EXPOSURE TO MICROPLASTICS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON MALE FERTILITY: A REVIEW

Abstract

The increasing production and excessive use of plastic in everyday life have increasingly caused harm to individual, population and environmental health. Recent studies show that microplastics and nanoplastics are potential causes of endocrine disorders associated with reproductive toxicity in mammals. This review presents the main routes of exposure to micro and nanoplastics, and the main consequences of these particles in human cells. In general, understanding how the cellular fate and toxicity of these materials can promote risks to human health.

Keywords: Microplastics; nanoplastics; toxicity; exposure to microplastics; reproductive toxicity.