Scientists urge action over microplastics and reproductive health

Microplastics are turning up throughout the human body — in the brain, lungs, ovaries, placentas and even in meconium (a baby’s first poop). Microplastics were detected in 60% of placenta samples in 2006, 90% in 2013 and 100% of samples studied in 2021, with particle counts roughly tripling over that period, according to a new research summary for JAMA. Many of the chemicals associated with plastics are known endocrine disruptors that may interfere with hormones critical to reproduction and fetal development. With plastic production expected to increase by another 70% by 2040, researchers are calling for better detection methods, international cooperation to reduce plastic production and more research focused on reproductive health and early-life exposure.