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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
Scientists discovered microplastics in human semen and follicular fluid
By Kristen Rogers, CNN
Updated:
9:06 PM EDT, Tue July 1, 2025
Source: CNN
Scientists have detected microplastics — the now found in our seas,
drinking water, food and, increasingly, living tissue — in human
semen and follicular fluid, according to new research.
A small group of 25 women and 18 men participated in the research,
published Tuesday in the journal Human Reproduction. Microplastics were
detected in 69% of the follicular fluid samples and 55% of the
seminal fluid samples. is the liquid that surrounds an egg in an
ovarian follicle.
The research — a short summary of completed research — and has not
yet been peer reviewed. It was presented Tuesday in Paris at the 41st
Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and
Embryology.
“Previous studies had already suggested this possibility, so the
presence of microplastics in the human reproductive system is not
entirely unexpected,” said lead research author Dr. Emilio
Gómez-Sánchez, director of the assisted reproduction laboratory at
Next Fertility Murcia in Spain, in a statement provided to the press.
“What did surprise us, however, is how widespread it is. This is not
an isolated finding — it appears to be quite common.”
that from less than 0.2 inches (5 millimeters) to 1/25,000th of an inch
(1 micrometer). Polymers are with long chains of large and repetitive
molecular units called monomers, and are known for being flexible and
durable. Most plastics are synthetic polymers.
Plastics smaller than the measurement criteria for microplastics are
considered nanoplastics, which are measured in billionths of a meter.
“Microplastics primarily enter the body through three routes:
ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact,” Gómez-Sánchez said.
“From there, they can , which then distributes them throughout the
body, including to the reproductive organs.”
In previous studies, the fragments have also been detected in various
body parts or fluids including the , , , , nose tissue of the brain,
and .
“Decades of studies and the (US Food and Drug Administration) agree
that microplastics are not a threat because exposure is extremely low
and they are non-toxic,” said Dr. Chris DeArmitt, founder of the
Plastics Research Council, via email.
However, while there is little to nothing known about the potential
effects of microplastics on human health, chemicals used in plastic
production — that often leach from plastics — are including ,
certain cancers, respiratory diseases and skin irritation.
Testing bodily fluids for microplastics
The research participants were patients and donors at Next Fertility
Murcia. The women were undergoing egg retrieval, formally known as
follicular aspiration, for assisted reproduction, while the men were
undergoing semen analysis. The authors stored and froze the samples in
glass, then incubated them for two days before analyzing them using an
imaging technique combining microscopy and infrared laser.
The research team also analyzed the containers used to collect and
store samples to ensure they hadn’t been contaminated with
microplastics. The abstract doesn’t disclose what materials the
collection containers were made of.
Imaging revealed nine types of microplastics in the reproductive
fluids. Over 50% of the follicular fluid samples contained polyamide
(PA), polyurethane (PU) and polyethylene (PE), while
polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
were discovered in over 30% of the follicular fluid samples.
Polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polylactic acid (PLA)
appeared in over 20% of the follicular fluid samples.
In the semen samples, 56% contained PTFE.
Synthetic polyamide is commonly known as nylon, often used in textiles,
plastics and automotive parts. Polyurethane is commonly used in
coatings, foams and adhesives for furniture, construction, automotive
parts, footwear and more. Polyethylene and polypropylene are often
found in packaging, construction uses and consumer goods, such as toys
and kitchenware.
The plastic PTFE is widely used in nonstick cookware, while PET is
found in many food and beverage containers. Polyvinyl chloride is often
used in the construction, packaging and medical industries, while PLA
is primarily found in food packing, medical implants and 3D-printed
objects.
In most samples, the researchers found only one or two particles, but
they detected up to five in others, Gómez-Sánchez said. Microplastic
concentrations were higher in follicular fluid than in semen. However,
the overall concentrations of microplastics in both fluids were
relatively low when compared with the concentrations of non-plastic
particles. The abstract didn’t disclose what those non-plastic
particles were.
