Detection and quantification of various microplastics in human endometrium based on laser direct infrared spectroscopy

The pollution of microplastics (MPs) has received widespread attention with the increasing usage of plastics in recent years. MPs could enter the human body and exist in the circulatory system. Endometrium, with rich blood vessels, acts as an essential role in human health and female fertility. However, there is no study reporting the MPs exposure in human endometrium. We collected the endometrium samples to detect the presence of MPs qualitatively and quantitatively via laser direct infrared. We found that there was a total of 13 types of MPs existing in the collected samples, among which 6 special types of MPs were with both high abundance and high detection rate. The abundance of these MPs ranged from 0 to 117 particles/100 mg, with a median abundance of 21 particles/100 mg. Most detected MPs, accounting for 88.35 %, were in small size (20-100 mu m). Among small size MPs, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer ranked first while polyethylene accounted for the largest proportion among large-size MPs (100-500 mu m). Correlation analysis indicated there was no significant relationship between age and MP abundance or BMI and MP abundance. We also designed a questionnaire to investigate lifestyle and daily habits, aiming at revealing the potential relationship between MP exposure and living habits. We discovered that some drinking habits and chewing gum were significantly correlated with a higher level of MP exposure. For the first time, we identified the presence of MPs in human endometrium and clarified the potential connections between MP exposure and lifestyle. Further studies are still necessary to explore more underlying information.

Automated summary

The pollution of microplastics has gained widespread attention due to the increasing usage of plastics. This study found the presence of various types of microplastics in human endometrium, with some types having high abundance and detection rates. Most of the detected microplastics were small particles and were associated with drinking habits and chewing gum. This is the first study to identify microplastics in human endometrium and establish potential connections between microplastic exposure and lifestyle.