Microplastics have been found in human ovarian follicular fluid for the first time, raising fresh worries about how they can affect women's reproductive systems, hormones, and fertility.
18 women receiving assisted reproductive treatment at a fertility clinic in Salerno, Italy, were the subject of the peer-reviewed study, which was published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. Fourteen of the subjects had ovarian follicular fluid containing microplastics. This fluid gives eggs the vital nutrients and biochemical cues they need to develop.
Researchers cautioned that fertility and hormone balance may be harmed by microplastics in the female reproductive system. Lead author Luigi Montano, a researcher at the university of Rome, stated, "This discovery should serve as an important warning signal about the invasiveness of these emerging contaminants in the female reproductive system." He referred to the results as "very alarming."
From the top of Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench, microplastics—tiny plastic particles that are produced as larger plastics break down—are becoming more and more prevalent in the environment. Studies have found microplastics in a variety of meat and vegetable products, indicating that food is a major source of exposure.
Up to 16,000 plastic chemicals, including harmful compounds like phthalates, bisphenol A, and PFAS, may be present in these particles. Numerous health hazards, including as hormone disruption, neurotoxicity, cancer, and developmental abnormalities, have been connected to these substances.
Additionally, Montano's group has found microplastics in human semen and urine. He thinks the chemicals are causing sperm quality and numbers to fall globally, especially in places with high pollution levels. Men seem to be more susceptible to the harmful impacts of microplastics, but women's reproductive health is equally at risk, according to Montano.
Prior research on animals has connected exposure to microplastics to decreased egg maturation, ovarian dysfunction, and lower rates of successful fertilization. Microplastics can operate as "Trojan horses," transporting harmful compounds straight into human organs, including the ovaries, which worries scientists more and more.
The findings are significant, but more research is required to discover the exact amount of exposure that causes negative consequences, according to Xiaozhong Yu, a microplastics researcher at the university of New Mexico.
18 women receiving assisted reproductive treatment at a fertility clinic in Salerno, Italy, were the subject of the peer-reviewed study, which was published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. Fourteen of the subjects had ovarian follicular fluid containing microplastics. This fluid gives eggs the vital nutrients and biochemical cues they need to develop.
Researchers cautioned that fertility and hormone balance may be harmed by microplastics in the female reproductive system. Lead author Luigi Montano, a researcher at the university of Rome, stated, "This discovery should serve as an important warning signal about the invasiveness of these emerging contaminants in the female reproductive system." He referred to the results as "very alarming."
From the top of Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench, microplastics—tiny plastic particles that are produced as larger plastics break down—are becoming more and more prevalent in the environment. Studies have found microplastics in a variety of meat and vegetable products, indicating that food is a major source of exposure.
Up to 16,000 plastic chemicals, including harmful compounds like phthalates, bisphenol A, and PFAS, may be present in these particles. Numerous health hazards, including as hormone disruption, neurotoxicity, cancer, and developmental abnormalities, have been connected to these substances.
Additionally, Montano's group has found microplastics in human semen and urine. He thinks the chemicals are causing sperm quality and numbers to fall globally, especially in places with high pollution levels. Men seem to be more susceptible to the harmful impacts of microplastics, but women's reproductive health is equally at risk, according to Montano.
Prior research on animals has connected exposure to microplastics to decreased egg maturation, ovarian dysfunction, and lower rates of successful fertilization. Microplastics can operate as "Trojan horses," transporting harmful compounds straight into human organs, including the ovaries, which worries scientists more and more.
The findings are significant, but more research is required to discover the exact amount of exposure that causes negative consequences, according to Xiaozhong Yu, a microplastics researcher at the university of New Mexico.
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