Concern about the impact of the “invasion” of plastics in our lives is causing Spanish research. As a result of decades of life in a society full of plastic products, plastic is now everywhere. As soon as it is deconstructed in the size of the microplastics (particles of less than five millimeters), the plastic reaches the Arctic, the Mariani ditch, the Himalayas, the atmosphere, our food, and even our bodies. Now, Spanish researchers have confirmed that he has also found his way to human reproductive fluids: where the egg and sperm grow. They managed to locate up to 12 different types of plastic, albeit at low concentrations. It is not yet known what impact they can have on sperm or eggs and their ability to create life, El Pais explains.

Researchers and doctors from the University of Murcia and the Clinics of Assisted Breeding Next Fertility have analyzed spermatic plasma sperm from 22 donors and follicular fluid from 29 women undergoing fertility therapy. The results of this work were presented by the lead author of the study, Spanish researcher Emilio Sanchez at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (Eshre) held in Paris.

Microplastics were found in 69% of the follicular fluid samples – the fluid where the eggs grow, the future eggs. In the case of sperm, the rate is reduced to 55%. The spermatic creature, in addition to being the means of transporting the sperm, also keeps it alive. The difference could be due to the small size of the sample. However, Dr. Gomez, a laboratory manager at Next Fertility Murcia, notes another possible explanation: “Women undergoing IVF receive hormonal therapy that increases ovarian vascularization, which means greater blood flow.” The three paths of these plastic particles into the body – inhalation, ingestion or through the skin – all end up in the same place: blood circulation.

The microplastics were characterized by the team led by Professor Pilar Vinas, head of the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Mourtia. Using immediate microscopy of laser infrared radiation, they detected nine types of plastic materials, although their distribution varies between sperm plasma and follicular fluid specimens. “In both groups, various commonly used polymers were found, such as polytetraphicethylene (PTFE), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PET), polyamide (PA) and polyurethane (PU),” said Vinas.

The concentration was very low – sometimes only two or three particles per sample. “It is not known how microplastics entered organic fluids, although their concentration is much lower than that of non -plastic particles such as carbonate,” the researcher said. However, a sample contained up to 38 PTFE particles. The smallest size of particles detected was 20 small (0.02 mm). Nanoplasts – which are even smaller – are just starting to be studied in people. It remains to be seen if they exist in organic liquids.

D. Gomez also points out that microplastics could possibly have inflammatory and oxidative effects, possibly affecting “the number of sperm or the growth of the eggs”. That is why he believes that it is necessary to expand the research into this area.

The few studies that have linked the presence of microplastics in the human body with health have found alarming results. For example, patients with tiny plastics in their arteries have a 4.5 times higher risk of heart attack, stroke and death. Microplastics have been observed in the bloodstream and brain – but also in breast milk, liver and intestines. Some studies suggest that they could harm DNA, although their long -term effects remain unknown. Gomez stresses that they did not detect sperm mobility or the sustainability of the eggs in this study, however the sample was small and preliminary, and believes that it is urgent to expand the field of such research.

Professor Fey Kushero, a specialist in environmental pollution and head of the microplastics research team at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, observes that “taking into account the global reduction in fertility rates, the analysis of possible causes is extremely important”. Speaking on the specialized SMC website, he added: “Finding microplastics is not surprised, since we have found them in many other parts of our body.”

‘The presence is not the same as the effect, And the authors are clear when they say that while they have found microplastics in the reproductive fluids of men and women, we still do not know how they affect us. ” clarifies.

Dr. Stephanie Wright, Associate Professor of Environmental Toxicology at Imperial College, London, also speaking to SMC, points out that microplastics are everywhere, “including the workshop” – indicating possible infection of samples as a possible explanation. In her view, “the data provided do not support their presence as a result of human exposure and not as a methodological outcome, so they should be carefully interpreted at this early stage.” However, to exclude and control this risk, the researchers also analyzed the containers for all 51 samples – and did not find microplastics in them.