Can microplastics in your body affect IVF success rates?

What's reaching your eggs

Microplastics from food packaging, water bottles, synthetic clothing, and household dust circulate through your bloodstream. The smallest particles, called nanoplastics, are small enough to reach the ovaries and enter the follicular fluid, the liquid that surrounds and nourishes each developing egg.

For women undergoing IVF, egg quality and follicle health are everything. Any contamination of the follicular environment could influence treatment outcomes.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Science of the Total Environment analyzed follicular fluid from women undergoing fertility treatment. Researchers found microplastics and nanoplastics inside the follicles and linked their presence to diminished ovarian reserve.

Women with higher levels of plastic particles in their follicular fluid had fewer viable eggs available. The molecular analysis showed the particles triggered oxidative stress and inflammatory responses within the follicle, both of which damage egg quality.

This matters for IVF because the number and quality of eggs retrieved directly determines success rates. If plastic contamination is reducing the pool of healthy eggs before retrieval even begins, it could partly explain why some patients respond poorly to stimulation.

How to reduce your exposure

Switch to glass or stainless steel food and drink containers. Avoid heating food in plastic. Choose natural-fiber clothing when possible. Use a HEPA air purifier to reduce microplastic-laden dust. These steps won't eliminate exposure, but they can meaningfully lower it during the months leading up to IVF.