Research progress on the impact and prevention and treatment of microplastics on male reproduction
Li Xiang , Zheng Shutiao , Guo Shaocong,et al
(1.The First Clinical Medical College of Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Gansu, Lanzhou 730000, China; 2.Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Gene Medicine,, Gansu, Lanzhou 730050, China; 3.Department of Comprehensive Surgery, the 940th Hospital of the Joint Logistic Support Force of PLA, Gansu, Lanzhou 730070, China
【Abstract】Microplastics, as degradation products of plastic waste in nature, can enter the human body
through food chains, the respiratory tract, and skin contact. They can induce adverse effects such as decreased sperm quality, reduced fertility, and abnormal offspring development through mechanisms like oxidative stress, DNA damage, disruption of gonadal hormone secretion, and interference with energy metabolism. Adverse reproductive and fertility effects caused by microplastics can be significantly mitigated by altering lifestyle habits, adopting protective measures, and reducing the reproductive toxicity of microplastics in the body. This paper summarizes the sources of microplastics, their pathways into the human body, mechanisms of reproductive toxicity, adverse outcomes, and early research on prevention and treatment. It aims to provide insights for the impacts of microplastics on human health and corresponding prevention strategies.
2026, Vol. 14 
