It’s time to talk about birds, bees and ptfes.
They are already in our lungs, livers, kidneys, blood and even our brain.
New research on Tuesday in Human Reproduction Magazine reveals that microplastics are also approaching our baby manufacturers.
In a disturbing discovery, scientists have detected these small particles hiding in semen and ovaries, causing their concern for their impact on fertility and reproductive health.
Researchers analyzed the follicular and seminal fluid of 29 women and 22 men and found microplastics in 55% of male samples and 69% of women.
“The previous studies had already shown that microplastics can be found in various human bodies,” said main researcher, Dr. Emilio Gomez-Sanchez, in a statement, as the research was presented at the annual meeting of the human reproduction society and embryology.
“As a result, we were not completely surprised to find microplastics in liquids in the human reproductive system, but the common they were.”
The worst semen criminals were PTFES (Teflon’s chemical name), which were identified in 41% of the samples.
Behind it was the polystyrene, which is like Styrofoam (14%); Polyethylene Tereftallat, in the polyester family (9%); Polyamide or nylon (5%) and polyurethane, in coatings and foams (5%).
The impact that these microplastics, defined as plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size, have on reproductive health, but are unlikely to be good.
“What we know about animal studies is that the tissues where microplastics accumulate, can induce inflammation, free radical formation, DNA damage, cell senescence and endocrine interruptions,” said Gomez-Sanchez.
“They may deteriorate the quality of eggs or sperm in humans, but we still do not have enough evidence to confirm it. “”
Although he warns that he enters a complete panic, the findings refer, especially as the United States occurs a fertility crisis.
“At this point there is no need for alarm. Microplastics are just one of the many elements that can play a role in fertility,” Gomez-Sanchez said.
“However, it is reasonable to consider the ways to reduce our exposure to them. Simple steps, such as using glass containers to store and heat food or to limit the amount of water we consume from plastic bottles, can help minimize our intake.”
A separate team in Italy recently found microplastics in the ovarian fluid of 14 of 18 women who studied.
The main author, Luigi Montano, said that the findings were “very alarming”, emphasizing that his previous research suggested that microplastics reduced the count and sperm quality.
These small particles also seem to be present in the uterus and the placenta, as well as the human testicles, in shocking quantities.
There are two main ways that human bodies are polluted with microplastics: breathing in the air or eating them in food.
Unfortunately, they are ubiquitous, with estimates that are released every year around 10 to 40 million metric tons.
Researchers found that people consume about 5 grams a week or enough to fill a spoon of soup.
In a year, that is, about 250 grams, described as a “worth of dinner worth”.
#Plastic #private #concerns #fertility #fusion #fertility
Image Source : nypost.com