“Sadly, (the findings) are not surprising,” said Dr. Matthew J.
Campen — a researcher who helped lead the discoveries of
microplastics in the brain and testicles — via email.
Though the research is preliminary, it does “set the stage for more
advanced studies of the relationship between plastics exposure and
reproductive fitness,” added Campen, who wasn’t involved in the
study and is a regents’ professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the
University of New Mexico.
Important questions remain
The research that had found microplastics in these reproductive fluids,
and yet again raises important questions, including how these
microplastics are absorbed in the intestine then transported to the
gonads, Campen said.
“This suggests a very natural mechanism is being hijacked,” he
added. “It would also be important to assess plastics in the
nanoscale range.”
People trying to conceive naturally or via in vitro fertilization may
not need to be concerned about the findings, as they are only
preliminary for now, Gómez-Sánchez said.
“We don’t know if they have a direct effect on the capacity of a
couple to conceive and carry a baby to term,” he added.
“Reproduction is a complex equation, and microplastics are a variable
in this equation.”
The findings also can’t yet be linked to more general health
outcomes, experts said.
“So far, the effects of microplastics on humans have been mainly
extrapolated from animal studies, where microplastics were administered
at high concentrations,” Gómez-Sánchez said. “We currently lack
direct evidence regarding their impact on humans.”
Betsy Bowers, executive director of the EPS Industry Alliance, echoed
these disclaimers and noted that the animal research results aren’t
indicative of harm at regular exposure levels. The EPS (expanded
polystyrene) Industry Alliance is a North American trade association
representing the EPS industry.
The finding that follicular fluid contained more microplastics than
semen may be circumstantial, Gómez-Sánchez added, because the study
group was small. However, when an ovary is stimulated for assisted
reproduction, blood flow to the ovary increases, which may deliver more
microplastics to the ovary, he explained.
Additional research is needed to identify the types and quantities of
microplastics that could cause health problems, said Dr. Ranjith
Ramasamy, a consultant urologist at Jumeirah American Clinic in Dubai.
Ramasamy, who wasn’t involved in the study, led the research that
found microplastics in penises.
“The plan is to increase the number of cases and conduct a survey on
lifestyle habits in order to determine if any of these habits are
linked to higher concentrations of plastics found in the ovaries and
seminal plasma,” Gómez-Sánchez said.
Gómez-Sánchez and the other researchers also plan to explore whether
the presence of microplastics in reproductive fluids affects the
quality of sperm and oocytes, he said. Oocytes are cells in ovaries
that form an ovum, a mature female reproductive cell that can divide to
create an embryo upon fertilization by sperm.
How to reduce your exposure to microplastics
The significance of the findings isn’t yet clear, but they should be
considered an additional argument in favor of avoiding the use of
plastics in our daily lives, said Dr. Carlos Calhaz-Jorge, professor of
obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Lisbon in Portugal, .
Calhaz-Jorge wasn’t involved in the research.
Given the ubiquity of plastics, avoidance can be challenging, said Dr.
Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and director of the Program for Global
Public Health and the Common Good at Boston College, via email. In
addition to reducing obvious uses of plastic, you can also avoid using
plastic cutting boards and eating ultraprocessed foods.
Also limit drinking water from plastic bottles, microwaving food in
plastic containers and consuming hot food from plastic containers,
Ramasamy said.
Food can be stored in glass, stainless steel or bamboo instead of
plastic.
But “the conversation needs to shift — immediately — to
policymakers,” Campen said. “Hoping that individual choices can
make a difference has been clearly a losing strategy. Federal
governments around the world need to make major changes to waste
management and recycling policies.”
Annual plastic production by weight has in the past 75 years and is on
track to triple again by 2060, Landrigan said.
“To reduce plastic pollution and safeguard human health, it will be
essential that the Global Plastics Treaty that is currently in
negotiation at the United Nations impose a global cap on plastic
production,” Landrigan, who wasn’t involved in the research, added.
“But smart governments can act now,” Campen urged.
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