Impact of Microplastics on Male Fertility and Sperm Quality

Plastic pollution is a global health concern. Microplastics and nanoplastics are the byproducts of plastic deterioration and can be invisible to the naked eye. These ever-present particles have infiltrated our ecosystems, water, food, air, and even the human body (Hunt et al., 2024). In recent years, we are starting to understand the effects of plastic degradation on human health. Researchers have observed ultraviolet radiation, high temperatures, and other physical deterioration causing microplastics to shed carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting chemicals (Osman et al., 2023). Endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A (BPA), nonylphenol, and octylphenol, interfere with normal hormone activity, mimicking natural hormones or blocking receptor sites (Di Pietro, Forcucci, & Chiarelli, 2023). These chemicals may accumulate in the gonads and trigger inflammatory damage (Hunt et al., 2024). This paper’s purpose is to determine if increased microplastic exposure correlates with male infertility or sperm quality. We are investigating a possible link between the increasing prevalence of plastic and decreasing fertility rates.