Right to Reproduce: Microplastics Are Reaching the Placenta—What Does This Mean for Fertility and Our Children?

For parents, protecting our children starts long before they are born. We think about the food we eat, the water we drink, the products we use in our homes, and the environments where our children grow up. But one form of exposure is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid and increasingly difficult to ignore: microplastics.

These tiny particles are now being found throughout the human body, including in the placenta, semen, blood, and breast milk. Researchers are investigating what these exposures may mean for fertility, pregnancy, fetal development, and children's health. A 2026 review of human reproductive research found microplastics across reproductive tissues and pregnancy-related samples, including follicular fluid, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord tissue, and neonatal meconium.

The U.S. government is now taking action. On April 3, 2026, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kennedy and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced coordinated federal actions on microplastics. The EPA included microplastics as a priority contaminant group on its draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List for the first time, while the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health launched STOMP—Systematic Targeting of Microplastics—a $144 million program to measure microplastics in the human body, understand how they move through the body, and develop ways to remove them.

The federal action is significant because it acknowledges a problem that researchers have been documenting for years: microplastics are not staying outside our bodies. They are getting in, and they are reaching reproductive tissues.

Microplastics Are Reaching the Human Placenta

One of the most important findings for the Right to Reproduce conversation is the discovery of microplastics in the human placenta.

In a study published in Science of the Total Environment, researchers used laser direct infrared spectroscopy to examine 17 human placenta samples. Microplastics were detected in all 17 samples. The researchers identified 11 different polymer types, including PVC and polypropylene, and found that most of the particles were smaller than 100 micrometers.

This was not the first study to find microplastics in human placentas. In 2021, researchers reported microplastics in four of six placentas examined in Italy, describing their findings as the first evidence of what they called the “plasticenta.” Just the sound of that is disturbing.

Finding microplastics in the placenta is not proof by itself that the particles caused harm. But the placenta is the organ that supports a developing baby throughout pregnancy, helping provide oxygen and nutrients while regulating the environment in which fetal development takes place. When researchers find plastic particles in the environment where a baby is developing, parents have every right to ask: How did these particles get there, what are they doing, and why don't we already have answers?

Animal research gives us another piece of the puzzle. In a 2023 study, researchers fed pregnant rats specially marked nanoscale polystyrene particles and detected them in the placenta and in fetal tissues including the liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, and brain. The study demonstrated that the particles could cross intestinal and placental barriers and reach developing organs.

Since this was an animal study, it cannot establish that the same pattern occurs in human pregnancies. But it provides biological evidence that very small plastic particles can cross barriers that are supposed to protect a developing fetus—and it adds significance to the growing evidence that microplastics are present in human placentas.

What Could Microplastics Mean for Women's Fertility?

The reproductive story begins long before pregnancy. And we are already facing a fertility crisis.In the United States, the fertility rate fell to 53.1 births per 1,000 women in 2025, the lowest level in national data dating back to 1909. The total fertility rate was 1.6 births per woman in 2024, down from about 2.1 in 2007, the level generally considered replacement fertility. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that about 1 in 6 people experience infertility during their lifetime.

So when researchers find microplastics in reproductive tissues, semen, placenta, and the first stool of newborns, we have to ask what these exposures could mean for our ability to have healthy children.

A 2025 systematic review examining experimental research on microplastics and female reproductive health found effects involving ovarian function, fertility, hormone levels, embryo development, and offspring health. The review included 15 experimental studies and concluded that the evidence points to detrimental effects on female reproductive health, while also noting differences in study quality and the urgent need for additional research.

Another 2026 review examining microplastics and reproductive health looked at potential connections with infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss, including inflammation, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, genetic and epigenetic changes, gametogenesis, implantation, and placental function.

The biological mechanisms being investigated matter. Oxidative stress can damage cells. Inflammation can interfere with normal biological processes. Hormonal disruption can affect the reproductive system because hormones help regulate ovulation, implantation, pregnancy, and fetal development.

