We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Emerging Contaminants and Male Reproductive Health: Mechanistic Insights, Clinical Evidence, and Research Priorities.
AI summary Read the abstract
This review summarizes animal and human research on pollutants, including microplastics, nanoparticles, radiation and chemicals from everyday products, found in blood, testes and semen. These substances were linked to cell damage, hormone disruption and reduced sperm quality in animal studies, though the authors note more human studies are needed to confirm effects and safe exposure levels.
Male infertility contributes to around 40-50% of the infertility cases worldwide. Emerging environmental pollutants (microplastics, engineered nanoparticles, radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs)) have received significant attention because of their environmental persistence and potential adverse effects on male reproductive health. This review critically synthesizes evidences from experimental, epidemiological and systematic studies, with emphasis on mechanistic pathways. Micro- and nanoplastics are now detected in human blood, testes and semen, act as carriers that alter the transport and bio-availability of co-contaminants.Results from animal studies reported that emerging pollutants impair male reproductive function via interconnected mechanisms namely, oxidative stress, enhanced reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial dysfunction, DNA damage, chronic inflammation, endocrine disruption, blood-testis barrier impairment and apoptosis. Chronic RF-EMR exposure perturbs testicular homeostasis via oxidative injury, calcium channel modulation, hormonal imbalance, and disruption of the blood-testis barrier. Engineered nanoparticles readily cross biological barriers and accumulate in reproductive tissues. PPCPs particularly endocrine-disrupting contaminants cause impairment of steroidogenesis and hormonal homeostasis, resulting in impaired male fertility. Collectively, these pollutants converge on interconnected mechanism that affect sperm count, motility, morphology, viability and fertilization capacity. While animal studies provide evidence of reproductive toxicity, longitudinal human studies with biomonitoring, semen analysis, hormonal profiling and molecular endpoints are required to propose safe exposure thresholds, establish casual relationship and determine the effects of mixture pollutants. These emerging pollutants thus represent a major yet potentially preventable risk for male infertility.
More Papers Like This
Microplastic Exposure and Male Infertility: Mechanisms, Effects on Semen Quality and Emerging Human Evidence
AI summary Read the abstract
This review summarizes research on tiny plastic particles found in human semen and testicular tissue. In rodent studies, exposure was linked to cell damage, hormone disruption, and reduced sperm count and quality; human studies show similar associations but are too limited to prove the particles cause male infertility.
Microplastics and impaired male reproductive health—exploring biological pathways of harm: a narrative review
AI summary Read the abstract
This narrative review summarizes the evidence that microplastics may harm male reproductive health through oxidative stress, hormone disruption, inflammation, and direct damage to reproductive cells. While animal studies show concerning effects on sperm quality, testicular function, and fertility, human studies are still lacking. The review calls for urgent research on microplastic impacts on human male fertility and for policies to reduce microplastic exposure.
Microplastics and Nanoplastics: Emerging Threats to Male Reproductive Health, Spermatogenesis, and Fertility
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers review growing evidence that microplastics and nanoplastics, now detected in human semen and testicular tissue, disrupt spermatogenesis and testosterone production through oxidative stress, endocrine-disrupting additives, and blood-testis barrier damage, while also linking these mechanisms to elevated prostate cancer risk.
The Impact of Microplastics on Male Fertility
AI summary Read the abstract
Microplastics and nanoplastics accumulate in testicular tissue and disrupt spermatogenesis through oxidative stress, inflammation, endocrine disruption, and structural damage to reproductive cells, consistently impairing sperm quality in experimental models. With global plastic production accelerating alongside documented declines in semen quality, this review highlights microplastic exposure as a plausible environmental contributor to male infertility warranting urgent human study.
Micro- and nanoplastic exposure: male reproductive toxicity, underlying mechanisms, and research prospects
AI summary Read the abstract
This review summarizes existing research on how tiny plastic particles, which can enter the body through food, air, or skin, may harm male fertility. It describes proposed biological mechanisms, including cell damage, hormone disruption, and gut bacteria changes, linked to reduced sperm quality in studied models.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.