Emilio Gomez-Sanchez from the Next Fertility Clinic in Murcia and colleagues analysed samples of ovarian follicular fluid from 25 patients and semen from 18 patients and found microplastics in most of them. Samples were collected in sterile glass containers and frozen, then incubated in 10% potassium hydroxide for 48 hours to break down biological molecules before analysis. Microplastics were detected using direct laser infrared microscopy, and empty sample containers were also checked for plastic contamination. The results are published in the journal Human Reproduction.
Microplastics were detected in most samples. Overall, their concentration was relatively low, with follicular fluid containing significantly higher levels than seminal fluid. More than 50 percent of follicular fluid samples contained particles of polyamide, polyurethane, and polyethylene, more than 30 percent contained polytetrafluoroethylene and polyethylene terephthalate, and more than 20 percent contained polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polylactide; polystyrene was detected less frequently. Polytetrafluoroethylene was detected in 56 percent of seminal fluid samples, with other plastics detected in less than 30 percent. The findings complement observations in other countries, where microplastics have been found in follicular fluid and isolated from sperm and testicular tissue, as well as from other human organs, including the brain.