Human research is still developing, but the staggering evidence is moving beyond the question of whether exposure exists. Researchers are now investigating how microplastics may interact with the biological systems that make reproduction possible.

Men Are Part of the Reproductive Health Story, Too

The Right to Reproduce is not only a women's issue.

In a 2024 eBioMedicine study of 113 men in China, researchers detected microplastics in semen and urine samples. Most participants had three to five different types of microplastics detected. The researchers found that exposure to multiple types of microplastics was associated with poorer semen quality, including lower sperm concentration and progressive motility, and they identified a dose-response relationship between the number of microplastic types detected and reduced sperm concentration. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commonly known as Teflon, exposure was also associated with reduced sperm quality.

This was an observational study, but the findings are important because they come from human reproductive samples, not simply laboratory experiments.

A 2026 study in Scientific Reports provides additional experimental evidence. Researchers exposed adult male rats to polystyrene microplastics (styrofoam) and found reduced sperm count and motility, more abnormal sperm, lower testosterone, and changes in reproductive hormones, along with oxidative stress, inflammation, and changes in the testes.

The animal findings add to the growing body of evidence that male reproductive health needs to be part of the microplastics conversation.

Plastic Is More Than a Particle

Plastic is not just a particle. It can also be a source of chemicals that interact with our bodies.

Plastics contain thousands of chemicals, including phthalates, bisphenols, PFAS, and other substances that can interfere with biological systems. The PlastChem Project has identified more than 16,000 chemicals potentially used in or present in plastics, with more than 4,200 identified as chemicals of concern based on characteristics including persistence, bioaccumulation, mobility, and toxicity.

Many of these chemicals are endocrine disruptors. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can interfere with the body's hormonal systems, and hormones play essential roles in fertility, pregnancy, growth, development, and puberty.

A 2025 review examined evidence that micro- and nanoplastics and their associated chemicals interfere with hormone signaling and other biological processes.

For parents, this is especially concerning for our teen girls, who may be exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals through products they use every day, including facial cleansers, lotions, creams, perfumes, and cosmetics, as well as household products such as scented candles. Some chemicals can leach from products and packaging and enter our bodies through the skin, inhalation, or ingestion.

During adolescence, hormones play a critical role in development and reproductive health. Reducing unnecessary exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals matters, especially during this important stage of development.

The Exposure Story Continues From Pregnancy Into Childhood

If microplastics can reach the placenta, exposure does not necessarily begin after birth.

Researchers have detected microplastics in meconium, the first stool passed by a newborn, indicating that exposure can occur before birth. Researchers have also reported microplastics in breast milk and infant-related samples.

Children can encounter microplastics through food, beverages, drinking water, air, and household dust. Synthetic clothing and other textiles can also release plastic fibers into the environment.

Early life is a period of rapid growth and development, and researchers are investigating how exposure to microplastics and plastic-associated chemicals may affect these processes. A 2025 systematic review examining microplastic exposure during pregnancy and early childhood identified this period as an important area for further study.

We do not yet know what these early-life exposures will mean for a child's health decades from now. That is exactly why the research matters now. If babies are being exposed before birth, parents deserve answers about what those exposures may mean for development, hormones, fertility, and health later in life. Our children should not be the experiment.

Babies Are Eating Microplastics, Too

Exposure doesn't end when a baby is born. Researchers have also found microplastics directly in food made for infants.

A 2024 study published in Food Chemistry tested 30 infant-formula products and detected microplastics in every sample tested. The researchers identified several types of plastic, including polyamide, polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate. Based on their findings, they estimated that infants fed exclusively with formula could ingest approximately 49 microplastic particles per day.

More recent testing raises additional concerns about baby food packaged in plastic pouches. A laboratory investigation commissioned by Greenpeace International in 2025 tested Gerber and Happy Baby Organics baby-food pouches and found microplastics in every sample analyzed. The testing estimated more than 5,000 microplastic particles in a single Gerber pouch and more than 11,000 in a Happy Baby Organics pouch.

