THE RISING THREAT: NANO AND MICROPLASTICS INFILTRATION IN URINARY AND REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS

Luigi MONTANO | Andrology Unit and Service of Lifestyle Medicine in UroAndrology, “S. Francesco d’Assisi” Hospital, Local Health Authority (ASL) Salerno, EcoFoodFertility Project Coordi-nation Unit, Italian Network for Environmental and Reproductive Health, Oliveto Citra, Italy

Recent research underscores the widespread occurrence of MPs in human fluids and tissues, raising concerns about their role in disrupting physiological functions, particularly reproduction. In the frame of the EcoFoodFertility Project, a multicenter biomonitoring study which is investigating the presence of various contaminants in biological fluids and their potential effects on reproductive health, we report the presence of microplastics (MPs) in human urine, semen and follucular fluids and potential impact on reproductive health. In this context, our multifaceted investigation involved sampling follicular fluid from 18 women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Southern Italy, semen samples from 16 men living in a polluted region, and urine samples from six volunteers. Using advanced analytical techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Raman microspectroscopy, we detected MPs across all matrices, characterized by size (<10 μm), morphology, and chemical composition. Specifically, MPs were identified in 14 of 18 follicular fluid samples, with concentrations averaging 2191 particles/mL and a mean diameter of 4.48 μm, and in multiple semen and urine samples containing various polymer types, including polypropylene, polyethylene, PVC, PET, PS, and PVA. Our findings reveal potential routes of exposure, including ingestion and inhalation, and suggest that MPs can translocate into reproductive tissues and fluids. Importantly, the presence of MPs in follicular fluid was significantly correlated with elevated Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) levels, hinting at possible effects on ovarian function. Our recent laboratory experiments demonstrated that polystyrene MPs induce oxidative stress, DNA fragmentation, and downregulation of genes critical for sperm–oocyte fusion, thereby impairing sperm motility, viability, and fertilization capacity. Collectively, these results highlight the pervasive presence of MPs in human reproductive environments and their potential to compromise reproductive health, emphasizing the need for further in vivo studies and risk assessments to better understand their implications. This integrated approach underscores the urgency of monitoring MPs as emerging contaminants with possible detrimental effects on human fertility.

References

1.    First Evidence of Microplastics in Human Urine, a Preliminary Study of Intake in the Human Body. Concetta Pironti C, Notarstefano V, Ricciardi M, Motta O*, Giorgini E, and Montano L*. Toxics 2023, 11, 40. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11010040 
2.    Raman Microspectroscopy evidence of microplastics in human semen. Montano L* et a. Sci Total Environ 2023 Jul 31;901:165922. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165922
3.    First evidence of microplastics in human ovarian follicular fluid: An emerging threat to female fertility. Luigi Montano* et al. . Ecotoxicology, Environmental and Safety, Volume 291, February 2025, 117868 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.117868
4.    Impact of Polystyrene Microplastics on Human Sperm Functionality: An In Vitro Study of Cytotoxicity, Genotoxicity and Fertility-Related Genes Expression- Filomena Mottola, Maria Carannante,Ilaria Palmieri, Lorenzo Ibello, Luigi Montano*, Mariaceleste Pezzullo,cNicola Mosca, Nicoletta Potenza  and Lucia Rocco 1, Toxics 2025, 13(7), 605; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13070605