Daijiworld Media Network - Rome

Rome, Apr 21: In a groundbreaking revelation that could have profound implications for women's health, scientists have, for the first time, detected microplastics in human ovarian follicular fluid. The peer-reviewed study, published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, raises significant concerns over the potential link between plastic pollution and female fertility.

Researchers examined samples from 18 women undergoing assisted reproductive treatments at a fertility clinic in Salerno, Italy, and found microplastics in the follicular fluid of 14 participants. This fluid, vital for egg development and hormonal signaling, could now be compromised by plastic contaminants.

“This discovery is an important warning signal about the invasiveness of these emerging contaminants,” said Luigi Montano, lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of Rome. He described the findings as ‘very alarming’, indicating how deeply microplastics have permeated the human body reaching even the reproductive organs.

Microplastics are small fragments formed through the breakdown of larger plastics and are already known to infiltrate food, water, and air. Their health impacts have long been speculated, particularly their ability to carry toxic chemicals such as bisphenol, phthalates, and PFAS substances linked to hormone disruption, cancer, and neurotoxicity.

Montano, who has previously found microplastics in human urine and semen, suggests that these particles may be a contributing factor to declining sperm quality and other fertility-related issues. “Men may be more susceptible, but this study shows women are also at risk facing problems like ovarian dysfunction, reduced oocyte maturation, and a lower fertilisation capacity,” he warned.

Scientists fear these particles act as ‘Trojan horses,’ ferrying harmful chemicals into the body’s most sensitive areas, including the brain, placenta, and now ovaries. Despite growing evidence of harm, researchers stress the need for further studies to determine safe levels of exposure.

Montano is also leading a separate study to explore how lifestyle changes such as avoiding plastic use in the kitchen and shifting to organic diets might reduce bodily microplastic levels. “Microplastics are difficult to eliminate, but using alternatives to plastic packaging, storage, and utensils can help reduce exposure,” he noted.

Experts are urging people to avoid heating food in plastic containers and to be cautious about single-use items like paper coffee cups and tea bags, which release trillions of microplastic particles when exposed to hot liquids. Instead, they recommend switching to wood, glass, or stainless steel for everyday use.

As microplastics continue to be found in extreme environments from the peak of Mount Everest to the depths of the Mariana Trench their quiet invasion into human health systems now appears to be more than just a distant environmental concern.