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Environmental Exposures and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Review
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This review examined the relationship between environmental exposures, including micro- and nanoplastics, and polycystic ovary syndrome, a common hormonal disorder affecting up to 21% of women. Evidence indicates that various environmental pollutants may contribute to the development or severity of PCOS, though research specifically on microplastics remains limited. The study calls for more investigation into how plastic particle exposure during key life stages may affect reproductive health.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common heterogeneous endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, affecting around 5 to 10% of women and up to 21% depending on the applied diagnostic criteria and study population. People with PCOS may experience oligomenorrhea, androgen excess, and polycystic ovary morphology. The etiology of the disease is not completely understood, with genetics, epigenetics, endocrine, metabolic, lifestyle, and environmental factors contributing to its development and severity. Environmental exposures are an important, burgeoning field in menstrual research, as they potentially link to menstrual cycle disruption and the risk of reproductive disorders such as PCOS. This review examines the recent research investigating environmental exposures-air pollution, micro- and nanoplastics, heavy metals, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals-and PCOS in human and animal models, concluding with potential mechanisms, limitations, and considerations for future work. Overall, research on environmental exposures and PCOS is limited and yields heterogeneous results across studies. Specifically, exposures such as air pollutants, micro- and nanoplastics, persistent organic pollutants, and parabens have noticeably limited research. Future research can help fill the gap in understanding how environmental exposures, particularly across gestational, childhood, and reproductive adult life stages, may impact PCOS.
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Emerging pollutants in etiology and pathophysiology of polycystic ovary syndrome
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This review explores how emerging environmental pollutants, including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, and nanoparticles, may contribute to the development of polycystic ovary syndrome. The study suggests these pollutants can interfere with hormonal pathways and may play a role in the pathophysiology of this common endocrine disorder affecting reproductive-aged women.
Microplastics and female infertility: reproductive toxicity and underlying mechanisms
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This review paper summarizes existing research on how tiny plastic particles called microplastics, which we absorb from food, air, and skin contact, can build up in the body and disrupt the reproductive system. Scientists have linked this buildup to conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, and early menopause, likely because the particles trigger inflammation, hormone imbalances, and cell damage in the ovaries. While more research is needed to fully understand these connections, this matters because it suggests everyday plastic exposure could be a hidden contributor to the rising rates of infertility, especially in younger women.
Potential Role of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in the Pathogenesis of Endometriosis: An Environmental Health Narrative Review
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This narrative review explores the potential role of micro- and nanoplastics in the development of endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory disease affecting approximately 10% of women of reproductive age. The authors examine how plastic particles detected in human blood, reproductive tissues, and other biological samples could modulate molecular pathways involved in immune dysregulation, oxidative stress, and hormonal signaling. While direct causation has not been established, the review suggests that environmental plastic exposure warrants further investigation as a possible contributing factor to endometriosis.
A review of the impact of micro‐ and nanoplastics on female reproduction: What we know and gaps in knowledge
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This review examines what is known about how micro- and nanoplastics affect female reproductive health. Animal studies show these particles accumulate in ovarian tissue, disrupt hormones, and cause oxidative stress, leading to hormonal imbalances and ovarian damage, though research in humans is still limited.
Microplastics and Nanoplastics: Impacts on Female Reproductive Health, Ovarian Function, and Genitourinary Disorders
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Researchers review evidence that microplastics and nanoplastics accumulate in ovarian tissue, follicular fluid, and placental material, linking exposure to ovarian toxicity, hormonal disruption, reduced fertility, and elevated endometriosis risk through oxidative stress and inflammation-mediated pathways.
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