Microplastics found in new body part as scientists warn about common way theyre leaching into us

In February, scientists discovered a spoonful of microplastics lurking in human brains.Previous research detected the tiny particles in our lungs, liver, kidneys and blood — plus in bodily fluids like semen and breast milk.Now a study published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety has found that in yet another part of the body, which researchers say “should serve as an important warning signal.”Luigi Montano and his team at the University of Rome discovered microplastics in the ovary follicular fluid of 14 out of 18 women they studied.Follicular fluid surrounds eggs developing in the ovaries, delivering nutrients like glucose, triglycerides, fatty acids, albumin and globulin.“As far as we know, this is the first study to provide evidence for [microplastics’] presence in ovarian follicular fluid in women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment,” said the study’s authors.“This discovery should serve as an important warning signal about the invasiveness of these emerging contaminants in the female reproductive system, considering that they can alter its composition and have an impact on the oocyte [egg], thus posing a significant reproductive risk for our species.”Montano said their findings were “very alarming,” noting that his previous research also suggests that microplastics lower sperm count and quality.He told The Guardian that it’s not just the microplastics themselves that may be doing damage to fertility, calling them a “Trojan horse” allowing bisphenol, phthalates, PFAS — AKA forever chemicals linked to cancer and hormonal disruption — to get into the body.While this is the first study to find microplastics in the ovaries, they have previously been observed in the uterus and placenta.They’ve also been found in human testicles — at alarming amounts.“The levels of microplastic shards and types of plastics in human testes were three times greater than those found in dogs, and the dogs are eating off the floor,” Ma...