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Review
. 2024 Jan 4:14:1330396.
doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1330396. eCollection 2023.

Microplastics exposure: implications for human fertility, pregnancy and child health

Rewa E Zurub  1 , Yusmaris Cariaco  1 , Michael G Wade  2 , Shannon A Bainbridge  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Microplastics exposure: implications for human fertility, pregnancy and child health

Rewa E Zurub et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). .

Abstract

Plastics found in our everyday environment are becoming an increasing concern for individual and population-level health, and the extent of exposure and potential toxic effects of these contaminants on numerous human organ systems are becoming clear. Microplastics (MPs), tiny plastic particles, appear to have many of the same biological effects as their plastic precursors and have the compounded effect of potential accumulation in different organs. Recently, microplastic accumulation was observed in the human placenta, raising important questions related to the biological effects of these contaminants on the health of pregnancies and offspring. These concerns are particularly heightened considering the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) framework, which postulates that in utero exposure can programme the lifelong health of the offspring. The current review examines the state of knowledge on this topic and highlights important avenues for future investigation.

Keywords: DOHAD; microplastic; placenta; plastics pollution; pregnancy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The shapes, compositions, and potential sources of common micro and nanoplastics. PE, Polyethylene; PP, Polypropylene; PS, Polystyrene; PET, Polyethylene terephthalate; PVC, Polyvinyl chloride; PMMA, Polymethyl methacrylate.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Summary of evidence of micro-nanoplastics (MNPs) exposure and impacts on reproduction and development in humans and mammals.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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