Researchers examined聽follicular fluid聽from 29 women and seminal fluid from 22 men, both of which play critical roles in natural conception and assisted reproduction.
A range of commonly used聽microplastic聽polymers, including polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP) and polyurethane (PU), were identified in both groups.
Microplastics were present in 69% of the follicular fluid samples analyzed. Notably, the most frequently detected polymer was PTFE, found in 31% of the samples. This was followed by PP (28%), PET (17%), PA (14%), polyethylene (PE) (10%), PU (10%) and PS (7%), in descending order of prevalence.
In male seminal fluid samples, microplastics were found in 55% of those analyzed. PTFE again emerged as the most prevalent polymer, identified in 41% of the samples. Other polymers detected included PS (14%), PET (9%), PA (5%), and PU (5%), though in lower concentrations.