Scientists have made the startling revelation that microplastics exist in human penises for the first time, adding to the growing alarm about the spread of these microscopic particles and their possible negative effects on health. Almost a month has passed since University of New Mexico researchers discovered microplastics in human testicles, which led to the publication of the most current paper.
Microplastics have been discovered to be present almost everywhere, from human blood and hearts to rain and snow, according to a number of recent studies.
Six men who had undergone surgery to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) had their penile tissue contaminated with seven distinct forms of microplastics, according to a study published on Wednesday, June 19, in the IJIR: Your Sexual Medicine Journal.
According to the study, “the discovery of microplastics in penile tissue raises questions about the implications of environmental pollutants on sexual health.”
Researchers at the University of Miami, the University of Colorado, and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon in Germany discovered that of the seven distinct kinds of microplastics discovered, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) accounted for 47.8% of the samples, while polypropylene (PP) made up 34.7%.
Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) microspectroscopy was used to analyze the penile tissue samples taken from six different people. This technology is capable of detecting the size and quantity of microplastics in addition to their presence.
The study discovered that 80 per cent of the samples had microplastics, which ranged in size from 20 to 500 micrometers.
The study’s lead author, University of Miami reproductive urology specialist Ranjith Ramasamy, told CNN that his research was based on findings from another study that discovered evidence of microplastics in human hearts.
He added that the study participants who had been hospitalized for penile implants to treat ED were the ones from whom the samples were obtained.
Ramasamy pointed out that more study was required to look at any possible connections between the presence of microplastics and illnesses like ED.
Microplastics are microscopic fragments of plastic, measuring less than five millimeters in length, as well as microfibres from clothing that become entangled in the atmosphere of the Earth.
The scariest concerns that microplastics are being transported around the globe, even to far-flung places like Antarctica where they have been discovered in newly fallen snow, have also been validated by earlier research.
They can also enter the human body through the mouth, nose, and other bodily cavities, according to studies. Scientists are still investigating the possible impacts of microplastics on the human body.