The Greenpeace testing also identified plastic-associated chemicals in both the food and packaging, including a chemical with endocrine-disrupting properties in the Gerber product. The laboratory findings suggest a connection between particles found in the food and the polyethylene lining of the pouches, although the testing cannot establish the exact pathway by which every particle or chemical entered the food.

Babies are particularly vulnerable during periods of rapid growth and development. So the question is not simply how convenient plastic packaging is. It is whether we should accept a world in which a baby's first foods can contain thousands of plastic particles. Do we have a choice?

What Families Can Do

Families cannot eliminate every source of microplastic exposure. These particles are widespread, and many sources are outside an individual's control. But there are practical steps families can take to reduce unnecessary exposure, particularly around food, water, and the home.

1. Don't microwave food in plastic. Use glass or ceramic containers for heating and storing food whenever possible. Avoid putting very hot food or liquids into plastic when you have another option, including plastic-lined disposable to-go cups.
2. Replace badly scratched, cracked, or worn plastic containers. When practical, choose glass, ceramic, or stainless steel for food storage and beverages.
3. Avoid nonstick cookware. PTFE-coated cookware can release micro- and nanoplastic particles, particularly when coatings are damaged or exposed to high temperatures. When replacing nonstick cookware, consider stainless steel, cast iron, glass, or ceramic alternatives.
4. Use plastic-free tea bags or loose-leaf tea. Some tea bags and food-contact products contain plastic materials.
5. Consider filtered tap water where appropriate. This can reduce reliance on bottled water and single-use plastic. If you use a filter, choose one designed to address the contaminants you are concerned about.
6. Reduce household dust. Humans inhale microplastic particles indoors, with potential sources including synthetic carpets, vinyl flooring, polyester blankets, and stuffed animals. Microplastics and synthetic fibers become part of household dust. Regular cleaning can reduce accumulated dust, and HEPA filtration may help reduce airborne particles.
7. Pay attention to synthetic textiles. Clothing, bedding, and other synthetic fabrics can shed plastic fibers. Choosing natural fibers when practical can reduce one source of household synthetic fibers.
8. Consider a microfiber filter or laundry bag. These products can capture some synthetic fibers released during washing before they enter wastewater.

These steps will not make a home plastic-free, and they are not meant to. The goal is to reduce unnecessary exposure where families have a choice while scientists continue to investigate the health effects of microplastics and policymakers consider how to address exposure at a broader level.

Our Right to Reproduce

The science surrounding microplastics is moving quickly.

We know that exposure is widespread. We know researchers are finding microplastics in human reproductive tissues and pregnancy-related samples, including the placenta, semen, follicular fluid, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord tissue, and neonatal meconium.

We know experimental studies have found reproductive effects in animals, and human studies are beginning to identify associations between microplastic exposure and measures of sperm quality.

But important questions remain unanswered.

How much exposure is too much? What does repeated exposure mean for fertility? What happens when exposure occurs during pregnancy? What does it mean for a baby to encounter these particles before birth? And what happens when exposure continues throughout childhood and puberty?

These are not abstract scientific questions. They are questions about our children, our families, and our ability to bring healthy children into the world. They need answers.

Our Right to Reproduce includes:

• the right to understand the environmental exposures that may affect our ability to have healthy children;
• the right to know what is in our food, water, and environment, and
• the right to expect meaningful research when evidence raises concerns about reproductive and developmental health.

Moms Across America will continue following the science on microplastics, reproductive health, and children's health, and bringing families information they can use. And we will continue bringing these concerns to our representatives in Washington until we have answers.

Your support makes our work possible.

Please consider making a monthly donation to Moms Across America. Your support helps us investigate threats to reproductive health and children's health, share science-based information with families, and advocate for a healthier future for the next generation.

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Sources

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. April 3, 2026. WTAS: HHS, EPA Announce Historic Actions to Protect Americans from Microplastics and Safeguard Drinking Water. 
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