Microplastics, The Environment, and Reproductive Health: How is The Accumulation of Microplastics in our Environment and Bodies Impacting Reproductive Health?

Authors

Katherine Hayward, SIT Study AbroadFollow

Home Institution

University of Connecticut

Publication Date

Spring 2022

Program Name

Switzerland: Global Health and Development Policy

Abstract

As global trends in both production and consumption of plastics continue to evolve, the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of microplastic particles in our everyday lives follow suit. This increasingly relevant problem has only recently been explored in the context of global health, and more specifically, reproductive health. Along with this steady increase in plastics and our exposure to them, researchers have separately observed adverse patterns in reproductive health. The chemicals involved throughout the microplastic life cycle may be playing a key role in these simultaneous patterns. With the aid of previous studies and publications on microplastics, exposure pathways, endocrine disruptors, and reproductive health, the goal of this paper is to establish the linkages between these topics and explore the possibility of a causal relationship.

Disciplines

Biochemistry | Bioethics and Medical Ethics | Chemicals and Drugs | Environmental Studies | Health Policy | Medicine and Health | Public Health | Reproductive and Urinary Physiology

Recommended Citation

Hayward, Katherine, "Microplastics, The Environment, and Reproductive Health: How is The Accumulation of Microplastics in our Environment and Bodies Impacting Reproductive Health?" (2022). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 3452.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/3452