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Occurrence, toxicity and removal of polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics in human sperm
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Researchers detected polystyrene microplastics in human semen and showed they reduce sperm function, then demonstrated that magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles can remove nanoplastics from semen samples — offering an early glimpse into both the reproductive health threat posed by microplastics and potential mitigation strategies.
Polystyrene microplastics, especially those smaller than 10 μm, reduce male fertility in murine models, but whether they affect male reproduction in humans is poorly understood. Here, we studied polystyrene microplastics smaller than 10 μm in human semen samples and evaluated their toxicity to human sperm. We also tested the use of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles to remove nanoplastics and decrease their toxicity in human sperm. Results show that human semen is contaminated by approximately 3.57 ± 0.32 μg/mL polystyrene microplastics smaller than 10 μm. Polystyrene nanoplastics of 25–100 nm penetrate and damage human sperm at semen-relevant concentrations of 5 and 50 μg of nanoplastic per mL, while 0.5–10 μm polystyrene microplastics bind to the sperm. We also found that 25-nm polystyrene nanoplastics exhibited a synergistic toxicity with bisphenol A on human sperm. Nonetheless, we observed that environmental microplastics released from disposable paper cups do not pose a significant hazard to human sperm under our conditions. Furthermore, magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles can aggregate and coprecipitate with 25-nm polystyrene nanoplastics to eliminate their adverse effects on human sperm.
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This review consolidates evidence that microplastic exposure reduces sperm quality, disrupts spermatogenesis, and can pass toxic effects across generations in mammals, acting through inflammation, hormonal disruption, and oxidative stress. As microplastics increasingly accumulate in human reproductive organs, understanding these mechanisms is urgently important for addressing a potential contributor to declining male fertility worldwide.
Impact and mechanisms of microplastics and nanoplastics on the reproductive system
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Researchers reviewed evidence that microplastics and nanoplastics disrupt both male and female reproductive systems across multiple species, causing oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, reduced sperm quality, impaired ovarian function, and potentially transgenerational reproductive damage — with human data still limited but concerns growing.
Polystyrene microplastics: environmental presence, pathways, and biological impact
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Researchers reviewed the environmental presence, transport pathways, and biological impacts of polystyrene microplastics, documenting how widespread food packaging use leads to pervasive contamination of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and raises concerns for organismal and human health.
Biochemical, Histological and Molecular Docking into the Impact of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Antioxidant Enzymes and Testicular Health in Rats
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Tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics, found widely in our environment, may harm male fertility, according to a new rat study. Rats exposed to higher doses of these plastics showed weakened antioxidant defenses and physical damage to testicular tissue, including fewer developing sperm cells. While this research was done in rats, not humans, it adds to growing concerns that the microplastics and nanoplastics we're routinely exposed to through food, water, and air could pose risks to reproductive health.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.