Newly released information from NovSU highlights the impact of microplastics on male fertility.

The conference "Microplastics in Polymer Science" has concluded at the NovSU INTs "Valdai." Presentations covered topics such as the sorting of microplastics in wave run-up zones, the contamination of the Gulf of Finland and the southeastern part of the Baltic Sea with microplastics, among others. Vitaly Vorobyov, a researcher from the Laboratory of Polymer Biomaterials and Systems at the Institute of High Molecular Compounds of the Russian Academy of Sciences, discussed the issue of nanoplastics, which are formed during the breakdown of microplastics due to external factors. These include ultraviolet and thermal radiation, as well as the influence of living microorganisms.

"Nanoplastic particles are present in all areas of the environment; for example, they have been found in bottled water," said Vitaly Vorobyov. "American researchers studied this issue and found that 90 percent of the particles in bottled water consist of nanoplastics, with a significant portion measuring less than two hundred nanometers.

Some scientists believe that nanoplastics dissolve better in cells and are potentially more dangerous. Others argue that the threat comes from much smaller particles, measuring less than one or two microns, as they can penetrate biological barriers and cause various negative effects at the cellular level."

Denis Kraskevich, an assistant at the Department of General Hygiene at Sechenov University, spoke about the pathways through which microplastics enter the human body and the potential health risks. The speaker noted that microplastics most often enter through the digestive tract and respiratory pathways, and less frequently through the skin, placenta, and insect bites. On average, an adult human has 103 microplastic particles per kilogram of body weight, while infants have 172 particles. More than 90 percent of microplastics are excreted from the body with waste, while smaller particles are absorbed into the bloodstream and retained in internal organs.

"The highest concentration of microplastics was found in lung tissue, with an average of 14.9 particles per gram of tissue, followed by the small and large intestines, as well as the tonsils," explained Denis Kraskevich. "The abundance of microplastics was also higher in women than in men. Various studies show that the most common polymer in the body is polyvinyl chloride, with polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate also present.

Research has also been conducted on the impact of microplastics on health: the function of the large intestine was reduced, the secretion of bile acids and metabolites in the liver increased, malfunctions in intestinal barrier function were observed, some fatty acid disorders occurred, and the proliferation of intestinal microbiota bacteria intensified.

It is also worth mentioning that microplastics can trigger inflammatory processes. One recent study found that microplastics are present in semen and male reproductive organs, potentially negatively affecting male fertility. Concentrations ranged from 0.23 particles in semen to 11.6 particles in male reproductive organs. Microplastics were composed of 67 percent polystyrene.

The "Microplastics in Polymer Science" conference is being held at NovSU for the second time. The organizers include Novgorod University, Rosprirodnadzor, Lomonosov Moscow State University, and the Department of Chemistry and Materials Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Partners of the conference include the Ecology Fund and PAO SIBUR Holding.