Investigation of microplastics in the amniotic fluid

Significant environmental pollution caused by plastics leads to these plastics breaking down into smaller pieces in nature, turning into microplastics. These plastic particles, typically smaller than 5 millimeters, are referred to as microplastics. Numerous studies have shown that microplastics are detected in several human tissues. The current residency thesis aims to determine whether microplastics are present in the amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid samples, 3 ml each, were collected from pregnancies undergoing amniocentesis for various indications at Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Medicine Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics between 15 November 2023 – 31 December 2023. Care was taken to avoid any type of plastic contamination, following a standard protocol. The samples were examined for the presence of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyurethane using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). FTIR and Raman spectrum analysis data revealed characteristic peaks of the analyzed microplastic structures in almost every sample. These results were also supported by the SEM imaging and EDS elemental analysis results. The acquired SEM images contained scanning areas assumed to be microplastic structures. EDS results showed that the weight percentage of carbon atom density was higher in the areas, where microplastic structures were observed. Consequently, the evaluation of different analytical methods suggests the presence of traces of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyurethane molecules in the amniotic samples.