Are Microplastics In the Air Putting Your Fertility At Risk?
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 18, 2024 -- Microscopic plastic particles in the air could be contributing to a wide variety of health problems, including lung and colon cancers.
Tires and degrading garbage shed tiny pieces of plastic which become airborne, creating a form of air pollution that’s not very well understood, a new review says.
“These microplastics are basically particulate matter air pollution, and we know this type of air pollution is harmful,” said researcher Tracey Woodruff, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.
Microplastics are less than 5 millimeters in size, smaller than a grain of rice, researchers said in background notes.
Companies around the world produce nearly 460 million tons of plastic each year, and that’s projected to increase to 1.1 billion tons by 2050, researchers said.
A major source of airborne plastic is driving, researchers noted. Tires wear down as they rub against the road surface, sending microplastics into the air.
For the review, published Dec. 18 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, researchers analyzed data gathered on about 3,000 prior studies.
The results showed that airborne microplastics can contribute to cancer, lung problems and infertility.
Most of the studies in the review used animals, but researchers said the conclusions likely also apply to humans.
“We urge regulatory agencies and policy leaders to consider the growing evidence of health harms from microplastics, including colon and lung cancer,” lead researcher Nicholas Chartres, a senior research fellow with the University of Sydney, said in a UCSF news release. “We hope state leaders will take immediate action to prevent further exposures.”
Sources
- University of California, San Francisco, news release, Dec. 18, 2024
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2024
Read this next
Acupuncture Can Make IVF More Comfortable, Study Says
WEDNESDAY, June 25, 2025 — Ancient Chinese medicine techniques could prove extremely helpful in modern fertility treatment, a new study says. Acupuncture significantly...
Infertility Tied To Heart Problems In Women
WEDNESDAY, June 18, 2025 — Infertility appears linked to women’s risk of heart problems, an evidence review suggests. Women who are infertile have an increased risk...
Appendix Cancer Cases Surge in Millennials and Gen X
TUESDAY, June 17, 2025 — When Chris Williams started feeling sharp stomach pain one night in 2021, he went straight to the emergency room. The next morning, he had surgery...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.