Features, Potential Invasion Pathways, and Reproductive Health Risks of Microplastics Detected in Human Uterus

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in global ecosystems and may pose a potential risk to human health. However, critical information on MP exposure and risk to female reproductive health is still lacking. In this study, we characterized MPs in human endometrium and investigated their size-dependent entry mode as well as potential reproductive toxicity. Endometrial tissues of 22 female patients were examined, revealing that human endometrium was contaminated with MPs, mainly polyamide (PA), polyurethane (PU), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene (PE), ranging from 2–200 μm in size. Experiments conducted in mice demonstrated that the invasion of the uterus by…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 82288102, 82201799, 81925013
• CP
  China Postdoctoral Science Foundation

  Awards: 2023M733727, 2022M720299
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Awards: 2022YFC2702500, 2021YFC2700601