measure objectively.
‘The authors of this study found microplastics in over two-thirds of follicular fluids and more than 50 per cent of semen fluids from the studied patients.
‘Although the significance of these findings is not yet clear, they should be considered an additional argument in favour of avoiding the generalised use of plastics in our daily lives.’
Microplastics have been found in human breast milk, blood, and even brain tissue in earlier investigations, and separate research has discovered high levels in everyday items such as tea bags, baby bottles and chopping boards.
Some scientists have urged caution when interpreting the findings of the new study.
Dr Stephanie Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Toxicology at Imperial College London, said: ‘Without information on the sizes of the microplastic particles observed, it is challenging to interpret how meaningful this data is.
‘There is a high potential for samples to become contaminated with microplastic throughout the sampling, laboratory processing, and analysis procedures.
‘It is not a surprise that microplastics have been found – they are everywhere, even in the lab – but the data provided do not support that they are there as a result of human exposure as opposed to methodological artefact and must be interpreted with caution at this early stage.’
Fay Couceiro, Professor of Environmental Pollution and Head of the Microplastics Research Group at the University of Portsmouth said: ‘The study is very interesting and considering the global reduction in fertility rates, looking at possible causes is very topical and timely.
‘As the authors state, finding microplastics is not that surprising as we have found them in lots of other areas of our bodies.
‘Presence is also not the same as impact and the authors are clear that while they have found microplastics in the reproductive fluids of both men and women, we still don’t know how they are affecting us.’
Some individuals could believe that an image like this is what’s floating around in their body, therefore I wish they would stop using it. They are only visible under a microscope and are microplastics, not large pieces. Microplastics are bad and shouldn’t be in our bodies.
Now even people’s reproductive systems are sponsored by Tupperware.
Twenty odd years ago they said that plastic was suitable for the environment and that it was recyclable, and like everything else, now it’s harmful to the environment and to our bodies.
A substantial intake of plastic comes from microwaving food, and plastic water bottles that we allow to sit in the sun and the toxins leech into the bottle of whatever drink we are consuming, but we still microwave our food without another thought and leave plastic bottles in the sunlight.
But how many kids chewed on their biro pens in school or even when you worked in an office, and for how long has that been going on, but nobody said anything about that.
What makes me chuckle is that we were told that plastic shopping bags were bad for the environment so they would put a levy on them, but they still sell them. I thought the idea was to do away with them so that they did not harm the environment. That was a great money-making scheme and people just went along with it.
If something is dangerous to the environment then just get rid of it!
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 