The presence of micro- and nanoplastics in humans has been demonstrated for many tissues, including the placenta, testes, lungs, and brain. Exposure to these plastic particles has been associated with disease outcomes such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, autism spectrum disorder, and cancer, mostly in small sample size studies. Several studies have linked microplastic exposure with reproductive health outcomes in male mice, pregnant mice, and their offspring. Between May and July 2025, many more studies on micro- and nanoplastics’ effects on the reproductive system and other health outcomes were published, of which this article summarizes a selection.
Reproductive effects
Already in 2024, higher microplastic concentrations in the follicular fluid of women undergoing fertility treatment were associated with lower fertilization rates. Now, Feifei Kong from Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China, and co-authors confirmed this association, with fertilization rates being decreased in women with higher polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) nanoparticle levels in their follicular fluid. They did not observe an association between particle concentrations and the women’s ovarian reserve nor embryo implantation, or clinical pregnancy. The scientists included 51 couples undergoing in vitro fertilization in their study, measured nanoplastics in the follicular fluid and the seminal plasma, and investigated fertility outcomes.
Meiyin Zhang from Mudanjiang Medical University, China, and co-authors were interested in whether there is a link between maternal microplastic exposure and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Taking a small sample size of 30 healthy pregnant women and 15 women diagnosed with pregnancy-induced hypertension, the researchers found microplastic levels to be 1.46 times higher in the latter group. They concluded that the potential link between microplastic exposure and the incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension should be explored with a larger cohort, also considering long-term health effects.
Mahsa Gholiof from McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, and co-authors aimed to explore the effects of nanoplastics on female reproductive health. Due to their small size and larger surface-to-volume ratio, nanoplastics are more bioavailable and reactive than microplastics. Gholiof and co-authors reported that polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles disrupt ovarian function. Specifically, the particles decreased serum progesterone levels, reduced antral follicle size and corpora lutea density, increased atretic follicle density, and prolonged estrous cycles. For their study, the scientists orally exposed female C57BL/6 mice to PS nanoplastics (100 µg/L or 1000 µg/L) daily for 29 days and compared them to unexposed controls.
Other Effects
A case-control study based in China compared fecal microplastic concentrations in 258 patients with colorectal cancer to 493 healthy controls. Jingyan Xu from Quzhou People’s Hospital, China, and co-authors found that colorectal cancer risk increases with fecal microplastic levels. The potential carcinogenicity of plastic particles upon chronic exposure was demonstrated by Javier Gutiérrez-García from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain, and co-authors who exposed BEAS-2B cells for 30 weeks to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanoplastics.
Furthermore, microplastics may have a neurotoxic potential according to Ghasem Forutan from the Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran, and co-authors. The oral exposure of rats to low-density polyethylene (LDPE) microplastics (<30 µm) over 3 weeks resulted in the disruption of blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity, increased oxidative stress, and neuronal damage.
Just as plastic products, also micro- and nanoplastics contain chemicals such as additives. Microplastic toxicity can be driven by these additives. This is the conclusion of Ludovic Hermabessiere from the University of Toronto, Canada, and co-authors who exposed fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) to microplastics with and without the additives, as well as to the additives alone. Importantly, the authors emphasized that their evidence is “limited” and call for further research to use environmentally relevant concentrations and investigate different additive concentrations.
Reviews
Faezeh Jahedi from the Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran, and co-authors systematically reviewed the endocrine-disrupting effects of micro- and nanoplastics. Including 103 in vitro and in vivo experimental studies, the authors summarize that plastic particles can change reproductive hormones and gene expression and, therefore, interfere with endocrine functions.
Amirreza Talaie from Jami Institute of Technology, Isfahan, Iran, and co-authors included 93 studies published between 2015 and 2025 in their review on the toxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastics on male and female reproductive health, with a focus on mammalian models. The authors summarized that plastic particle exposure has been linked with testicular damage, impaired spermatogenesis, reduced sperm count and motility, and disruptions in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in males and altered folliculogenesis, disrupted ovarian hormone levels, impaired oocyte quality, and placental dysfunction in females. Besides endocrine disruption, they identify oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis as mechanisms driving these effects.
References
Forutan, G. et al. (2025). “Chronic Exposure to Microplastics Induces Blood–Brain Barrier Impairment, Oxidative Stress, and Neuronal Damage in Rats.” Molecular Neurobiology. DOI: 10.1007/s12035-025-05157-0
Gholiof, M. et al. (2025). “Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on the female reproductive system in mice: Implications for ovarian function and follicular development.” Reproductive Toxicology. DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2025.108983
Gutiérrez-García, J. et al. (2025). “Long-Term Exposure to Real-Life Polyethylene Terephthalate Nanoplastics Induces Carcinogenesis In Vitro.” Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c01628
Hermabessiere. L. et al. (2025). „Understanding the contribution of plastic additives in microplastic toxicity from consumer products using fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas).” Environmental Science and Pollution Research. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-025-36523-z
Jahedi, F. et al. (2025). “Nano and microplastics: unveiling their profound impact on endocrine health.” Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods. DOI: 10.1080/15376516.2025.2509745
Kong. F. et al. (2025). „Polyethylene and Polyvinyl Chloride Nanoplastics in Human Follicular Fluid and Seminal Plasma: Impact on Fertilization and Sperm Quality.” ASC Nano. DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5c00918
Talaie, A. et al. (2025). “Toxicological effects of micro/nano-plastics on human reproductive health: A review.” Toxicology Letters. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2025.06.021
Xu, J. et al. (2025). “Associations between microplastics in human feces and colorectal cancer risk.” Journal of Hazardous Materials. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.139099
Zhang, M. et al. (2025). “Microplastic exposure in daily life and the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension: A study on the association between environmental pollutants and maternal-fetal health outcomes.” Journal of Hazardous Materials. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.138654
This article was originally published by Lisa Zimmermann at the Food Packaging Forum.
